We are living in times of great change, engaged in a collective effort to find new paths and new processes. Contemporary education faces major challenges; we must promote a more humanistic education—one that respects diversity in all its forms, fosters inclusion for all, ensures that technological advances are aligned with human, social, and environmental skills, integrates technology with inclusive teaching practices and the development of soft skills, promotes greater recognition of individuality, and enhances opportunities for high-quality hybrid learning.

In this new context, schools must promote the development of students as active participants and teachers as facilitators who implement processes that ensure the adoption of active and collaborative methodologies. It will also be essential to foster self-regulation of learning among students and teachers as a means of supporting a process of continuous learning based on the development of a growth mindset. Nor can we overlook the need to employ strategies focused on developing digital literacy, critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity, as well as the ability to adapt and be open to new ideas.

We need to nurture a new generation in school and for life that is skilled in fostering creativity and innovation; to do so, we must encourage divergent thinking and the use of new educational and technological resources, and promote activities that foster problem-solving and research skills. We must foster the development of soft skills and time management in order to promote focus and the ability to set and achieve priorities.

It is also essential that school environments foster the development of active listening without prejudice and of transparent and empathetic communication, where it is possible to regularly provide continuous and constructive feedback that contributes to personal and professional growth. It is also indispensable to develop a school environment that promotes teamwork and the development of leaders with skills in communication, project management, and people management.

See also:

• How can we help our children and teenagers grow emotionally?
• Healthy Relationships: How to Combat Violence in Schools
• Inclusive education: When will true inclusion in schools become a reality?

In addition to all this, we must not forget a reflection by Seymour Paper, who states that “the only long-term competitive skill is the ability to learn.” For this reason, schools and educators must foster skills that lead to lifelong learning so that formal settings are not the only places for learning. We need to help students develop the perspective necessary to take charge of their own learning, leading them to realize that learning can take place in different settings and contexts and through a wide variety of personal interactions.

We need a school, as António Novoa says, where curricula are carefully curated by teachers and continually enriched by a contextual perspective; to this end, the teacher’s role is fundamental, as they must maintain an up-to-date, attentive perspective enriched by a wide variety of knowledge sources. In designing this curriculum, we must not forget that the 2030 Agenda should serve as a guiding framework for the development of sustainable societies where practices and reflections are fostered that focus on peace, climate change, respect for all forms of diversity, and digital culture. All of this must be fostered in a school that offers equal opportunities for everyone to learn, reflect, debate, and develop autonomy, creative thinking, creativity, and a sense of agency.

In this context, we must not forget about Artificial Intelligence, which has emerged to accelerate processes that can also contribute significantly to the knowledge society. It is already challenging us, as educators, to develop the ability to ask more critical and reflective questions, in addition to requiring us to cultivate critical thinking.

However, we need to be vigilant, because AI, as it is currently being used in schools, is designed to “answer questions” and generate information, but it does not necessarily come with a commitment to ethical behavior, contextual analysis, or emotional awareness. That said, it is up to us, as humans, to take a discerning, critical, and reflective look at the content generated and to remember that the best approach for now is to strike a balance between the use of digital and analog resources in a way that still promotes human autonomy.

It is not up to us to overestimate or underestimate AI; it is up to us to use it as a resource that can free up time so we can devote ourselves to other, more reflective endeavors. It is also up to us to use it as yet another source of research, but we must still recognize that we are responsible for developing a perspective and an ethical approach grounded in principles and values.

In addition to focusing on resources, we must also consider learning spaces, which should be as diverse as possible and extend beyond the school walls. In these diverse spaces, we must foster the development of academic and socio-emotional knowledge through a dialogic and collaborative relationship that prioritizes opportunities for exchanging experiences, enriching knowledge, proposing effective solutions to real-world problems, and creating support networks for both hard and soft skills.

In short, it’s a huge challenge! We need to champion this perspective on change to prepare our students for this ever-changing world. How are we and our schools preparing for this?

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