Robots Wheel Around Classrooms Teaching South Korean Students

In a pilot program, robots are used in classrooms speaking and reading to students in English with a display of an avatar face of a Caucasian woman. This program is not to replace existing teachers and is funded by the South Korean government that runs them $1.37 million. Mr. Sagong, Senior Scientist for the Korea Institute of Science and Technology stated, "The robots won't complain about health insurance, sick leave, and severance package, or leave in three months for a better paying job in Japan."

First of all, I think it's great that in other parts of the world; they are using unique forms of technology in the classrooms to further their skills such as learning English. I think that it's so awesome that in other parts of the world such as Korea, students are willing to learn the golden language of English to be able to compete on the global market, whereas here in the U.S., learning a second language is much more optional and not so much of a focus. Or at least I don't hear as much interest in learning another language from students. I think that Korea is doing an excellent job in the realm of education and are modeling great successes; where the U.S. should adopt some of those successes and create great reform in this great nation as well.