E-twinning
eTwinning is a free online platform linking a community of more than 250,000 teachers across Europe. It supports schools from early childhood to post-primary level to find partners and work on joint projects in any curricular area, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). On the dedicated website www.etwinning.net you can create a profile, search for partners, browse ongoing and completed projects, and develop your own project ideas. Once you have found a partner and agreed a project plan, you can register your project and access a specially created ‘Twinspace’. This is a private and secure online workspace that you and your partner(s) administer; students can be invited to participate as members.
If anyone is interested in developing or getting involved in an eTwinning project, please contact your National/ Post Primary eTwinning Ambassador R O’ Sullivan at rosullivan@daviscollege.ie
Current Project
Lifelong Mindfulness
Lifelong Mindfulness is an Erasmus+ Programme involving four schools across Europe. Students in these schools have been working on projects and in March 2019 all four schools came together in Davis College Mallow. Students from Norway, Greece and France got the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Irish students on topics associated with Mindfulness. This project helps to create links between different school and bonds between students are forged. There is also a cultural dimension to the project with students learning about song and dance from each of the participating countries. In 2019-20 there are two return visits, one to Norway and one to France
Previous projects
This project aimed at improving delivery of subject material in Maths and Science through a combination of improving methodologies and analysis of assessment and learning. This project involved the sharing of ideas and pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning from different cultures as well as the development and testing of new teaching methodologies and pedagogical strategies for use in the classroom. Through this project, we saw that when used effectively ICT in the school environment, has a positive effect on both student, teacher and the wider school environment.
About the project
The project "Teaching Methods on the Move" was a cooperation of 5 secondary schools in 5 different countries. The project involved more then 250 pupils aged between 14 and 19, and approximately 50 teachers. "Teaching Methods on the Move" focused on the use of ICT in all areas of school life, varying from actual teaching methods to how the administration of the school can be improved through the use of ICT. The project aimed at using the pupils prior knowledge of modern technology and looking at how this can impact on the classroom environment. The motivation for this project was for schools to share their teaching and learning models with other schools, finding common ground as well as differences, and ultimately see schools collaborate to develop, implement and test new teaching methodologies and strategies for use in the classrooms of all participating schools.
About this Project
The motivation for this project is for schools to share their wellbeing models with other schools, finding common ground and differences, and will see the schools collaborate to develop, implement and test new strategies for use in all the participating schools. This will include the development of material to be used by the students.
This project will allow the partner schools to get an insight into tools and techniques used for wellbeing which will result in increased enthusiasm and motivation from staff and students alike, raising standards across the curriculum. This positive influence will also see the students become more engaged with the curriculum, no matter what country they are in.
This will result in the students becoming higher order critical thinkers, responsible for their own future learning and wellbeing when they progress on to further or higher education.