Technology in the classroom: reflection on Kuklinski's talk

  On wed 28 we were invited to a talk in which an author, Hugo Kuklinski, was presenting his book about teachers “intraemprendedores”, related to being innovative with technology.

  All started ok, when he expatiated and said that to innovate wasn’t equivalent to incorporating technology in the classroom, but to change working logics by being “intraemprendedores” (innovator, fast and agile). However, sometimes I perceived that many of the terms he made use of were form an economic/financial/business conceptual domain, and although education can be thought through it, for example in management issues, a complete talk coloured by such terms chiefly made evident Hugo’s inclinations or way of thinking towards education.

  Then, he talked about being “children-sensitive” when he mentioned an experience he had with a school in Medellín, and it was not until the end of the talk that we knew it was a failure because they and their ideas were rejected by all the community. Personally, I believe that the problem was the “bubble” where he lives in, precisely in Barcelona, which make it impossible for him to actually see of the context and thus the real needs of those students. He has a nice dream and good aspirations towards education, but they are sometimes egocentric and so pure that they need to be tarnished, or as he said, “smeared”, with more and more school experiences of all kinds (not just university or Barcelona primary/secondary schools).

  In order not to be so pessimistic, I would say that many of his ideas were good and can (and need to) be adapted to our reality. Nevertheless, I would suggest Hugo to also work with people who studied education in a pedagogic-deeper extent and who is more aware of some cultural aspects. They would do a wonderful work together, no doubt about it.