I was obsessed with birds as a kid. I had two pet cockatiels, June and Sydney, that I adored. I watched the movie Polly over and over again. I had a bird book and a pair of binoculars. My dad and I would sit by the window and try to identify the birds that came to the bird feeders outside.
Fast forward many years. I was sitting outside with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, Brad. I said, “Hey look! It’s a Mountain Bluebird.” A little embarrassed, he replied, “Actually, that’s a Scrub Jay.”
Brad also grew up as a bird lover. He had a pet love bird named Andre that sat on his shoulder. He did his fifth grade science project on which bird seed got the most backyard traffic. He had a bird book and a pair of binoculars.
The difference was that his dad, Frank, was a lifetime bird lover. When Brad made a guess at bird identification Frank was able to tell him if he was right or wrong. Frank knew the context of how likely it was to see different kinds of species in different regions. And as a result, Brad is much better at identifying birds than I am. (No shade to my dad. We floundered with our identification together and had a great time.)
Nearly every person I’ve talked to in the past few years has expressed some concern that artificial intelligence is coming for their job. I find it very likely that the introduction of this technology will have far-reaching consequences we cannot foresee, for good and ill. Still, I’m not worried about my job as a teacher.
I learn a lot on youtube and from free online courses. I’ve learned about baking, coding, finance, drawing, and more. We have so much information at our fingertips. It’s truly amazing, and I’m so grateful for it.
Still, it does not replace a teacher.
In 1913, Thomas Edison said, “Books will be obsolete in the public schools. Scholars will be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with motion picture. Our school system will be completely changed inside of ten years.”
Did video end up revolutionizing education? Absolutely. Did it make books obsolete? Absolutely not.
New technologies through the course of history have changed the way people are educated. The invention of books, the creation of education via correspondence, picture, video, the internet, and now AI. But at its core, nothing has really changed.
Since Socrates and his predecessors, education has largely been based on a relationship between teacher and student.
My father-in-law taught my husband to identify birds because he could give him instantaneous feedback, understand the context of what they were looking at, and provide a loving environment for that information to stick.
No technology can do that on its own.
Changes in education technology have made learning more accessible to a wider spread of the population. I am so glad that more people of any age are able to learn the violin and other musical instruments because of resources online. These resources are effective because of the thoughtful teachers behind them. People with experience in the thoughtful sequencing of material. People who read comments and answer common misconceptions or struggles.
And…
Learning from online material is always going to be most effective when followed up with feedback from a good teacher face to face (via video call or in person.)
Last year, I took a violin lesson with my college teacher. I had taught a lot, but I hadn’t taken a lesson or performed very much in a couple years. (Thanks, Covid.) In a few moments, my teacher pointed out my sound wasn’t projecting like it could. When I was performing for my own ear, or recording app, or for a student across the room, I didn’t have to project far. I hadn’t noticed the change.
I needed another set of ears. I needed someone who knew me and my instrument and what the two of us were capable of producing.
A teacher is more than a container of information. A teacher has a relationship with you.
A relationship with a teacher creates a feeling of accountability, motivating you to practice.
A teacher notices the subtle things that make you you and adjusts the lesson to accommodate.
A teacher produces instant, accurate feedback.
A teacher notices your change in mood from last week and makes an effort to connect with you.
A teacher provides community, recitals, and the opportunity to communicate through music.
I’m excited to see how technology will change education in the future. My hope is that it will continue to democratize music and make it more accessible to all. And I hope that more and more people will be able to meet with a live teacher, because no technology could replace that essential relationship.