Education in Brazil and around the world is constantly evolving, driven by technological advances, social changes, and new pedagogical approaches. To meet the demands of an ever-faster-paced world, administrators and educators are seeking a balance to ensure higher-quality, more inclusive, and more equitable education. In this context, experiences from other countries can serve to inspire reflection and dialogue, as well as contribute new insights.    

Earlier this year, Bett Brasil, the organizer of Latin America’s largest event on Innovation and Technology in Education, brought together more than 190 Brazilian participants in the “Bett UK 2024 Delegation,” including educators, administrators, and school leaders, as well as government officials and executives from education-related companies.

The delegation spent five days in the British capital, participating in technical visits to leading British educational institutions, including King’s College, the University of Cambridge, and Ashcroft Technology Academy, as well as attending the Bett Show UK, a global education and technology event. For the delegation members, the exchange of knowledge and experiences and the networking opportunities provided by their visit to London yielded positive results in Brazil. 

Brazilian delegation during a visit to King's College this year

“Being part of the Brazilian delegation at Bett UK greatly contributed to my professional development by helping me make new connections. Networking in the field of education made a significant difference in creating new opportunities to exchange knowledge, experiences, and expertise,” said Bruna Calil Ciconelli, Head of Innovation at Colégio Bento Benedini .

Bruna highlights a practice at Colégio Bento Benedini that was implemented shortly after her return from London and had a positive impact: requiring teachers to submit their lesson plans to the coordination team with additional information. According to her, the submitted content was restructured to include proposals for active teaching methodologies and technological tools to be used by teachers, with the aim of encouraging the use of other technologies beyond just textbooks. 

“With this new approach to sharing lesson plans, we’re working to ensure that teachers communicate this to their students and show them what they’re learning and what they’ll learn next. The idea is to focus a little more on visible thinking so that students understand the entire educational process and take a more active role in adopting the mindset they need to achieve results in their own learning and the development of their skills,” explained Bruna.

The educational immersion program in London provided the delegation members with learning opportunities, connections, and the chance to share experiences

Another member of the “Bett UK 2024 Delegation,” Ilsiane Peloso, the principal of Colégio Catamarã, notes that one of the key takeaways that enriched her management practice during the trip to London was the opportunity to clarify the school’s direction regarding Artificial Intelligence, one of the topics that dominated this year’s Bett Show UK.

“During the panel discussions at the Bett Show UK and the field visits, we were able to identify the role played by each staff member and, above all, to share ideas and learn from other school administrators. The topic of Artificial Intelligence—given the difficulty of assessing its scope and impact in the field of education—highlighted the need to reevaluate our model of teaching and, consequently, how students learn, with a view to ensuring that the process becomes increasingly personalized. International practices and experiences help us identify areas where we need to be more flexible and where we must remain even more steadfast in our convictions,” explained the principal of Colégio Catamarã.

Ilsiane reveals that among the new management practices implemented this year—inspired by the trip to London—is the creation of a standing committee on educational technology focused on AI. “We want to assess and discuss the scope of the tool by answering questions such as: What can we encourage? What should we be cautious about? How can our teachers learn? And what are the risks? It’s a whole new world, and it’s urgent that we have an organized innovation team at the school that’s focused on developing solutions for the coming years,” she said.

See also:

• Bett Show: Event Showcases Global Trends in Education
• Google Showcases New Possibilities for Its Tools
• How to Use AI Tools in the Classroom

Simone Telles, the former academic director of the Virtual University of the State of São Paulo (Univesp), who also participated in the “Bett UK 2024 Delegation” program, believes that what she learned in London and the networking opportunities she had there were essential for the implementation of new projects at the institution.

Simone points out that she had the opportunity to establish several partnerships for Univesp, including one with King’s College on a research and outreach project based on the Collabix tool, as well as partnerships with the British Council, Microsoft, and Google. Currently serving as International Advisor to the São Paulo State Department of Education, Simone notes that these partnerships, which were established as a result of her trip to London, also have an impact on her work at the department.

“I am no longer serving as academic director at Univesp, but everything I saw in London and brought back to the university at the time is also being put to use at the São Paulo Department of Education. I believe that when you take a trip like that, the knowledge, opportunities, and networking connections you gain become a resource you can draw on in all kinds of situations,” says Simone.

She also adds a practical example of the professional experience she gained in the English capital: “The meetings I held with the British Council team in London led to one of the strongest partnerships I have today at the Department of Education, since my work focuses on exchange programs and the internationalization of basic education,” she added.

In January 2025, Bett Brasil will host another educational tour in London, United Kingdom. The “Bett UK 2025 Delegation” will offer five days of immersion in the British capital, featuring technical visits to British educational institutions and a guided tour—with access to the VIP Lounge—at the Bett Show UK, a global education and technology event, which will take place from January 22 to 24. Those interested in participating can simply fill out the online form on the website here.Space is limited.

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