Last June I participated in the 1st National Symposium of Digital Written Culture, at the Education College of Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The aim of the event was to gather researchers, students, teachers and developers of digital materials, in order to nurture the debate about the teaching of reading and writing in the digital culture.

My intent was to know the discussions around the use of technology in teaching, and also to have a panorama of the current situation of Brazilian public schools on this matter.

The reality of Brazilian public schools

Considering the reports shared along the two days of the event, the reality of Brazilian public schools is far from that one observed in the private ones, especially regarding the availability of digital objects and devices for use in the classroom. According to specialists, many factors contribute to this mismatch, among them:

• lack of investment;

• poor infrastructure;

• bureaucracy;

• institutional and family resistance;

• the deficit in teacher’s instruction.

Teachers themselves reinforced that one needs to invest in instruction focused on using technology in learning, once even those willing to employ digital resources in the classroom admitted facing difficulties to know how to do it.

Teacher formation

No doubt the teacher formation is necessary. However, if schools and universities don’t have conditions yet to prepare teachers to use technologic artefacts with proficiency, the digital products with educative focus shouldn’t also assume the commitment of helping them in their formation journey? If teachers don’t know many of the existent solutions, or the benefits they can bring to the teaching practice, part of the “guilt” is also due to the inefficient communication of this very solutions, that fail in not count with the teacher as an ally. The surprise with which the audience received two apps of digital books (or digital objects, as defended teacher Mônica Araújo) presented by the startups StoryMax, from São Paulo, and TecTeca, from Maranhão, reinforce the veracity of this scenario.

The technologic resources are only a mean, not an end in themselves.

As professor Carla Coscarelli pointed out, “the technologic resources are only a mean, not an end in the themselves”. Many times we forget that the use of digital tools is only justified if they really contribute not only to a richer learning experience but, above all, to the effective improvement of learning. Our challenge lives, therefore, in proving that using these tools is better than not to use them, that is, that the student learns more and better when exposed to technology in learning.

University and market

Is undeniable that exists an abyss between university and market, especially regarding the proposition of new ways of teaching and learning through digital tools. On the one hand, the academy sees itself hostage of public politics that difficult (when don’t make it impossible) any effort that intends to give back to society the knowledge produced in the academic field. On the other hand, the companies that develop educational solutions fight to be recognized as legitim alternative, without being stigmatized for having market purposes as well – a prejudice that is due to a romantic view of the education universe. In any way, the proximity between the two realms tends to potentialize the reach of the discoveries and possibilities created by both.

Despite the already known difficulties, it was inspiring to watch the efforts of teachers Juliana Glória and Mônica Daisy, event organizers, in projects of digital literacy developed with children from kindergarten. Using relatively simple resources (such as digital objects available on the Internet, Twitter and the cellphone camera), the examples showed the clear possibility of using technology as a support in the learning process, even with students in the first years of literacy.

The myth of digital natives

Finally, it was revealing to see evidence that the assumption that digital natives are naturally proficient in any technologic tool is, in fact, a myth. After all, the simple fact of a child using (or been exposed to) high-tech devices since birth doesn’t make her able to easily use any artefact of such nature.

A Brazilian Portuguese teacher of a public school reported her experience of giving an activity of writing, which should be done in Word, for two classes of 6th grade. Although at first sight, the assignment seemed to be simple, only after her giving the instructions to the students she realized that they didn’t know how to use the system, and that was the reason why it was necessary to produce an illustrated tutorial and the help of tech support to introduce the basic concepts of the application to them. As teacher Mônica remarked, “the behaviours and gestures expected from readers/users should also be taught”.

Unfortunately, many of what was said at the conference related to the difficulties faced by public schools are not new. Including technologic resources in learning is another challenge among many to be overcome by all the school community, once this is a shared responsibility. In spite of that, the discussions made at the event reinforced the importance of the pedagogical perspective that should guide any technologic solution used in the school realm.