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

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2017 Newsletter
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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.
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