Teachers vs. Technology

Education has always been and always will be an important topic.  Parents want the best education for their children, education is a leading arguement in politics and how we educate our workforce dictates our countries economic future.  Tom Clanton, a journalist for The Daily Courier presents an intriuging view on the subject in his editorial "Trust seasoned judgement in eductation". 

In his article Clanton's sides with old fashioned philosophy over technology.  His central theme concentrates on the ideal that teachers should be trusted to educate their students without state or national standards judging and dictating their work.  With that in mind he offers up the idea that standards aren't bad in all situations using the FDA as an example on food safety regulations.  It is true, no one would want extra pesticides on their food just because different states had different regulations.

One of his points was that computers and statistics cannot judge a students human-ness.  Whether or not they are putting forth enough effort, or whether or not they are intelligent enough to digest the material in the first place.  These factors clearly have effects on a students education.  The disappointment that comes with failure has caused mankind to demand measurable data in an effort to "right" the system.  Teachers are also known to inspire their students; to show them the light at the end of the tunnel.  In this regard Clanton points out that perhaps some educators are not "meant" to be in the field.  Let's face it, many who teach do so because of the appeal of summers off or, due to the economy, simply obtained a teaching certificate because of the lack of jobs in their desired fields.  It should up to school boards and principals to dicern the quality of their staff, not simply test scores. 

The fact that funding can also be largely based on achieving certain standards through testing is also quite alarming.  Since when did our public school systems become so undemocratic.  Shouldn't all students be treated equally and be given the same financial aid?  After looking at http://www.azed.gov/finance/, I didn't find any direct correlation between funding and test scores, although the term "analyzing data" was in the mix.  And I'd also be surprised if those test scores didn't have an impact on teachers salaries. 

I am a true believer in using technology in education, but I agree with Mr. Clanton in the regard that good teachers cannot be replaced; they are invaluable to the education process.  I couldn't find hardly any solid statistics relating to this subject, probably because it's hard to measure human-ness.  Still I find myself in complete agreement with Mr. Clanton on this one.  What do you think?

http://dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=108073&TM=60943.09