It takes a human . . .

Grade: 10th
Subject: Science
Year: 2072

As my students and I are walking through the Rain forest we videotape the area with our ring-size cameras, compare plants and water resources on our wearable computers, and write collaboratively our document through the use of wiki. We feel the moisture on our skin, watch the sun begin to set, smell the clear scent of flowers, hear animals around us in the bushes, and taste some of the sweetest fruits.
Then we take our masks off and are back in the classroom.
Virtual reality is just around a corner. As a teacher who enjoys integrating technology into the classroom, I hope that most emerging technologies, like virtual reality, will be available to me before I retire. I believe that our role as a teacher will change to give way for technology to move in more actively, yet as supports. In my opinion, a classroom will always have a teacher and kids will always long for the human contact. Technology can never reach the encouraging potential of a teacher's hand on a child's shoulder, the soft smile in return for a good performance, and the tissues that can wipe away tears. But I also think, that technology will continue to enrich and advance our curriculum. We will move from teaching our kids directly to aiding them in their technology quest. The electronic tools will help us to plan lessons more efficiently, and lessons will be taught through electronic tools. The teacher's role will be to facilitate this process. There is no question that technology will take a strong stance and possibly the upper hand when we teach children academics, but to raise strong, confident, and caring humans it takes a human.