My rewrite for Reflection 1 “Technology will never replace great teachers, but in the hands of great teachers, it’s transformational”

Description

When I first considered the statement "Technology will never replace great teachers, but in the hands of great teachers, its transformational", I immediately thought about how dependent education has become on digital technology. From online learning like during covid to the new developments in artificial intelligence, technology can make information more accessible and learning more engaging. As a university student I have experienced this first hand through using technology to research information, communicate with others and complete my uni work. However, after engaging with the readings I have come to realise that technology itself is not what transforms education, rather it is how teachers use it to support learning.

Feelings

During my process of using Gibbs reflective cycle (The University of Edinburgh, 2024), I initially viewed technology quite positively. As a student, i regularly use technology to research information, communicate and complete university work such as this. This ultimately made me assume that students are naturally comfortable and capable with digital technology also known as "Digital Natives" (Prensky, 2001). I felt quite confident in this assumption because technology has become such a normal part of my own education. However, Krischner and De Bruychere challenged this assumption by questioning the concept of the "Digital Native", they argue that being familiar with technology does not automatically mean that students possess the skills to use it effectively for learning. This made me feel slightly surprised because I had previously associated being able to use technology with being digitally capable. In turn, this also made me question whether I had assumed too much about other students abilities and how I can change that for my future role as a teacher.  This made me reconsider the role of the teacher, As students may have access to enormous amounts of information, but teachers remain important in helping students interpret and evaluate information.

 

 

Evaluation

My evaluation of technology also became more critical when considering the evidence surrounding its educational impact. The reading "Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors

influencing schools’ digital capacity and transformation" picks ideas that the impact of digital technologies is influenced by factors including teacher capability, school infrastructure and the way technology is integrated into teaching. This suggests that simply placing technology into a classroom does not guarantee better learning outcomes. The teacher's pedagogical decisions remain central (Timotheou et al., 2022). A similar view is evaluated in the reading "Evaluating the evidence of educational technology: part 2 - enabling learning" which encourages consideration of whether technology genuinely enables learning rather than assuming that newer technology is automatically better (Spotlights, 2025).

I found this particularly important because it challenged my initial belief that having more technology available would naturally create better learning oppurtunities. I began to see that technology can be beneficial, but it can also become a distraction or an ineffective addition if there is no clear purpose behind its use. The concept of the digital divide further changed my perspective. (McElroy, 2021) highlights the inequalities in student's access to technology and reliable internet. I realised that describing technology as a universal solution can overlook students who do not have equal access to digital sources. A great teacher however can be found anywhere, and must understand not only what technology can do but also its limitations and its potential to disadvantage some learners.

Analysis

Reflecting on these ideas, I now interpret the driving question differently  I have had a main change in my thinking that I no longer see technology as the thing that creates effective learning. Technology should be used as a tool that can strengthen teaching and does not diminish the importance of teachers, instead it can extend what effective teaching can look like. For example, digital tools can provide alternative ways for students to collaborate, communicate and demonstrate their understandings as well as accessing resources. However, these benefits depend on the teacher intentionally selecting technology that aligns with learning goals. Which I believe is important when considering the different abilities and experiences students may have.

Action plan

As a future teacher, my action plan is to use technology purposefully rather than simply because it is available. I want to ask myself "does this technology improve the learning experience and will it benefit them superiorly compared to if the lesson plan was taught without it?" I also want to consider whether all students will be able to acess and use the technology effectively before introducing it into a lesson. Ultimately, meaning im going to think of technology beyond its face value and instead considering whether it supports the learning objectives I want to complete in the classroom. this reflection has reinforced Enhancing my belief that technology is most transformational when it is guided by strong meaningful relationships with teachers who understand their students. Technology may change the classroom, but the teacher remains the person who gives that technology a educational purpose.