Benefits of eTwinning

1
Benefits of eTwinning

• Pieter Hogenbirk
• Chair of the Pedagogical Advisory Group for
  eTwinning
• Dutch Inspectorate of Education
• p.hogenbirk_at_owinsp.nl

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Partnering with another school in Europe is
really something challenging!

• It is not easy
• to convince your administrator
• to make your colleagues enthusiastic
• to find the right partner
• to find the right content for a project
• to develop collaborative classroom activities
• to organise the process and project properly
• to handle the ICT-equipment
• to evaluate and to stay motivated

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Overview

• Main values of eTwinning
• Benefits for pupils, teachers and the school
• Assignment
• Changing perspectives
• What to do?
• Conclusions

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Main Values of eTwinning

• Authentic learning
• Collaboration
• European dimension
• Using ICT

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Authentic Learning means

• Defining situations and problems relevant for
  children
• Connecting formal and informal learning
• Giving children more influence and responsibility
  for the results
• Changing the role of the teacher

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Authentic Learning leads to

• Probably a less certain outcome
• Possibly addressing the talents of the pupils and
  their personal learning stiles
• Likely more effective learning
• Definitely more motivation and fun

7
Collaboration means

• Teachers of different schools working together to
  agree on the topics and to manage one or more
  projects
• Teachers within one school working together on
  the sustainability of the projects
• Teachers and pupils to go through the process
  together
• Pupils together with each other and with the
  pupils in the other country

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Collaboration leads to

• Teachers
• Professional development
• Teamwork
• Teacher - pupils
• Other pedagogical climate in the classroom
• Pupils
• Improving collaborative skills
• Fun
• Using individual talents

9
European Dimension means

• Finding the right partner in the right country
  (not the easiest country)
• Developing ideas for projects where the European
  dimension has real added value
• Sustainability of the projects long term
  perspective
• Stimulating curiosity, openness and tolerance

10
European Dimension leads to

• Understanding of different cultures
• Diminishing the gaps between European countries
• Preparing for a European future and European
  citizenship
• Stimulating curiosity, openness and tolerance

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Using ICT means

• Developing ICT-skills for pupils
• Using up-to-date ways of communication
• Using platforms for collaboration and project
  work
• Understanding the new culture of the youth

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Using ICT leads to

• Developing ICT-skills yourself
• A shift from ICT as a goal to ICT as a tool
• Cost effectiveness
• Understanding the new culture of the youth

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Percentage of students using a computer at least
a few times each week
100
Percentage of students reporting they use
computers Almost every day or A few times each
week
At home
0
At school
1. Response rate too low to ensure comparability.
Source OECD (2005) Are students ready for a
technology-rich world? What PISA studies tell us,
Figure 3.2, p.37.
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What do students use computers to do?

• PISA asked students how often they used
• The Internet to look up information about people
  things or ideas
• Games on a computer
• Word processing (e.g. ltMicrosoft Word or
  WordPerfectgt)
• The Internet to collaborate with a group or team
• Spreadsheets (e.g. ltLotus 1 2 3 or Microsoft
  Excelgt)
• The Internet to download software (including
  games)
• Drawing, painting or graphics programs on a
  computer
• Educational software such as mathematics programs
• The computer to help learn school material
• The Internet to download music
• The computer for programming
• A computer for electronic communication (e.g.
  e-mail or chat rooms)
• Students could choose from the following answers
• Almost every day, A few times each week, Between
  once a week and once a month, Less than once a
  month, Never

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Students use computers for a wide range of
purposes and not just to play games
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Students' use of computers (1)
Percentage of students reporting they use the
following Almost every day or A few times each
week
Internet research 55 on average
Word processing 48 on average
Games 53 on average
1. Response rate too low to ensure comparability.
Source OECD (2005) Are students ready for a
technology-rich world? What PISA studies tell us,
Figures 3.3 and 3.4, pp.39 and 41.
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a minority of students frequently use
educational software on computers
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Students' use of computers (2)
Percentage of students reporting they use the
following Almost every day or A few times each
week
Educational software - 13 on average
To learn school material - 30 on average
1. Response rate too low to ensure comparability.
Source OECD (2005) Are students ready for a
technology-rich world? What PISA studies tell us,
Figure 3.4, p.41.
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Benefits for the Pupils

• Using ICT and developing information skills
• A broader view on the European dimension,
  culture, habits, religions and differences
• Broaden the perspective of learning authentic,
  real life situations, within a rich context
• Addressing important skills co-operation,
  planning, responsibility, making choices
• International projects are stimulating,
  motivating and fun

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Benefits for the Teachers

• Alternative professional development with peers
  (colleagues) from other schools
• Projects with a relatively low threshold
• Covering (parts of) the curriculum
• Opportunity to use ICT in the classroom
• Longer co-operation with other teachers
• Stimulating collaboration with colleagues within
  the school
• International projects are stimulating,
  motivating and fun for the teacher

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Benefits for the Schools

• Become part of a collaborative learning community
• Recommendation for parents
• Easy possibilities to participate in
  international projects
• Start for a longer and sustainable co-operation
  with another school
• Built-in quality assurance in the project because
  of the national and international support and
  support tools
• Personal professional development of teachers

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What to do first?

• Convince stakeholders around you
• Define your own objectives
• Choose the content, look at the curriculum
• Choose the pedagogical model
• Choose the scale of implementation
• Choose your preferred way of working
• Find a partner matching your objectives

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Pedagogical model Content
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Pedagogical model Responsibility
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Pedagogical model Pedagogical Relation
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What to do next?

• Be specific to your partner school about your
  objectives and expectations
• Define starting activities one or too small
  projects, exchanging experiences
• Motivate your pupils
• Take care of concrete results and products
• Show those to the stakeholders

27
And after that?

• Evaluate identify the strengths and weaknesses
• Start a brainstorm with colleagues about other
  projects
• Be aware of your changing role from pilot to
  expert and manager
• Go on!

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What eTwinning does not mean

• A short collaboration among a very limited number
  of participants
• Something independent from the school curriculum
• The business of one or two teachers at 2 schools
• A project where only teachers communicate
• A project where there is no student outcome

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What eTwinning does mean

• A longer lasting partnership
• An integral part of the school curriculum
• A reflection on pedagogic issues
• A whole school concept
• A project where European teachers communicate
  and learn
• A project where students are prepared for their
  European future

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Thank you
p.hogenbirk_at_owinsp.nl