At Westside Tutoring & Testing Services, we believe that one-on-one interaction trumps technology every time.

And we believe it will do so long term!

NOTE: To fully understand Counterpoint: The Atlantic and The Deconstruction of the K-12 Teacher (below), we suggest you check out The Atlantic’s The Deconstruction of the K-12 Teacher.

Counterpoint

If the new wave is technology, then what do we do with all of the children who get caught in the undertow of inadequate support?

• We don’t need less interpersonal interaction and support, we need much, much more.
• We need lessons taught according to the individual student’s needs and not according to some so-called master plan, put together for God-knows-who, and originating from God-knows-where.

Paradoxically, in an era of such amazing promise and progress, we witness symptoms of hyper-stimulation and information-overload on a daily basis…and that doesn’t begin to address the damage done by all that wonderful information online.

Just think of it:

All that free mis-information just lying around, waiting to be digested.

Never mind the indigestion that must, by necessity, follow!

Our children are in desperate need of more one-on-one instruction, not less!

If the new God-technology is indeed the best thing since sliced bread, then why is the phone at Westside Tutoring & Testing Services​ ringing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year?

Think back….

Think back to the teacher and/or coach who made the biggest difference in your life. He or she probably made a difference by looking you in the eye, by making you feel like you mattered, by encouraging you to believe that you could make a real difference, and by letting you know that someone outside of your immediate family cared that you were here.

Imagine how different things may have been without that sort of interaction, nurturing, and guidance!

Instead, many suggest (and no, it’s not just Michael Godsey) that we shape the classroom experience so it centers on the Internet, complete with slick productions created by master directors and starring SuperTeach!

I can see and hear it now: “Okay, ready on camera one? Now give the kiddies that biiiigggg smile. That’s it, the money shot. Now, show them how much you reeeeeally care!”

As the @RealJonLovitz would say: “Yeah, that’s the ticket!”

All kidding aside, there has to be a better way!

• Our children need less stimulation, not more.
• Our children need more one-on-one interaction, not less.
• Our teachers need more support in the classroom, not less.
• Our teachers need to be more engaged, not less.

Technology is a resource, a tool, and nothing more.

We here in the United States are far to quick on the draw when it comes to the next-great-idea. Let’s take a step back, analyze what is reeeeeally happening to our children, and then act in accordance with their needs.

For all the glitz and glamour, I’ll take a walking, talking, breathing, hugging, smiling teacher over a Mac or a PC any day of the week and thrice on Sunday!

Professor Z
Westside Tutoring & Testing Services