PurposeThis article explores social and educational responses to COVID-19 as seen through the lens of the Spanish education, in which professional capital and community is at the epicenter of the fight against the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis is a reflective and forward-thinking piece in which educators are presented as first responders to the crisis. The article is structured in four parts. First, the opportunities and barriers that COVID-19 is encountering in 21st-century education are commented on. Second, there is recognition of the need to be connected more than ever; and the vital role of networks. Third, the article discusses the effort to realize the maxim “not to leave anyone behind.” Fourth, the last section summarizes the key points related to the aspects to which education should devote its efforts in the coming months and years in Spain.FindingsThere is a set of reasons why the Spanish education system is extremely vulnerable to the consequences caused by COVID-19, and these include, among others: the high rates of socioeconomic segregation, of school dropouts and of academic failure; poor culture of networking and collaboration; overcrowded classrooms that hinders quality education; an obsolete curriculum; the consideration of education as a political currency; the need to strengthen bimodal education; and teachers' obligation to update their digital competences.Originality/valueThe article questions whether another education is possible beyond the pandemic and promotes a deep reflection in this particular context for practitioners and policymakers on which topics more attention could be focused during this time of turmoil.

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Background: Networks play an important role in today's societies. As a consequence, changes are apparent in the political, economic, cultural, educational and social agendas. Purpose: The main goal of this article is to map the situation of school networks in Spain. The research questions are focused on what forms collaboration and networking take in the Spanish education system; how policy and practice are providing a framework for the development of networks; and what the main barriers to fostering school-to-school collaboration in this context are. Methods: A mix of case studies and documentary analysis was used. Two regions located in the Southwest (Extremadura and the Canary Islands) were selected to examine their legislation about networks in education. The following aspects were considered: aims and aspirations, areas of interest, organizational structure, benefits and incentives, network project, and evaluation and improvement proposals. In this way, Spain is presented as an example of a country that is exploring the possibilities offered by networks. Findings and conclusions: There is no common state policy to support networking between schools. Rather, every local educational authority acts with different purposes and a variable extent of development. This particular situation offers a diverse map of education networks. The case studies show that networks are being developed bottom-up, through topics of interest, such as library, ecology, health-promotion, equality, emotional intelligence, educational research, enterprise and physical education. The paper concludes by reflecting on and discussing the current landscape of educational networks. Some barriers identified are related to: the networks' structures that could be more inclusive, the loose culture of collaboration, the weak mechanisms to link social and professional capital provided by policy makers, the importance of belief in the network society and community power by stakeholders, and also to the necessity to increase incentives for people involved, in terms of working-time conditions and resources.

El aprendizaje cooperativo es una práctica educativa que se ha llevado a cabo con gran éxito en las últimas décadas. Se le considera como una herramienta metodológica capaz de dar respuesta a las diferentes necesidades que presentan los individuos del siglo XXI. El objetivo de este artículo es abordar su evolución conceptual y recoger los distintos elementos que componen la denominada estructura cooperativa, así como las técnicas, grupos y modelos que se han formulado en torno a esta temática. Paralelamente, se alude a la formación del profesorado en el método de aprendizaje cooperativo (MAC), en tanto que constituye un elemento esencial para su adecuado desempeño laboral. Por último, se reflexionan, desde una perspectiva crítica, las ventajas que se derivan de la aplicación de este método en las aulas, y las resistencias que enfrentan los docentes cuando tratan de utilizar este método en su enseñanza. Cooperative learning is an educational practice that has been applied with considerable success in recent decades. It is considered a methodological tool capable of responding to different needs presented by individuals in the 21st century. The purpose of this article is to address its conceptual evaluation and identify the various elements that make up the so-called cooperative structure, as well as the techniques, groups and models that have been formulated around this topic. In parallel, it alludes to the training of faculty in the cooperative learning method (CLM), as an essential element in the satisfactory performance of their jobs. Finally, the article reflects critically on the advantages of application of this method in the classroom, and resistances teachers may encounter when trying to use it.