Teacher Débora Garofalo is one of Brazil’s leading authorities on educational innovation, technology, and creative learning. In 2019, she became the first Brazilian woman and the first South American to be named among the ten finalists for the Global Teacher Prize—an international award sponsored by the Varkey Foundation and known as the “Nobel Prize of Education”—thanks to the “Robotics with Scrap” project, developed at Ary Parreiras Municipal School in São Paulo. 

In 2026, she was once again recognized by the Varkey Foundation when she became the first recipient of the “Global Teacher Influencer of the Year” award, a new award created to recognize educators who extend the impact of learning beyond the classroom through their work and influence.

In the educator’s view, technology should expand learning opportunities without replacing the human role. In this interview with the Bett Blog, Débora discusses how Artificial Intelligence can be incorporated into schools in an ethical, critical, and creative way, while preserving skills that remain fundamentally human.

Débora is one of the confirmed speakers at the Bett Nordeste Conference, which will be held on August 19 and 20, 2026, at the Recife Expo Center in Recife (PE). Admission is free.You can register here.

Bett Blog: Throughout your career—from the “Robotics with Scrap” project to the implementation of educational innovation policies—you have always maintained that technology must serve learning. What remains a guiding principle for effective teaching practices in the wake of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence?

Débora: Technology changes rapidly, but the principles of a good education remain the same. Throughout my career—whether creating the “Robotics with Scrap” project at a public school, coordinating innovation policies in school districts, or helping to develop the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) for Computer Science—I have learned that the starting point is never technology, but rather pedagogical intent. 

Artificial Intelligence expands possibilities, automates tasks, and personalizes learning experiences, but it does not replace what is essentially human: the ability to inspire, facilitate, welcome, prompt questions, and foster critical thinking.

The role of schools remains to educate citizens capable of understanding the world and transforming it. Technology is a means to that end, never an end in itself. When we put learning at the center, any technology becomes a powerful ally.

Bett Blog: In this context, in your view, which skills become even more valuable for students’ holistic development?

Débora: We live in a time when access to information is no longer the biggest challenge. Today, what sets us apart is our ability to analyze, interpret, create, and make ethical decisions.

Skills such as critical thinking, creativity, complex problem-solving, collaboration, communication, empathy, and digital responsibility are becoming even more important. Added to these are computational thinking and the ability to engage with artificial intelligence systems in a conscious and critical manner.

The National Digital Education Policy and the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) for Computer Science are moving in this direction: to educate students who understand how technologies work, know how to use them ethically, and take the lead in developing solutions to real-world problems.

In the future, technical knowledge will continue to be important, but it will be people's soft skills that set them apart.

• See also: Bett Nordeste Conference Brings Together Leading Figures in Education in Recife on August 19 and 20

Bett Blog: And how can schools develop these skills in a deliberate way?

Débora: These skills aren’t developed through lectures or simply by using digital tools. They need to be experienced firsthand.

This happens when students investigate real-world problems, work in teams, develop projects, prototype solutions, test hypotheses, learn from their mistakes, and reflect on the social impact of their choices.

It was precisely this approach that guided the internationally recognized “Robotics with Scrap” project. The students weren’t learning robotics to build robots. They were learning to solve community problems using reused materials, thereby developing environmental awareness, scientific thinking, and a sense of agency.

Schools need to create environments where students move beyond simply being consumers of technology to become creators, researchers, and problem solvers.

Bett Blog: Now, let’s consider teachers who are still apprehensive about AI, whether due to a lack of familiarity with the technology or a fear that it will replace part of their teaching work. How can we turn this concern into an opportunity for professional development?

Débora: That fear is completely understandable. With virtually every technological innovation, there has been an initial period of uncertainty.

But experience shows that artificial intelligence does not replace teachers; it replaces repetitive tasks. What replaces a teacher is another teacher who knows how to make better use of the possibilities this technology offers.

AI can support lesson planning, suggest tailored strategies, create materials, analyze learning data, and reduce some of the administrative burden. This allows teachers to devote more time to what really matters: supporting students, fostering meaningful interactions, and building relationships.

That is why continuing education is essential. It is not enough to simply teach people how to use a tool. We must discuss ethics, privacy, algorithmic biases, authorship, critical thinking, and, above all, how to integrate AI into educational goals.

Technology is evolving rapidly, but teachers' professional development remains the best investment a school can make.

Bett Blog: In closing, if you could leave a message for administrators and educators who are just beginning to discuss AI in their schools, what would be the first step toward building a culture of innovation that puts technology at the service of more meaningful, inclusive, and student-centered learning?

Débora: The first step isn’t to buy platforms or implement artificial intelligence tools. It’s to build a shared vision of the kind of students we want to educate.

When there is clarity regarding educational goals, the choice of technologies begins to make sense.

Innovation doesn't happen simply because a school has modern equipment. It happens when there is a culture of learning, experimentation, collaboration, and trust among administrators, teachers, and students.

Artificial Intelligence should be incorporated as part of a broader educational initiative committed to inclusion, equity, and human development.

I often say that the future of education will not be defined by the technology that enters the classroom, but by the quality of the questions we teach our students to ask, by their ability to work collaboratively, and by our commitment to preparing people who are capable of using technology to improve life in society. After all, in the age of Artificial Intelligence, what makes us profoundly human becomes our greatest advantage.

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