eTwinning & teacher professional development

Anne Gilleran – pedagogical manager

eTwinning Central Support Service

Multilateral Contact Seminar eTwinning- Warsaw

Anne who?

I have been involved in many projects involving schools, teachers and school leaders

I come from Dublin, IrelandCareer:university lecturerschool counsellorhead teacherresearcherexpert in ICT for education

worked in Brussels for the European Schoolnet since 2001

Pedagogical manager for eTwinning since 2005

Topics

Overview of the development of eTwinning

Some concepts regarding professional development

Evolution of professional development in eTwinning

Questions?

3 questions

What is the relationship between eTwinning and Professional Development?

How do they influence each other?

How can eTwinning contribute to professional development and visa versa?

This presentation will include ideas…….

Based on the report:

Teachers Professional Development: an overview of current practice

Published March 2011 European Schoolnet

available at:http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/news/publications.htm

Background

Let’s start by looking at the OECD Talis report 2009

What is eTwinning?

A Lifelong Learning Programme initiative- within the Comenius action

Launched January 2005

2005-2008 Phase 1

2008-2013 Phase 2

To understand eTwinning

You must know the following facts

• 33 countries participate

• Each of those countries has a National Support Service NSS

• Coordination by the Central suport Service

• Its heart is the eTwinning Portal www.eTwinning.net

eTwinning Phase 1: 2005 – 2008

Description and context

eTwinning life cycle 20051.eTwinning.net

Information, ideas, examples, resources 2.School

registration

3.Desktop:Find partner

4.Register a partnership5.TwinSpace

6.Progress CardLearning Resources

7.Quality LabeleTwinning Prizes

Within two years………..

February 2004

January 2005

February 2005

October 2006February 2004.

20062005/06

April 2006

Web 2.0: Interactive & creative internet

Provided us with the possibility to:

- interact- publish - create - comment - communicate

Changing educational context

Less emphasis on knowledge acquisition as the primary goal of education

More emphasis on the development of skills and competences.

The appearance of the concept of 21st Century literacies

European key competencies

Informal collaboration

Comenius Partnerships

Peer learning

Sharing of resources and ideas

Communitybuilding

eTwinning Projects

Led to eTwinning Phase 2

Critical Mass

Communications and networking beyond Projects

Sharing and exchanging

Between 2005/08 eTwinning had also evolved

eTwinning phase 2: 2008 - present

2 additional elements developed

– Creation of an Informal social network• Achieved by a complete overhaul of the

collaborative tools

– Continuing professional development• Enhanced by a series of different developments

Lets take a look….

at the evolution of professional development opportunities in eTwinning

Dec 2008…eTwinning Phase 2….

Jan 2005 Dec 2005 Sept 2006 Jan 2008

Learning Events, Groups

Teachers Rooms, Profiles

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Sept 2010

European-wide professional development workshops

National training courses

raining, e.g. online courses

eTwinning school collaboration projects

European Professional Development Workshop

Organised jointly by CSS & one NSS

Open to all participating countries

Normally 7 per year

Approximately 100 participants per workshop 25/75 ratio

Aimed either at specific audience or theme

PDWs - Evolved to include………

Bilateral and multilateral workshops

Aim – of providing face to face meetings with a

partner finding focus

Organised by several collaborating NSS

National Training programmes

Many countries run extensive training programmes both face – face and on line.

Part of the national in-service programme most notably in

•Spain•Poland•Estonia•Czech Republic

Learning EventsA Learning Event is a short intense course that offers:

•an introduction to a topic• stimulates ideas•helps develop skills•does not require a long-term commitment in terms of time. •Involves a lot of interaction and discussion between teachers

designed to be an enjoyable learning experience.

A Learning Event is a short intense course that offers:

•an introduction to a topic• stimulates ideas•helps develop skills•does not require a long-term commitment in terms of time. •Involves a lot of interaction and discussion between teachers

designed to be an enjoyable learning experience.

http://learninglab.etwinning.net

eTwinning Groups

35 Groups– The groups are

opened on request

– places for teachers to exchange about various interests on a long term basis

35 Groups– The groups are

opened on request

– places for teachers to exchange about various interests on a long term basis

http://groups.etwinning.net

Teachers rooms•A Teachers Room is a place where teachers can discuss specific topics over a short period of time and are created directly by eTwinners.

•A Teachers Room is a place where teachers can discuss specific topics over a short period of time and are created directly by eTwinners.

•Public Teachers Rooms are open to all eTwinners to view and contribute.•Restricted Teachers Rooms can be viewed by all eTwinners; however, to contribute to them, one must be invited.

•Public Teachers Rooms are open to all eTwinners to view and contribute.•Restricted Teachers Rooms can be viewed by all eTwinners; however, to contribute to them, one must be invited.

The Journal

a digital portfolio

An opportunity to share

An instrument for social networking

Professional Development 2011-2012Addition of more formal type courses– Course for the European Network of

ambassadors ( September 2011)– In planning stage 2012 onwards

• Course on online moderation skills• Possible course for school leaders on European

exchange on school management

Introduction of eTwinning Mentorship

Some statistics

At this moment:

140 000 teachers registered

12 500 participate in a project

20 000+ log in every day to the Desktop

Back to the 3

1. What is the relationship between eTwinning and Professional Development?

Informal dialogue to improve teaching

Professional Development Network

2. How do they influence each other?

eTwinning is seen as something that allows up-skilling in areas such as the use of ICT to support teaching, language learning, project management skills and other areas of personal development that can also be recognised as key competences for lifelong learning

3. How can eTwinning contribute to professional development and visa versa?

The kind of professional development a teacher participates in is more important than the amount of time invested. The net effects of days of professional development are small and only significant in a few countries, whereas indicators of participation in networks and mentoring (and in some countries also in workshops and/ or courses) have significant and stronger net associations with teaching practices in a majority of countries (TALIS, 2009: 117).

Future context of educational professional development

ET 2020

Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality

Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training

Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship

Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship at all levels of education

Pisa 2015

Will broaden its focus to include examining competencies such as problem solving and collaborative learning

Final pointsIt is at initial teacher training level that the seeds of future classroom practice are sown

eTwinning is a grassroots activity

eTwinning does offer opportunities for a range of professional development experiences

Questions?

Thank you for your attention

My contacts

anne.gilleran@eun.org