The Pedagogical Meeting of the Teachers of English on the Buzău Valley 28/05/2025

On 28 May 2025, the English teachers from the Buzău Valley, under the coordination of Mrs. Daniela Gianina Cociodar, Inspector for Foreign Languages, participated in the pedagogical activity entitled “Exploring the Universe of Poetry in English: Creative Workshops,” organized by Mrs. Maria Pană and hosted at Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” in Nehoiu town, an eTwinning School 2024–2025.

The pedagogical meeting brought several valuable benefits to the participants, including professional development, the exchange of good practices, creative teaching strategies, networking opportunities, cultural and linguistic enrichment, and support for educational innovation.

First of all, the activity offered a set of innovative, hands-on workshops that enhanced participants' skills in teaching poetry, encouraging creativity and a deeper appreciation of language. It also provided a platform for teachers to share methods, strategies, and classroom experiences, fostering peer learning and collaboration.

Secondly, the participants explored new approaches to teaching poetry, helping them make literature more engaging and accessible for Romanian students. Furthermore, teachers from various schools in the Buzău Valley area connected with one another, encouraging future collaboration and joint initiatives.

Last but not least, the event reinforced the importance of continuous learning and adapting teaching practices in line with modern educational trends. Overall, the meeting made a meaningful contribution to improving the teaching–learning–assessment process through inspiration, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful community of Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” - teachers, students, and parents - and to congratulate all the students and teachers who made the pedagogical activity “Exploring the Universe of Poetry in English: Creative Workshops” not only possible but also a successful and memorable teaching and learning event.

Special thanks go to Mrs. Daniela Gianina Cociodar, Inspector for Foreign Languages, for her dedicated coordination, to the Headmaster of Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga”, Mrs. Petronela Natalia Perțea, and to the English teachers Mrs. Maria Pană and Mrs. Cristina Florentina Tănăsescu, for their thoughtful organization and warm hospitality.

Our final collaborative poster within the eTwinning project "All Together for a Global Celebration" (May 2025)

In May 2025, each class participating in the eTwinning project "All Together for a Global Celebration" contributed a relevant photograph and selected two core values to promote in our communities and beyond. From Romania, class 7B highlighted collaboration and solidarity, while class 1A focused on tolerance and empathy. The Greek pupils echoed these sentiments, with class D1 promoting respect and equality, class ST1 embracing friendship and kindness, and class E standing for unity and support.

What makes eTwinning truly impactful is how it bridges classrooms across borders, encouraging young learners to reflect on what values are essential for a better world. Through shared projects like this, based on communication, cooperation and creativity, our pupils learn not only about cultural differences, but also with each other, cultivating positive values and attitudes.

This final poster captures more than a visual culmination of a collaborative project - it embodies the spirit of global citizenship that the eTwinning programme strives to facilitate. As the project participants have shown, promoting values together helps build a stronger, kinder, and more inclusive future.

 

The eTwinning project ''All Together for a Global Celebration'' - the results of the final evaluation forms (class 7B - Romania)

The eTwinning project "All Together for a Global Celebration" brought together primary and lower-secondary pupils from Romania and Greece to explore international observances and promote proactive citizenship through collaborative, creative activities on the European School Education Platform. 

In May 2025, the twenty-four Romanian pupils enrolled in class 7B at Liceul Teoretic "Radu Vlădescu" in Pătârlagele filled in the final evaluation survey, providing feedback and valuable insights into the impact of the project activities on their learning and personal development.

The eTwinning initiative focused on three global observances: the International Day of Acceptance (20 January 2025), Random Acts of Kindness Day (17 February 2025) and the International Day of Forests (21 March 2025), and, in order to deepen their understanding of these themes and foster values such as empathy, solidarity, and environmental responsibility, the project participants engaged in various activities, including multimedia presentations, digital storytelling, cross-curricular lessons, and collaborative work.

The final evaluation revealed that the following project objectives were achieved by the participants:

• building strong value systems based on friendship, peace, acceptance, kindness, empathy, solidarity, respect, environmental protection etc. - 23 participants (95,8%);
• gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural, social, environmental and civic significance of three global celebrations - 17 participants (70,8%);
• developing multilingual, digital, civic and personal competences and 21st century skills (creativity, critical thinking, teamwork etc.) - 16 participants (66,7%);
• practising international collaboration, intercultural dialogue and an authentic exchange of good practices - 16 participants (66,7%).

The survey results also highlighted significant developments of their key-competences: 

• Personal, Social, and Learning to Learn Competence: 23 participants - 95,8%;
• Multilingual Competence (English): 18 participants - 75%;
• Digital Competence: 18 participants - 75%;
• Cultural Awareness and Expression: 17 participants - 70,8%;
• Citizenship Competence: 15 participants - 62,5%.

In terms of 21st-century skills development, here are the results: Learning Skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication): 20 participants (83,3%), Life Skills (flexibility, leadership, social skills): 17 participants (70,8%), Literacy Skills (information, media, technology): 14 participants (58,3%).

The participants expressed their preferences regarding the collaborative project outcomes, such as the collaborative Christmas Padlet - 23 participants (95,8%), the digital book "All Together for a Global Celebration" created with Book Creator - 21 participants (87,5%),  the Easter cards exchange - 21 participants (87,5%), the Acts of Kindness Calendar - February 2025 - 19 participants (79,2%), 

the collaborative video "In the Woods" dedicated to the International Day of the Forests 2025 - 13 participants (54,2%), the acrostic poem entitled "Acceptance" dedicated to the International Day of Acceptance 2025 - 12 participants (50%), the final collaborative poster promoting our share values - 12 participants (50%).

All the participants expressed their awareness of the importance of online safety and also considered the project "All Together for a Global Celebration" a positive learning experience.

As a result, it can be concluded that the Greek-Romanian partnership was a successful one, fostering intercultural understanding, digital literacy, and active citizenship among participants from different backgrounds. Last but not least, by engaging with global themes through creative collaboration, they developed essential competences and skills, and improved attitudes and behaviours.

An exchange of experience based on inclusion, sustainable development, respect, collaboration, environmental responsibility, mutual support and assertive communication

On 7 May 2025, a group of 5th graders from Școala Gimnazială Sat Cândești coordinated by the teacher of English, Mr. Neculai Florian, visited Liceul Teoretic "Radu Vlădescu" in Pătârlagele town. During the educational exchange of experience, pupils and teachers from both schools came together to share practices rooted in inclusion, sustainable development, mutual respect, support and collaboration. 

The activities fostered the interaction between diverse groups of pupils, encouraging open dialogue and assertive communication as essential tools for understanding and teamwork. Through workshops, digital and interactive activities, the participants explored topics such as sustainable habits, environmental responsibility, recycling, and green innovation, emphasizing how everyday choices impact the planet. 

Inclusive education practices were highlighted, ensuring that every voice was heard and valued, regardless of background or ability. The exchange promoted empathy, cultural awareness, and a shared sense of purpose, allowing the students to experience firsthand the power of mutual support in achieving common goals. 

By working together across communities, the exchange created lasting connections and empowered young people to become active, informed citizens committed to building a fairer, greener, and more compassionate world. According to the participants, it was a meaningful step toward an education model that empowers, transforms and unites.

The local project "Nature-The Soul of the Earth" 2025

Inspiring Young Voices through Creative Writing

As part of Romania’s Săptămâna Verde (Green Week) National Programme, held between May 5th and 9th, 2025, the local project “Natura - Sufletul Pământului/Nature - The Soul of the Earth” brought nature to life through the eyes and words of third-grade pupils. The project facilitated two engaging creative writing workshops - Plant a Story (individual) and The Future in Our Eyes (collaborative) - designed to help children explore environmental themes through storytelling.

Taking into consideration the fact that one of the project aims was to cultivate environmental awareness through creativity among the primary and lower-secondary pupils enrolled at Liceul Teoretic "Radu Vlădescu", at the heart of the project was a simple, but powerful idea: storytelling can connect children with nature in a deeply personal way. 

The creative writing workshop Plant a Story invited each pupil to craft an individual tale inspired by the natural world. Through metaphor, imagination, and emotion, the learners "planted" their stories like seeds - weaving tales of trees that talk, animals who protect their habitats, and imaginary worlds where humans live in harmony with the earth.

Meanwhile, The Future in Our Eyes encouraged pairwork, empathy, and a shared vision. In this collaborative workshop, the pupils worked together to share a story imagining what the world might look like in 50 years if we choose to care for the environment and/or if we don't. The result was a hopeful, but realistic reflection on environmental responsibility, expressed in the sincere, unfiltered voices of young children.

The activities had both an educational and an emotional impact and the benefits of these workshops were far-reaching:

- they enhanced environmental literacy (the children learned about ecosystems, pollution, and sustainability in a context that felt personal and meaningful);

- they improved literacy and communication skills; by writing and presenting their stories in front of their peers, the pupils developed narrative skills, their English vocabulary, and public speaking confidence;

- they strengthened the young learners' emotional intelligence: the workshops gave our pupils the space to express their feelings about nature, pollution, climate change, and their hopes for the future;

- they fostered pairwork and collaboration; during the second workshop, The Future in Our Eyes, the pupils learned to listen, to compromise and to collaborate in order to build something greater together.

The local initiative "Nature - The Soul of the Earth" proved that even the youngest voices can speak with power when given the right platform. By blending environmental education with artistic expression, this project left a lasting impression, not only in the words written, but in the minds and hearts of those who wrote them.

As the entire school community reflects on the success of this year's Green Week, this local project stands as a good example of how creativity and care for the planet can grow hand in hand. Since all the project participants expressed a renewed commitment to protecting the environment, the project coordinators believe that creative writing can spark real-world awareness and change.

Bookfest 2025 - The results of the final questionnaire for teachers - April 2025

In April 2025, the five teachers from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, who implemented the eTwinning project Bookfest 2025, filled in the final evaluation questionnare. 

When asked about the main benefits of the eTwinning project Bookfest 2025 for the students, the teachers provided the following answers:

• it facilitated collaboration between students and teachers from two European - 100%;
• it enriched my students' knowledge and experience - 100%;
• it improved my students' linguistic and digital skills - 100%;
• it improved my students' creativity, public speaking and critical thinking - 100%;
• it developed my students' self-confidence and teamwork skills - 100%;
• it fostered student agency, enabling active participation in my students' own learning journey - 80%;

As far as the main benefits of the eTwinning project Bookfest 2025 for both the teachers and their school community, here are the findings:

• it developed personal and learning to learn skills - 100%; 
• it fostered the exchange of pedagogical experience and good practices - 100%;
• it helped fulfil the eTwinning School mission - 100%;
• it improved the well-being and created a more inclusive school community - 100%.

This collaborative European initiative focused on enhancing student engagement and cross-border educational experiences through literature, history, ICT and international collaboration.

The key benefits for the students were: the meaningful cooperation between students and teachers from two European countries, knowledge and experience enrichment, skill development (especially of linguistic and digital competencies), improvement of creative and critical thinking, and public speaking abilities, improved teamwork and self-confidence levels and increased student ownership of their learning processes and personal development journeys.

The project also positively impacted the educators and their institutions, with unanimous agreement on the following: 

• skills development - it supported the development of personal and “learning to learn” skills;
• professional exchange - the teachers benefited from the exchange of pedagogical strategies and best practices;
• support for the eTwinning Mission - all the participants affirmed that the project aligned with and helped fulfil the objectives of the eTwinning School mission;
• more inclusive environments - the initiative contributed to improved well-being and inclusivity within both school communities.

All five teachers confirmed that the project Bookfest 2025 complied with the eTwinning quality standards, including adherence to netiquette and copyright rules. Each teacher also created and shared original Open Educational Resources (OERs) within the eTwinning community.

Looking ahead, all the partners expressed their intention to apply for a National Quality Label and to contribute to the potential continuation of the project, Bookfest 2026.

Bookfest 2025 - The results of the final questionnaire for students April 2025

In April 2025, the 60 participants in the eTwinning project Bookfest 2025, 27 from Romania and 33 from the Republic of Moldova, filled in the final questionnaire aimed at gathering their feedback regarding their experiences and impressions of the transnational partnership. Their responses were compiled and analyzed in order to understand the satisfaction levels, impact, and areas for improvement.

As far as the individual acheievement of the project goals is concerned, as a result of the students' participation in this year's edition of the eTwinning project, here is the hierarchy:

• 41 students - 68,3% :  to identify, share and integrate knowledge, skills, innovative teaching, learning and assessment techniques transgressing disciplinary practice;
• 40 students - 66,7% : to improve the key-competences as well as the digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and creativity of the participants;
• 29 students - 48,3% : to promote pupils as agents of change and both school communities as inclusive and innovative learning organisations;
• 28 students - 46,7% : to promote the values of eTwinning Schools: the commitment to shared leadership, collaboration, sharing and team work. 

 

When asked about their awareness of the importance of online safety, 58 students (96,7%) gave an affirmative answer, while only 2 students (3,3%) selected the answer Maybe, I'm not sure.

The key-competences most developed/improved by the participants during the project Bookfest 2025 were: 

• Personal, social and learning to learn competence - 40 students, 66,7%;
• Digital competence - 38 students, 63,3%;
• Multilingual competence (in English) - 35 students, 58,3%;
• Cultural awareness and expression competence - 34 students, 56,7%;
• Literacy competence (in Romanian) - 33 students, 55%;
• Citizenship competence - 20 students, 33,3%.

When asked which of their 21st century skills were improved during the project activities, the following answers were provided by the participants:

• 51 students, 85% : Learning Skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication);
• 34 students , 56,7 % : Literacy Skills (information, media, technology);
• 29 students, 48,3% : Life Skills (flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, social skills).

Here are the expressed preferences of the project participants concerning the collaborative results:

• the Bookfest 2025 Padlet of the project participants - 42 students, 70%;
• the multimedia presentations of favourite historical books - 29 students, 48,3%;
• the digital book in Romanian/English - 29 students, 48,3%;
• the digital workshop of inspirational/motivational posters - 28 students, 46,7%;
• the Wakelet collection of book reviews - 17 students, 28,3%.

The students' feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with high satisfaction scores which could reflect their interest in attending future editions of Bookfest.

The results of the final questionnaire completed in April 2025 indicate a successful and impactful edition of the eTwinning partnership. The data reflects a high level of student satisfaction and engagement, with the majority reporting meaningful personal and academic development.

The project objectives were largely achieved, with 68.3% of students successfully identifying, sharing, and integrating innovative educational practices, and 66.7% enhancing key competences such as digital literacy, critical thinking, and creativity. Furthermore, over 96% of participants demonstrated awareness of online safety, underscoring the project's effectiveness in promoting responsible digital citizenship.

In terms of key competences, the most significant improvements were observed in personal, social, and learning-to-learn competence (66.7%), followed closely by digital and multilingual competences. The development of 21st-century skills was also notable, especially in learning skills (85%), highlighting the project's role in fostering collaboration, communication, and creativity.

The students expressed a clear preference for collaborative outputs such as the Padlet (70%) and multimedia/digital creations, reflecting their active involvement and appreciation for interactive learning formats.

Overall, the positive feedback and high engagement levels point to the project's strong educational impact and suggest a sustained interest in future editions of Bookfest, reinforcing the value of international collaboration and innovative pedagogical approaches in student learning.