Arguing that technology in education can free teachers to teach, this paper reviews the literature and discusses both the role of the teacher as a facilitator who uses judicious applications of educational technology to ensure that student learning is maximized, and the effects of various factors such as emotional problems and nutritional deficiencies on the degree of learning accomplished. Technological innovations for facilitating or enhancing learning and the role of the teacher are then discussed for each of five progressive stages in the learning process: (1) an information stage, in which research is carried out and data are collected; (2) an exploitation stage, which involves organization, criticism, and processing of data; (3) an assimilation stage, which consists of knowledge fixation; (4) a transfer stage, which consists of application of the acquired knowledge; and (5) an assessment stage in which the quality of learning is evaluated. Ten references are listed. (MES)