Co-creating Education for the Future was the theme of Bett Brasil 2022, and there couldn’t have been a better topic for a comeback after two long years without Latin America’s largest educational technology event. Held May 11–13 in São Paulo, with nearly 500 exhibitors, Bett featured not only the trade show but also a conference divided into four thematic areas:educational management, inclusion and diversity, social-emotional learning and mental health, and, last but not least (for me, the most important—but that’s another story, oops, I mean, another post), innovation and the future. 

Bett—which you just can’t help but call by name, after all—is a trade show, a conference, a place for meetings, interviews, plenty of networking, and workshops—that’s right, it’s all of that, and we just need to have the stamina, breath, and energy to walk a lot, talk, listen, try things out, but above all, get to know people—not to mention the online program and the managers’ forum. 

So, for those of you who are still wondering if it’s worth investing in attending an event like this, my answer is yes. It’s definitely worth the experience, but go prepared and with a plan (and wear sneakers)—don’t just wander around aimlessly without knowing where to go. Check the schedule and map out your route; otherwise, you’ll get lost—literally (it’s huge).

But be careful not to think you’ll walk away from the event with ready-made solutions to your educational problems (let’s leave that to your Creysson)—after all, many challenges in education can’t be approached using templates, tools, or toolkits, because to work in education, first and foremost, you have to think about people (speaking of people, Bett, I have a friend named CESAR to introduce you to!); and it’s high time everyone realized that the complex problems in education won’t be solved by technology (though life would be a lot harder without it, wouldn’t it?!). 

We are experiencing a technological crisis amid a digital transformation, in which there is a shift from the physical to the virtual in an increasingly “phigital” movement—a term coined by Silvio Meira (distinguished professor at CESAR School, who took the stage at “Inspiring Talks” with his brother Luciano to discuss innovation and the future of education)—in which the social mediates between the physical and the digital. 

And we’re not talking about a transition—these spaces coexist, and that changes the way we approach education; we need to break away from models and practices that no longer fit. After all, humanity is far too broad to fit into rigid educational systems with bureaucratic, standardized teaching methods that produce students who are merely “test-takers.” We are born open to learning, which is why we need to create spaces so that a monolithic, instructional culture of learning does not stifle our students’ curiosity, motivation, and self-esteem.

To prevent that from happening, how about we start a revolution in education? Yes, you—along with CESAR (Bett, come here so I can introduce you to this guy from Manguetown). Our consultants and experts led a workshop onDesigning Flexible Learning Environments for Uncertain Futures, featuring plenty of hands-on activities and inspiration for innovating in classroom design, educational processes, management, and even the school ecosystem. 

We also held a webinar on theDchallenge of training people for the IT, which involves the curriculum, teacher training, and highlighting the job market as a space for continuous learning (that’s corporate education for you, folks!). 

       Felipe Furtado, Director of CESAR School.

Our delegation wrapped up its participation at BETT with an interview featuring Felipe Furtado, director of CESAR School, who spoke about how to enhance quality education in a more inclusive and diverse way, addressing the challenges of improving basic education to ensure equity in young people’s access to vocational programs, universities, and the job market. Plus, of course, he gave a wonderful sneak peek at theEducational Fund—a scholarship program foryoung people who want to pursue higher education but are living in vulnerable circumstances (check it out—it’s awesome! Donate and spread the word). 

CESAR School has already begun this revolution and attended Bett to share its practices and knowledge with the goal of reaching even more people. We believe in democratic learning that fosters critical, analytical, creative, and innovative thinking. Learning is an experience, which is why we co-create training programs and pathways with teachers so that students can have a positive learning experience, using analytical, agile, and immersive technologies that foster engagement and collaboration. 

To conclude this account of mine, I’ll quote Luciano Meira (also a professor at CESAR School), who said that educators are time travelers and that our vision for the future of education should be grounded in the central importance of building emotional and intellectual relationships between teachers and students. 

What kind of future are you creating right now, teacher?