Technology is changing the way we learn and teach, but it cannot replace the human factor in education. This is one of the key points in an interview with Mariana Vekilska, Founder and Lead Trainer at VAcademy, featured in the interview as part of our “Inside View” series. In this series, we introduce our community – the people and organizations behind EdTech Bulgaria – through their ideas, experience, and perspectives on education and technology. VAcademy is a member of EdTech Bulgaria.
At the same time, education without technology is doomed to remain in the past, while the effectiveness of technology depends on how teachers and students use it.
According to Mariana Vekilska, Bulgarian education is “halfway along the road” towards technological transformation. Although infrastructure is improving, meaningful change requires not only investment in devices and technology, but also in teacher training.
Vekilska also highlights the role of AI in education. Artificial intelligence can provide access to vast amounts of information and support teachers and students, but critical thinking, the ability to evaluate information, and human communication are becoming increasingly important.
“Technology itself does not improve education. This happens when teachers and students know how to use it consciously, critically and with a clear purpose,” she says.
In the interview, Mariana Vekilska also discusses the challenges facing Bulgaria’s EdTech ecosystem, the need for closer links between technology companies and schools, and the role of EdTech Bulgaria as a bridge between innovation and the real needs of education.
Read the full interview here.
