I went searching for some videos on teaching with technology, and among those I watched, I found Mary Jo Madda’s Tedx Talk: Why Technology Can’t Fix Education. In the video, she tells the story of a few districts that have experimented with partially or completely eliminating teachers in favor of more technology. In the examples she gives, this swap does not work out. She goes on to explain what she believes failed in the experiment.

She notes that we often bemoan the classroom of just a few years back, where the teacher was the sole focus of the room, and students sat attentively. But then she offers this image with her talk, and wonders if the scenario on the right is any better. She notes that “Students are sitting at desks, tapped in, singular device, no collaboration, no project-based learning, no communicating, no soft skill development…..and where is the teacher?” (9:25). One might argue the computer is the teacher, but I don’t believe that’s how Ms. Madda intended the idea, or the question. But even if we give that the computer is the teacher, we are left with a formidable list of omissions in the carrel-filled classroom.

I believe the point of Madda’s presentation is that we can err too heavily in either direction. Technology can certainly aid us in the engagement and education of our students, but teachers provide indispensable interpretation in the application of these tools.