| Approval (school) | Two schools set up a partnership. One school registers the project on the portal, the other school approves the registration. This must take place before the National Support Services (NSSs) of the schools’ countries can give their approval of the project. |
| Approval (National Support Service) | Takes place after registration of an eTwinning project and approval by the other school. The two National Support Services (NSSs) from the partner countries check the existence of the school and the relevance of the project. Their approval or rejection is made within seven days of registration. |
Camp
(eTwinning -) | First prize of the eTwinning prizes 2005. Brings together teachers and pupils of winning partnerships of the different prize categories to take part in workshops, school twinning and ICT related activities. |
Central Support Service (CSS) | European eTwinning office, based at European Schoolnet in Brussels. Responsible for the central coordination of eTwinning activities across Europe. Runs the European eTwinning portal and pedagogical helpdesk, and is in charge of technical development and support. |
| Chat | On the eTwinning Desktop, schools can book a chat room or one use of the six public rooms to talk to a potential partner for a project. |
Competition
(eTwinning -) | See Prizes. |
| CSS | Short for Central Support Service. |
Desktop
(eTwinning -) | A school’s private area on the portal. Each registered user logs in to his/her own Desktop to use these tools: TwinFinder, Profile, Chat, My Candidates, Mailbox, Label, TwinSpace, Progress Card and Resources, to look for partners, set up and manage partnerships. |
| eLearning programme | European Commission programme that supports the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education and training systems across Europe. Consists of four action lines: Promoting digital literacy, European virtual campuses, eTwinning of schools in Europe and promotion of teacher training, transversal actions for the promotion of e-learning in Europe. Ends 31 December 2006. Go to eLearning programme. |
| eTwinner | School and teacher involved in eTwinning. |
| eTwinning | Main action of the European Union's eLearning programme. Promotes school collaboration through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) between schools in Europe by providing support, tools and services to make it easy for schools to form short or long term partnerships in any subject area. |
| eTwins | Schools and teachers who are partners in an eTwinning project. |
| Finding a partner | Using the eTwinning tools to get in contact and communicate with potential partner schools. The partner-finding tools are: TwinFinder, eTwinning Map, Meeting point, and Newsletters (which you can sign up for). |
| Founder schools | The two schools that set up an eTwinning partnership. One school registers the partnership on the portal, the other approves it. |
| Gallery | A showcase of eTwinning practice examples. Projects are selected by the National Support Services (NSS). Descriptions in at least two languages are based on interviews with teachers. |
| Guest school | A guest school is invited to an existing project by a founder school. It officially participates in the project but cannot invite other schools or write a progress card. Guest schools must be registered to eTwinning. |
| Guidelines | The guidelines explain in details how to use the eTwinning tools. Can be used as a dictionary, and can also be printed. |
| Helpdesk | Team of pedagogical advisors at the Central Support Service (CSS) that deals with any enquiry or difficulty schools may have in relation to eTwinning. Prepares pedagogical material which is made available through the portal. |
| ICTs | Short for Information and Communication Technologies. |
| Information and Communication Technologies | An umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, for instance computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, radio, television, mobile phones etc., and the services and applications associated with them, for instance video-conferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, for example, ICTs in education. |
| Internet Safety | The positive, ethical use of online Information and Communication Technologies. Safety is increased by better awareness of issues and technical solutions such as filters, anti-spyware and using secure settings on all online equipment, whether a PC or a mobile phone. Go to Insafe web site. |
| Kits | See Ready-made (project) kits. |
Label
(eTwinning -) | Certificate given to all partnerships approved by the National Support Services to start eTwinning activities. Can be downloaded from the Desktop of each school. |
| Login | To get access to the eTwinning Desktop and eventually to the TwinSpace(s) of the project(s), users must be registered. In order to log in, users much have a login name and a password, which they set up when registering. If login data and/or password are lost, click on ‘forgot your password’ on the eTwinning portal. The username and new password will be sent via e-mail. |
| Mailbox (eTwinning -) | Internal messaging system. Allows safe exchange of messages with other schools registered on the eTwinning portal. Messages are visible only from the Desktop, but notification of new messages is sent to the user’s e-mail address. |
Map
(eTwinning -) | A database of eTwinning schools and projects from all participant countries. Searches can be made by school, country, region, theme or vocational subject. |
| My Candidates | A list of potential partner schools. Users save them from the TwinFinder. |
| National Support Service | Also known as the NSS. Organisation or agency representing and promoting eTwinning in participant countries. Provides training and support (by phone and online), organises meetings and national events, and runs media and communication campaigns in their country. |
| NSS | Short for National Support Service. |
| PAG | Short for Pedagogical Advisory Group. |
| Participant countries | Countries entitled to take part in eTwinning: EU member states (including overseas territories and countries), Norway and Iceland. Other countries, such as Croatia and Turkey, cannot officially take part in eTwinning yet. |
| Partner school | The other school in a partnership. |
| Partners | Schools, teachers or other school staff who are members of an eTwinning partnership. |
| Partnership | Schools working together on an eTwinning project. Partnerships may run several projects together or twin up with other schools for different projects. |
| Pedagogical Advisory Group | Also called the PAG. Group of experts meeting regularly to identify issues and suggest solutions for the pedagogical enhancement of school collaboration in eTwinning. Helps identify and fulfill professional development activities for teachers involved in eTwinning. |
Prizes
(eTwinning -) | The European eTwinning prizes are awarded every year to schools selected by a European evaluation board as winners of the eTwinning competition. In some cases, national prizes are awarded following national competitions by the National Support Services (NSS). |
| Professional Development Workshops | Professional Development Workshops are aimed at teachers who improve their skills in ICT, network with teachers from other European countries and set up new partnerships. The workshops are organised by the National Support Services and Central Support Service and are held in different European cities throughout the school year. |
Profile
(eTwinning -) | Section on the eTwinning Desktop to change user details and manage projects (deleting partners, updating information, creating new projects). |
| Progress Card | A way of keeping track of project activities. Partnerships describe project activities and processes in the progress card. The National Support Services (NSS) follow activities and provide feedback and pedagogical support if necessary. A progress card consists of entries, which can be submitted at any time during the life span of the project. Entries can be published and will then be accessible from the eTwinning map. |
| Project | Activities carried out by two or more schools in an eTwinning partnership. |
| Project gallery | See Gallery. |
| Quality Label | Recognition of eTwinning activities awarded to schools. The National Support Services (NSS) award the national Quality Label to schools that successfully apply for it. If at least two schools in a project get the national Quality Label, the project is awarded with the European Quality Label by the Central Support Service (CSS). |
| Ready-made (project) kits | Step-by-step guides to successful projects with concrete ideas to teachers on how to implement a European collaborative project in their class. Can be used in entirety or adapted to specific teaching contexts. |
| Recognition | The way to give visibility to eTwinning schools, partnerships and their activities: eTwinning Label, European and national Quality Labels and eTwinning prizes, project gallery. |
| Register | To sign up for eTwinning, see Registration. |
| Registration | Means “sign up for eTwinning and get access to the eTwinning school database, communication tools and collaborative platform”. |
| Repository | Database of learning materials and resources for eTwinning schools. |
| Resources | A database or repository of learning materials that are shared among eTwinning schools. The resources are made available by schools and include materials prepared in eTwinning or found useful in general for eTwinning by teachers. |
| Safety | Schools registered to eTwinning can communicate and use the tools in a safe virtual environment. Schools are checked by National Support Services, there are no spam or disturbing messages, and the use of the tools is allowed in all countries. |
| Stars | Rating system based on school activity on the portal. Each school is given a rating from zero to three stars according to number and frequency of logins, use of mailbox, of My Candidates, etc. Can be used to identify active schools to contact in order to set up a project. |
| TwinFinder | The partner-finding tool for schools registered for eTwinning. It automatically suggests schools that match your profile and project preferences. Available from the Desktop of each school. |
| Twinning preferences | Indication of relevant subjects, age group, tools, language, and country for an eTwinning project. Used to give a first automatic match of schools for a potential partnership. |
| TwinSpace | A safe collaborative platform for schools in a project. The TwinSpace is private to the partnership and available from each user’s Desktop once the project is approved by the National Support Services. TwinSpaces can be published on the Internet by their administrators. |
| Twin-up | This is the same as “register your partnership”. The twin up button is visible next to the name of the school when saved in My Candidates. |
| Whole school approach | Link of eTwinning activities to other collaborative projects or activities at the same school: Town twinning, exchanges, EU or nationally funded projects. Description of two schools with many projects with an impact on the majority of the staff. |
News
Directorate-General for Education and Culture | Disclaimer
| Contact | About this site