January 2011

Welcome back and best wishes for 2011! As the New Year has started, be sure to include eTwinning in your planning. The eTwinning team encourage you to get involved, meet new colleagues and start new eTwinning activities. To look out for in eTwinning this year: European Prizes: the winners of the European Prizes competition will be announced at the beginning of February. We look forward to welcoming the winners to the eTwinning Conference and Camp! eTwinning Conference and Camp: The eTwinning Conference and the eTwinning Camp will take place together this year in Budapest, Hungary, from 31 March – 2 April. For the first time, the teachers and pupils events will be combined at the same time, with a few joint activities for everyone to mingle. Be sure to follow the activities online!

What’s going on in schools?

Project of the month

Learn more about projects

Play and learn! Educational games can play a beneficial role in the evolution of children. This project gives a new spin to educational games and the way play and fun can make children learn more about the world around them. Quality Label of the Month What is the Quality Label? Our National Heroes and Heroines Pupils choose some famous historical as well as contemporary personalities and find basic facts about their lives and achievements. The work should stimulate the pupils´ national consciousness. Then, comparing the heroes with partner country they should analyse the cultural and scientific fundaments on which the united Europe has developed.

From the eTwinning Portal Welcome back eTwinning is ready to begin the new year with great energy and enthusiasm! We hope that you are also ready to get involved, meet new colleagues and start new eTwinning activities. New eTwinning kits online! New eTwinning kits are published online. Browse the kits by category and take the chance to make your eTwinning projects successful by using the kits as such or adapted to your teaching context. Schools have the energy to build a sustainable future Inspired by the pan European U4energy competition -www.u4energy.eu- a new eTwinning project kit has been developed to encourage schools to take a leading role in shaping a sustainable future. Science European Conference: register now! You are all welcome to register and join the Scientix European Conference from 6-8 May 2011 in Brussels! The Europe-wide Scientix Conference is a unique opportunity to learn more about different science education projects in Europe, get to know the people behind the projects, and share your expertise, knowledge and best practices with colleagues from across Europe.

What’s going on across Europe?

German: Winner eTwinning Christmas Project 2010

The German NSS are pleased to announce the winners of the competition "eTwinning Christmas Project 2010“. Franziska von Gadow and Birgit Lorenzen, teachers at Auguste-Viktoria-school in Flensburg (northern Germany) won a digital camera with their project “International Christmas tree“. They sent a picture with a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments from twelve nations. Congratulations!

Iceland: eTwinning training in Iceland

The Icelandic NSS organised a training session for beginners on 15 December. The session was held in a well-equipped computer laboratory, where participants, most of whom where brand new to eTwinning, got plenty of time to go into the European Portal, eTwinning Desktop and TwinSpace, utilising the training platform.

Lithuania: New Year started with eTwinning

Lithuanian folk wisdom says "The way you start New Year, you will pass all year." The first days of the New Year started for teachers with the eTwinning seminars in Mastaičiai and Kupiškis. 2011 must be creative, full of new experiences, contacts and activities.

Poland: Workshops during winter holidays

A series of half-day workshops organised by the Polish NSS will take place in Warsaw during winter holidays. Teachers from all over Poland are invited to learn about the action and its tools.

Spain: Winners of the National eTwinning Awards 2011

The Spanish NSS are pleased to announce the winning projects of the 2011 eTwinning National Awards. The selection criteria focus on pedagogical and curricular innovation, the use of ICT, integration in the study plan, continuity and transferability and, of course, collaboration between twinned schools. Congratulations to all students and teachers!

Spain: eTwinning and Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus mobility for Vocational Training

Throughout November, eTwinning was present at various promotional events about European Programmes for Vocational Training, which were held in Plasencia, Almendralejo and Madrid in order to promote and inform about mobility programmes for pupils and teachers in European companies.

Slovenia: eTwinning tour 2011

In January, the Slovenian NSS and eTwinning ambassadors started an eTwinning tour. Check the national website to see where workshops will be held in the next months.

Slovenia: eTwinning ambassadors meeting

A video conference between NSS and eTwinning ambassadors was held on 7 January.

Turkey: eTwinning workshop for all Ambassadors

An eTwinning workshop named as “eTwinning for Beginners” for all Ambassadors from 81 cities all around Turkey has been organized from 22-24 December in Antalya. Also, IT coordinator from 81 cities participated in this workshop. They have been informed about eTwinning practices and the NSS requested their help for the extension of projects throughout the country.

UK: Free 4 day professional development seminar in London

From 28 February - 4 March 2011, the British Council will host the 2011 Council of Europe UK Workshop in London. The theme will be “History and cultural heritage – understanding identity and the modern world”. Teachers and education professionals are invited to share with colleagues from across Europe in this training seminar.