eTwinning Handbook

eTwinning enables schools in 32 European countries to work together using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). As a school or college (working with pupils and students between the ages of 3 and 20) you can register your details, search for partners and engage in collaborative online projects through ICT.

eTwinning is a safe, secure, easy to use resource for enhancing the use of ICT across all areas of the curriculum. eTwinning is a flexible scheme that can support curriculum work already being produced in the classroom. We offer a complete package of free online resources available to support partnerships, including your own private profile space called the Desktop. We also provide a range of tools to help you carry out your project work through your own private TwinSpace (a virtual classroom space) including the ability to upload and share resources in a project folders, a calendar, a live chat forum and bulletin boards, as well as the facility to build your own project web pages and apply for a Quality Label to gain recognition for all your hard work. You can use these tools as much or as little as you wish.

Registration is quick and easy though the main eTwinning portal. This portal enables you to register the details of your school, provides potential eTwinning partners according to various criteria (including country, age range, curriculum areas, etc.) and in addition, provides a range of collaborative tools for you to work together with your eTwinning partner – if you have an established link with a school in another eligible country, you could register your partnership with eTwinning and start a project.

eTwinning partnerships are formed online using our Partner Finding tool; teachers with their students collaborate on a range of curriculum based projects using exciting and innovative ICT tools. It is easy for schools to form short or long term partnerships in any subject area; there is no administration process and no time restrictions for registrations.

1. The Portal

• The Portal is what we call the eTwinning website (www.etwinning.net). This page contains ideas and inspiration for projects, the latest eTwinning news, and information on eTwinning events. The Portal is also where you can register and log in to the system.Registration is a two-step process which should only take 10 minutes to complete.
  • Complete step one by following the ‘REGISTER NOW’ button on www.etwinning.net
  • Once step one is complete, you should receive an email containing a link. Follow this link and complete the form to register on eTwinning and receive your username and password.

2. The Desktop

• Once registered, you can log in to www.etwinning.net with your username and password to gain access to your personal profile page. We call this the eTwinning Desktop.On the desktop you can:
• Upload a photo of yourself and your school and edit your profile
• Search for a partner school using the Partner Finding tool and add them as a contact
• Create a project with your contactsOnce you have found a school that interests you, you can add them as a contact. Much like Facebook this ‘Friend Request’ must be accepted by the contact before any communication can begin.Once you have made contact with a school, it is up to you to discuss project ideas and decide upon a plan of action. Inspiration can be found on The Portal (see above).When you have agreed upon a project idea, you can then create a project with one of your contacts through the Desktop. Once your project has been approved, you can invite other contacts to join. You will then gain access to your own private project space on eTwinning which we call the TwinSpace.

3. The TwinSpace

• The TwinSpace is many things; a virtual classroom, a content management system, a tool for sharing project work. It is a safe, password-protected area where both teacher and pupils can collaborate together across Europe.On the TwinSpace you can upload photos, PowerPoint presentations, create blogs and exchange project materials. How you use it is entirely up to you.At any stage of the project, you can publish all (or part) of your TwinSpace so that it is made public and can be shared with other teachers, schools and parents. It is an excellent way of involving the larger school community within the project.

There are many benefits to linking up with another school.

For pupils:

• Increased motivation, as they have an audience for their work in a school in another country
• Enhanced key skills, including ICT use, communication and foreign language skills
• Greater cultural awareness through direct contact with peers in other countries.

For school staff:

• Direct contact with education professionals in another European country
• An awareness of teaching and/or management approaches used in another country
• Sharing and celebration of your own professional expertise and experience
• Using eTwinning as a first step to international linking and gaining the International School Award.

Register your details
Go to the central Europe-wide portal. This site will enable you to register the details of your school, the kinds of eTwinning activities you’d like to be involved in.  

Search for Partners
You’ll gain immediate access to a secure online portal and thousands of potential eTwinning partners where you can search by country, age range, subject area and interest.

Start a project
When you find a potential partner, in working with them by using the various communication tools. You can also state whether you wish to remove yourself from the database of schools looking for eTwinning partners.

Work together
You’ll find a complete package of free online resources available to help you work together. Using the Twinspace -a privately shared workspace – you’ll be able to upload and share resources in project folders, use a calendar, a live chat forum, bulletin boards, and the facility to build your own project pages.

Already working with a partner?
If you have an established link with a school in an eTwinning-eligible country and wish to register this partnership as an official eTwinning project, you can also do this on the main portal.

Get funding!
The Erasmus + programme can offer funding for your school to further develop your eTwinning project by introducing a mobility/travel element to the project. Erasmus + Partnerships grants provide funding for staff and pupils to travel to partner schools in Europe.  

Contact :

TR National Support Service

MEB Yenilik ve Eğitim Teknolojileri Genel Müdürlüğü
(Ministry of National Education: General Directorate of Innovation and Educational Technologies)
Contact: Mehmet Fatih Döger 
National eTwinning website: http://etwinning.meb.gov.tr

Find your coordinator :

http://etwinning.meb.gov.tr/il_koordinatorleri