Say Goodbye to Teachers and Hello to Robots by Caroline

Say Goodbye to Teachers and Hello to Robots by Caroline - February 2018 Scholarship Essay

As technology continues to grow, human dependence on technology also increases. Today, technology is more prevalent in education than it has ever been before. Students of all ages are constantly surrounded by smartphones, tablets, laptops and many more forms of technology during the school day. Twenty years ago in school, students had to find the answer to their question by asking a teacher, looking in a dictionary or looking in an encyclopedia. Today, after typing a question in the google search bar, it takes, at most, five seconds before having over 1,000 answers in the palm of your hand. Because students and schools are so used to using technology to further their education, technology will continue to be an important part of schooling for students of all ages. By 2038, the most integral technology used in schools will be robot teachers that are equipped with advanced intelligence.
Robots with higher intelligence and quick response times will be integral to educating students of all ages in 2038. By this year, many teachers will be replaced by robots. Having robots instead of teachers or professors may be more efficient in the classroom. An extremely intelligent robot could answer questions faster and more accurately than some teachers. This would allow students to stay on task in the classroom and get their questions answered in an easier and more productive way. Because humans can, and are, creating robots, it is possible that certain robots could be specialized in certain areas such as english, math, history, science and many other subjects. Since these robots are virtually extremely smart teachers, they would be passing along their intelligence to their students, forming a smarter upcoming generation. In some classes, students may respond better to having a robot instead of an actual person as an educator. Because these robots would stay on task more than a teacher, students would also stay focussed and ultimately gain more knowledge and education. Not only would intelligent robot teachers allow students to be smarter, it would also save schools and administration money by not having to pay teachers. With the money school districts would save, they could focus their budget on other areas, like having better facilities and better technology. This money could also be reinvested into creating smarter and even more efficient robots for future students. Even though it may seem like 2038 is far away, these robots will be taking over the education system before we know it.
Although these robots will be integral for education in 2038, they come with many drawbacks and concerns. For example, having a robot teach classes instead of teachers will eliminate an immense amount of human interaction. Young elementary aged children need to have interactions with adults to learn communication and discipline skills that they will carry with them throughout the rest of their lives. A loss of interaction between students and adults will leave children unprepared for the real world because not only do teachers educate students, but they also teach children how to interact with people who are older than them. This relationship between a robot and a human will ultimately isolate people from one another, creating a gap in the occurrence of human relationships. Human teachers have something that robots do not: passion. Robot teachers will not be able recreate actual feelings that real people have. This may cause students to feel a lack of interest while trying to learn. If they are unable to see passion and interest from their professor or teacher, it will be difficult for them to find it as well. If teachers can be replaced by robots then where does it end? Should principals also be replaced? Would it be efficient to have a whole school, or whole school district, run by robots? Would parent-teacher conferences turn into parent-robot conferences? Having robots as teachers in 2038 raises many questions. By 2038, the use of technology will be used in many aspects of our lives including education, which comes with many potential problems that can only be fixed through trial and error.
Society's current dependency and enjoyment of technology will open our future to introducing technology in places where it is not as prominent today. In 2038, robot teachers will be integral to the education system. This may allow many aspects of education to run smoothly and more efficiently. Despite the benefits and usefulness from new technology, there is always risks that arise when trying something new. Students need to make sure to appreciate their teachers now, because in twenty years, they may be gone.