What will become of schools in digital cities?

Abstract

This article presents some refl ections on the challenges posed by digital cities and the extent to which teachers in schools at all levels have been giving thought to the issue of teaching in this context. The different backgrounds of those involved - 18 university lecturers whose knowledge covered various areas, 4 high school teachers, 6 primary school teachers and 4 independent professionals - resulted in very wide-ranging discussions. The clear challenge that the information and communication society represents for professionals involved in education was apparent throughout the process. Three members of faculty from the Graduate Program in Education at the Pontifi cal Catholic University of Paraná who work with the PEFOP and PRAPETEC research groups took part in the discussions. The methodological choice of action research required that discussions and meetings be held with the participants during the process; this was developed gradually, and as the discussions progressed the fi eld of investigation expanded. The book Cidade Digital - Infoinclusão Social e Tecnologia em Rede by Evandro Prestes Guerreiro (2006) was chosen to support the discussions. The action research revealed that there are no shackles and that there is a need for professionals in all areas of knowledge to join forces, particularly in the case of teachers, who can no longer avoid facing the challenge of accessing the information network and using it to teach and learn. Soon, students will be digitally included and will start to demand the same of teachers. Teaching, at all its levels, requires that consideration be given to the possibility of generating processes for digital inclusion. New postures can be observed at a global level, and there is an urgent need to gain an understanding of these social transformations as soon as possible as they can have a direct effect on our daily performance. The differences between the way that teachers worked in the 20th century and the new forms of interaction present today - between traditional methods and new forms of interaction and learning - are increasingly apparent. Today we are faced with the combination information and communication mediated by technologies, which can be one means of enhancing the practice of teaching.