The 4th edition of the International Symposium "Together in Europe", a great opportunity to promote our current eTwinning projects

 

Sharing Favourite Books & Quotes - one of the activities of the eTwinning transdisciplinary project "BOOKFEST 2021"

 

The final evaluation meeting of the eTwinning project "From European Volunteering to Global Solidarity" (27/05/2021)

The evaluation meeting of the eTwinning project "From European Volunteering to Global Solidarity" was attended by 33 participants - teachers and students - from 4 countries and 7 partner schools. One of the main aims of the meeting was to measure the level of achievement of the project activities, the quality of its implementation, the impact and sustainability of its outcomes.

The participants shared some of their most successful project activities, the most valuable lessons learned both in terms of civic participation of the students and curriculum integration planned and executed by the teachers, emphasizing the role of the eTwinning project in the development of the key competences for lifelong learning which are essential to our modern society, leading to active citizenship and social inclusion, benefitting the younger generations of students not only in terms of personal development, but also as a means of identifying their aptitudes, strengths and needs and building really strong 21st century skills in order to fulfil their potential.

The team members reflected on the project aims and discussed about the opportunities created for the school communities to experience active participation in the civic life and social welfare of their local and extended communities through international collaboration, the impact of its activities in raising awareness of volunteering in all the partner schools and beyond as a result of the dissemination activities.

Last, but not least, the project team (which includes 5 schools from Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey that have already been awarded the prestigious eTwinning School Label) suggested further ways of promoting the eTwinning partnership based on youth leadership, student agency, initiative, social inclusion, empathy, charity, tolerance etc. as stepping stones for global solidarity against contemporary challenges. The unanimous decision was to create and popularize a brochure with the best practices identified by the participants and facilitate future opportunities of collaboration, including the preparation of an Erasmus+ 2021 application to reach the next logical step in the evolution of the project and promote its continuity and sustainable development at the environmental, social, civic, economic and educational levels.

Curriculum integration of the eTwinning project "From European Volunteering to Global Solidarity" (2020-2021)

One of the most successful integrated activities of the eTwinning project was "The Quote of the Week". For 10 weeks the students from different classes and levels reflected on the meaning of some very insightful thoughts on volunteering and charity and expressed their agreement using relevant arguments and examples. 

Here are the 10 quotations humbly illustrated by the English teacher:

1. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”- Helen Keller

2. " None of us is as kind as all of us."

3. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

4.  "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Max Lucado

5. "Start where you are! Use what you have! Do what you can!"

6. "Bloom where you are (planted)."

7. "The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion." - Paolo Coelho

8. "Service to others is the rent we pay here, on earth."- Muhammad Ali

9. "A simple act of kindness has the power to change a life." 

10. "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." - Dalai Lama

As well as these, the "Quote of the Week"- based activities (https://learningapps.org/view15720696) were used to develop the students' 21st century skills, especially the 4 C's of 21st Century Skills:

Critical thinking: Finding solutions to problems;

Creativity: Thinking outside the box;

Collaboration: Working with others;

Communication: Talking to others.

Moreover, the project activities allowed the teacher to assess the students' potential, value systems and attitudes toward the main topics of the project and identify their behavioural strengths and weaknesses as well as their further educational needs. 

Last, but not least, in Romania, the project aims can also be related to the following topics of the English language curriculum for the baccalaureate exam: personal life - social behaviour, human relationships - team work, adolescence - free time activities, public life - environmental aspects, youth and community life, civism etc.