Voices and faces of the teachers at the Scuola del Noi

For Lara Rollo, a primary school teacher and trainer specialising in innovative, inclusive and immersive teaching, joining the community of teachers at the Scuola del Noi has meant finding a space for genuine dialogue, capable of breaking the isolation that often accompanies daily work in the classroom. In her experience, innovation does not arise as an individual act, but as a collective process: a way to plan together, share doubts and experiments, and transform teaching day by day.

In the latest interview in the series “Voices and faces of the teachers at Scuola del Noi”, Lara discusses the value of “community technology”: digital tools used not merely to learn new skills, but to build a democratic, equitable and deeply human school. From digital citizenship to coding, from interactive storytelling to digital herbariums and robotics kits, her aim is to guide pupils to engage with the present with curiosity, critical thinking and responsibility.

What professional or personal need led you to join the community of teachers at the Scuola del Noi?

I have always been very involved in the activities organised by the Foundation. Joining the Scuola del Noi teaching community stemmed from a deep-seated need, both personal and professional: to break down the walls of isolation and find a space for genuine dialogue. In primary school, we often feel alone in managing the classroom, but here I have discovered that innovation is not an individual act, but a collective process.

How has being part of the community changed the way you view your role as a teacher?

Being part of this community has radically changed the way I view my role: today I no longer feel like just a teacher who imparts knowledge, but an agent of change, a co-designer who experiments with and transforms teaching every day alongside colleagues from all over Italy.

What, in your view, is the most important objective of the Scuola del Noi? How does the project help you prepare your students for the present, not just the future?

The most important objective we share is the creation of a ‘community technology’. It is not just about learning to use software, but about using digital technology as a bridge to build a democratic, equitable and deeply human school. This approach allows me to prepare my young pupils not just for a hypothetical future, but for their present. Through digital citizenship, coding and interactive storytelling, I teach them to navigate today’s world with awareness, critical thinking and curiosity.

Have you changed any teaching practices thanks to the community?

Thanks to the Scuola del Noi, I have adapted my teaching practices, bringing projects that blend nature and technology into the classroom, such as digital herbariums or robotics kits, making learning a vivid and tangible experience.

How important is it to be able to share doubts and experiments with other teachers? What responsibilities do you feel as a teacher in the age of AI? Do you feel better prepared to tackle complex topics such as AI, digital technology and citizenship?

Being able to share doubts and experiments with other teachers is the very essence of this journey. In an era dominated by Artificial Intelligence, I feel a responsibility not to be at the mercy of progress, but to guide it. The community has given me the tools to tackle complex topics such as AI and digital citizenship with confidence and competence, allowing me to integrate these technologies in an ethical and inclusive way.

If the Scuola del Noi didn’t exist, what would be missing from your journey?

If the Scuola del Noi didn’t exist, a fundamental part of my professional identity would be missing: that sense of belonging to an ecosystem that values merit and pedagogical quality.

What would you say to a teacher who thinks they ‘don’t have time’ to join a community?

To anyone who thinks they ‘don’t have time’ to join a community, I would say that the time invested here is actually time gained. Sharing best practices and having access to tried-and-tested approaches not only lightens our workload, but restores meaning and beauty to it. The school I want to help build is precisely this: an open, collaborative and inclusive school, where no one—neither teacher nor student—is left alone to face the challenges of modernity.