Enlarging AEC-NET

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Enlarging AEC-NETs scopepartnership and school
networks in Europe

• Alexa JoyceCommunications Development Manager
  European Schoolnet

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Todays presentation

• About European Schoolnet, its objectives and
  networks
• Short history of school cooperation in Europe
• New challenge web 2.0
• Zoom in eTwinning
• Next steps

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• About European Schoolnet

Network of 31 Ministries of Education in EU
andneighbouring countries
A successful partnership cooperating on
schoolissues for over 10 years
Dedicated to
Support schools in bringing about the best use
of technology in learning
Promote the European dimension in schools and
education
Improve and raise the quality of education in
Europe
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Fosters and supports collaboration and
cooperation among schools in Europe
Supports professional development of teachers
Offers pedagogical and information services with
European added value to schools in Europe
Specific objectives
Contributes to development of technology-enhanced
learning in schools
Disseminates good practice and investigates new
models for schooling and learning
Provides services, content and tools based on
ICT to members and partner networks
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Ministries of Education
Teachers, Pupils
IT Industry and Suppliers
School Leaders
European Schoolnet
European Commission
Policy makers
Schools
Researchers Developers
Experts
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Innovation andexchange on ICT policies and
practice
Our Activities
Interoperability andcontent exchange
School networkingand services
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Teachtoday.eucampaign onemerging technology
eSkillscareer portal
eLearningAwards
Futurenergiacampaign onenergy
Xperimaniacampaign on chemistry
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• eSafety
• Teachtoday
• Insafe

• MST actions
• eSkills
• Xplora

• EU cooperation citizenship
• eTwinning
• Spring Day

eTwinning is the largest network over 50, 000
schools registered!
Internationaleducation networks

• Competitions campaigns
• eLearning Awards
• Euro

• Global issues
• DYP
• GENIE

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Short history of school cooperation in Europe

• Schools cooperating internationally for long
  time, especially in languages. Some global
  projects like iEARN since 1988
• Perhaps even started as long ago as the 16th
  century
• But the 90s brought a big change the birth of
  the internet and ICT
• Suddenly cheaper and easier to cooperate

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Short history of school cooperation in Europe

• Mid-90s
• Comenius launched by European Commission
• Nordic countries established ODIN at same time
• Web for Schools initiative
• European Schoolnet set up shortly after
  including
• Virtual School, Comenius Space
• Communities partner finding tools
• Other projects for school heads, eSafety, etc.

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Short history of school cooperation in Europe

• AEC-NET established in 1998
• 2000s
• Launch of the eTwinning initiative skepticism
  at first
• Establishment of ESP-net (but active since 1998)
• Launch of Global Gateway
• Industry private sector initiatives too

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Now many initiatives in Europe
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and beyond
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Why so many?

• Proven benefits for schools
• Language learning intercultural knowledge
• Motivation for subjects studied
• Authentic learning contexts
• Evolution of pedagogy towards more
  student-centred model (constructivism,
  computer-supported collaborative learning)
• Improved ICT skills, ICT embedded in individual
  subjects rather than standalone
• Impact on motivation of students and teachers
• Whole school involvement community (parents)

International school cooperation despite
obstacles of culture, curriculum, etc. Is
enriching and most of all FUN!
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Zoom in eTwinning

• Officially launched by the European Commission as
  part of the eLearning programme on 14 Jan 2005
• Promotes school partnerships in Europe
• European Schoolnet is Central Support service
• National Ministries of Education or affiliated
  agencies are National Support Services
• Aim was to have 30,000 twinned schools by 2007

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eTwinning back in 2005

• The eTwinning Portal was designed to create,
  manage and run projects.
• The only incentive for teachers was recognition,
  visibility and free tools and support
• Training and partnership-finding workshops were
  organised, plus annual conference

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eTwinning was launched in 2005..And since then..

• More than 50 000 members from 43 000 schools have
  registered
• More than 10 000 projects have been registered
  (more than 4000 active)
• More than 100 000 pupils have been invited to
  TwinSpaces
• More than half a million messages have been
  exchanged on the Desktop

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eTwinning was launched in 2005..And since then..

• More than 1500 message have been posted on the
  forum each month
• More than 8000 members have been using the
  Desktop every day
• More than 200 000 files have been shared in
  TwinSpaces

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Increasing level of participation
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eTwinning in a teachers words
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But we found a challenge

• Many teachers and schools were registering
  without joining an eTwinning project.
• So why were they registering?

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Schools
.. work in registered projects
.. are looking for a partner
found a partner but did not register the
project (yet)
are waiting for the right moment and looking
for inspiration
registered to find partners for other Comenius
actions
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And then another challenge

• ICT tools and approaches themselves had evolved
• The web had changed
• Children were already cooperating and
  communicating online everyday through MSN,
  MySpace, Facebook and school had to catch up!

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eTwinning Projects
So we rethought eTwinning- under the surface
many goodthings were happening.
informal collaboration
Comenius Partnerships
eTwinning went Beyond projects
Peer learning
Shaing of resources And ideas
Community building
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Many things were happening In eTwinning..
also outside the eTwinning Portal
informal collaboration
Comenius Partnerships
Peer learning
Shaing of resources And ideas
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eTwinning has evolved

• Critical Mass
• Beyond Projects
• Activities outside the Portal

eTwinning becomes social
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New eTwinning Portal

• More focus on user generated content
• Members Profiles
• Schools Profiles
• Projects Profiles
• TwinBlog

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Members and Schools Profiles
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Projects Profiles
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TwinBlog
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eTwinning is social!

• The community for schools in Europe
• Lifelong learning and professional development
  platform
• Beyond projects (but the aim is still projects)
• eTwinning Groups now kicking off and Learning Lab
  on the way (2009)

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So what do the students have to say?
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eTwinning is opening up to AEC-NET

• European Schoolnet signed an MoU with ASEF
• We analysed how cooperation could take place
  based on the Medtwinning example to run a pilot
• AEC-NET projects can register on eTwinning as
  long as have 2 EU schools

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Beyond eTwinning

• European Schoolnet has two new projects planned
  for 2009, and Asian and EU schools are both going
  to be invited
• Environmental community of practice for teachers
• Cooperation with Cisco Networking Academy network

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Thanks for your kind attention.

• We will be glad to have closer cooperation in
  2009!
• Contact alexa.joyce_at_eun.org
• Our websites www.eun.org, www.europeanschoolnet.o
  rg, www.etwinning.net
• My blog http//elearning-global.blogspot.com -
  there you can download this presentation and the
  background paper on the topic.