Visibility of eTwinning Projects Groups July 2019 Newsletter Newsletter 9

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2019 Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ as that of the teacher in which individualism often dominates. Instead, in these years I learned a lot from my colleagues, who often become friends, not only virtual, but also real because, if things work, it often happens that an eTwinning project becomes a students’ exchange and maybe an Erasmus+ project that benefits from European funding. In particular, a STEM teacher can obtain many other benefits using the eTwinning approach in his/her CLIL teaching: - every good eTwinning project naturally uses a PBL approach and the driving question arises spontaneously from the discussion with partners and students; - the use of technologies, exactly with the use of the vehicular language(s), becomes an integral part of the learning process and not a mere theoretical exercise: students become able to distinguish which software tools are best on which occasions. In this regard, I want to emphasize that BYOD becomes essential because it is very difficult for all the necessary hardware and software tools to be on the computer equipment of the school. If, on the contrary, students use their devices, not only they don’t have problems installing everything they need from time to time but they become more aware that their smartphones or their tablets are tools they can use to work with and offer many other possibilities beyond the interaction on social networks. By the way, eTwinning is a very safe platform as the partner teachers can decide what is possible to see outside and what instead can be accessible only to the members of the project. Students can get in touch with each other on the platform, without having to use passwords and credentials not controlled by the school, thus guaranteeing privacy, also based on recent European legislation (see https://eugdpr.org/) on the processing of sensitive data; - in eTwinning it is possible to introduce elements of gamification and use the GBL approach: for instance, teachers can organize challenges among international groups that bring out the best potentials of each student, also from the perspective of an inclusive education. In these challenges, often the logic and, therefore, the cognitive processes suitable to solve mathematical problems, are stimulated and strengthened but, thanks to the collaboration between peers, the efforts of each student are valued and often a virtuous circle is established. Self-esteem and awareness of one's abilities, even the results in standard assessment tests are often improved; - eTwinning allows each student to learn according to his/her own pace and to assume within each team roles that enhance his/her potential: this is particularly important in the teaching of STEM that are often experienced as arid and difficult subjects; - in these projects all European key competences are often present and, therefore, it is good that STEM elements are inserted in such a way as to strengthen not only the written and oral expression in the mother tongue and in the foreign language(s), but also elements that consolidate the skills STEM, together with digital, social, civic, entrepreneurial and cultural ones (see https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/pr actices/key_competences_for_21st_centu.htm). Now let's have a look at some examples of eTwinning projects that I developed over the years: - Bridges through History with Maths (2009-10) and Bridges through History with Maths 2010-2012: an eTwinning and then e Comenius project about Math History (http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p38442/welcome and http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p38442/welcome) - Geometry in my school, Geometry in my town, Geometry everywhere (2011): a project involving Geometry and Art (http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p46860/welcome) - Show me your stats and I will learn about you (2011-12): starting from Statistics, we analysed students’ habits in the different countries (http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p59401/welcome) - Physical Awareness (2012-13), Physical Awareness 13-14, We run, we learn (14-15), Physical Awareness 17: projects about Math, Physics and Physical Education (http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p92756/welcome – Physical Awareness; http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p100954/welcome – Physical Awareness 13-14; https://twinspace.etwinning.net/5293 – We run, we learn); https://twinspace.etwinning.net/38143/home – Physical Awareness 17) - Why Maths? - 2011-12 and Why Maths? - 2012- 14: an eTwinning and then a Comenius project involving Math and many different other subjects (Science, Dance, Philosophy, Physics, Literature…) (http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p69096/welcome and http://new- twinspace.etwinning.net/web/p84818/welcome) - My world of Math (2015-16): a project about Math, food, orienteering in towns, Art, European culture (https://twinspace.etwinning.net/10394/home) - Numb3rs (2017-18): about numbers and their history and use by each civilization in their 51

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Groups July 2019 Newsletter Newsletter 9 | Page 51