Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group Newsletter 2017 No. 7 | Page 110

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2017 Newsletter
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eTwinning's innovative learning environments
by Cira Serio
Emotions play a central role in learning and
teaching processes and not just in the social and
relational sphere. Emotional development and
intellectual capacity development are closely
interconnected. Yet, our educational system is
predominantly based on cognitive skills and tends
to consider ancillary emotional ones. An educational
process, of which schooling is a very important
segment, becomes truly significant only if it points
to the full development of the energies of the
learner. As Montessori maintained, these energies
are intellectual, social, emotional, creative, motric.
It is the whole personality of the student who has
to be involved within a wider relational context.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the teachers and
pupils‘ eTwinning network interaction promotes a
high level of work and helps them to deepen their
knowledge on various topics and lean about the
new educational developments and trends.
Nowadays, it is more important to educate
independent learners that would take initiative,
learn outside the classroom and engage in lifelong
learning. Any experience is a two-way process, we
teach the students and we also learn from them.
Angela Dimitriu is an English teacher at College of
Ecology in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. Her
purpose is to get her students involved in their own
learning process through interactive and enjoyable
activities and dynamics. She has chosen the
opportunity of participating in eTwinning projects
because she considers it as a relevant way of
enhancing the collaboration and making it more
efficient, more visible and therefore more
motivating for her pupils – it is a great way to
develop pupils’ creativity, critical thinking, digital
literacy and language skills.
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In the "San Tarcisio" Primary School in Ercolano, it
has been working for three years with the
innovative teaching offered by the eTwinning
Platform, the School Community in Europe. This
engaging and effective methodology makes
teachers and students protagonists throughout the
learning path through twinning projects.
Let’s ask the Ambassador eTwinning Italy Cira
Serio.
Good evening, Doctor, what do you do in this
school?
"I'm the ICT Coordinator and I'm driving all school
students to acquire digital skills and citizenship
through the activation of eTwinning projects. In July
2016, I was named eTwinning Ambassador for
Campania and I love the eTwinning learning
environment”.
How has this school decided to take part in
eTwinning projects?
"It is impossible not to fall in love with the creative
and motivational strength that derives from the
sense of belonging to a community of practice,
which is exactly that of eTwinning teachers. We
joined eTwinning in 2013 with the project "One
balloon, two balloons ..." (http://new-
twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p102123) for which
we have received the Quality Label as a high quality
project. From that moment on, our school has
never stopped implementing eTwinning projects for
which it has always been awarded national and
European awards, until the National Prize for the "A
treasure chest of wisdom" (https:
//Twinspace.etwinning.net/2360/home), receiving a
beautiful 3D printer. Our school guides its students
to become the creators of their learning because, as
Plutarch said, "Students are not jars to fill, but
torches to ignite!"
How are eTwinning projects implemented?
We can use the online platform to collaborate and
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