Renfort, the school that joined with Platzi to transform the learning experience

Luc Williams

Laura is a 14-year-old student. Her routine is similar to that of many teenagers: six hours a day in a classroom, sitting in front of a board, receiving information that, according to her, “has nothing to do with real life.” Despite her good results in mathematics, Laura does not feel that what she learns is useful for what she is truly passionate about: video game design. Like her, thousands of young people in Latin America face a deep disconnection from school.

The crisis in education is a global reality, but it is felt more strongly in low- and middle-income countries like Colombia. According to the World Bank, in the region, three out of four 15-year-old adolescents do not reach minimum levels of proficiency in mathematics. And what is worse: of every hundred children who enroll in first grade in Colombia, only 44 receive their degree diploma by the end of eleventh year. We are facing a crisis that cannot be solved with more class hours or mega-schools.

In 2020, 170 million children around the world were left without access to education, and in many places, digital tools were not up to the challenge. We continue to teach as if we were in the 19th century, preparing students for a world that no longer exists. Dashboards and textbooks are no match for a world where artificial intelligence, automation and technology are continually changing the way we live and work.

Laura’s story is a reflection of a system that continues to prioritize in-person assistance over creativity, memory evaluations. Students spend more time repeating formulas than learning to solve real problems or understand the phenomena that affect their daily lives, while the labor market is asking for critical thinking skills, emotional management, collaboration and adaptability. A report from consulting firm McKinsey projects that by 2030, more than 375 million workers around the world will have to change careers due to automation.

What should we do? The answer is not simple, but in Renfort, for example, it begins by recognizing that the educational system needs a radical transformation. “We cannot continue repeating that education is a set of isolated subjects. We need an integrated approach, based on skills, reducing the number of students per classroom and abandoning the idea of ​​the teacher as the only guide of the learning process,” the institution stated.

And they added that it is precisely at this stage where technology comes in. “In the Network of Schools, of the Renfort Personalized School, we know that Technology is not the same as having cell phones in the classroom, tablets for consultations or a mega computer room. These devices are used for entertainment and alter attention, so we decided we should do something different.”.

Platforms like Platzi are leading the change, offering training in future skills, such as machine learning, search marketing and podcast creation. With over five million students, Platzi has proven that self-directed and personalized micro-learning is a viable alternative to traditional education.

That proposal was what prompted the institution to make the decision to unite the Renfort school network with Platzi for ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students. The goal – according to its rector Alexandra Parra – is design a career plan from school, cultivate vocational guidance and modify decision-making, encouraging breaking the cycle of poverty with education. “We know that in less than three years we will have modified the way we teach at Renfort, being increasingly open to the creation of personalized learning routes from childhood.”

The future of Laura and millions of students like her depends on transforming the education system, and this means going beyond changing what it teaches. The brain learns best when it is motivated, when it is emotionally connected to learning, and can see the direct impact of what it is learning.

“Giant campuses are of no use if no one wants to go to university or finish school. It is time to modify the school curriculum, integrate knowledge as practice, consider the hybridization of the in-person and virtual system. Fundamentally, stop considering socialization as the only relevant element of the school’s existence, we must give way to the search for talents, it is time to create a new school with meaning for students, for teachers and for society”, they warned from Renfort.

The turning point for a transformation is the beginning of training adapted to the interests, talents and abilities of children and adolescents.

To learn more about how Renfort is transforming education, visit the website www.renfort.edu.co

About LUC WILLIAMS

Luc's expertise lies in assisting students from a myriad of disciplines to refine and enhance their thesis work with clarity and impact. His methodical approach and the knack for simplifying complex information make him an invaluable ally for any thesis writer.