Main Event:

The challenge of using newer technology has led to a loss in human interaction, and this has made future learning dull, insipid, and unsuccessful.

Indirect Characterization 1:

The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the county inspector.

The author indirectly describes how bad Margie is doing in her geography.
Margie’s frustration in learning was quite pronounced, but the robotic teacher could not visually judge Margie’s predicament, thus produces test after test like a printer. A human teacher, on the other hand, can easily identify troubled students based on their demeanor, and act accordingly.

Student behavior can often give cues on how they handle the course material. Those who cannot finish exercises and struggle with the concepts will reveal more frustrated facial expressions. These hallmark human feedback can be easily picked up by human teachers. However, that is simply not the case with robotic teachers that Margie has to deal with.

Indirect Characterization 2:

I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an average ten-year level.

This indirect characterization describes how the mechanical teacher fails to teach Margie what she really needs for her age. But in order to make Margie happy and dumb down her education, the inspector has to gear the difficulty level back for ten year olds. This strongly shows how robots are not as intuitive and effective as human teachers.

Indirect Characterization 3:

Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. They learned the same things so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.

The author indirectly characterizes Margie’s feelings about her grandfather’s past. How the children worked together in teams and had human interactions. Since the class material was all the same, they collaborate to finish their school tasks. But most improtantly, there are human elements of social interaction. Not only did they solve their homework, but they learned, and had fun doing it.

What is the theme for “The fun they had” (RACE method)

Read, Answer, Cite, and Explain

In a traditional classroom, the teacher can easily identify troubled students. Their behavior often shows that they cannot finishe exercises, and their struggle with explaining back to the teacher. The students’ frustrated facial expressions reveal their lack of progress. These hallmark visual response are often flags that only human teachers can identify.

On the other hand, a mechanical robot simply cannot read a student’s body language. This is indirectly described when Margie’s mechanical teacher keeps printing tests even though she hates the subject and has not been doing well. “The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse”. In addition, there is no way for the robot to detect and judge emotional speech. There is no flexibility when it comes to using technology to evaluate the student. At most, the robot can communicate using text, and this form of communication is often counterproductive. Therefore, as far as identifying and helping students, the traditional human teadcher led classroom holds the advantage.