Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2014 Newsletter
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break.
often linked to theoretical programs. In this project
students had the chance to be the protagonists of
the learning process and we, as teachers, were only
supporters of their practical working activities.
Students of the second class were working on this
project when my dear friend Ksenija VidmarNincevic invited me to join her project “London
Olympics 2012”. I was a bit worried not to have
much time to dedicate to this new project because
of my assignments at school, but the answer came
from my students themselves: they would become
tutors of their fellows of the first class: a natural
and spontaneous peer learning process!
Here I met new European partners establishing
relationships, sharing ideas and launching proposals
for future activities. It was an unusual project
because the students were not involved, but we
teachers acted as students learning a lot together
and working for a final aim: developing a real
awareness of belonging to a common country to
build together a better Europe in a globalized world.
The project was awarded with Quality Labels by 6
NSSs, unluckily not by Italian NSS, but I must
recognize that I learnt the tools of Web 2.0 and
most of all, I acquired skills to carry these tools to
my daily work in the classroom, sharing my new
competencies with the colleagues of my Institute.
Since then, students of different classes have joined
eTwinning projects, many of them awarded with
National and European Quality Labels. I cannot
forget their enthusiastic commitment in projects
such as “Let your language speak” or “London
Olympics 2012”.
The former let the students understand that every
language, built during the centuries, represents a
whole set of values of the people speaking it, so
that they were encouraged to be respectful of their
mother tongue, exploring its roots and richness to
introduce it to their European partners, at the same
time recognizing similarities and differences with
their partners' languages. Thanks to this project
any teacher of the class involved presented the
students a unit linked to a peculiar side of our
culture, for example a visit to the local ancient ruins
of Villa S. Marco represented a new way of studying
History of Art linked to the Roman Latin world... It
was a great innovation for our school, because
Italian subjects – especially in High Schools – are
As we had decided to join the School Teams
Campaign 2012, at the end of the school year we
organized an event for parents and teachers, “Let's
celebrate a winning team”, where the students
themselves explained their two projects, with goals
and outcomes, illustrating their collaborative way
of working with their European partners. Have a
look here:
http://www.kizoa.it/slideshow/d2843649k8747077o
1/let-your-language-speak-a-winning-team.
It was a really exciting challenge that well deserved
the recognition: two European Quality Labels!
We were so happy that, at the beginning of the new
school year, we planned to celebrate the European
Languages Day giving awards to pupils winners of
the Quality Labels, during an official meeting with
their parents who were also informed that their
children would take part in our first Comenius
Bilateral Partnership.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that, while engaged at
school as an eTwinning teacher, my professional
development went on: being a member of Groups
such as “Creative Classroom” or “CLIL and
eTwinning projects” and taking part in Learning
Events, I could improve my teaching skills and
competencies getting in touch with European
teachers sharing the same interests.
For me it was a real pleasure to plan with my dear
friend Bogdana, teacher at the Joan Ekzah
Language School in Vratsa, Bulgaria, the Bilateral
Comenius “English and Science Conquer New
Spaces/ CLIL Phenomenon Permeates Different
Approaches”.
You may not be aware that CLIL methodology is a
real innovation in Italian high schools, so thanks to
this project we have been able to train teachers and
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