Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2026 Newsletter
Deutsch in der Grundschule: AI Digital Tools and eTwinning by Christina Valavani
During the 2025 – 2026 school year, pupils at the 2nd Primary School of Nea Kallikrateia, Greece, joined the eTwinning project“ Deutsch in der Grundschule”, working with schools from other European countries. For many of them, it was the first time they had spoken German with children from another country. Those first online conversations were full of excitement, curiosity and plenty of smiles, as pupils introduced themselves, asked simple questions and discovered how much they had in common.
Working with AI-powered applications and digital collaboration tools gave our pupils the chance to use German in ways that felt different from their usual classroom activities. They recorded short dialogues, shared their work with partner schools and met children from other countries online. These activities gave them a real audience and a reason to communicate in German. As the project progressed, many pupils became more willing to speak, exchange ideas and learn from one another. At the same time, they discovered that technology, including AI, can be a useful classroom tool when it is used to support learning and creativity.
AI and digital tools in the classroom AI and digital tools soon became part of our German lessons. Rather than completing ready-made online activities, pupils created their own projects and shared them with their partners across Europe.
One of the activities they enjoyed most was using ChatterKid to make their drawings speak German. Recording their own voices brought plenty of laughter to the classroom, and even pupils who were usually hesitant to speak were keen to record their animated characters. Listening to the recordings also gave them the chance to practice pronunciation and try again until they were happy with the result.
The children were equally fascinated by AutoDraw, which uses artificial intelligence to turn simple sketches into clear illustrations. They soon realized that AI could suggest ideas, but it could not
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