“eTwinning Learning Events: an opportunity for Professional Development and new eTwinning

partnerships” Irene Pateraki

Ma in EducationGreek NSS

eTwinning National Conference, 2013 Nottingham, UK

Let’s break the ice and make groups…

One step forward when the answer is yes, stay on your place when the answer is no

• Have you been registered in eTwinning for more than 4 years?

• Have you run more than 4 projects?• Have you run an eTwinning project this school year?• Are you an eTwinning ambassador?• Do you know what Learning Events are?• Have you ever taken part in a LE?• Have you taken part in a LE this school year?• Are you an active member in a Group or a Teacher Room?• Do you like ice-cream?• Would you prefer to be by the seaside on an island instead

of taking part in this Conference ??

Learning Events• Learning Events are short intensive online events on a

number of themes. They are led by an expert and include active work and discussion among teachers across Europe.

• Each learning event lasts 10-12 days. The materials are online and you may access them during your own time.

• The application for each event is open to all registered eTwinning teachers, approximately one week before the event begins. The link is on your Desktop, so just log in to fill in the online form.

• All events take place in the: http//learninglab.etwinning.net/web/guest/home

Learning Events in 2012- 2013

Online events (LE, online training):Participants by country

0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 8 8 8 9 9 11 12 18 18 1927

3849 51

96 98104

189

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Not very active in LEs?

• Discuss with the people in your Group and try to find the reasons why most of the UK eTwinners do not take part in eTwinning LEs (5 minutes)

According to a poll run by CSS:

The reasons that Greek teachers take part in LEs:• Opportunity for free professional development,

apart from the online courses organized by the Greek NSS

• Getting in touch with colleagues around Europe• Finding partners for their projects• Receiving a certificate, maybe (?) important for the

evaluation that is on its way…• Having fun

Let’s have a look in a LE…

…about Creative Drama

How GR NSS promotes LEs to our teachers:

• Include information about forthcoming LEs in our monthly newsletter

• Advertise LEs in our Facebook page and Twitter and post reminders the days that the application form is open

• Encourage our ambassadors to inform the teachers of their region and take part themselves, as well

• Organize online courses for the participants that will take part in a contact seminar later

How can you promote LEs to the UK teachers?

• Discuss with the people in your Group and propose ways to promote eTwinning LEs (10 minutes). Write your ideas here: http://padlet.com/wall/learningevents

Some more ideas…

• Take part in a LE; only when you try it, you will be able to support it

• Inform teachers during a workshop about the opportunities they have for FREE- SHORT- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT in ENGLISH

• Organize a series of webinars • Offer incentives e.g. teachers who attend a LE

can share their experience with other teachers in a workshop/seminar

Tips for planning a LE• Start with the learning outcomes• Plan the schedule- time effort• Find the resources you will use• Select the tools- create tutorials• Build your menu structure• Create your course material having in mind:– copyright rules– Creating opportunities for community building– Giving clear directions and instructions to the participants– Using cooperative and collaborative learning-group activities

• Create the netiquette of the course

During the LE• Start with an ice-breaking activity connected to your

objectives• Provide support when needed• Be flexible, if there is a serious need to make changes• Encourage people to be active and take part in discussions• Add a social forum (socialize online)• Encourage peer-learning• Pose open-ended questions and facilitate discussions• Assign groups or use other methods of grouping• Send them reminders by email• Offer opportunities for peer evaluation

After the LE

• Evaluate the event- CSS sends an evaluation link• Ask people to tell their opinion using a forum or simple tools• Collect all the material created by the participants in an

online edition

“Coming together is a beginning;

keeping together is progress; working

together is success.”Henry Ford

Thank you!!!