Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2026 Newsletter
Little Guardians of Nature: Learning Through Real Experiences by Lilia Spinei
Preparing children for an uncertain future How can schools prepare children for an unpredictable future? During the 2025 – 2026 school year, I initiated and coordinated the eTwinning project Little Guardians of Nature, designed to demonstrate how environmental education can become an effective context for developing life skills, digital competence, and active citizenship through authentic learning experiences.
The project brought together approximately 200 pupils from ten primary classes and teachers from the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Georgia. Its main objective was not only to increase children ' s environmental awareness but also to foster collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, communication, and responsible decisionmaking. Before the project began, digital citizenship rules, parental consent, and initial surveys helped establish a safe, ethical, and well-organised learning environment.
Collaboration as a learning strategy International collaboration was the driving force behind the project. Through TwinSpace, pupils worked with peers from
partner countries, participated in online meetings, shared digital products, and completed collaborative activities throughout the school year. These experiences helped children understand that environmental challenges extend beyond national borders and require cooperation, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.
The project was launched during Code Week 2025 with coding activities that introduced pupils to its objectives in an engaging and interactive way. They later created self-introductions using ChatterPix, developing both confidence and digital communication skills. Bird observation activities combined science, art, and technology, as each partner school designed digital games inspired by local biodiversity and shared them with the international community. Rather than simply using digital technologies, pupils became creators of educational resources for others.
Technology with a purpose Digital technologies were integrated only when they clearly enhanced learning. Applications such as Canva, StoryJumper, Kahoot, LearningApps, Wordwall, Padlet, Mentimeter, Google Forms, Gemini AI, and Quiver were used to support creativity, collaboration, formative assessment, and reflection rather than replace meaningful educational experiences.
During Energy Saving Week, for example, pupils used Gemini AI to design posters promoting responsible electricity consumption. By displaying these
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