Empowering Educators: How EdTech Can Enhance Teacher Capabilities

InnovationEmpowering Educators: How EdTech Can Enhance Teacher CapabilitiesByGeoffrey Alphonso,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 29, 2026, 11:45am EDTGeoffrey Alphonso, CEO of Alef Education. getty​There is a persistent myth in education that technology is here to replace teachers. In reality, its greatest value lies in empowering educators to do what they do best with greater precision, insight and impact. This is becoming increasingly critical as global education systems face a growing shortfall, with an estimated 44 million additional teachers needed this decade to meet learning goals.​A shortage of this magnitude, combined with rising expectations for more personalized, future-ready learning, makes one thing clear: Education systems can’t remain as they are. The challenge is not the lack of technology, but rather a persistent misalignment between innovation and classroom reality. This is where education technology—particularly artificial intelligence (AI)—comes into the picture. From what I've seen as a leader in this space, AI is not a substitute for educators; rather, it's a force multiplier at a moment of systemic pressure.​From Tech-Centric To Teacher-CentricOver many of the years I've been in this industry, edtech adoption has focused on novelty and operational efficiency, such as grading automation, digital records and plagiarism checks. While useful, these innovations often prioritized operational gains over instructional impact.This is precisely where many edtech initiatives have underdelivered, as they were built around what technology could do, rather than what teachers actually need.​Research consistently shows that successful AI adoption depends on the shift to that need. Teachers must not only understand how to use technology, but they must also trust it, adapt it and, wh...