eTwinning UK

Back to School with eTwinning

The Back to School with eTwinning campaign has been an enormous success this year, with over 100 projects registered in the Back to School period, 17 September-19 October 2007.

The eTwinning team are happy to announce the winner of this year’s Back to School prize draw!  The winner is – the Eco-animation: making a difference project by Woodlawn School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear.

Congratulations to Woodlawn on winning a workshop with top animation consultant Oscar Stringer, whose Animation for Education work has enthralled students and teachers alike. Thanks again to all schools who registered projects during the Back to School period, we hope that you’ll have heaps of fun and learn loads about your European partners. Happy eTwinning!

That's what eTwinning is for

Another great animation from Oscar Stringer's group at the eTwinnning UK professional development workshop in Nottingham October 2007.

Voices of the World animation

Short animation made in Oscar Stringer's workshop at eTwinnning UK professional development workshop in Nottingham October 2007, by Sharon, Kurt, Nikolay, Elissa and Lisa.

The Flags

Great animation from Oscar Stringer's group at the eTwinnning UK professional development workshop in Nottingham October 2007.

Creativity through Digital Images

Simplicity and effectiveness were the key messages behind this training session at the UK eTwinning Professional Development Workshop, led by Dr Baldev Singh.

Participants were introduced to the power of search engine Google Images to source and download high quality images which could then be combined with text, music and sound files, digital effects and recorded narration to tell a story using simple technology and freely-available software Photostory 3.

Photostory lets you tell a narrative in a simple but powerful audio-visual format, and the resulting "movie" is made as a stand-alone file which plays in Windows Media Player - perfect for posting to an eTwinning TwinSpace. 

The participants - from a range of countries across Europe - were given the task of identifying images and free-to-download music files from which they then constructed their own stories.  After this they were let loose with digital cameras to roam the NCSL building and grounds, taking digital photographs which they then used to construct their own bespoke narratives.

Following this, the opportunities for encouraging pupil-to-pupil review using the Voicethread application were explored.  Voicethread enables pupils to create and publish presentations immediately and to comment constructively on each other's work, helping them to use skills of reflection, critical analysis and communication.

Watch some of our participants' Photostory as they search for their missing Italian colleague!  Download lost_and_found_1.wmv

Animation in Education - Oscar Stringer

Oscar Stringer introduced his workshop at the eTwinning UK professional development workshop and summarised that the main aim would be to demonstrate how to work together collaboratively to create a short animation film.

Firstly, he identified if the participants came from an ICT or International background and secondly explained that part of the workshop, would be to reflect upon the workshop what they have learnt which they can share back at home.

The software to be used can be downloaded free from the internet and would be explained during the course of the workshop. The most important point would be to create films which are simple and not complicated. 

When involving pupils, they would choose the topic and elements which could also involve problem solving. Oscar recommended that the groups choose a story that they were all familar with to transcend any culture differences. For more information about how animation can be used in education visit Oscar's website.

By Simon Graham

Podcasting and social networking - Ewan McIntosh

Ewan McIntosh kicks off his session at UK eTwinning Professional Development Workshop by challenging some of the preconceptions of how ICT might be used in an eTwinning collaborative project. He shows the participants the amazing work of Tim Rylands who uses the game MYST to brilliant effect in creative writing classes and suggest this is the type of creativity and engaging use of ICT that teachers could be aiming for in their eTwinning projects.

eTwinning UK Professional Development Workshop 2007

Day one of the UK eTwinning Professional Development Workshop begins with Susan Linklater, project manager for eTwinning in the UK, welcoming eighty participants, all of whom are responsible for the promotion of international school collaboration and the use of ICT in education in Local Authorities throughout Europe.

The participants will spend the weekend working in three groups:
• Podcasting and Social Networking led by Ewan McIntosh
• Creativity through Digital Images led Baldev Singh
• Animation for Education led by Oscar Stringer

The aim of the workshop is that participants should learn by doing the importance of audience and how ICT tools can help foster and enhance collaborative, intercultural working. Each group will work and learn together with the aim of producing a presentation for plenary on Sunday morning.

European eTwinning Prizes 2008

The aim of the European eTwinning Prizes competition is to highlight best practice in collaborative school projects using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). If you participated in a successful project during the 2006-2007 school year, be sure submit an entry! The deadline is 31st of October. Find out more.

"Extending and Invigorating ICT for Pupils with Special Needs"

This conference will have an interesting selection of workshops including:

• Using ICT for the development of personalised learning
• Podcasting
• SEAL
• Handheld technologies
• eTwinning

There will be opportunities for school staff to attend the seminars and keynote speeches, as well as time to view and order resources from exhibitors. Invitations have been extended to schools in surrounding counties such as Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Luton, Essex and North London and beyond.

Keynote speaker will be Richard Walter from Meldreth Manor school near Cambridge.

Date: 9th November
Place: Hertfordshire Development Centre. Butterfield Road, Wheathampstead, Herts AL4 8PY.
Contact : John Warwick john.warwick@stlukes.herts.sch.uk