Change isn't always good?

With high-tech bombarding in education situation, some of us are ready for change, while others are not. I think that some teachers are feeling like they are being forced to change. While I believe that change can be a good thing, I don't necessarily feel that it is always good. Frustration is only going to force some teachers to resist even more. Following is an American teacher talking about his feeling of CHANGE. He says:

"I agree that change is not always good, and that we shouldn't force anybody to change. But I do think change is inevitable. And I am beginning to believe (not quite there yet) that even teachers who have been successful in the past will not be successful in the future if they continue to do what "they've always done." I just think they will not be giving students the best possible education if they don't incorporate the resources that technology and the Internet provide. I also worry that they will not be preparing students for the future that they will be living in - the world truly is changing dramatically. "

I have to say I cannot agree with him any more.

Teachers of 21st Century---We have no choice

Dear Tan and Ice,

Both your reasons are reasonable, but I still insist my opinion that in order not to be left out by the society, a teacher, no matter how old or young she/he is, she/he must keep on learning.

In the past several years, life-long learning/education to a teacher simply meant one should update her/his knowledge of a particular area frequently, while nowadays it seems that besides one's professional knowledge, mastering of high-tech knowledge and skills becomes a necessity. To be an excellent teacher of 21st century, we have no choice but to work harder than ever before in order to follow the footsteps of the new world.

However, we do have our choices to make: we can choose to stick to the old teaching method or we can choose to corporate high-tech into our classroom. The point is whether sticking to the old teaching method and not striving ahead work well. If it does, then everything is fine. But I do suspect it will.

I remember six years ago one famous professor from the Foreign Languages School of Beijing Normal University once openly expressed his strong objection of using a computer. He refused to use computer to write his papers or anything else. I quite understood him then. But now I feel sorry for him because it seems that one just cannot work nowadays without relying on a computer. Do you see what I mean? Facing high-tech, being afraid or ignoring it is useless, what we can do is trying our best to catch up. This is specially true for a teacher. My experience tells me it is never an easy and comfortable life to be a teacher. To be a top teacher of 21st century, we have to suffer more pains in order to improve ourselves and realize our values.