The eTwinning project "Bookfest 2026" - the results of the initial questionnaire for teachers

In October 2025, the five teachers implementing the eTwinning project Bookfest 2026 participated in the initial questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. Of these participants, two are from Romania and three are from the Republic of Moldova. All five teachers reported having previously participated in at least one eTwinning project, demonstrating prior experience with international collaboration and digital teaching practices.

The aim of this questionnaire was to identify the teachers’ expectations, priorities, and areas of focus at the beginning of the project, in order to plan meaningful learning experiences for students and ensure alignment with eTwinning quality standards.

Project goals and teachers' expectations

When asked which project goals they were most eager to see achieved by their students, all five teachers emphasized three major directions.

Firstly, they highlighted the importance of identifying, sharing, and integrating knowledge, skills, and innovative teaching, learning, and assessment techniques across disciplines, thereby encouraging a transdisciplinary approach to education.

Secondly, they expressed the desire to improve the key-competences of their students, focusing particularly on digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity.

Thirdly, they embraces the goal of promoting the values of eTwinning Schools, such as shared leadership, collaboration, communication, and teamwork.

In addition, four of the five teachers (80%) stated that they were particularly interested in promoting their pupils as agents of change, helping both participating schools evolve into inclusive and innovative learning organizations. This emphasis on empowerment and inclusion aligns closely with eTwinning’s vision of participatory, learner-centered education.

Focus on online safety

All participating teachers affirmed that, throughout the project, they would raise awareness among students about the importance of online safety. They agreed that fostering responsible digital citizenship is a key aspect of international collaboration and an essential foundation for effective online communication and teamwork.

Key-competences for lifelong learning

When asked which key competences for lifelong learning they hoped their students would develop or improve during the project, the teachers identified several areas of focus.

All five mentioned the development of digital competence, as well as social and learning-to-learn competences and cultural awareness and expression.

Furthermore, four teachers (80%) expressed particular interest in enhancing literacy competence in Romanian and multilingual competence in English, emphasizing the project’s bilingual and intercultural dimension.

These priorities reflect a comprehensive approach to competence-based education, in which language, culture, and technology are integrated to promote communication, creativity, and critical engagement.

21st-century skills development

The teachers were also asked which 21st-century skills they would like their students to develop most during the project Bookfest 2026 .

Four teachers (80%) chose learning skills, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, as their main focus.

One teacher (20%) emphasized life skills, such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social skills.

This distribution indicates a clear preference for active, student-centered learning approaches that foster innovation and teamwork, while still recognizing the importance of leadership and adaptability.

Commitment to quality and innovation

All five teachers expressed a strong interest in creating original open educational resources (OERs) within the framework of the project, ensuring that the outcomes of Bookfest 2026 contribute to a broader educational community beyond their own institutions. 

Moreover, all the participants in the initial survey confirmed their commitment to meeting the eTwinning Quality Standards and their intention to apply for the National Quality Label at the end of the project.

Their shared motivation to achieve excellence, foster innovation, and uphold eTwinning principles highlights the professionalism and pedagogical maturity of the teaching team behind the partnership Bookfest 2026.

The results of the initial questionnaire of the project Bookfest 2026 reflect a cohesive, experienced, and visionary team of educators. The teachers share a unified understanding of the project’s objectives and demonstrate a clear commitment to fostering transdisciplinary learning, developing students’ key competences, and encouraging responsible, creative, and collaborative participation. Their priorities - digital literacy, communication, critical thinking, and intercultural awareness - mirror both the European framework for key-competences for lifelong learning and the core values of eTwinning Schools.

Through their combined expertise and enthusiasm, the five teachers implementing Bookfest 2026 are well-positioned to guide their students toward meaningful learning experiences that promote innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable collaboration within the eTwinning community.

The eTwinning project "A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World" - the results of the initial questionnaire for teachers

In October 2025, eight teachers implementing the eTwinning project "A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World" filled in the initial questionnaire on Google Forms. 

Most respondents (50%) are from Romania, followed by Turkey (37.5%), and Poland (12.5%). This shows that the project brings together educators from three different European countries, facilitating an international learning environment and intercultural collaboration.

Regarding the prior involvement in eTwinning projects, according to the results of the initial survey for teachers, 100% of the participants indicated that they have previously participated in an eTwinning project. 

This finding suggests that all respondents are already familiar with the eTwinning standards, which could contribute positively to future project planning and collaboration, as participants possess prior experience and understanding of the program’s objectives and procedures.

As far as the project goals are concerned, here are the results:

• 100% believe the project will help improve digital, personal, and learning skills and nurture 21st-century skills
• 87.5% expect to develop multilingual competence and foster emotional intelligence
• 75% anticipate that the project will promote intercultural dialogue and use music video clips and storytelling as educational tools
• 62.5% aim to encourage and promote artistic creativity.

These results highlight strong alignment with key educational and developmental goals, particularly in digital competence, communication, and collaboration.

Awareness of eTwinning Rules
All respondents (100%) confirmed that they plan to raise awareness of GDPR, copyright, eSafety, and eTwinning netiquette rules at the start of the project.

This unanimous agreement shows a clear commitment to maintaining safe, ethical, and responsible online collaboration within the project.

Key Competences for Lifelong Learning

All respondents (100%) indicated that multilingual competence (in English) and digital competence are priorities for development. Additionally, personal, social, and learning-to-learn competence and cultural awareness and expression competence were each selected by 87.5% of respondents. Citizenship competence was also a significant focus, chosen by 75% of participants.

This shows a strong emphasis on communication, digital literacy, and intercultural understanding as essential lifelong learning goals.

21st Century Skills
All respondents (100%) expect the project to enhance learning skills - including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication - and life skills such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, and social skills. Meanwhile, literacy skills (information, media, and technology) were selected by 87.5% of respondents.
This indicates a comprehensive approach that balances academic, technological, and interpersonal skill development.The results suggest that the project is designed to foster both practical and interpersonal competences. The unanimous focus on multilingual, digital, learning, and life skills reflects the educators’ commitment to preparing students for future academic, social, and professional challenges in a global and digital world.

According to the eight responses collected, clear preferences were expressed regarding the collaborative outcomes they are most interested in contributing to within the eTwinning project.

The most popular collaborative result is the Padlet created by all the project participants, chosen by 87.5% of respondents. This indicates a strong interest in interactive and shared digital spaces for project documentation and exchange.

Following that, 75% of respondents expressed interest in contributing to both the collaborative digital book and the learning and teaching activities based on English songs, demonstrating enthusiasm for creative and educational outputs.

Meanwhile, 62.5% of the participants showed interest in the collection of Open Educational Resources (OER) produced within the project, highlighting the value placed on sharing educational materials for broader use.

Finally, 37.5% of respondents selected the promotion of Romanian, Turkish and Polish songs, suggesting that, while cultural promotion is appreciated, it is a lower priority compared to digital and pedagogical collaborations.

The results reveal a strong collective preference for digital collaboration tools and educational materials that enhance engagement, creativity, and shared learning. The emphasis on Padlet and digital books reflects participants’ commitment to creating accessible, interactive, and sustainable project outcomes.

Most of the teachers are interested in applying for the National Quality Label, the official recognition awarded to teachers and projects that demonstrate excellence in international collaboration, innovative pedagogy, and effective use of digital tools, validating the quality of both teaching and student learning, enhancing the professional reputation of educators and motivating students through acknowledgment of their work. Moreover, the label also opens the way to the European Quality Label, eligibility for national and European awards, and increased visibility within the eTwinning community, serving as a mark of distinction that highlights a project’s high educational value and impact.

Creating Our Stop Motion Collaborative Story: “The Journey of the Lost Battery” for the eTwinning project EcoDigital Explorers for Sustainability

As part of our eTwinning project EcoDigital Explorers for Sustainability, the students enrolled at Liceul Teoretic "Radu Vlădescu" created a short Stop Motion video telling the story of a lost battery that finds its way home - to the recycling box. The project activity held on 7 November 2025 combined creativity, environmental awareness, and digital skills in a fun and meaningful way.

The process began with a brainstorming session followed by the capturing of frame-by-frame images and using of the Stop Motion App to bring the story to life.

Through this activity, the project participants developed important 21st-century skills - teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and digital literacy - while deepening their understanding of environmental responsibility. They realized how small actions, like recycling used batteries, can have a significant impact on protecting our planet.

The final video showcases the students' creativity and serves as a powerful message about sustainability, reminding everyone that every item, even a tiny battery, has a rightful place in the recycling cycle.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAG25RhxL7E/9H3VwNVKdN6n1vr1vUJQjQ/edit?utm_content=DAG25RhxL7E&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

The first online meeting of the eTwinning project "Ecodigital Explorers for Sustainability" - 07/11/2025

On 7 November 2025, the first online meeting of our "Ecodigital Explorers for Sustainability" partnership was held on the European School Education Platform and marked a promising start to an inspiring journey in combining digital innovation with environmental awareness. Representatives from each partner school gathered virtually, ready to introduce themselves, share their motivations, and begin mapping out the key phases of our international collaboration. Everyone brought enthusiasm, ideas and a genuine desire to integrate sustainable practices with digital literacy in meaningful ways.

The meeting, hosted by the project founder Mrs. Daniela Grecu, featured an extensive presentation of the "Ecodigital Explorers for Sustainability" project activities, work calendar and responsibilities. During the session, Mrs. Grecu, an eTwinning Ambassador in Romania, provided clear guidelines and practical advice, particularly aiming at supporting the less experienced teachers in navigating the digital platforms and collaborative tasks of the project. She outlined the timeline for each activity, highlighted key milestones, and emphasized strategies for engaging students effectively while fostering both ecological awareness and digital skills. Her presentation not only clarified expectations, but also created a supportive framework that encouraged all the participants to contribute confidently and collaboratively to the project’s success.

As we closed the meeting, we reflected on how the digital dimension of our partnership can support deeper pedagogical goals - student‑centred learning, intercultural exchange, critical thinking about sustainability, and the development of both digital and ecological competences. The participants committed to ensuring meaningful student engagement and management of new digital tools. 

All in all, an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual respect was established giving us the confidence that the partnership "Ecodigital Explorers for Sustainability" was off to a great start, and, personally, I am looking forward to the next steps in our sustainable digital adventure.

The Collaborative Padlet of the eTwinning project "A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World"

https://padlet.com/profesoripentrucomunitate/a-song-for-our-souls-in-an-english-speaking-world-94ul01utxd76gn9s

In October 2025, the eTwinning project “A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World” brought together 110 participants - students and teachers from Romania, Turkey, and Poland -in a truly collaborative European experience. One of the most inspiring activities was the creation of a shared Padlet, a safe space where the participants introduced themselves in English, expressed their hopes for the project, and recommended classroom-appropriate songs in English, explaining their emotional and linguistic significance.

This activity offered multiple pedagogical benefits. First, it fostered student engagement and motivation by connecting learning to music, an authentic and emotionally resonant medium. By selecting songs and reflecting on their meaning, the participants actively practised critical thinking and self-expression, while strengthening intercultural understanding by exploring their peers’ musical and cultural preferences across countries. The teachers also benefited from observing how the students negotiate meaning and collaborate in a digital space, gaining insights into strategies for integrating creativity and technology in their classrooms.

From a linguistic perspective, the Padlet activity provided rich opportunities for authentic English practice. The Romanian, Turkish and Polish participants wrote short introductions, described songs, and explained their relevance, which encouraged vocabulary expansion, accurate grammar usage, and expressive language skills. Peer interaction allowed the students to read and respond to diverse language models, fostering pragmatic competence and enhancing confidence in written English. Additionally, the use of digital tools promoted digital literacy alongside language learning, preparing the participants for effective communication in blended and online environments.

Overall, the collaborative Padlet activity combined music, language, and intercultural exchange into a meaningful learning experience. It demonstrated how eTwinning projects can enhance linguistic competence, digital skills, and emotional engagement, providing a model for creative, student-centred, and cross-cultural education in the 21st century.

 https://anyflip.com/piljq/fqcs/

The Padlet created during the eTwinning project “A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World” can be an effective teaching resource for developing both language and intercultural skills. By compiling short introductions and reflections on songs written in English, it provides authentic, student-generated language material that can be used to practise vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. The teachers can encourage their students to analyze the language used by their peers, identify descriptive adjectives or emotional expressions, and apply these forms in their own writing, thereby reinforcing linguistic competence in a meaningful context.

Beyond language practice, the Padlet supports listening, speaking, and comprehension activities. The teachers can play the recommended songs in class, inviting their students to compare their interpretations with those described by their peers, fostering discussion and debate in English. The reflections on the emotional and linguistic relevance of each song provide a natural springboard for speaking exercises, such as short presentations or group discussions, while also encouraging students to engage critically with content, express personal opinions, and articulate emotional responses in a foreign language.

The collaborative Padlet as a digital resource also promotes intercultural awareness and digital literacy. By exploring songs and reflections from students across Romania, Turkey, and Poland, learners of English can gain insights into different cultural perspectives and musical traditions, broadening their understanding of European diversity. Simultaneously, working with a collaborative digital platform teaches students how to navigate online tools responsibly, contribute content thoughtfully, and interact in an international virtual environment. In this way, the Padlet serves not only as a language learning resource, but also as a platform for creativity, reflection, and meaningful cross-cultural engagement.

The eTwinning project "Bookfest 2026" - the results of the initial questionnaire for students

Bookfest 2026 – Initial Questionnaire Report

In October 2025, a total of 77 students involved in the eTwinning project Bookfest 2026, 50 from Romania and 27 from the Republic of Moldova, completed the initial questionnaire. The survey aimed at identifying their learning needs, interests, and expectations at the beginning of this transnational partnership, in order to design activities that would foster collaboration, creativity, and the development of key competences while meeting their specific needs and interests.

The participants’ profile

The age distribution of the participants reveals a balanced mix of students at different educational levels. 13% are between 10 and 11 years old, 44.2% are between 12 and 13 years old, and 42.9% are between 14 and 15 years old. 

More than half of the respondents - 55.8% - have previously taken part in an eTwinning project, while 44.2% are participating in such a transnational collaboration for the first time. We believe that this combination of experienced and first-time participants provides an excellent opportunity for peer mentoring and exchange of experience within the project community.

Goals and expectations

When asked about their expectations regarding the outcomes of Bookfest 2026, 51 students (66.2%) stated that they hope to improve their key competences, 48 students (62.3%) expressed the wish to promote the values of eTwinning Schools, such as shared leadership, teamwork, and collaboration, 46 students (59.7%) expect to identify, share, and integrate knowledge, skills, and innovative teaching, learning, and assessment practices that cross disciplinary boundaries, while 32 students (41.6%) aim to be recognized as agents of change, contributing to the development of inclusive and innovative school communities. These results highlight students’ deep interest in both personal development and collective progress within their educational environments.

Awareness of online safety

Awareness of online safety among participants is very high: 65 students (84.4%) reported being aware of the importance of online safety, while 8 students (10.4%) responded “Maybe, I’m not sure.” Only 4 students (5.2%) admitted that they were not aware of such issues. This strong majority indicates a solid foundation for responsible digital behaviour during the project’s collaborative online activities, though all the students will benefit from additional eSafety awareness-raising sessions.

Key competences to develop or improve

The participants identified several competences they were eager to improve during the project. The most frequently chosen was literacy competence in Romanian, selected by 50 students (64.9%). This was followed by personal, social, and learning-to-learn competence, indicated by 44 students (57.1%), and multilingual competence in English, chosen by 38 students (49.4%). Cultural awareness and expression competence attracted 35 students (45.5%), while digital competence was selected by 32 students (41.6%). Finally, 17 students (22.1%) expressed interest in strengthening their citizenship competence. These responses reveal a balanced desire to enhance linguistic ability, social interaction, creativity, and digital engagement, skills that align closely with the goals of the Bookfest 2026 initiative.

21st-century skills to be strengthened 

When asked about which 21st-century skills they would like to strengthen, 59 students (59.7%) prioritized learning skills, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, 17 students (22.1%) focused on life skills, such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social interaction while a smaller group of 14 students (18.2%) emphasized literacy skills, particularly those involving information, media, and technology. These results indicate that most participants are motivated by the opportunity to engage in creative and cooperative learning experiences while also valuing adaptability and digital literacy.

Participation in collaborative activities

Regarding the planned collaborative activities, 55 participants (71.4%) expressed interest in the Bookfest 2026 Padlet for project participants, 36 participants (46.8%) are interested in contributing to the final digital collaborative book, while 34 participants (44.2%) are looking forward to being involved in the Wakelet collection of book reviews. A number of 33 participants (42.9%) are eager to join the transnational competition for multimedia presentations of their favourite authors and books and 31 participants (40.3%) expressed enthusiasm for the bilingual creativity workshop, which will result in a collaborative digital poster. The data reveals high engagement across all activities, confirming that both the Romanian and Moldovan students are eager to take part in creative, digital, and multicultural collaboration.

Conclusions

The analysis of the initial questionnaire demonstrates that the participants in the Bookfest 2026 project are motivated, collaborative, and forward-thinking learners. Their responses indicate a strong desire to enhance key-competences, particularly in literacy, creativity, and digital fluency. The high level of online safety awareness ensures that participants are well-prepared for responsible digital interaction. Moreover, the balanced distribution of interests across competences and project activities confirms that Bookfest 2026 successfully responds to the students’ individual and collective educational needs. The enthusiasm reflected in the 71.4% participation rate for the Padlet and consistent engagement in all collaborative components provide an encouraging foundation for a vibrant and innovative transnational project.

Overall, the findings portray a group of students ready to embrace Bookfest 2026 as a meaningful opportunity for learning, creativity, intercultural dialogue, and collaborative growth.