What is Litflix: the school initiative that merges literature, film and AI

Discuss Artificial Intelligence Right now it might seem like a garden: there's enthusiasm, progress, and headlines every day, but also concern about its misuse and its impact on work and culture. Amidst all that noise, Litflix stands out as a real-world example of how AI can boost creativity instead of displacing it, focusing on the pedagogical aspects and the imagination of the students.

This is not a commercial platform, but rather an educational experience born at the Jorge Santayana Secondary School (Ávila) with 4th-year ESO students and the guidance of their teacher, Remedios Gómez. In this project, Literature, film, and AI blend together to create new stories on a “Netflix-inspired platform” where students act as readers, authors, editors, and designers.

What is Litflix and why does it matter?

Litflix is ​​a proposal that invites you to think, "What if Netflix "Outside of books?" Already explored book platforms so that students can imagine literary catalogs, design covers, and publish their own stories. The key is that AI is used as a tool, not as a substitute for talentIt supports ideation, translation, or design processes, while human creativity takes the lead.

The initiative began in 2023 with 4th year ESO students at IES Jorge Santayana, under the coordination of teacher Remedios Gómez. The methodology combines digital and analog methods. There was handwriting, revision, and translations into other languagesAt the same time, Microsoft AI tools were used to generate covers and supplementary material.

The project has been recognized nationally as the best innovative educational experience with artificial intelligence in Spain by Microsoft Education Spain. This award underscores its pedagogical quality and its value as a demonstration that Innovation is also flourishing in public schools and outside of big citieswith a real impact in the classroom.

How the project works from the inside

The starting point was the idea of ​​a Netflix-like platform, but focused on literature. Each group created its own "channel," with sections, titles, and visual elements. Within that framework, The students mixed characters from novels and from movies or TV series to bring to life new, unexpected and very creative worlds.

The combinations were as surprising as they were fun: The Lord of the Rings with Jaws, the protagonists of The Chronicles of Narnia with the Footballers, or a nod between Stranger Things and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With this narrative game, The students reread the classics from current perspectives and made the leap from passive reader to active creator.

After the ideation phase, each student wrote their story—with drafts and handwritten versions—translated it into other languages, and designed a cover using Microsoft AI tools. Here, Technology was integrated as just another brush in the creative processwithout supplanting the author's voice or judgment.

• Platform ideation: definition of categories, catalog and visual style.
• Story Creation: fusion of literary and cinematic universes in original stories.
• Design and multilingualism: AI-powered covers and translations to expand audience.
• Presentation: Each class presented its platform to the educational community.

To conclude the cycle, the classes presented their "Litflix" videos to the school community, and awards were given to the best stories from each group. This gesture of public feedback was commendable. It reinforced motivation, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose.showing that reading can be just as exciting as a well-produced series.

National award and institutional support

Recognition came quickly: Microsoft Education Spain distinguished Litflix as the best innovative AI-powered educational experience in the countryIn a competition with more than a thousand entries, the project from Ávila stood out for its didactic coherence and creative approach.

The Jorge Santayana High School was the the only Spanish public center awarded that year and the only one in Castile and León in that competition. The support of the Regional Government of Castile and León further reinforced the value of the project as a model of good teaching practices in the pedagogical use of AI.

The project's title itself, "LITFLIX: where literature and film merge," summarizes its essence: the school as a laboratory of culture, with active and inclusive methodologies that They prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century without giving up reading, writing, and critical thinking.

Lessons learned with Litflix

Litflix is ​​not merely a showcase of technologies; it is, above all, a space where key competencies are strengthened. Among them, digital competence and written expression, which advance in tandem to transform students into more well-rounded communicators.

• Promoting reading and writing: Read to remix and write to publish.
• Meaningful digital competence: AI for support, editing, and purposeful design.
• Ethics and critical thinking: responsible, safe and conscious use of the tools.
• Collaborative work and presentation: projects by class and defense before an audience.

The project also served as the first educational contact with artificial intelligence at a time when its use generated doubts and resistance. With intentional support, AI has ceased to be a taboo subject and has become a useful and evaluable resource., well-fitted into curricular objectives.

Another significant impact was cultural: by uniting classic narratives with popular references such as films or series, windows opened between generations and languages, bringing literature closer to the codes that young people consume today without losing the rigor of reading.

AI and creativity: from fear to idea engine

In the public debate, AI is associated with both astonishing advances and undeniable risks: job automation, cyberattacks, disinformation, unethical uses, and doubts about the authorship and authenticity of art. Faced with this scenario, Litflix offers a practical and balanced solution..

In the classroom in Ávila, the false dichotomy of "AI or creativity" was dismantled and replaced with a well-integrated "AI and creativity." With teacher guidance, Technology makes sense within a clear educational purposeAnd the final product remains human, with style, intention, and judgment.

The teacher leading the project emphasizes the pedagogical, critical, and ethical use of these tools: it's not about prohibiting them, but about teaching how to use them properly. When applied thoughtfully, AI can work wonders as a catalyst for learningaccelerating processes without suppressing one's own thinking.

Impact on the school and the students

The effect on the educational community was remarkable. Students went from "consuming" stories to creating and editing their own universes, with real responsibilities for quality, coherence, and public presentation. In this transition, They gained autonomy, confidence, and a desire to read more.

Each class built its own platform and presented it to classmates, families, and teachers. This performance, with prizes for the best story per group, It made learning visible and reinforced the project culture as an essential part of the life of the center.

Furthermore, the external recognition —from Microsoft Education Spain and the support of the Regional Government— sent a powerful message: Public education innovates, committing to the responsible use of technology and implements active and inclusive methodologies with an impact on real skills.

Methodology: Key steps and decisions

The work structure was very carefully planned. First, the Netflix-style platform concept was defined: sections, posters, fact sheets, visual identity. Then, impossible crossovers between known universes were devised. a teaching resource that sparks both curiosity and rigor.

The writing of the stories—with handwritten drafts, corrections, and versions—brought back careful writing. At the same time, translations into other languages ​​were introduced to broaden perspectives and audiences. In the visual area, Microsoft's AI tools facilitated cover art and layouts, always with human review.

Finally, a public presentation was prepared: each class showcased their "Litflix," explaining decisions and processes. This communicative closing It strengthened oral skills, synthesis ability, and critical thinking. regarding one's own work and that of colleagues.

Other related experiences and the role of the library

The idea of ​​using a platform for reading is not exclusive to Litflix. In schools in Rincón del Obispo and Portaje, for example, a collaborative platform for summaries of books read by students is being promoted. There, The summaries become video book trailers and audio trailers in podcast formatconnecting reading and current media.

Along those lines, the school library is becoming more dynamic as central axis of the teaching-learning processA space where reading is experienced, created, and shared. This vision aligns with the spirit of Litflix: an active library, technology as a tool, and narrative as a bridge between disciplines.

Reasons for success and transferable lessons

Litflix works because it doesn't pursue "using AI for the sake of using it," but rather integrates it where it adds value: design, creative stimulation, and distribution. It combines this with patient writing and in-depth reading, and sets the bar high in the public advocacy of its work. Overall, The experience is engaging because it has purpose, context, and an audience..

Furthermore, it connects with references that students use daily (series, films, streaming platforms), and reinterprets them through literature. This cultural anchoring transforms the classroom into a living laboratory where Tradition and contemporary life intersect naturally, without losing academic rigor.

Add to this an ethical and critical approach to AI—openly discussing risks and best practices—and the result is a balanced learning ecosystem. With clear guidance and boundaries, Students learn to distinguish between a shortcut tool and a shortcut tool.to make responsible decisions about its use.

How to replicate Litflix in other centers

The formula is adaptable. It requires teacher coordination to establish a clear path, and time for ideation, writing, design, and presentation. Also, evaluation criteria that assess both process and product, and support for the critical use of AI.

• Define the purpose: What do we want to learn and show with the "platform"?
• It establishes clear phases: ideation, writing, revision, translation, design, presentation.
• AI with guidance: define what it is used for and how it is reviewed.
• Open the classroom: public presentation to give meaning and measure impact.

The cultural element helps: remixing universes that students love with literary classics boosts motivation and makes reading a serious game. With goodwill, creativity and technology in balanceAny center can adapt the proposal to its context.

Those who work in technology, education, or culture will see in Litflix more than just an anecdote: it's a roadmap for how to purposefully integrate AI and the humanities. In times of heated debates about whether AI will "steal jobs" or "kill creativity," The project demonstrates that the useful question is how we want technology to help us createto learn and share knowledge.

The experience of IES Jorge Santayana, under the leadership of Remedios Gómez and recognized by Microsoft Education Spain, shows that educational innovation is not the exclusive domain of any elite. From Ávila, a public high school has demonstrated that Reading can be a platform, students can be editors And AI can be another tool in the classroom's toolkit.

Litflix leaves a clear clue: when school mixes reading, film and technology with ethics and rigor, Creativity flourishes and learning becomes unforgettableThat is the difference between using AI as a "replacement box" or as a "toolbox" at the service of imagination and education.