Many teachers are afraid of being replaced by technology. It makes sense: so many have already been laid off when distance learning was implemented at an institution that it seems as though technology is an enemy that must be fought in order to preserve teachers’ jobs. But the situation isn’t quite that simple.

Many students also believe that the quality of education will decline with the adoption of technology. It makes sense: they’ve seen so many situations where teachers are replaced by PDFs, and yet they’re still considered to be taking a course. With this kind of situation, it seems, once again, that technology is the enemy of quality education.

The consequence of the improper adoption of technology—or simply a lack of understanding of its potential—is that many organizations are opposed to the use of technology in education. There are regulations on course loads, and groups that oppose the adoption of a wide variety of technologies in education, both in hybrid and distance learning settings.

The fact is that technology does not replace teachers. It may be replacing teachers in some contexts, or leading to unwarranted layoffs, but in one way or another, teachers remain essential in educational processes that involve technology: Distance learning programs and educational software developers need teachers to define learning objectives, create and organize content, and develop teaching strategies. Digital content can be distributed at scale, and that’s where we need, once again, teacher-tutors to monitor students’ learning, answer questions, and motivate them. It is when teachers are lacking at any stage of this process that the quality of education suffers. They don’t need to be in the classroom, but there is a great deal of work to be done alongside the provision of high-quality digital content.

One might argue that adopting technology leads to a reduction in the number of teachers, noting that distance learning reaches more students with fewer teachers—and that is true. On the other hand, our demand for education is so great that providing access to more students is always worthwhile. Those who complete high school are candidates for higher education; those who complete higher education are candidates for graduate studies; and everyone can benefit from open enrollment courses at different stages of their lives. Learning is always good for the individual and for society, and the more people study, the more they will continue to study, and the more teachers will be needed for different types of courses.

It is important for teachers to understand this shift in opportunities that is taking place in education. Due to the pandemic, countless schools and universities are hiring IT coordinators—people who can help the institution enter and remain in the digital world. Education startups are emerging in various fields. The high school reform allows for 40% of the curriculum to be delivered online, but it increases the total course load and diversifies educational pathways. There will be demand for both online and in-person teachers in subjects that were once unimaginable.

By observing these trends, understanding their strengths, identifying the technical and interpersonal skills they need to develop (and developing them), teachers will be able to find a wide variety of opportunities in the field of education, as these opportunities are growing and will continue to do so. They may not be found in traditional curricula or in the conventional classroom, but many already exist, and others are yet to be invented.

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