eTwinning:opportunities for educational innovationand professional development
Anne Gilleran
Pedagogical ManagereTwinning Central Support Service
Anne who?
I have been involved in manyprojects involving schools,teachers and school leaders
I come from Ireland
university lecturerschool counsellorhead teacherresearcherexpert in ICT for education
worked in Brussels for theEuropean Schoolnet since2001
Pedagogicalmanager foreTwinning since2005
Topics
1.eTwinning – how it developed
2.The Internet phenomenon
3.eTwinning - a social network
4.Professional development
5.Some 21st century educationalconsiderations
What is eTwinning?
A Lifelong LearningProgramme initiative
- within the Comenius action
Launched January 2005
2005-2008 Phase 1
2008-2013 Phase 2
National Support Service
(1 in each country)
Central Support Service.
Run by the EuropeanSchoolnet on behalf ofthe EuropeanCommission
Designed to findpartners; create,manage and runschool projects
Launched toencourage school
collaboration inEurope
eTwinning 1.0 (2005)
What happened in 2005?
The Internet phenomenon
eTwinning was launched
+
Since 2005
February 2004
January 2005
February 2005
October 2006
February 2004.
2006
2005/06
April 2006
1. The Internet has changed
Pre 2004 Web 1.x
–Passive
–Read the news
–Retrieve information
Essentially an online encyclopedia
Interactive & Creative Web 2.0
- make the news- publish ideas- create archives- comment on events- communicate
Informal
collaboration
Comenius
Partnerships
Peer learning
Sharing of resources and ideas
Community
building
eTwinningProjects
Many thingswere happening
In eTwinning...
Above... andbelow
the surface
It was time to gobeyond
eTwinning 1.0
Informal
collaboration
Comenius
Partnerships
Peer learning
Sharing of resources and ideas
Community
building
eTwinningProjects
eTwinning hadevolved
Time for
eTwinning 2.0
Critical Mass
Communications andnetworking beyondProjects
Activities outside thePortal
Sharing and exchanging
eTwinning 2.0
eTwinning 2.0
The heart of eTwinningis the portal:
www.etwinning.net
eTwinning Portal 2007
From this
eTwinning Portal – 3 layers
3. The TwinSpace
Private project workspace
Where project partners and pupilscollaborate online
Where project work is/can bepublished and shared online
TwinBlog Where project partnersshare their experience
2. The Desktop
Search tools andprofiles
Where teachers get intouch and register aneTwinning project
Also a tool forcommunication aboutevents
1.The Public Portal
Public Information for all
Where teachers registerfor eTwinning
Project ideas and kits
Inspiration - Kits
Inspiration - Modules
eTwinning 2.0 eTwinning Desktop
From this
eTwinning 2.0 To this
eTwinning 2.0 Twinspace change
From this
eTwinning 2.0 To this
The evolution of eTwinning 2.0 (2010)
Find each other
and get in touch
Set up & run projects
with their pupils
Are engaged in
informal learning
Share practice
and ideas
eTwinning has become a social network
The communityfor schools in
Europe
where teachers:
In 23 languages…
eTwinning projects
eTwinning schools
Informal exchange &reflection
eTwinning has become…….
eTwinning Learning Events
eTwinning Groups
European ProfessionalDevelopment Workshops
Bi- Lateral workshops
A network providingopportunities for formal &informal
Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CDP)
21,000 teachers wereinvolved in the formalaspects of CDP througheTwinning in 2009
Educational Considerationsin relation toeTwinning 2.0
eTwinning: Shifting Worlds
Formal
Closed
Top down
Teaching
Consumption
Curriculum driven
Informal
Open
Bottom up
Learning
Creation
Life as curriculum
European key competencies
Literacies?
eTwinning helps:
To address the challenges of bringing 21Century skills into your school
Utilises Web 2.0 technology to assist theeducational process in a safeenvironment
What else is in it for the school?
Recognition 1 : Quality Labels
(1)Pedagogical Innovationand Creativity
(2)Curricular Integration
(3) Collaboration betweenpartner schools
(4) Creative use of ICT
(5) Sustainability andTransferability and (6)Results and Benefits
Recognition ofquality is basedon 7 criteria
National Quality Label
European Quality Label
Visibility
eTwinning Prizes
National Level
European Level
What does this all this mean?
Motivated pupils
Motivated teachers
Parental support
Public recognition for school
Web 2.0 Enablers in education process
E
n
a
b
l
e
r
s
Enthusiasm of children
e confidence of teachers
(overcome of the
isolation of teacher)
Cooperation:
the driving force
Working Safely
What next: Challenges for the future
Curriculum
Teaching process
Assessment
Web 2.0 embedded inthe curriculum
Web 2.0 part ofthe assessment
In-service trainingincluding Web 2.0
Three pillars ofeducation
Why is eTwinning so successful?
48
Rationale for etwinning
Based on the twinconcepts ofcooperation andcollaboration
SIMPLE approach
• Share
• Innovate
• Motivate
• Participate
• Learn
• Exchange
86,000 users
900,000 messages
20,000 users/day
17000000 pupils
21,000 projects
eTwinning (2010) – in figures
To be supportive and offeropportunity for professionaldevelopment
To be connective & nonbureaucratic
To offer recognition
To have built in quality assurance atnational and European level in theform of Quality Labels
eTwinning Continues
And….
It’s still for free!
In education today the roles of pupils and teachers areblurring.
Final reflections -
The 21 century challenges us all to grasp, understandand control the forces of technology.
Technology is only as good as the use we make of it
Thank you for your attention!
