Actually, I see both little positive impact of ICT in human learning and little evidence of rounded development. I do see a lot of zealots, highly funded ideology proponents who assume it is the main solution for fixing education costs and enrolment turnover measures of learning ... but all too often such motives seem to result in the narrowing of what learning and human development means. I also see an increase in ICT product marketing arrangements (eg. locked in 5 year ICT supply contracts at expense of best ICT fit for use - contracts tend to buy cheapest nasty hardware and software). And I see a risk where teachers are reduced to instructors (only) at expense of Teachers enabled as rounded Educators and social guides.

Where ICT can work is:

* where the ICT feels 'invisible' in use, and is always accessible by all, and functions effortlessly in an affordable mode. If you don't have the right gear, and access to web networks, you are excluded before you start.

* when you have the above conditions, ICT is used to help communicate ideas, concepts and methods that reality cannot do well: e.g., virtual social tours of other lands far away or in space, inter school collaborative projects both live and asynchronous, visual imagery of ideas in 3D colour motion too hard to see in reality like body parts, inside devices, mathematical idea, expensive engineering ideas, how DNA works, and production via such modes as 3D printing to create ideas that are not feasible to make by hand.

In other words, we ought only value ICT to do what cannot be done in reality. Too often ICT is used to replace real-space activity and real social experience - this has to stop.

If ICT is used as a means for a guided awakening that aims to play its role in developing the whole human being affectively, cognitively and in fine and gross motor domains, where such ideas are set in a deep educational philosophy throughout the school community, then ICT and any other learning aid into the future, can give our species a good chance to grow in educational (rather than in factoid snacks, yuk-wow critique, or de-contextualised) modes of development. In short, how does it build a great sophisticated and real context capacity to form judgements in life?

.. Just saying

In my opinion the role of the teacher will not change if we understand this role as the key interface between society and individuals along the about 20 years of development before becoming a "full" member of this society (please understand that there is here a need for big quotes, The space doesn't allow to be more precise). But the work to be done, the competences, this will change because of the new organisation of educational systems, the possibility to access to more individual support to learners and the modification of the relation between learning within and out of the school.

All teaching tools "exist" because of the teacher. The tools complement and/or reinforce the teacher.

No teacher...no teaching tool!

I believe that our role will be similar in a lot of ways. The key difference will be that we will of neccessity have to seek sites with material that will support our students in becoming independent learners. A good web site to view some of the material available for teachers to use with students is Dean Rohan's page on the Upper Coomera S.H.S web site. http://www.uppercoomerasc.eq.edu.au/home/rdean6/rgddis/index.html

In my study on the effects of online mini-games in primary school mathematics education, it was found that students are playing these educational games at home in their free time, when given the opportunity, but that this only affects their mathematics achievement if after playing at home the games are discussed in school. In this way, online games can be used to extend the learning time beyond the school hours. This introduces some independence for the students, but the necessity of a discussion in school suggests that too much independence does not work (then the learning contents of the games are not generalized). A new role of the teacher becomes to regulate the level of independence: students should not be left totally unguided, but on the other hand some level of freedom is needed for the students to be motivated and feel free to explore the game environment. Probably, such seeking of a balance between independence and guidance is important in the use of other educational ICT-tools as well.

Significantly, one of the aims of a good teacher will be to ensure that their students continue to grow more and more independent. Students who learn to take responsibility for their learning would not see their teachers as information transfer agents, but instead, those students would see their teachers as facilitators / subject-experts / guides, who are there waiting to assist/explain whenever the students cannot independently figure out / find the answer / comprehend the topic, etc. Thus, teachers should strive to develop life-long learners who are willing and able to take ownership for their learning. Therefore, ICT-tools are being developed to aid the teachers with becoming better facilitators instead of focusing on being information transfer agents. Finally, I will venture to add that the role of the teacher would not decrease due to ICT-tools, but rather the teachers' tool-kits will increase, and thus lead to enhanced learner facilitation.

In general, I think teachers tend to use technologies to reinforce their existing beliefs and practices. In this sense, I guess I agree with M V, above. There has been a lot of criticism of the idea that technologies will change teaching, in response to overselling of the idea. Larry Cuban is a key resource on this. However, there is also research that computer using teachers may change their beliefs and practices in a more constructivist-oriented direction. You might want to check out Is Cuban Right? by Henry J. Becker. I recently did a study of teachers who used project-based learning (PBL) and found that teachers who used more online tools also used more PBL, especially when they were in schools that supported both.

In my opinion, the role of teacher will be more like a facilitator who helps learners access to more learning materials and environments. As a matter of facts, technology enhances teaching and learning when teachers have ideas and knowledge of how educational technology works. Therefore, as mentioned above by previous people, learners become more independent learners. A successful teacher, I think, is one who makes learners less dependent on her.

My research has focused on the need to move away from information-based didactic teaching methods in the classroom. However, there is some basic information that students need in order to understand complex systems and make connections between social-ecological systems (I specifically research sustainability education). Technology allows the teacher to focus class-time on innovative pedagogy through taking the 'flipped classroom' approach. In the flipped classroom, on-line videos are used to provide the lecture content outside of the classroom so that the students come to class with the requisite declarative knowledge. Class time can be used for collaboration, discussion, experiential activities and more. This technology truly changes the role of the teacher from a disseminater of facts to a facilitator of competencies. Technology can enable teachers to move away from positivist modes of science education and can allow students to be more than passive observers in the classroom. So yes, I think that technology can change the role of the teacher but enabling the teacher to engage in different pedagogical approaches & even to engage in topics (such as sustainability) that they might not feel as though they are experts in. Here is a link on the typical format of flipped classrooms:http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

I cannot answer your question directly but I can point out to a few articles that might help you find an answer:

1.Salmon, G. (2003). E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. Psychology Press.

2.Lisewski, B., & Joyce, P. (2003). Examining the five-stage e-moderating model: designed and emergent practice in the learning technology profession. Research in Learning Technology, 11(1).

3.Demetriadis, S., Barbas, A., Molohides, A., Palaigeorgiou, G., Psillos, D., Vlahavas, I., ... & Pombortsis, A. (2003). “Cultures in negotiation”: teachers’ acceptance/resistance attitudes considering the infusion of technology into schools. Computers & Education, 41(1), 19-37.

5. Hampel, R., & Stickler, U. (2005). New skills for new classrooms: Training tutors to teach languages online. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 18(4), 311-326.

6. Mangenot, F., & Nissen, E. (2006). Collective activity and tutor involvement in e-learning environments for language teachers and learners. Calico Journal, 23(3), 601-622.

7.Moule, P. (2007). Challenging the five-stage model for e-learning: a new approach. Research in Learning Technology, 15(1).

8. Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., Sang, G., Voogt, J., Fisser, P., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2012). Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology in education: A synthesis of qualitative evidence. Computers & Education, 59(1), 134-144.

Best Regards

Francisco

Thanks Stanley Eade, for the link to Dean Rohan's page.

Coming back to Rami's question, I believe that helping our students to become more independent will not reduce the significance of our roles as teachers. As some have pointed out, technology will help our communication with students. Even Facebook is there for us: 7, 24.

But it does mean that teachers must continue to learn and be willing to change and continue to be relevant to learners of the Y (and Z) generations. Do you all agree?

To me, ICT Integration in teaching and learning will in no way replace the teacher. ICT is just a tool to aid the teacher deliver well. In fact, lazy teachers will find the use of ICT a bother. TPACK model in ICT integration can come in handy.

This condition for student has a positive effect on student’s retention as it expected. it are effective on student's self-learning.

Hi there, as you are interested on this topic, I would like to invite you participate in a group that has been created by an EU funded project: http://sigs.ed20work.eu/ You can register and particpate in the discussions generated.

Best wishes,

R.

@Miranda, you mention Facebook, which there for us, as you said (1 day ago). I don't use Facebook, so it's not there for me. Why? Too much obvious commercial interference distracts me from working on it. So, I use Google+ (http://google.com/+MichaelBrueckner). It's very useful with its circles, where I can divide members of my classes and projects according to my needs and communicate with them based on common topics and interests, which don't bother the other circles or my real life friends there.

I had to learn how to use G+ of course, and that's where I fully agree with you. Teachers, like everybody else from plumbers (being instructed on ion exchange columns) to scientists and medical professionals, must be prepared for continuing lifelong learning.

This leads to two ideas to the original question: (1) the role of students and teachers are merging at some intersections of the common course of education, because they have to start learning from the same level of knowledge (e.g., new OS), (2) students and teachers in a Web 2.0 world that is more and more penetrating education evolve from a passive to a more active role by creating knowledge.

Thank you, Rami, for having sparked the valuable ideas around here with your question.

Thanks Michael. I find FB useful to keep in touch with previous batches of students. However, my college blocks FB during work hours. Google+ is not blocked; so I must get more versatile with it.

The teachers' role to transfer knowledge and initiate learner inception, preservation of knowledge and own broadening of concepts and methods of learning and implementation is still the same.

The difference that the ICT tools give, is in:

- direction of the ways teachers can facilitate the learning process by easier access and provision of individual responses, resources, feedback, adaptive lectures, multi-modal communication (oral, written, projects, forums, collaborations, presentations, creativity, ...) between 1) them and the learners, 2) among learners and 3) with the world.

- Anytime, anywhere and with anyone denotes a clash of many barriers, both on the side of the learners and teachers. Everyone involved in ICT supported learning process gets new brain centers and competences affected and developed, and therefore collective advancement is taking place.

- ...

My point is, with ICT in our hands, we can develop faster in our human processes and interactions, and we can circumnavigate wisely from the first impression of alienation and the negligible downsides from the use of ICT. We shouldn't choose complete automatisation of everything, but optimization and ICT support in processes and projects that ease-up and upgrade the human communication and learning.

I can only imagine the next generations of decision makers deriving from the modern lifelong classrooms and networks who know their way in big data and collaboration tools, and act upon skills of fast completeness without superficiality, with the world wisdom in their reasoning processes and with the emotional intelligence, decisiveness and humanity awareness from within themselves.

The most obvious implication in relation to the role of ICT is that it dis-empowers those teachers who see their role as "keepers and dispensers" of knowledge. Google has changed this permanently and the only way that school teachers hold on to the role as "keepers and dispensers" is by blocking technology. In the university context in which I now teach, there is no role for me as keeper of knowledge. Students can easily Google content knowledge for themselves. What can't be Googled is a lifetime of experience in the how of knowledge creation rather than the what of knowledge creation. So I have had to change my school teaching approach from "drum roll - here is the answer" to "drum roll - ok, you have the answer, what was the question?" or "drum roll - you have the answer, how are you going to help students develop understanding of the answer?". It is much more challenging - but enjoyable as well. As is often heard around the corridors - "any teacher who can be replaced by technology - should be"!

ICT tools have already change the role of teachers. Inside the classroom because students acquire information that they bring to the class. Therefore, the teachers' role is to help students transform that information into knowledge. Outside the classroom, because they expand teachers' work beyond the "class' wallls" via e-mails, chats, twitts... We must be prepare for it and adapt. Our students demand it.

in the context of education in India, I don't think computers, Internet and web technologies have made any difference, at least upto degree level. Teachers have not been replaced and there does not seem to be any immediate threat(?) to teaching community. What technology is not going to replace very soon is the human touch that goes into teaching; a smile, a pat on the back...

The other problem with technology is that even today it is not as obvious to use computers and tablets; there is a learning curve and a major drawback in Indian context is the English language. Unless the UI and learning material is available in regional languages, its unlikely that learners would bypass a teacher and rush to technology.

Developing the study material in regional languages should be a priority with educationists, but that's not happening. Governments seem t be happy announcing schemes like Akash tablet etc without assessing any possible benefits of these. There has to be a thrust on development of study material.

At the post-graduation level, Internet should be playing a major role in teaching-learning process, but sadly even that is not happening despite efforts by IITs, MIT, and MOOC initiatives. Students are happy solving a few years question papers and scoring 79-80% in their exams. Teachers are happy with these results and administrators are happy. There is no reason to change the system that is working so well?! Why should students leave the traditional methods of rote learning and experiment with newer technologies?

Inside the classrooms teachers are not using technology as much as they can and should. Many concepts in physics, chemistry (chemical bonds as an example), computer science could well be made simpler through simulations, visualization tools but teachers are themselves not aware of these and hesitate to learn something which they feel students may be better at.

Most students don't have the means to afford buying laptops/tablets, etc. The software / packages available for education purpose is either just PPTs created verbatim from text books or fancy movies which really dont do any justice to the subject.

Its unlikely that teachers would be replaced soon. Computers and Internet have affected every activity be it business, entertainment, banking, but education has remained unaffected.in India at least. Here. chalk and talk still rule.

I fee that the ICT tools available can help the teacher in

(a) Reinforcing the spoken word

(b) illustrating the various concepts and abstractions

(c) giving real-life/real-time examples

(d) Interact with fellow teachers to add to his/her knowledge and also add to the fraternity

(e) design and develop challenging exercises for the students to debate and solve

BUT DO NOT FORGET...ICT CANNOT SUCCEED WITHOUT THE TEACHER'S " IN SITU" INVOLVEMENT.

Dr M V Ananthakrishnan?Mumbai/India

Feel free to have a look at the abundance of information on eLearning:

http://www.planblearning.com/

This site is by Donald Clark of the University of Edinburg, Scotland.

For tips and tricks to use PowerPoint to create eLearning modules, feel free to have a look at the demo videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDgyzAwLadWQsycpYtLp6xbv-CVvcDaXW

In my opinion the role of the teacher has already changed substantially from the dogmatic professor that imparts his great knowledge to the students. Today we acknowledge that a teacher helps facilitate the learning experience and directs the students as to how utilise to the best of capabilities the vast amount of knowledge available through technology. This also pushes the teacher to work for a lifelong learning experience which because of experiences, knowledge and new findings opens doors to thoughts the person might have never delved into otherwise.

I beleve that, in order to answer this question, it is essential to clarify first, what we have in mind when we talk about teaching. In traditional, transmittional model, ICT can serve as a additional source of learning materials and teacher's role is not changed so much. In constructivist approach, teacher's main task is to set learning goals and to prepare learning environment before learning actually starts. Later she is supposed to give feedback, advise and perform some kind of assessment (if all these is not part of learning environment).

So it is not ICT that changes the role of the teacher (or at least should not be!), but rather teaching method (which could be efficiently supported by appropriate use of ICT).

I think that changes in teacher role are real. We have to use the techniques given by ICT, The teacher are social carrier of technology and for that matter the teacher faciltating role is required. Students now are putting more pressure over the learning process. Of course in general the master-apprentice relationships is a co- evolving learning space dimension so my point is that student role is changing too and we have to paid attention to both side of the coin.

Thanks for this relevant question.

I think the role of teacher has definitely expanded in some ways. Once the primary expert who imparted a particular content, we now must learn to model how other knowledge sources can be integrated into our courses. We must also teach students how to critically evaluate and utilize sources of information that did not previously exist. We can incorporate other experts into the learning process as well as different types of material via different methods that had not been available until more recently. Teachers are becoming (if not already) more multidisciplinary in their approaches and finding novel ways and opportunities to integrate exciting learning activities and themes because of technology. So it is not that our roles have been recreated but they have broadened.

Actually, I see both little positive impact of ICT in human learning and little evidence of rounded development. I do see a lot of zealots, highly funded ideology proponents who assume it is the main solution for fixing education costs and enrolment turnover measures of learning ... but all too often such motives seem to result in the narrowing of what learning and human development means. I also see an increase in ICT product marketing arrangements (eg. locked in 5 year ICT supply contracts at expense of best ICT fit for use - contracts tend to buy cheapest nasty hardware and software). And I see a risk where teachers are reduced to instructors (only) at expense of Teachers enabled as rounded Educators and social guides.

Where ICT can work is:

* where the ICT feels 'invisible' in use, and is always accessible by all, and functions effortlessly in an affordable mode. If you don't have the right gear, and access to web networks, you are excluded before you start.

* when you have the above conditions, ICT is used to help communicate ideas, concepts and methods that reality cannot do well: e.g., virtual social tours of other lands far away or in space, inter school collaborative projects both live and asynchronous, visual imagery of ideas in 3D colour motion too hard to see in reality like body parts, inside devices, mathematical idea, expensive engineering ideas, how DNA works, and production via such modes as 3D printing to create ideas that are not feasible to make by hand.

In other words, we ought only value ICT to do what cannot be done in reality. Too often ICT is used to replace real-space activity and real social experience - this has to stop.

If ICT is used as a means for a guided awakening that aims to play its role in developing the whole human being affectively, cognitively and in fine and gross motor domains, where such ideas are set in a deep educational philosophy throughout the school community, then ICT and any other learning aid into the future, can give our species a good chance to grow in educational (rather than in factoid snacks, yuk-wow critique, or de-contextualised) modes of development. In short, how does it build a great sophisticated and real context capacity to form judgements in life?

.. Just saying

A teacher's life would be changed for the good with ICT tools. He or she could set up a website and invite parents to learn about him or her and periodically post information about lessons and events.

The ICT could be an advantageous tool to promote teaching because both teaching and learning English are in a continual developing process. A reality that no one would deny except that this tendency of using modern technologies in learning a language (tablets, computers, CDs and so) will never decrease the teacher’s role.

Have you reviewed the TIMSS 2001 International Reports?

Go to (pp. 238-245): http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_Mathematics_FullBook.pdf

To see the percent of "Schools with Computers Available for Instruction" and its relationship with Mathematics achievement in 4th and 8th grades across 60 countries.

The results for Science are also available in the same website.

I hope it helps!

Great question! I think ITC enhances teaching - very much! Although, it seems the ICT topic is completely covered, with many great examples. I'd like to add on the social apps side. I teach faculty how to use it in the classroom and have many positive outcomes. I won't go over all of them, unless you find these helpful, so I'll just mention Twitter.

*Q&A from the front of the classroom - allows shy students to ask questions they may not otherwise.

* It also allows people to meet professionals in their field, follow experts they wouldn't have the opportunity to communicate with too.

* I've collaborated with people on projects & invited to speak just by running into them on Twitter.

* I've learned great 'gems of wisdom' at conferences that had breakout sessions & while I found it difficult to choose between them - fortunately others were also tweeting & using the conference hashtag.

From a philanthropic standpoint - I've also had the opportunity to 'teach/advocate' to the public and reach more people for a non-profit and raise funds in the process.

I hope I was helpful too.

Yes the role of the teacher has changed with the introduction of technology. But at the end of the day, to me the main role of the teacher is to inspire, to acknowledge, to mentor and to support. Teachers provide the basic framework upon which students through their various methods of learning and absorbing information, students receive that information. Without inspiration and a guiding hand, the basics and framework are not provided and students then miss out critical learning and research skills. Teachers are important as that first guide and will forever be no matter how technology advances.

Good teaching is an art, first and foremost grounded in the relationship between student and teacher. Technology is neither good nor bad. It is just a tool. A great teacher can do more with a piece of chalk than a mediocre teacher can do with all of the latest software gadgets rolled into one amazing hand-held device. There is no shortcut for hard work, memorization, motivation, inspiration, etc. Teaching by PowerPoint and the Elmo is a slippery slope that I fear is putting a wedge in the student / teacher relationship in far too many cases, as well as limiting student hands-on involvement. How has it changed the role of teacher in the classroom? It has made far too many teachers bad presenters rather than dynamically involved educators. How has it changed teacher roles outside of the classroom? It has given the failing education system much more access to "research" that supports every approach besides hiring the best to teach subjects they love, paying them accordingly, and requiring basic standards of discipline and respect from the students. Technology has far too often served as more of a part of the formula that keeps us all in denial as to what the real problems are and what is really needed to solve them. Hold that thought....I just got a text.....BYB........:)

Hear hear Charles!

Agree Charles, but that "good teaching is an art" as in my opinion it is a **profession** that needs a good amount of knowledge in different domains including indeed the content to be taught and pedagogy (to keep my message short). For that profession, "what the real problems are and what is really needed to solve them"? is the question on which it is urgent to work and come to some reasonable consensus.

@Rami, @Charles, @Nicolas...., before all ICT tools, we do have 3 important conditions to be fulfilled: KNOWLEDGE, KNOWLEDGE and KNOWLEDGE!

I think the role of the teacher will stay strong as ever. Because without the instruction, advice and direction of the teacher, the student can not master his subject completely.

Although the use of ICT can be helpful in breifing and illustrating the subject being studied, but the real knowlege in my opinion lies on the personal techniques the teacher follows in classroom.

Further comments on the same question above. The role of the teacher will stay paramount to any ICT tools, because of the teacher student interaction in classroom and in office. in addition, teacher's stimulation and encouragement to get students involved fully in getting knowledge and doing hard work is irreplaceble to any kind of on-line learning.

Adding a short comment: I find the traditional lecturing from the lectern style to be the one that contributes least to student learning (with only a few great lecturer being able to succeed with it). ICT allow the mediocre lecturer among us (me included) to add a variety of learning modes, including active participation to improve learning by the students. I realize the traditional approach 'worked' for us (we would not be here otherwise). But imagine how many more could have been inspired if alternative teaching approaches were used when we were students.

Emmanuel, I don’t think that it is fair to equate the “traditional” classroom with the “lecture-from-the-lectern” approach and the ICT-enhanced classroom with variety. The traditional classroom has always allowed for a great deal of variety in approaches (even if many teachers didn’t use them): small group discussions, formal debates, role-plays, simulations, project work, case studies, student presentations, peer teaching, field trips, labs, and so on. And on the other side, the mere use of ICT does not guarantee variety: for example, if students watch a “lecture-from-the-lectern” on a video at home instead of in a live classroom, I wouldn’t call that “an alternative teaching approach”: it’s just the same old approach with a new technology.

I totally agree with you, Denise. ICT is just another tool. Inspired teachers use it to enhance students' learning, while those that are stuck to teacher-centred approaches will use the tool for their own benefit. I have been attending the ELT-T MOOC from WIZ-IQ for a couple of weeks now and I have realised that there is a whole new world of exciting web tools for teachers to use and make their lesson more effective, interactive, participatory, learner-centred, interesting, differentiated. It's up to the teacher to find out which tools suit their classes best. As for the teacher's role in all this, I believe that it is that of the facilitator, helping hand, inspirer, supporter.

Thank you all for this discussion: I find it very interesting and rewarding and couldn't agree more that technology should serve pedagogy, facilitated by an inspired teacher. Thanks also for introducing the aspect of 'reflective learning' that I aim to use for our next induction session for new lecturers in order to shift the emphasis from teaching to learning.

Two of the key areas where I believe ICT tools are having a profound impact on changing the roles of both teachers and students alike (from 'push' to 'pull' learning) are in the ways that good ICT tools enhance exploration and curation of knowledge and in sharing and collaboration to add value: just as we are doing here on ResearchGate.

Firstly I don't consider myself to be a teacher because you need a teaching certificate to be a teacher. I think lecturers should facilitate learning but the reponsibility for learning should be the students ! Maybe teachers are responsible for the learning and that is the difference, but I guess this is a different discussion.

Lecturing used to be writing notes on the white board and students copying them down. One then assumed the lack of response from the students meant they understood what you'd said ! The end of term examination normally proved otherwise!

I find that the e-learning ICT tools signifcantly improves the situation. I can facilitate the learning process much better by providing quizzes, problem sheets, and links to relevent web-based resources. It improves the communications between the lecturer and students and by setting up a forum you can encourage discussion of problems amongst the students, that you can monitor and facilitate if required. I have to admit that it also enables me to "spy" on the students as I can see statstics on who uses the site and for how long ! I often email students who I do not think are using it enough and they normally respond in the desired manner !

@Anthony, I like Your attitude and approach to students. Nothing "bad" in spying the students, it just can help them, right!

I am going to say something else,to point out the fact with respect to modern technology, a bad professional/lecturer can hide behind modern ICT technologies applied! I hope that these are exceptions only!

@L.Jacic'. I liked your comment about a bad lecturer hiding behind ICT technology.

It is true that considerable number of lecturers use ICT technology because of their laziness and un-effective teaching methods they follow. As well as using on-line examinations, because they bother about marking examination sheets, so they resort to multiple choice question on-line, and the answer and exam results provided and calculated by computer. If you consider Physics and Mathematics subjects, that is unacceptable, because exam sheet should contain detailed questions and answers should also written in details.

That I consider un-honest act.

In normal day-to-day living we learn: 3% through taste; 3% through smell; 6% through touch; 13% through hearing and 75% through seeing. Hence the ICT tools (including websites, applications and devices) change the role of teacher inside and also outside of the classroom; because of the gain of knowledge and updated version. The updated version of knowledge can used for teaching learning process as well as their social activities.

I am wondering whether the role of the teacher using newer tech varies more or less than the role of the teacher in a comparatively low tech classroom? Certainly we've all experienced or observed teachers who take such roles as lecturer, coach, facilitator, guide, etc. - do these roles expand or contract with the introduction of increasing tech options?

My research activities are effect of various utilization of technological devices related to the student's achievements. Here due to the electronic gadgets, the teachers need to show less time in the class with an effective way of presentation and the same time, students can understand the theme (Concept) easily than the low-tech classroom. It depends on the subject of teaching learning process.

Thanks to all of you for the very informative and interesting answers, a lot of interesting research questions could be concluded through reading your ideas.

Yes, I think a great teacher inspires, this role can not be changed or underestimated, but methods of teaching can be changed, developed, could be more effective in specific topics or fields, and could be less effective in other fields.

Rami - Thank you for addressing the question again. This was a wonderful discussion to read. I agree that technology should serve pedagogy, facilitated by an inspired teacher - but am grateful to have it available to further discussions and initiate collaborations.

Teaching with technology is not an easy task! Several investigations have been carried out on the technology integration in the teaching/learning process and repeatedly concluded that the methodologies used should be rethought, not occurring improvements in educational attainment, teachers were not comfortable with the use of these technologies and there was a great lack of resources in schools.

It is essential to reflect on how ICT should be integrated in classroom context, differing from discipline to discipline, from content to content, according to their own objectives, taking into account the context in which theschool and classroom teacher are inserted.

Thanks for the thought provoking discussion. I attended an interesting presentation where it was argued that with the introduction of every new technology since printing, the book, the blackboard etc it was thought that the role of the teacher would be taken over by the technology. This has not happened - technology can therefore never replace the true teacher.

An online workshop was presented from the standpoint that bad teaching is amplified by technology which disseminates information so effectively. Again the conclusion is that technology should be used in the service of pedagogy and integrated effectively.

I agree with Schalk that people have always overreacted to the introduction of a new technology but that history has consistently shown that technology cannot replace good teaching. However, with respect to the question at hand, I think that it certainly can and does change the ROLE of the teacher and how classroom time is spent. For example, teachers may not need to spend as much time and energy “disseminating” knowledge (and ensuring that learners have “absorbed” it), but more time helping learners to develop higher-order skills: e.g. to critically evaluate that knowledge, integrate knowledge from different disciplines, use it to solve real-world problems, etc. Thus the teacher’s role has changed from “expert holder and transmitter of knowledge” to something else: Facilitator? Coach? Guide? Classroom Orchestrator (of dynamic learning situations)? Etc.

I am using technology in classroom since 1998. My role is quite the same but technology offers sometimes audio visual aid for a child e.g. with language disorders or is used as a good tool for advanced learners e.g. to find recourses. Technology promotes learning as a tool and resource, not as a visual aid or talking head. As a teacher, now very keen with creation of any type of content (blogs, sites , video, flash, ppt , data bases etc.) I feel that I am very flexible in classroom and have all children engaged even the kids with severe disabilities that can't follow the general curriculum. My experiences led me to express my opinion witch is the same others have expressed already but let me add few words from Chomsky's, the Learning {RE}imagined book. "As far as technology itself and education is concerned, technology is basically neutral. It’s like a hammer. The hammer doesn’t care whether you use it to build a house or whether on torture, using it to crush somebody’s skull, the hammer can do either".....

“You have to know how to evaluate, interpret and understand. Let’s say, biology, again. The person who wins the Nobel Prize in biology is not the person who read the most journal articles and those notes on them. He’s a person who knew what to look for and cultivating that capacity to seek what’s significant, always willing to question whether you’re on the right track. That’s what education is going to be about whether it’s using computers and internet or pencil and paper or books”

"Teacher" poses the problem and focuses student pursuit of the solution, assessing performance -- not sitting in judgement of "right" or "wrong" at the end of the lesson. This is cognetive apprenticeship, wherein, the limits set by the teacher are more like wisdom suggested in the unreal world context of the scenario, than unrealistically conferring real world mastery. This is the human interface with the world that our brains are interpreting from sensory input, and we don't experience the "real world", any more than a machine does. It stands to reason, only the human perspective can impart the essential qualtiy necessary for learning. I believe we neeed to find more ways for human contact -- I feel that in the traditional classroom, the teacher was increasingly removed. In the modern classroom, the teacher must join with student in the scenario situation, since the outcome may not ever be resolved -- the assessment being formative, not summative. Precise measuring of the enhancement of congnition by the thechnology is stlll not yet quite fully understood. But, certainly, we can measure how much we put in.

Web and ICT tools can improvise teaching process of a teacher, a blend of traditional and modern teaching tools would have a more practical impact on brains of students, with Pw point, audio-visual aids, and knowledge updates with a single click of mouse. Animations and transitory effects can be added and lecture notes, teaching models can be made well advanced and with ease of time - saving time as well as energy.