Technology should help students learn through hands-on experience, while teachers should feel free to learn alongside them. This is one of the key messages from an interview with Ivaylo Bonev, co-founder of Technokrati. The interview is part of “Inside View,” a series in which we introduce EdTech Bulgaria members and explore their vision for the future of education in Bulgaria.
“Education can no longer afford to remain static,” Ivaylo Bonev emphasizes. In his view, technology creates opportunities for more engaging, practice-oriented learning, but using it effectively also requires a change in teaching approaches. Today, teachers face the challenge of not only delivering educational content but also capturing the attention of students who grow up surrounded by constant digital stimulation and distractions.
The solution is not to turn education into entertainment, but to introduce more practical tasks, discussions, debates, and real-world problem-solving. 3D printers, robotics, green technologies, and digital tools can help students take an active role in the learning process, experiment, and apply their knowledge.
The Teacher Is No Longer the Sole Source of Knowledge
One of the key themes of the interview is the changing role of the teacher. In a world where information and technology are constantly evolving, teachers cannot know everything. What matters more is creating an environment where students ask questions, explore, and discover new solutions.
Accepting that you do not know something is not a weakness, but a natural part of learning. When teachers feel comfortable acknowledging this, they can learn alongside their students and encourage curiosity, initiative, and confidence.
Fear of unfamiliar technologies also remains a barrier to educational innovation. That is why teachers need not only access to new tools but also appropriate resources, ready-to-use programs, and support in applying them in the classroom.
Innovation Requires Partnership and Persistence
Transforming education is a long-term process. Developing new programs, building trust, and introducing innovative practices in schools require time, consistency, and motivated teams.
According to the interviewee, success depends less on a school’s size or location than on the commitment of its leadership and teachers. Innovative practices can take root in both large cities and smaller communities when there is a willingness to change and support for the people driving that change.
Cooperation between educational institutions and organizations developing new technologies and teaching methods also plays a key role. Better dialogue between them can accelerate the adoption of effective solutions and make innovation more accessible to schools.
The vision for education five years from now includes confident and supported teachers, stronger partnerships between institutions and innovators, and a learning environment that naturally engages students.
The ultimate goal is simple but significant: children should want to be at school and see learning not as an obligation that ends with graduation, but as a lifelong process.
Read the full interview here.
