There’s a line from the Matrix that goes something like “never send a human to do a machine’s job.” Who knew that a dystopian sci-fi trilogy could so accurately summarize the evolution of technology in education?

This train of thought was inspired by an article in the Washington Post about Yong Zhao’s news book 5 big mistakes in educational technology and how to fix them. The first mistake Zhao points out massively hinders the effectiveness of ed tech:

“Guided by the narrow view that a teacher’s primary job is to transmit knowledge, technology has traditionally been viewed as something to either replace the teacher or aid the teacher […] A more productive relationship may be in the middle. That is, technology can replace certain functions of the human teacher but not entirely. In the meantime, teachers do not need to control technology as simply a teaching tool to enhance instruction. Instead they should relinquish some of their teaching responsibilities to technology and shift their energy to do things that technology cannot do.”

This is especially true for language teachers. Machines are phenomenally powerful when it comes to rote learning—a method that is particularly useful to memorizing words and phrases in a new language. Teachers, on the other hand, excel at facilitating interactive classroom activities that put the language to use. Designating classroom time as an opportunity for students to use the language, through skits, roleplaying, round robin discussions, debates, storytelling, etc. builds listening and speaking skills, but also confidence. Students also have more fun and feel more motivated when actively participating in the class.

Technology is neither a supplement nor a substitute for teachers. Ray Clifford, long time Chancellor of Defense Language Institute, has said that technology will not replace teachers, but teachers who use technology well will replace those who do not.

Zhao poses the questions: “Why hasn’t technology improved education? Why hasn’t it transformed education as much as it has transformed other sectors?”

Because we’re still sending teachers to do a machine’s job. When it comes to education, we cannot use technology for the sake of using technology. Language programs need to implement technology in a way that leverages its capabilities, particularly for learning words and phrases quickly and reliably. We also can’t push a teacher in front of a class of students just to have someone standing there. Language teachers are too skilled to simply drill vocabulary—they need to be leading interactive, conversational activities that use that vocabulary in context.

We need to let teachers and technology do what they each do best.