eTwinning UK

The European Children's Travelling Language Library

Thinking about something new for your class in 2011?  Why not book the European Children's Travelling Language Library?

Eurolib is a European Union funded education project. It is targeted at motivating children in their first year of learning a foreign language, to:

·         Expose them to the rich heritage of European languages and cultures
·         Motivate them to learn languages
·         Build a love of reading as the best form of autonomous lifelong learning

·         Reinforce emerging literacy
 

Travelling libraries of beautifully illustrated children's books in six European languages (English, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Czech and Finnish) will travel from school to school across Europe. Each school keeps the library for a period and will carry out a number of educational and collaborative activities before, during, and after the visit of the Library.

This could be part of a new eTwinning project or something completely different, which could count towards your school's application for the International School Award (ISA). 

According to the programme coordinator, Paolo Cremona, initial piloting of the project has been hugely successful with the children pleading to take the library books home.

If you're interested in booking the library and you (or your eTwinning partner schools) are in the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Spain, Turkey or the UK, you can now show your interest in booking a visit of the library to your school by completing the ‘Get Involved’ form on the website. There is no charge during the life of the project.

Further information can be found at the project website:

http://www.eulib.eu/home.html

and you can book the library at:

http://www.eulib.eu/get_involve.html

 

 

Safer Internet Day 2011 : 8 February

 

It's more than a game, it's your life

Safer Internet Day is organised by Insafe each year in February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world.

The theme for 2011 is "our virtual lives" around the slogan " It's more than a game, it's your life".

It’s important for all users of the internet to be aware of the consequences of their online actions – both good and bad! Taking care, being safe and responsible online and offline is an important part of child development.

www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/safer-internet-day

Put development education on your classroom agenda with Plan

 

Plan International is one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. 

They work in 48 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.

Learning is crucial for development and one of the most powerful tools in breaking the cycle of poverty. Plan invests more in education than any other programme area and works to ensure that children, young people and adults get the knowledge and life skills they need to realise their full potential.

If you are looking for lesson ideas or want to learn more or do something about poverty, why not explore Plan's free development education resources. You'll find plenty of lesson plans, activities, publications and games.

www.plan-international.org

St Mary's Catholic School: Using technologies to make things happen

Excellent piece in the Guardian online about how this Loughborough school have used technology to support their eTwinning link with Germany.  Find out more here

Speak to the future: The Campaign for Languages

 

Speak to the future is a developing five-year campaign, from 2011 to 2015, to improve the UK’s understanding of the value of languages in all areas of life.

The campaign is addressed principally to policy makers in government and leaders in education and business. It will aim to demonstrate the importance of languages for success in social, economic, political and cultural life. It will identify specific steps that we should take now to promote and increase language learning in the UK.

The campaign will span the intended life of the current Parliament, taking in the milestones and opportunities of the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 European Parliament elections and the election campaigns for the next Welsh Assembly and Scottish and Westminster Parliaments.

For more information, visit:

www.speaktothefuture.org

eTwinning Xmas Prize Draw

 

Get a colleague to register with eTwinning before 31.12.10, enter our Christmas Prize Draw & you could win a Flipcam for your class.

Here’s what you need to do…

Step 1: Get a colleague to sign up and create a profile at www.etwinning.net

Step 2: Email both you & your colleague’s name to: etwinning@britishcouncil.org with "Xmas Prize Draw" clearly marked in the subject line

Step 3: Wait and see if you are one of our ten lucky winners!

www.britishcouncil.org/etwinning-xmasdraw

Want funding for projects, CPD or to host an assistant in your school?

 

Comenius provides opportunities for schools and colleges to introduce or strengthen the European dimension in their curriculum.

The different strands of Comenius are intended to complement each other, and it is perfectly possible to participate in more than one area of activity at the same time. Funding is available to support partnerships, in-service training and teaching assistantships.

Application forms and guidance are now available online for the following strands:

• In-Service training: Deadline: 14 January 2011
• Comenius Assistants: Deadline: 31 January 2011
• Host Schools: Deadline: 31 January 2011
• School partnerships: Deadline: 21 February 2011
• Regio partnership: Deadline: 21 February 2011

www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-applications-forms-and-guidance

If you would like further information you can contact the Comenius team:

E: comenius@britishcouncil.org

T: 0161 957 7755