Modern reality imposes the necessity of employing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence tools to keep pace with the requirements of the current generation and accommodate its changing cognitive and behavioral needs in light of the massive digital openness.
In this regard, Vice President of Yarmouk University and Professor of Counseling Psychology, Dr. Ahmed Al-Sharifeen, emphasized that the teacher is currently required to be consciously aware of the rapid and successive development witnessed by the educational sector, and to work seriously to keep pace with artificial intelligence technologies and modern technological means, and to follow innovative teaching methods that enable them to understand the student's thinking and comprehensive orientations, especially since this generation has grown up exposed to a significant digital and technological flow that has entered various areas of their lives, which necessitates moving away from previously followed traditional methods and adopting modern tools that take into account individual differences and meet the aspirations of the era.
Dr. Al-Sharifeen stressed that Yarmouk University is working with steady and deliberate steps to keep pace with these transformations by updating its academic plans and integrating the latest technological methods and applications into various educational programs and specializations, with the aim of preparing and qualifying the teacher of the future and equipping them with advanced digital and pedagogical skills that ensure their efficiency inside the classroom and allow them to deal effectively with digital and smart learning environments.
For her part, the principal of Shatana Elementary Mixed School, educator Sawsan Ababneh, stated on the occasion of Teacher's Day that her twenty-three years of experience in the educational field have proven that the teaching profession has witnessed significant changes while maintaining its essence based on building the human being. She pointed out that the teacher's role is no longer limited to explaining the lesson and providing answers; rather, their responsibility has become to teach the student how to think, research, and choose, and to instill values and responsibility in their personality, because a single word from a teacher is capable of changing the entire course of a student's life and leaving a lasting impact that is not limited to notebooks only, but extends to their future life.
Ababneh added that the challenges surrounding the teacher's work today differ fundamentally from the past due to the changing nature of the generation and society, as the teacher deals with a fast-paced student who relies on technology as an integral part of their life, which shifts the challenge from merely delivering information to how to create passion and a love for learning in the student. She emphasized that the teacher bears double responsibilities that include keeping pace with developments and meeting academic, psychological, and social aspects, and that the greatest challenge facing the field is maintaining the teacher's motivation and passion so they feel the value of their hard work and effort, because maintaining the teacher's passion is the true guarantee for maintaining the quality of education.
She pointed out that technology and artificial intelligence represent a great opportunity when employed correctly, as teachers should be part of this development to guide its use. She confirmed that artificial intelligence helps in planning, preparing activities, and diversifying teaching methods, but it is unable to replace the teacher's heart or perceive human emotions and the psychological situations of students, such as a quiet student's need for a word of encouragement. From this perspective, the equation lies in using artificial intelligence as a tool without allowing it to take the place of human intelligence.
Ababneh confirmed that the teacher today needs empowerment and continuous, effective training that addresses realistic needs inside the classroom, in addition to a comfortable work environment based on cooperation and supportive management, and moral appreciation that makes a big difference in the teacher's psyche and makes them a true partner in the educational process. She expressed her hope that the profession would regain its prestigious status by moving from the question "What did the teacher accomplish?" to the question "What impact did the teacher leave?", and extended her thanks and appreciation to the Director of Education, Ms. Nisreen Al-Bakkar, and to all educational and administrative staff for their dedication and continuous efforts to serve the educational field.
In turn, Dr. Rania Al-Refai from Yarmouk University, who holds a PhD in Science Curricula and Teaching Methods and specializes in teacher training, stressed that developing the learning and education system is no longer an educational luxury or a postponed option, but has become an urgent necessity imposed by the rapid transformations the world is witnessing, where knowledge is renewed, technology reshapes patterns of life and work, and artificial intelligence opens new horizons for learning and creativity.
Al-Refai explained that it is no longer sufficient to prepare the learner for a society whose features we know today; rather, they must be prepared for a flexible and innovative educational system capable of building critical thinking, problem-solving, and connecting knowledge to life. She emphasized that the teacher stands at the heart of this system as a cornerstone and a maker of real change, as developing education begins with empowering the teacher, investing in their professional growth, and redefining their role from a transmitter of knowledge to a designer of learning, a facilitator of thinking, a guide for innovation, and an essential partner in building the personality of the learner who is prepared for the future.
