「英语共读」Is the spring of virtual teachers coming?

Anantha Ram, 63, is a flutist in India. Every morning he turns on his computer, picks up his flute and joins his 30 students from different countries who are waiting for him online.

With 40 years of teaching experience, Mr. Ram became a virtual teacher 10 years ago. Besides that, the well-known artist teaches another 60 students at his home in Bengaluru.

For him, there is no difference between the joy of teaching in person and teaching virtually. ''When my students play perfectly, whether online or in front of me, the joy is the same,'' he says.

Mr. Ram had a say in his decision to become a virtual teacher, but for Ector County School District in Odessa, Texas, USA, virtual teaching for some teachers could become the only choice.

The population of the district has ballooned in recent years, creating a huge demand for teachers. However, it has not been able to find many. To solve the problem, the district has considered trying virtual teachers. But instead of studying at home, students are expected to go to school as usual to view the stream of virtual teachers.

More and more students and schools nowadays seem to expect to see a growth in the number of virtual teachers. While students hope to get expert-led experiences, schools see it as a solution to a lack of teachers or expert teachers. More importantly, it appears to be a not-that-expensive choice for them both.

Is the spring of virtual teachers coming?

---选自《英语周报》2018-2019学年上《初中阅读进阶版》第15期