Want to find out more about eTwinning?

New for 2011 - training webinars, September to November

Training webinars are online sessions where our British Council eTwinning team provide interactive training. They are a convenient way for you to access eTwinning training from your home or your school computer. Each session lasts approximately one hour, during which time you are able to ask questions directly to our eTwinning experts. The webinars will start in mid September and each session has been themed to allow you to choose which is most suited to your needs.

The webinars will cover three main topics:

• Making use of Project Kits
• Finding a Partner
• Registering a Project

For more details and to register, visit our eTwinning Weeks 2011 page.

We also run free professional development workshops throughout the school year in the UK for teachers interested in joining the eTwinning programme. These can be full day workshops, twilight sessions, or INSET days.

The workshops provide:

• An introduction to the eTwinning programme, with the opportunity to register and to find out about the eTwinning tools available
• Sessions by teachers for teachers on running collaborative international (eTwinning) school projects
• Hands-on training in using ICT tools such as digital video, email, forums, chat etc.
• An eTwinning CD-ROM of resources, lesson plans, project ideas and ICT tutorials for each participant to take away

We have been running these workshops in a variety of venues (from schools to City Learning Centres) throughout the UK since last June. Audience numbers typically range from 12 to 20 per workshop, and include:

• Teachers – both primary and secondary, from all subject areas
• ICT coordinators
• International coordinators
• Headteachers

Normally we work in collaboration with interested parties (headteachers, teachers, CLCs etc) to organise a workshop. This way we make sure that these workshops meet the needs of teachers in a particular part of the UK.

Here’s how it works:

What the host does:

• Arranges a date and specifies the length of the workshop
• Provides the venue, including equipment hire and refreshments
• Works with us to identify workshop presenters
• Contacts teachers to attend the workshop

What we do:

• Work with the host to design the programme
• Work with the host to identify workshop presenters (including providing eTwinning ‘stars’ to share their experience and ideas)
• Cover costs such as venue and equipment hire, supply cover for speakers (and any associated travel and accommodation costs), and refreshments(unfortunately we cannot meet supply cover costs for participants)
• Provide a speaker to introduce the eTwinning programme and portal

The response to the workshops we have run so far has been overwhelmingly positive. As testimony, here are some comments from past participants:

• "I think this workshop would make an ideal whole school inset day, so that everyone could be made aware of what they could do. Will use some of the ideas to liven up the KS3 ICT strategy…and use this as a starting point for developing some international links!"
• "Excellent, really enthused me!"
• "A very enjoyable course – the best I have been to. Thanks"
• "It showed me that it is more accessible than I thought and that you don’t have to be very computer literate to engage in such a venture. I particularly valued gaining an insight into the range of projects that other schools are involved in."
• "It was all fantastic especially the tools, ideas for projects, useful sites etc"

If you are interested in hosting an eTwinning workshop in your school or elsewhere in your area, please contact us.

Take a look at our Workshops and Webinars page for information about all upcoming sessions.