I don't think it is a good idea for traditional teachers to be replaced by computers. A computer cannot offer the same feedback that a living, breathing, knowledgeable person can. Yes, kids of today are more visual based learners, but I don't think that all classes should be taken online. The experience can be very interesting, but it is not nearly as interactive as a traditional classroom learning experience. If today's kids were to learn on computers alone, they would be missing out on extremely important experiences that all kids need to have to develop in a healthy manner. I believe that kids of today do not get enough time socializing with other people and being around other people, because so many of them spend time on the computer or in front of a TV at home. I think traditional based classrooms at least offer a well-balanced, all-around healthy experience. Kids not only learn class material in classroom settings, but also life lessons, social skills, et cetera.
I do think the reasoning by Kaplan, Kahn, Jukes and Taylor is a potential "game changer". I don't think the ideas of all of these people will completely change the classroom, however. The Kaplan University commercial made a good point that so many of us today as digital learners are a bit ahead of the "game" so to speak; we were brought up using computers and other technology, and this is what we are used to. I think that because many of us today are proficient with computers and other technology, we as students could also be even more proficient in our learning, et cetera, if more technology were to be introduced into the classroom. Digital natives thrive in the technological world. Digital learners may excel faster in their learning experiences if they were not simply lectured AT all day long. They need a more interactive, fast-pace experience, and technology is there to offer it to them.
I don't think that my job description would be much different in three to four years down the road in comparison to what it would be today. As we covered in this course, technology used in the classroom should be integrated transparently into the class. Even if there is new technology to be used in my future classroom, I believe I will always have to teach the same material. The way in which it is taught may be slightly different, but I don't think that the classrooms of today are changing so drastically or quickly enough that they will be much different down the road.
I don't think every student can be reached successfully through online courses. Not all students are visual learners. Not all students thrive by reading directions through text alone, and not all students excel by watching their teachers give directions through a video. I hope that classes will never completely be moved to an online setting. As I said before, the traditional classroom at least offers live help. Students are able to ask questions and receive answers in the moment they have them. Online classes can be extremely frustrating if a student is stuck on a problem and has to email his/her teacher for the answer. Traditional classrooms at least offer a more interactive experience. A class like "art" for example, would be very difficult to teach successfully online. The student would not be able to get the same feedback on his/her work. Teachers in the traditional classroom are at least able to walk around the classroom and see how the students are doing so that he/she can give proper feedback.
I think that students should adapt to educational environments. The biggest reason for this is the fact that students are always changing. It will be extremely difficult and most likely costly to cater different standards to each new generation. College professors would constantly have to change their approach in how they are teaching their students to become successful teachers. I think little adjustments to the classroom would be beneficial, but I truly think it is a bad idea to constantly transform the classroom.
Yes, there is a bit of flexibility when it comes to taking an online course. The student can "attend" the course whenever he/she wants to throughout the day; the student may not have to actually leave his/her home, et cetera, but as I said before, a computer is, in my opinion, not a teacher. The student will not have the same well-balanced, interactive and social experience that they would have in a real classroom. On top of this, an online experience does not cater to all of the different needs of each student. I think online courses could be very frustrating for students who are struggling in the course material.
