Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group Newsletter 2017 No. 7 | Page 30

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2017 Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To support and develop good teaching practice, it is required to implement actions that will provide additional training opportunities for trainees as well. A few years ago different institutions involved in pre- service teacher training realized that future teachers did not need to improve only their knowledge on theories and topics about their subjects, but it was necessary to offer them occasions to carry out experiences in the classes where they practised their traineeship. In particular, it was indispensable to support them on reflecting and evaluating their chosen strategies as well as the pupils’ motivation involved during the activities. Then, trainees should have focused their attention on the didactic training useful to build a proper competence. In this scenario, the eTwinning program offers various opportunities for professional development giving the chances to both teachers and trainees to improve their skills interacting in a multicultural context. According to the Guidelines of the Council of the European Union in the Strategic Framework for Education and Training (ET2020), in 2012 the European eTwinning Unit started a new educational adventure with the Teacher Training Pilot Project (eTwinTTPilot) trying to involve Teacher Training Institutes (TTI) and trainees of several European countries. European institutions from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom, France, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Spain have decided to include eTwinning in their initial teacher training programs. The main aims of this project are: - proposing eTwinning platform with all its opportunities and tools; - getting in touch with pairs from different social and culture backgrounds by exchanging and comparing experiences; - developing competences, particularly foreign language and ICT skills; - developing professional skills (planning and carrying out a project, working in team, exchanging ideas and materials etc.); - reflecting on professional practice; - cooperating in an international and intercultural environment. Each Teacher Training Institute is supported by its eTwinning National Support Service (NSS) to set up the registration on the platform, to link with other institutions but also to guide it during the planning and development of the project. Trainee students have the opportunity to use the platform taking part in one type of projects listed in the following models: MODEL 1, small collaborative projects can be realized with: a. students of the same teacher training institution/university; b. students of teacher training institution/university in the same country; c. students of European teacher training institutions/universities. According to these models pupils are not involved. MODEL 2, eTwinning projects can be reali zed with pupils in the classes where trainees do their traineeship. 30