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More than 40 teachers and education officials attended the online workshop organized by Fostering Digital Citizenship, featuring prominent experts including Martín Cáceres, Executive Director of the MINEDUC Innovation Center, and Fernando Medina, a legal expert in protocols and educational legislation from the Symaeduc Foundation.
Regarding the use of technological devices in educational institutions, Martín Cáceres emphasized the existence of different perspectives and stressed that an exclusive approach to addressing this issue cannot be imposed: “It is important to promote the autonomy of institutions and growing children. We must understand how digital life is part of our development and identity formation.”
To make it clear that it is the institutions that must take a stance depending on the age range, the guidelines are available as a guide so that this debate can be generated in each institution responsibly, recognizing its complexity and listening to all involved parties.
On the other hand, Fernando Medina addressed the more legal aspect, explaining concepts such as ‘school coexistence’, which is complex, daily, and permanent, and how it extends into the cyber world. He reiterated that the guidelines provided by the Innovation Center grant absolute autonomy to the institution. He also left as a reflection and future consideration that “the decisions made may or may not affect the fundamental rights of children and adolescents.”
It is evident that the debate surrounding the use of technology in education is complex and requires an integrated approach that considers both pedagogical and legal aspects. Ultimately, it is crucial that debates and decisions regarding the use of technology in education are conducted with due consideration, ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights of children, adolescents, and their integral development in an increasingly digitized world.