Antonella Caroni would like to build a school that is workshop-based, flexible, open and colourful at heart
This series continues by giving space to the experiences and reflections of those who, every day, experience school as a place of exploration, connection and the shared construction of meaning. In this new instalment, we feature a contribution from Antonella Caroni, a primary school teacher specialising in digital teaching, innovation and professional development.
Her words powerfully highlight the value of the professional community as a space for genuine dialogue, where technological experimentation goes beyond the mere use of tools and is interwoven with pedagogical and ethical reflection on how we teach and learn. It is precisely this perspective that makes the Scuola del Noi a generative environment: a place where digital technology becomes an opportunity to rethink curriculum design, the role of the teacher and the quality of the experiences offered to pupils.
Within this framework, even artificial intelligence takes on a new meaning. It is neither a shortcut nor an automatic response, but a thinking partner, a virtual interlocutor capable of supporting creativity, independent judgement and cooperative learning. This vision evokes the idea of a school capable of innovating without losing its educational depth, always placing people, relationships and the meaning of collaborative work at the centre.
What professional or personal need prompted you to join the Scuola del Noi teaching community?
The need to overcome the professional isolation that often characterises technological experimentation in schools. I was looking for an ecosystem of genuine sharing and discussion, where the digital transition was not reduced to mere bureaucratic formalities, but approached as an opportunity to rethink lesson planning from a community-based perspective.
In what way has participating in the community changed the way you view your role as a teacher?
It has consolidated my transition from being a ‘dispenser of knowledge’ to a facilitator of complex processes. Seeing the community evolve has confirmed to me that the role of the teacher today is, above all, to connect the dots, stimulate critical thinking and co-design meaningful learning pathways together with colleagues and students.
What, in your view, is the most important objective of the Scuola del Noi?
To democratise educational innovation, transforming individual best practices into a collective asset. The aim is to generate a collective intelligence capable of humanising technology, placing inclusion and cooperation at the heart of educational development.
How does the project help you prepare your students for the present, not just the future?
Our students’ present is already heavily populated by algorithms and generative AI tools. The Scuola del Noi provides me with the methodological framework to bring these technologies into the classroom not as shortcuts, but as partners in thinking. We prepare students for the present by teaching them to critically question AI, to verify sources and to use it to enhance their own creativity and problem-solving skills in real time.
Have you adapted a teaching practice thanks to the community?
Yes, I have structured my AI-related teaching design around a strong focus on cooperative learning. For example, the use of complex prompts and the validation of AI-generated texts are now managed in class through dynamic round-table discussions, where the AI acts as a ‘virtual interlocutor’ and the peer group coordinates the critical review of the output.
How important is it to be able to share doubts and experiments with other teachers?
It’s essential. Innovation without sharing leads to performance anxiety or self-referentiality. Being able to say, ‘I’ve tried this AI tool in class; here’s what worked and what didn’t’, transforms doubt into a methodological resource and accelerates the learning curve for the whole community.
Do you feel better prepared to tackle complex topics such as AI, digital technology and digital citizenship?
Yes, because the community’s approach is never merely technical, but pedagogical and ethical. Tackling AI does not mean learning to use software, but understanding how the concepts of intellectual authorship, data ethics and algorithmic digital citizenship are changing.
What sort of school do you want to help build?
A school that is hands-on, flexible, open and colourful at heart, capable of combining scientific rigour with creative imagination. I want a school that is a workshop of ideas, where digital technologies are invisible in the infrastructure but evident in the results: transparent tools for deep and personalised learning..
