If we stop to think for a few minutes about our educational past, we surely see in the present, tools that could have facilitated our organisation, time and enhanced our learning in the past.
Although technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and its growth impacts on all branches of our daily lives, paying special attention to the last three years and the post-COVID-19 effect, this growth is not always reflected in the educational level (always considering the educational differences between countries).
The use of technology
And I am not only referring to the technological gap, which is huge in some geographies, nor to the reach of electronic media. But the fundamental balance between the individual as a social being and the constantly growing use of technology.
Thinking of a comprehensive education plan together with the incorporation of new technologies is fundamental, seeking to train people who can have the resources and skills that will be indispensable in the future, not only in terms of employment, but also in terms of citizenship.
Adrián De Grazia, Director of Digital Sales for the Americas and Country Lead for Intel Argentina, stated that “technology is no longer optional and has to be the backbone of education. It is becoming increasingly crucial to train professionals capable of leading the digital transformation in their respective fields”.
Today, more than ever, technology must be considered an ally in educational processes; in isolation it cannot solve the challenges on its own. It requires the accompaniment and focus on an education that forms people with a solid, critical and responsible basis in the use of technology. Not only to acquire the essential skills for the jobs of the future, but also to live in a fairer society.
We must never lose that “the north is always the people“. Our compass must be oriented in making decisions that, when implementing the use of new technologies, do not lose sight of the human factor as well.
An example of cutting-edge education
An example of cutting-edge education is Sweden, with a world-leading digital education plan. Recently, the Swedish government announced that it will allocate 685 million kronor (60 million euros) by 2024, and 500 million kronor (44 million euros) per year in consecutive years, to accelerate the return of books to the classroom.
Do they want to slow down access to new technologies?
No. It’s not that, it’s that there is a special focus on people who detected a significant decline in their pupils’ reading comprehension, due to too much screen time.
“We have a reading crisis in Swedish schools,” warned Education Minister Lotta Edholm at a recent press conference.
This case is key to understanding the idea of the inexorable advance of new technologies and ways of communicating, which must go hand in hand with equity, reflection, empathy and human value.
Times are moving fast and perhaps that is our great challenge as individuals in the midst of technological transformation: not to lose focus on people. We must be able to ensure that technology allows us to develop all our capabilities and possibilities, that it opens up paths for us as a society and, above all, that we do not lose our humanity along the way.
