OEG Voices 098: Ana Michelle Tellez Ferrer

And this means that open education [in music] also lends itself well to providing spaces for others to teach as well. Within Armelab, we have been able to modify certain forms of education, to take it to another format. For example, [music] we have our podcast Los Voces un arma, where we interview agents of [music] change and make visible invisible voices or discriminated population groups or sayings. Welcome to episode 98 of OE Global Voices, the podcast [music] that we produce at Open Education Global. Today we present the voice of Ana Michel Télez, co-founder of Alma Fuerte Lab, an innovative learning laboratory based in Colombia. Ana was recognized in 2025 with the Open Education award for excellence as an educator in music. I am your host, Alan Levin. Our conversation was recorded on May 8, 2026 [music] with a rather experimental approach to the podcast. Ana speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and I only speak English. We coordinated the recording via email using translation tools, and I sent my questions translated into Spanish in advance. We recorded on Zoom, where automatic subtitles allowed us to understand each other while we spoke. For audio editing I used the Descript editing software to transcribe my questions and then [music] I used Google Translate to convert them to Spanish text. My voice that you hear in this episode was generated by Descript's AI to be available in this Spanish episode. I wish my Spanish [music] was that good, but enough with the technology. This is a fascinating conversation in which you will learn about Ana's motivations and the various ways in which Alma Fuerte Labodera supports marginalized students throughout Latin America. [music] You'll also hear about their podcast Two Voices, One Soul, whose reach we would like to reach. Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are right now , because I can see you. But you'll give me a location on the map so our podcast audience can find it. Could you describe the place where you are? I studied in Barranquilla, Colombia, specifically in the Colombian Caribbean, a city on the Caribbean Coast, where the climate is usually warm all year round and is quite welcoming. OK. We are talking today because last year he received the Open Education Award for excellence as an educator. It was obviously a great honor, but I could describe how I felt upon receiving this news. He was a little overwhelmed. In fact, it was through my sister that I found out I had won the award because I thought they were doing the voiceover at that moment, saying that I had won for my participation the day before at SAM for Latin America. Could you explain what the impact of receiving this award has been? Impressive, because for me I can believe the fact of having won a world competition with a small project, that is, it 's not the value of what it represents for me , but what it means as a small organization. Could you tell me where you spent your childhood? What kind of student were you? What did young Ana think of school? Ah, a large part of my life was spent in hospitals. Oh, and basically, well, maybe I didn't grow up like average kids, but I can say that I had an interesting childhood. I think that throughout my life, growing up in certain contexts allowed me to have tools very early on to face life. Oh, and as a student, uh, first I have to say that I have always been a person who, or rather, I have always asked that the system is not prepared for everyone, and I realized that very recently, and also that, uh, at a generational level, I think that education should be restructured and rethought. so that all people can have access to education and a better quality of life. That is, so that boys and girls can have that safe space inside and outside the classrooms, which is a link between school, parents and students. Ideally, institutions should have resources and the state should provide support to students and teachers to make classrooms not only inclusive or differentiated, but also so that teachers can have support within the classroom. In other words, it's not just about thinking that education is going to a classroom and giving a lesson, no. There are [clearing of throat] thousands of situations inside and outside the classroom that often require support and you don't know it. Ah, basically when I decided to enter the world of teaching, it wasn't easy. I am a professional in international food and logistics, which has nothing to do with education, but I have learned that things don't just happen and that a social exchange in 20 basically changed my horizon, what I was going to do as a professional. That's why I'm a teacher today. I have a degree in pedagogy, and I enjoy the creative arts and the humanistic aspect of the teaching process. I've realized that pedagogy isn't just theory; it's not something that simply happens. I've demystified the idea that there are many ways to teach, and I greatly value the fact that my colleagues are in the classroom, because it's difficult and challenging, especially in these generations where we see many dilemmas and what has been lost in what is considered the authority of the teacher. So, for me, being able to provide differentiated, disruptive, even multicultural spaces within the spaces I lead, and sharing with other teachers, has allowed me to see a different perspective on what it means to teach, especially in biology. How did you get started in open education? Where did you find out about her? Uh, I introduce open education in a different way, right? that open education also lends itself well to providing spaces for others to teach as well. We have been able to, within a stronger framework, develop certain forms of education, taking it to another format. For example, we have our podcast Los voces un arma, where we interview change agents and make visible invisible voices or discriminated population groups or groups, for example, women with disabilities, professional women and men and women with disabilities who represent a vulnerable population. In the podcast, we also interviewed many teachers who are also artists, who believe in art as a means of social impact to make a difference inside and outside the classroom. We also have a streaming format that is broadcast on television and radio in collaboration with the Mar Tierra Integral Center for the Hispanic/Latino community in Philadelphia. And we take this format to places where we also train teachers and people who, from pedagogy and creativity, can give us a different perspective [clears throat] on what it means to teach. And education is the bridge that unites many multidisciplinary fields and can be rethought as a rich format where people, even though they can listen to the radio, watch television, or use streaming platforms, can generate truly meaningful and valuable content. We also do live dynamics where we not only show the art or teaching of the guest, but we also manage to do dynamics with the audience that sees and hears us live. Ah, Philadelphia. I lived near Philadelphia. You already started talking about the Alma Fuerte laboratory, which I understand means Strong Soul. It's a very powerful program. Could you tell us more about how the idea for the lab came about and perhaps give us some details about other activities that students do with it? Alma Fuerte Laab was born and the one who inspires me Alma Fuerte is my twin sister. A strong soul is a writer. And from there I said, "Why not create a spinoff of what means something powerful? Ah, and it's like that power, right?, that we give to people in our case, through writing, words, and the different formats of education. And I'll say it again because there are many ways to teach and to understand teaching, dear, to see teaching as a bridge. And really, within More Powerful, we generate programs for well-being and cultural activities, and it's open to teachers, creatives, writers, and obviously many of these programs are designed to make the practice more individualized, closer, more humanized, so that people feel safe in our spaces, but also feel supported. We also support projects, people, classroom projects. We also help create, design, and facilitate spaces so that people can develop their ideas, so that they can generate that space to reconnect with themselves. So I think that although it's multidisciplinary, we're looking at how these differences within an educational context can be presented and can occur in a way that allows people They can and do reconnect in some way with their knowledge, both intrinsic to the person and the new knowledge they gain through technology, because we also use technology and artificial experiences, and I think that's where a distinction is made to close those educational gaps in diverse populations. And I think you've already mentioned the role of open education in the lab. Perhaps you could elaborate a bit more and also talk about the backgrounds of your students. When we talk about students coming from different places, people and organizations too, which we've seen a lot of in recent months, it's about how we rethink and how we bring these methodologies or practices closer together to improve and bring them closer, even when we're in different countries, and do what's possible. Right now, we're developing a Steam project using techno-writing with the game to develop emotional well-being in another Latin American country, and really to give strength to do what's possible. You mentioned your podcast, so we've talked about it and everything's going well. Tell us about it. About storytelling. Why is it important? Are you a natural storyteller? For us, it's important. From the beginning, we considered the issue of representation, visibility, but also the way people use the power of their voices. This process of creating a laboratory based on research into how people's voices can not only empower children, men, women, adults, etc., but also give them the capacity to create this community and do what's possible. Here in this podcast, which I've heard in more than 17 countries, and we're already on our fourth season, we're talking to people from rural areas. As I mentioned at the beginning, it's about various disciplines. Lately, we've been interviewing scientists, people who do science and who are teaching children in their communities about the Earth, about the importance of the atmosphere, about the importance of creating things. And one of the things that has most caught my attention is the fact that, as I mentioned recently, visibility and representation flow a lot in children and women. I can say why... A laboratory created by women. Girls can grow up with representation in their classrooms, they can hear us, they can see us. We can share with them because it's important that these generations also understand that artificial intelligence has come to replace us and that part of our power as human beings is to give what we are and what we have to the world, to put it at the service of society. And that's what's important because we forget that even though there are many machines, even though artificial intelligence optimizes many processes, education does n't take away the human element, and that tenderness—and this has been learned in practice—even though there are many barriers that perhaps divide us within the classroom, we must strengthen tenderness in the process and not lose sight of the fact that I am a teacher, right? And not lose sight of why I started in teaching, because many times the system leads you to disengage. The reasons why you started are born from exhaustion, from multiple factors that also make us rethink the teaching profession. And I think that in our space, many teachers who have been teachers have their own Projects because they've made you realize there's an intrinsic need to change the game, to go back to basics, and that means going back to yourself. And it's also like telling the children that they have skills and tools in their hands that, if handled well, can make them very bright members of society, and that right now, scrolling, being on screen, also shows that we need more time in person with each other, and that's what we don't want to lose, even though , as I said, many of the projects we're currently doing with Alma Fuerte Lab are in other parts of Latin America. They bring us closer in some way; that is, we 're not replaced, we're closer, but we also don't lose that magic of humanizing. Could you share some stories about your students' successes and what they 've achieved? For example, many of our students even make headlines with projects related to education and culture, and that's how we directly impact their lives, how we truly impact them through words, poetry, and even They share their knowledge and never cease to amaze us because it's not just about inspiring them, it's also about empowering them to believe in their potential, whether through writing, painting, or any tool that provides them with long-term well-being. It's not just about going to the classroom and repeating what's already known, which is also necessary because general knowledge is important. But it's about developing those intrinsic skills that we have and letting them reach their full potential, not just soft skills, but hard skills like technology and artificial intelligence. And the pandemic revealed something very important: even though they are the generation that are digital natives, they weren't. So it's common to reteach certain things that our generation learned on its own, and for them to have those tools to strengthen their skills. What are some of your biggest challenges? Well, even in terms of the lab, I think we've grown without funding. You know this; we've grown by word of mouth. Literally, this project has been built with our voices, talking, we've I've reached many places, but we've also met people along the way who are forging a similar path, and we've been able to support each other. Right now, we're supporting many projects and managing many alliances that generate a significant impact, and these alliances obviously have the purpose of continuing to transform education through different formats. You also collaborate with the cutting-edge pedagogical laboratory in Peru. Could you tell us more about that? How do you find the time for it? I was with them for about four years , if I'm not mistaken. It was an interesting experience because I was the only foreigner in this school. I really enjoyed learning about their perspective that there are teachers within their poetic pedagogy practices, which is one of their programs. It makes me very nostalgic because poetic pedagogy involves the idea that poetry or the word has a significant impact on pedagogical practices, such as reading and writing, and that the teacher has a philosophy that the teacher is an artist, and that this artist... That teacher in the classroom has many pixels, many artistic materials, and it is their students who, in their own practice, develop this arbiter of each individual. So, how wonderful it is that the idea has been conceived that the teacher is an artist and the classroom is a blank canvas where children can create, can draw, can write, can grow, can believe, right?, in these artistic practices within a classroom in different disciplines. Art is not only subject to illustrative or writing practices, right? It is also subject to how, for example, they think about the historical structure. And how certain artisanal things represent us; we often talk about artificial intelligence, but not about artisanal intelligence. Artisanal intelligence is inherent to human beings, developed with their hands, and that is also highlighted in the very wonderful experience of sharing with teachers, yes? Where we had this idea that the humanities and the arts are not separate, they are close and can exist in the same space. I presented the Humanities Festival in Peru. Um, I've also presented research papers on how pedagogy and the humanities can coexist, and it's very interesting because it's not just about the teacher's role within human pedagogical practice, but also about breaking free from rigid structures, the understanding that the humanities and academia can be a bit more flexible in including pedagogies within their pedagogical frameworks. That is , writing, techno-writing, can be accompanied by a broader process, right? If you were to think of it, it would influence it. It's not about distancing ourselves, but about getting closer. Well, what's something you're looking forward to doing this year? This year, we've been able to achieve so much as a lab, and I think this year my goal is to reach more than a million students, at least this year, and continue strengthening the institutional alliances we have now for an even greater expansion of what we're already working on. Next week, we're launching the first open class lab as such, where we've done all the educational outreach and Um, how... uh, I was just talking about this yesterday with my co-producer, and it's about how we continue this first live show in Philadelphia and how we work with the Latino and Hispanic community in the United States . How do we do it next week? We're opening the application period for the Open Education Awards. Could you share a message with our listeners that encourages them to apply? My message to everyone who wants to be in this space is to make the most of your own resources, but also believe in yourselves. It's about your potential in what you're really building, because it's not just about the numbers, the remuneration, the investments, etc., which are necessary for a project to scale, multiply, etc. But it's also about seeing that every project has a process that isn't great because learning is always progressive, life will always surprise us, nothing is written in stone. And if you, like José, not only believe, but create little by little every day , you will eventually have something bigger materialized. And this... It's not achieved alone; it's achieved with mentorship, with people who support you. Even if you don't have the ideal context to start projects, to believe in an idea, look for it outside your immediate environment. And I say this as someone whose project was born in another country because other people believed in our research idea. I mean, how did we go from doing research projects to a project that's currently impacting so many places, something we never imagined would happen? Well, nobody prepares you for that. It 's simply the fact that the process, even if it's not exactly how you want it to be, has to be so that along the way you realize that what you do truly has meaning for others, which is the most important thing [clears throat], but also for the audience that listens to you, that watches you. In our case, they pay for our services, but there are also people who will become even more interested in the team along the way , which is super important because, with Arma Fuertel, we're not only interested in training and teaching. And to provide that safe space, we're also interested in the person behind it, whether it's an organization, and I can say, I have a very close relationship with my colleagues from other places who have come to the lab. And we've joined forces to carry out these projects, and I'm also concerned about you, Professor, how are you today? And this is important. So, it's about telling everyone who ventures into this idea of publishing their project in Open Global to believe that their project can generate a significant impact on their community, but in the end, it's not even about understanding yourself as an individual, but about trying. Because many times the imposter syndrome or saying, "Since everything isn't solved, I can't do it." No, we have to work with what we have, with the resources we have, and try. You don't know what's going to happen, and that's precisely what has us in many places today. We continue to receive awards worldwide with this project, and we continue doing the things we love to do because we love to teach. And it's something they don't tell you in academia; they'll just tell you that you have potential or that they're simply going to reduce you to teaching. You can do so much with education. I've seen so many teachers who also teach in the classroom, but they also have their own projects and are passionate about what they do, and they generate significant change in their community, precisely because they believed in themselves. Because it's from there that you can generate that value from the inside out, right? And vice versa, how inspiring, you do so much work. What are your interests and hobbies outside of work? Oh, my interests besides reading, obviously, oh, I like to watch a lot of documentaries, I'm very analog, I like to do very creative things, crafts, painting, doing very creative things, besides talking all the time, which is what I normally do. Oh, is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners? I think beyond what Open Global represents, right? Oh, I want teachers all over the world who listen to it, from whatever latitude you are in, even if it's difficult, even if there are wars, even if the conditions aren't right, your work in the world is Important. And don't doubt that ability and that vocation, which is so important in society. Embrace your profession and make something extraordinary of it, even if the system says otherwise in any country, because the education system in any country will always be chaotic. So, for me, the teacher will always be important inside and outside the classroom, and there are different paths, all of which are valid, but above all, vocation will always allow us to do extraordinary things. Thank you so much; this has been very inspiring. Thank you for listening to this episode of OE Global Voices, the Open Education Global podcast. We hope this experimental format works well, and we are extremely grateful to Ana for her willingness to try it. Each episode includes a different musical introduction selected from the free music archive. For today's program, we chose the song " Bring Peace" by Ketza, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You can find this episode on our website, voices.org, and participate in the subsequent conversations on OEG Connect or any other social network. where you interact with us. [music] If you're listening and would like to share your work in open education or suggest a future guest, [music] please let us know through our website or email us at voiceslobal.org. [music] [music]