From August 29 to 31, thirty teachers, managers and religious dedicated to teaching in the schools of the Province in Spain have discussed and learned about appreciative inquiry, artificial intelligence, child protection and the pastoral motto “Pilgrims of Hope”.
The convent of the Augustinian Recollects in Marcilla (Navarra, Spain) has been the setting where teachers from the three educational centers of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Augustinian Recollects in Spain (Saint Augustine in Valladolid, Romareda in Saragossa and Saint Augustine in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz) have met for this update course prior to the academic start of the 2024-2025 school year.
As these are the last days of holidays for these teaching professionals, this course not only allows them to keep up to date through talks, meetings, work groups and study of texts with the aim of improving their educational service to students, but there are also moments of coexistence, mutual knowledge, sharing experiences and concerns and reinforcing the spirit and mood of learning to teach.
This year the meeting has had four very marked, differentiated and important sections: the presentation on appreciative inquiry by Miriam Subirana, a true specialist in the subject; artificial intelligence, with the challenges and problems it entails; the protection to and of minors; and the motto and specific pedagogical and pastoral proposals for the 2024-2025 course.
Subirana delved into appreciative inquiry with practical proposals and a methodology that drives change based on existing strengths, turning them into habits. Appreciative inquiry drives enthusiasm and motivation in the organizations that adopt it, and enhances everything that is done well with an important change of perspective. As its very formulation says (a[not]-ppreciative), it is priceless and the benefits are more palpable and numerous.
David Antoñanzas, from Romareda High School, was the speaker on Artificial Intelligence. He sought to clarify and explain concepts and show the countless possibilities that AI offers to education, as well as identify the risks of inappropriate use.
The Guidance Teams of Chiclana and Saragossa presented the subject of Child Protection, the Plan that will be followed in the Recollect centers and the work guidelines. This issue will continue to be discussed throughout the course in the different teachers’ councils.
The Augustinian Recollect Juan Luis González presented the pastoral motto 2024-2025, which follows the wake of the Ecclesiastical Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope. Friendship will be the preeminent Augustinian value along with the rest of the pastoral objectives, which were detailed.
The local community of Marcilla has made an effort to give the best treatment to the participants of the course so that it would take place without incidents and with everything necessary for the best possible learning and coexistence.
