What is eTwinning?

eTwinning is the community for schools in Europe. eTwinning offers a platform for staff (teachers, head teachers, librarians, etc.), working in a school in one of the European countries involved, to communicate, collaborate, develop projects, share and, in short, feel and be part of the most exciting learning community in Europe.

eTwinning promotes school collaboration in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by providing support, tools and services for schools. eTwinning also offers opportunities for free and continuing online professional development for educators.

Since 2005, eTwinning has engaged thousands of school staff, counting today (in November 2016) over 400,000 active members and over 50,000 ongoing projects!

891.394 TEACHERS,217.296 SCHOOLS,117.128 PROJECTS

Collaborative online projects

At the heart of eTwinning are collaborative projects that are carried out at least by two schools. The projects can have any topic but they should have a good balance of ICT use and classroom activities, and should preferably fit into the national curricula of the schools participating in the project. The exemplary projects are awarded national and European Quality Labels, or receive the highest recognition by becoming one of the eTwinning Prize winners.

Professional development

eTwinning offers a range of online professional development opportunities at European level for all members of the community. From experienced eTwinners to new members, everyone has the opportunity to progress professionally in eTwinning.

For example, Learning Events are highly popular, intensive online events of 10-15 days on a number of themes. They are led by an expert, and include active work and discussion among teachers.

The 2015 evaluation report found that eTwinning had improved the cross curricular skills of 91% of the respondents and 89% of teachers reported that their foreign language skills for teaching and project-based teaching skills were improved thanks to eTwinning.

eTwinning tools

Several online tools facilitate the work of eTwinners. Start by exploring the public eTwinning portal and read news and project examples from across the eTwinning network. There you can also register if you do not yet have an account. Once you have an account, you can enter eTwinning Live, the meeting place for eTwinners: here you can attend or create events; develop projects; join or create groups for exchange of information and best practices on various topics; participate in partner forums; and then take part in learning events that will improve your professional development.

Once you are involved in a project, you will have access to the TwinSpace, a safe online tool where the project partners work together for the successful completion of their project.

How to get started? The eTwinning self-teaching materials

Whether you are a newcomer or an experienced member of eTwinning, the self-teaching materials are made for you! The materials have been created to support the progression of eTwinners and motivate them to go deeper in different areas, including basics, communication, collaboration, networking and quality.

The materials are open to anyone; however, the progression quizzes can only be taken by registered users. The quizzes are linked to members’ profile and the progression bar.

Take the step and enter the world of school collaboration in Europe today! Impact your learners in the most positive ways and engage with them in ways that you have never imagined before.