Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2016 Newsletter------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global Networking Webinar by Arjana Blazic and Bart Verswijvel
In April 2016, we designed and facilitated our 6 th eTwinning Learning Event entitled The Networked Teacher. The focus of this LE was placed on building a Personal Learning Network( PLN) on the eTwinning platform and beyond. We wanted to empower eTwinners to take professional development into their own hands and build lively global learning networks. The participants explored different ways in which educators can successfully develop and maintain their networks. In many hands-on activities they explored different online communities to learn how to support, motivate and inspire their colleagues to become global networkers willing to open the doors of their classrooms and connect their students with their peers from all over the world.
One of the most inspiring activities that we organized during the LE was the Global Networking webinar with 7 prominent educators from 6 continents as guest speakers.
Federal University of Uberlândia shared her experiences on how she connects her students with their peers worldwide. Then we crossed the Pacific Ocean to land in Auckland, New Zealand, where Sonya Van Schaijik, ICT Teacher at Newmarket Primary School, was so kind to share her networking experiences with us even though it was middle of the night in New Zealand. After Sonya’ s talk, we crossed yet another ocean – this time it was the Indian Ocean and soon we landed in Israel. Karina Batat, ICT Coordinator at Nitzanim Primary School and Head of ICT Training Center at Ministry of Education in Tel Aviv, showed us how to open up the classroom door to the world. From Israel we travelled south to Cape Town in South Africa to be inspired by Fiona Beal, ICT coordinator at SchoolNet South Africa. Fiona shared advice on how teachers can connect in various educational networks to become accomplished global networkers. We ended our travels in Europe where Marie-Leet Bens, French and Arts Teacher at Immaculata Instituut in Oostmalle, Belgium, touched us deeply by sharing her emotional networking story.
You can watch the recording of the webinar here: https:// connect. carnet. hr / p8agpj58x5j /? launcher = f alse & fcsContent = true & pbMode = normal
In the webinar we took our participants on an inspirational virtual trip around the world. From our homes in Croatia and Belgium and from the homes of our participants in other European countries, we set sail to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Our first stop was the United States of America where Shelly Sanchez Terrell, Teacher Trainer and International Speaker from Austin, Texas was delighted to share her tips and advice on how to connect globally. From Texas we travelled up north to Canada to listen to Joe Sheik, Principal at Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario, talk about his amazing international projects. To join our next guest speaker we headed south, to Brazil, where Ana Maria Menezes, English Teacher at the
Arjana Blazic is an English and German teacher at IX. gimnazija in Zagreb, Croatia, and an eTwinning ambassador. She is education technology advisor, e-learning designer, co-ordinator of the Croatian Future Classroom, member of the Croatian Special Task Force for Curriculum Design and member of the K-12 Horizon Report Expert
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