In AI era, teacher training must leverage classroom knowledge, says Education Secretary and PUC dean

Voices is an initiative of Editora Globo and Sistema Globo de Rádio, sponsored by Rio City Hall and the Municipal Ministry of Education, with support from Zapt, sponsorship of the track by Claro Empresas and Insper and a partnership with Play9.

For Father Anderson Antonio Pedroso, the new era that society is experiencing, of “changing times” and new and different experiences, brings about changes in teacher training. But the main thing, he explains, is to create training that builds on the knowledge and skills already mastered by teachers. This is the principle of training for this purpose which exists at the PUC.

— We need training that enhances what teachers already know, from a perspective of employability and critical thinking. There is no point in mastering AI without taking into account classroom experience, human and emotional intelligence. Without it, it becomes a weapon against us. Education operates in complete freedom – responded the rector of the PUC, who also defended the financial valuation of the teaching career and the regulation of technology. — Each experience must be regulated, with rules that protect the game.

Secretary Renan Ferreirinha explained that continuing teacher training, now a national debate, is one of the four pillars of Rio’s municipal education policy, alongside well-structured teaching materials, assessment to identify gaps and monitoring of learning processes.

Defending the limits of AI in the classroom, Ferreirinha recalled the ban on the use of cell phones started in Rio and stressed that the role of teachers is “irreplaceable.”

— Technology can help with training, but the group experience is irreplaceable in continuing education. AI must be used, but it must be very clear how far it can go, especially in basic education — said Ferreirinha, who appreciated the role of mediator of teachers’ knowledge and relationships. — Society began to value this with the experience of having children at home during the pandemic. If caring for two children is already a huge challenge, imagine running a classroom.

In addition to changes in teacher education, AI encourages debate about changes in student assessment. Ferreirinha defended the inclusion of socio-emotional skills in official assessments, such as that of Ideb, in addition to demanding incentives aimed at reducing inequalities in education, prioritizing ethnic-racial aspects.

The secretary also mentioned the model of Experimental Technological Gymnasiums (GET) of the municipal educational network of Rio, which already has 275 units in the city. Under this GET leadership, the school offers classes different from the traditional schedule, from sewing to art classes to the use of 3D printers, a way to pique student interest.

— Young people must be interested in going to school. There are people who go to physical education, or take history lessons, or see friends. GET teaches from pin to rocket. And the biggest difference is that GET has scale. By 2028, the goal is to have 500 GETs in the city, or half of the total number of elementary schools.

A year ago the PUC-Behring Artificial Intelligence Institute was launched, the first in Brazil to offer degrees in AI with a humanistic perspective, said rector Father Anderson. In addition to obtaining the diploma, which has already had its first class, the emphasis is placed on its role as a research institute.