I recently read an article about the sad state of affairs in the world of aviation. It seems that hardly any pilots exist anymore who can manually fly a plane. Most completely rely upon computers to do the flying for them. In an AP article by Joan Lowy from August of 2011, the following was related:
"A draft FAA study found pilots sometimes 'abdicate too much responsibility to automated systems.' Because these systems are so integrated in today's planes, one malfunctioning piece of equipment or a single bad computer instruction can suddenly cascade into a series of other failures, unnerving pilots who have been trained to rely on the equipment. The study examined 46 accidents and major incidents, 734 voluntary reports by pilots and others as well as data from more than 9,000 flights in which a safety official rode in the cockpit to observe pilots in action. It found that in more than 60 percent of accidents, and 30 percent of major incidents, pilots had trouble manually flying the plane or made mistakes with automated flight controls. A typical mistake was not recognizing that either the autopilot or the auto-throttle — which controls power to the engines — had disconnected. Others failed to take the proper steps to recover from a stall in flight or to monitor and maintain airspeed. 'We're forgetting how to fly,' said Rory Kay, an airline captain and co-chairman of a Federal Aviation Administration committee on pilot training."
That's when it occurred to me! This is precisely what has been happening in the field of education as more and more school districts turn to the latest and greatest curriculum program or piece of technology to do the "flying" for them instead of relying upon the teachers who can still do it for themselves. As it stands right now, we have many great teachers who know what and how to teach without the aid of an "automatic pilot." But how long can that last? As these master teachers retire or move into more lucrative lines of work, with them will go their expertise, their insight, and their much-needed mentorship. One would think that school districts would do everything in their power to glean all the knowledge and teaching strategies they can from these folks before they leave the profession. Sadly, that is not what is happening. In some cases, they are even being forced to teach according to a "model" plan and style, one that may or may not work. (Isn't it interesting how the powers that be in education can see that kids need individualized instruction but fail to see that teachers need to express their own individuality in order to provide this for their students?)
Perhaps those who are reading this are wondering why anyone would pay large sums of money for something that they already pay teachers to do. Perhaps those same people are wondering why the teachers with the best test scores, the highest standards, and most knowledge in their fields of study are not regularly asked how they achieve the results they get. This writer is wondering that herself, and she fears the day when the last great educator is pushed aside to make room for a one-size-fits-all method of teaching that may be able to "fly" during times of fair weather, but what will schools do when the storms hit (that one kid or group of kids who need something different at the spur of the moment) or the instruments fail (a power failure or breakdown in the system) or funding is cut (no more money for the expensive programs)? The teacher who has been using the automatic pilot will most assuredly panic and crash. The master teacher will calmly take control and simply fly the plane, bringing everyone in for a three-point landing.
So, what is the answer? School districts should do all they can to allow the great ones to co-pilot the ship until the new "pilots" are able fly on their own. Master teachers working alongside the novice offer a "safe flight" for all as they offer tips and strategies and tricks of the trade to get everyone on board through the difficult flights. These folks have depth of knowledge and a full understanding of what must happen in their classrooms with their students. They know how to maneuver through the rough spots and continue to fly because they have logged thousands of hours in the "cockpit." If education continues to promote the "automatic pilot" method of teaching, within a few short years the number of pilots who can fly the plane manually will be depleted, and in just a few more years - there will be none.
