Entry One - So is technology taking over?

Watch videos at Vodpod and more of my videos

"Robots taking over the classroom" - the title scares me a little. Immediately I envision a world where technology literally has taken over. We are already seeing the replacement of checkout staff in shops for "self-serve" checkouts, but is this really where the future lies in education? Robots taking over human teachers?

The thought of robots taking over is rather troubling, however these robots are proving to be a positive step in South Korea at the moment. Currently the robots are only being used as teacher's assistants and are filling the gap where such required staff is not available. The Government funded project is proving to initially expensive, however in the long run may work out to be economical considering they don’t require a salary.

The robots are able to fulfil duties such as checking the daily attendance, supervising, taking photos of the children, check whether a child is well or not and can lead the children in certain classes.

With such a high level of technology a clear line should be drawn as to what exactly is the role of the teacher in the classroom?
The Korean Government states that they do not wish to replace teachers, but give them an invaluable tool. This reminded me of a point a fellow classmate brought up: "ICT stands for 'It Can't Teach.'" A point I completely agree with. These robots can be programmed to do almost anything, but however great the technology; it will never provide the same human qualities that constitute great human teaching.

Video:Robot Teachers Taking Over the Classroom. (2010) video retrieved 26/06/2010 from http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=89874776