Technology in Education: Soledad Martinez's Perspective: Closing the Gap Between Kids and Technology-Enabled Learning is Vital.
Vicente López: A Blend of Tradition and Innovation
Evolving with the times while holding onto its roots, that's Vicente López for you. The municipality takes on various challenges, with education being one of them.
You might be intrigued by: Martín Torrecilla: The key to success lies in curiosity Soledad Martínez graced the Ticmas auditorium to chat about their shared ventures and celebrate the bold decisions of her administration. Not afraid to take risks, she emphasized the importance of curiosity and innovation in education.
An engaging conversation filled with insights, all happening in the bustling Ticmas auditorium during a Saturday afternoon at the Book Fair.
You might be intrigued by: Agustin Czizman: The future is student-centered learning - Soledad Martínez, the mayor of Vicente López, has been championing an innovative approach to education, advocating for technology as a learning tool, and municipal policies supporting the province's responsibilities. Ticmas and Vicente López have a longstanding relationship, but that's far from the whole story. Allow me to take you on a glimpse of Vicente López's educational journey. What makes their projects diverse? How do they assess them? How do they bring them to life?
- Hello again! I'm delighted to be here once more. Thanks for inviting me, and a big thank you to the whole team here! We work together on projects that I truly admire, so I'm excited to share some insights. We've been integrating technology with learning, exploring new horizons, and seeing positive outcomes. So, when we select projects, we focus on these questions: What else can we do to create an engaging learning experience within the classroom? How can we foster learning outside the classroom too? With Ticmas, we have a fantastic summer colony project that enhances reading skills – and it really works!*
You might be intrigued by: Facundo Gómez: The importance of digital literacy in the 21st century Ticmas and Vicente López high schools offer digital skills programs, incorporating various technological devices into learning. As technology advances rapidly, educators adapt and update their skills to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. The Vicente López Municipality team, renowned in their field, brings each project after careful consideration. My part is relatively simple – just to witness the results! In the summer colony program, it's like the kids you see here enjoying live streaming. I'm proud to say that, year by year, we see improvements in all indicators!*
- I often notice a dichotomy among mayors – those who manage and those who take risks in management. Taking risks, for instance, was reaching out to Google for Dorrego School. What were you aiming for, and why take such a risk?
- I wouldn't call it taking risks, but rather embracing responsibility. I firmly believe that mayors play a crucial role in the education of our cities. So we're demonstrating through our city's initiatives that municipal education can lead educational innovation. Instead of merely fixing educational issues, we also aim to explore curriculum updates, adding contents, and ensuring students inside the school have more opportunities to learn.*
- Collaboration between the public and private sectors is always fascinating. Can you share some examples of your most successful experiences working with Ticmas and other partners?
- Absolutely! Working collaboratively with organizations like Ticmas helps us challenge ourselves, push our limits, and advance together. Some of our most successful experiences stem from our partnerships with the Municipality and allies like Ticmas. They inspire us to be creative, they encourage us, and they join us on this educational journey.*
- How much time do you devote to education, and how do you find fresh ideas and approaches that work best?
- It's never one person's job to make it happen alone. A collective effort is essential in education. The dedicated education team of the Vicente López Municipality is the driving force behind the projects and programs. They research, prepare, and explore each initiative in depth. I simply oversee the process and witness the results.*
- I observed an educational center recently that has altered its classroom layout to minimize the traditional setup. Another one is experimenting with heterogeneous classrooms. Can you share more about the Emma Pérez Ferreira primary school and its evaluation methods?
- Yes, we've adapted the school to modify the layout. For this public primary school, we replaced the traditional desks with adaptable furniture that accommodates various types of learning environments, like group discussions or presentations. I encourage everyone to visit and see how we're transforming education! The infrastructure shift has proven beneficial in fostering a more collaborative and intentional learning space.*
- There's another exciting project underway at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Can you share some insights about its progress?
- We're leveraging technology and AI to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world. By integrating AI into our educational programs, we aim toprovide students with a more engaging and interactive learning experience. Additionally, we explore the right balance between technology, AI, and devices in the classroom within this project.*
-- As a citizen, one always has certain expectations from the government, for instance, security, health, and education. What do citizens of Vicente López require in terms of education, and how does your administration address these expectations?
- The people of Vicente López highly value education, as we have been cultivating an educational agenda for many years. We've succeeded in gaining the support of our neighbors, empowering them to take an active role in our city's educational endeavors. We strive to ensure a quality education for all students, despite limited resources or infrastructure.*
- Lastly, I'm curious about the criteria for success in educational projects. How do you measure the results or scale of achievement in these projects?
- Evaluation is essential for understanding if our initiatives are effective. We monitor student progress, assess teacher performance, and appraise our programs regularly. Our emphasis is on continuous improvement, and we're proud to see our students achieve better reading and writing skills compared to students from the rest of Buenos Aires province.*
- In your role as a politician, are you always willing to admit if a project doesn't work and start anew?
- Definitely. Pontificating on our failures and learning from our mistakes allows us to move forward and improve our initiatives. By embracing change and adapting to the ever-changing educational landscape, we're able to create a more effective and engaging learning experience for students.*
- Vicente López, with its roots in traditional values, is advocating for technology as a learning tool within its educational journey, promoting student-centered learning and integrating digital skills programs in high schools.
- The Vicente López Municipality, under Soledad Martínez's administration, focuses on fostering learning within the classroom and beyond, asking questions like "What else can we do to create an engaging learning experience?"
- The evaluation methods in Emma Pérez Ferreira primary school involve monitoring student progress, assessing teacher performance, and appraising programs regularly, to ensure continuous improvement and enable students to achieve better reading and writing skills compared to the rest of Buenos Aires province.
- As technology advances rapidly, the Vicente López Municipality team collaborates with partners like Ticmas to challenge themselves, pushing their limits, and integrating AI into educational programs to provide students with a more engaging and interactive learning experience, aiming to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world.
