eTwinning Visibility Newsletter no. 3 eTwinning Visibility Newsletter no. 3 | Page 48

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2013 Newsletter -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Looking at those photos there was one remarkable thing… everybody smiling. We have managed to keep this atmosphere in the classroom, every now and then they contribute something to my current projects and they keep saying things like, ”Do you remember how we…”. But most amazing is their attitude towards learning… also when not projectrelated. Every year, when we present our school on the open day, these students are involved in the activities of the arts department and they ask if I would like to try their activities. Well, I am usually glued to the room where European projects are presented, so they offer to come over with their material… and add I could do it eTwinning style. eTwinning style… Do you also hear a certain kind of music with that phrase? Well, we even had the idea of an eTwinning flash mob! And when they brought a cake in the eTwinning colours and with the logo to our last lesson, it was obvious that ‘eTwinning’ had become kind of my middle name. My year 5 students seem to think the same, they have the same sparkle in their eyes and they also share that love for eTwinning! To put it in a nutshell, eTwinning is not a piece of cake, it requires enthusiasm and a bit more work than usual both in students and teacher, but it is worth it, and it makes everyday work a lot more enjoyable as the relationship is different… Apart from the effect on my teaching, exchanging ideas with the teachers here is a pleasure and it is great if you do not have to explain why you are doing what you are doing. Lots of my colleagues at school think it is just a waste of time… you know, in Germany something that is fun is not considered to be real work. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 48