European Schoolnet -Some interesting facts-
The mission of this network is to inspire and support members of European ministries of education, as well as schools, teachers and educational stakeholders on the continent, in the transformation of educational processes for the digitized societies of the 21st century.
They identify and advance promising innovative practices, sharing evidence of their impact and supporting the integration of teaching and learning practices aligned with 21st century standards for inclusive education.
Since its founding in 1997, European Schoolnet has used its links with ministries of education to help schools become effective in their pedagogical use of technology, equipping both teachers and students with the skills needed to succeed in the digital society.
Its strategic areas of activity include providing evidence and concrete data in the area of innovation in education, from which to make educational policy recommendations.
Among its key objectives are to support cooperation and collaboration between schools, disseminate good practices, research new models of education and learning, and contribute to technology-enhanced learning.
Among the sections of its website are: "Work", "Network", "Projects", "News" and "Perspectives".
Summary of selected articles (to view the article in its original site, click on the title).
How is Artificial Intelligence transforming education? In this episode, we address the challenges and opportunities that AI presents to education systems with two visionary guests: Charles Fadel, founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, and Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate Organization. Discover the difference between capable AI and general AI, how education should adapt to an AI-driven future and practical ideas for training teachers and students alike.
The European Schoolnet website on Cyber Citizenship highlights the importance of developing digital skills from an early age. It focuses on digital literacy, the fight against disinformation, and knowledge of data-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence1. It also mentions projects such as MenABLE to prevent online gender-based violence, and Facts4All to increase awareness and critical thinking about online disinformation. This page contains hyperlinks to other projects.
Evidence for innovation [website]
This European Schoolnet website on Innovation focuses on the importance of digital education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It mentions initiatives such as the European Commission's Digital Education Action Plan and the Recovery and Resilience Fund that have driven significant policies in all countries. The work of European Schoolnet focuses on building knowledge about innovation in education, based on research, policies and practices, to generate critical thinking and informed decisions. Projects such as Agile EDU and 21st Century European Teachers, which seek to support the implementation of digital educational ecosystems and develop the capacity of teachers in emerging areas, are also highlighted. This page contains hyperlinks to other projects.
The text highlights the lack of young people choosing studies and careers in these areas in Europe. It is mentioned that education can play a crucial role in collaboration with companies and other stakeholders to increase interest in STEM studies and occupations. Initiatives such as Scientix, which promotes European collaboration between teachers, researchers, policy makers and other STEM education professionals, are highlighted, as is The STEM Alliance initiative, which addresses the shortage of STEM skills in Europe. Furthermore, the proposed STEM Discovery Campaign, an international initiative that celebrates STEM careers and studies, is mentioned. This page contains hyperlinks to other projects.
New teaching and learning models [website]
The European Schoolnet website on Professional Development highlights the European Schoolnet Academy, an online course platform offering high-quality, free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for primary and secondary teachers, as well as other educational professionals. The courses cover a variety of topics and last between 3 and 8 weeks. The academy aims to foster innovative thinking in professional practice, enabling educators to learn about innovations in the classroom, develop and improve their practices, receive feedback from their peers and connect with other educators from across Europe. Participants can also earn certificates of participation and digital badges. This page contains hyperlinks to other projects.
The School Networks page focuses on the importance of collaboration and the exchange of good practices between educators from different countries. European Schoolnet offers opportunities for educators to meet, collaborate and improve their skills and knowledge. One of the main projects is eTwinning, which promotes collaboration between schools in 43 European countries and offers tools and services for the professional development of teachers. Another important project is the European Education Platform, which integrates eTwinning services and other previous activities, becoming a meeting point for all those interested in school education. The page contains hyperlinks to other projects.
Playful learning in the age of datafication and digitalisation.
The document entitled “Playful learning in the age of datafication and digitalization” broadens the debate on modern education by focusing on the integration of play in formal learning environments. The report highlights the benefits of playful learning in fostering creativity, collaboration and student well-being, while recommending policy measures to support the adoption of these methods. It also emphasizes the need to equip teachers with the skills necessary to implement playful learning effectively, ensuring the integral development of students in a digitized world.
This report from European Schoolnet summarizes the observations of 17 education systems in 16 European countries on screen and digital device usage time in schools. It highlights policy concerns, especially around mobile phones, focusing on mental and physical health, as well as impaired concentration. Education authorities are responding by empowering teachers to manage the use of devices, forming expert groups and creating guidelines. Some countries have issued regulations, but so far no measures have been taken to restrict digital learning resources. Digitalization in schools continues, with some authorities providing guidance on healthy technology habits and digital literacy, while others integrate device policies into broader school initiatives.
The MenABLE research report presents a comprehensive synthesis of the key findings that emerged from the literature review, qualitative focus groups and semi-structured interviews involving various stakeholders and experts in the field of online gender-based violence. By documenting the current state of the issue, it identifies specific areas of intervention and conducts a comparative analysis between the partner countries (Belgium, Denmark and Greece). The report, which serves as a theoretical and empirical basis, contributes to the project's educational and awareness-raising initiatives, and includes valuable information for combating gender-based violence online. The document is published within the framework of the MenABLE (Empower Manpower against Gender-Based Violence Online) project of European Schoolnet (EUN). It is the result of a collaborative effort in cooperation with the project consortium partners Fondation Pour Enfants Disparus et Sexuellement Exploites (Child Focus), Center for Digital Pædagogik SL (CDYC) and Idryma Technologias Kai Erevnas (FORTH).
The digital well-being of teachers in 21st-century schools.
In a webinar organized by Konstantinos Andronikidis of European Schoolnet, participants delved into the topic of teachers' digital wellbeing, covering its definition, challenges and strategies for improvement. Don Passey advocated for a broader understanding of digital wellbeing, linking it to teacher competence and motivation. Evangelia Dimaraki emphasized attention as a critical resource affected by technology, underlining the importance of digital support tools. Challenges include constant availability and loss of agency, while strategies include awareness, collaboration and designated time without technology. The debate highlighted the need for comprehensive approaches to help teachers effectively manage digital technologies.
The digitization of education has seen a massive increase during the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed the lack of preparedness of the different actors (school principals, teachers, parents, the students themselves, etc.) to face the challenges associated with this development. From learning management systems and communication software to teacher dashboards and adaptive learning technologies, more and more schools have adopted the use of digital solutions. These digital educational tools and resources collect various tracking and learning data that could be harnessed for the benefit of education. There are several dimensions that require reflection, and each of them brings its own implications and questions.
DIGI-LINGO is an initiative that aims to support the European Union's stated goal of enabling multilingualism and ensuring that every person speaks at least two foreign languages. The project aims to achieve this by exploring the capabilities of digital environments to unlock the potential of language learning. More specifically, its objectives include the development of new teaching guidelines for digital language learning, the design of easily accessible methods for virtual language exchange and ensuring the sustainability of the model at a regional level. The project currently has partners from Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Basque Country and is focused on upper secondary school students, but over time it aims to be applicable at all educational levels and in all countries.
The nine project partners are jointly creating an online toolkit offering guidance on the DFA, including practical examples for schools, e.g. e-portfolios, digital diaries, classroom surveys, dashboards and monitoring tools, and digital games. Students, teachers, school leaders and parents from randomly selected schools in the five field test countries (Estonia, Finland, Greece, Portugal and Spain) test the toolkit which will then be published as an open educational resource in several languages for reuse and adaptation. In parallel, qualitative research is carried out with students to ensure that their voice is an integral part of the project. During two one-day “dialogue laboratories”, students express and debate their opinions and preferences about learning and assessment in general and about DFA in particular.