I have been teaching since 2013, always in social organisations. In that time I have worked with adults, older people and people with a range of difficulties. Technology has always been part of the way I teach. More than using computers, I have always tried to use it as a way of bringing people closer, creating connections and making lessons more meaningful.
In April 2026 I started working at Casa Hacker. I came in without knowing exactly what the project would be like, what was expected of my work, or how the teaching proposals would be built. All I knew was that it had something to do with technology. It was day by day that I began to better understand the idea behind the HackerClubes, what Casa Hacker was and, above all, how much inclusion is part of all of it.
HackerClubes brings technology into state schools in a way that is closer to the students. It is not just about teaching computing or programming. The aim is to show that technology can also be fun, creative and part of their lives in a more accessible and meaningful way.
The first lessons
At the start, one of the most important things was getting to know the school and the students. Every class has its own character, so before anything else I tried to observe more and work out how to get closer to them.
The first lessons very much followed that idea of getting closer. I tried to create a lighter atmosphere, less like the traditional logic of the classroom. Little by little, the students began to take part more, to ask questions and to show more curiosity about the activities.
We have, for instance, one class with older students who are very curious and full of questions. In another, the students are younger, shyer and very used to a more traditional school rhythm. And that is where the challenge appears: how do you build a lesson that involves technology and, at the same time, speaks to what each class needs?
That is why the lessons have been increasingly geared to their reality, their experiences and their demands. More than teaching tools, the aim is to understand how technology can bring educator and students closer together.
A social educator inside the school setting
Teaching inside a state school is a very particular experience. The school has a routine of its own, with its own timings, relationships, agreements and forms of organisation. As an external project, we also have to learn to work within that space, honouring our own approach but also the values and dynamics of the school.
At first, I needed to get a better feel for the rhythm of the classes and to adapt the lessons so that they would not be too different from what the students were used to experiencing. Gradually, I found ways of bringing the activities closer to their reality. In one lesson, for example, instead of starting straight away with programming concepts, we first worked with references from the students’ own everyday lives, and beyond that we talked about the purpose and use of technology. That helped a great deal with participation and engagement in the class.
One thing I noticed quickly is that when students feel more at ease, everything changes. What seemed difficult starts to become simpler. Technology stops feeling like something distant and comes to be seen as something possible, accessible and that they too can use and understand.
At the same time, each class works differently. So every lesson ends up being a new experience. That makes us rethink practices, adapt paths and revisit ideas along the way, and I believe that exchange is one of the richest parts of the work.
Reflections of an educator
Even though I have only been at Casa Hacker a short while, I already feel I have learnt a great deal within this project. Every lesson brings a new experience, both for the students and for me.
Having a HackerClubes inside schools is a very important thing to do, because we are not only teaching technology. We are showing students that they are able to learn, to create new things and to see that technology can also open up paths, possibilities and perspectives for the future.