The following is a brief interview conducted by Euractiv with Pilar Maresca, a history of music teacher at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Música Julián Arcas (Almería). The interview explores potential measures that the EU could implement to enhance the use of technologies in high schools.
E: What do you think about the role of technology in schools? What measures can the European Union undertake to enhance their usage?
P.M. There is no doubt that the use of technology in 21st century society is necessary and unstoppable. In education, its usefulness has recently been proven in times of during the pandemic.
The world is connected through the Internet, which in education means the possibility of sharing knowledge and promoting cooperation among the entire European educational community. On the other hand, the use of English as an international language is also presented as an essential tool for this communication. Therefore, the EU’s investment in these two elements (English proficiency and technological literacy) is presented as essential.
E: In your opinion, what hinders the enhancement of digital literacy in schools?
P.M. However, on many occasions, the mastery of technology by teachers and students clashes with the reality of inadequate, if not obsolete, infrastructure in their work/study centers.
Therefore, in the instruments used to measure digital literacy and the use of technologies in educational institutions, an essential aspect to be evaluated is the real possibilities of applying the knowledge acquired in the digital training promoted by the EU and the administrations of the Member States.
E: Do you believe there’s a technology gap between students and teachers in schools?
P.M. A large number of teachers find a gap between their own digital literacy and that of their students, on the one hand, and the digital infrastructures available to them in reality, on the other. With sufficient investment from the EU in digital infrastructures for educational centers, and with the willingness of teachers and students to improve their use of new technologies, I am am sure that it will be possible to achieve the goals set by the EU in this area.
