“We choose happiness” - An eTwinning project with European partner schools
In March this year our class (5b) took part in a project with students from eight different countries. The working space was provided by eTwinning, a platform for schools in Europe to communicate and collaborate with each other.
In the course of four weeks we dealt with the topic of happiness together with our international partners. We got to know each other by presenting our classes, schools and countries. We met on Zoom, looked for things we have in common, exchanged ideas and discussed our topic.
I had been looking forward to this project and I was not disappointed at all. For me the project was meaningful and thought-provoking. I can only recommend eTwinning for projects, especially in our present situation. (Laura)
We split the workload and collaborated in teams to create content, which we then shared with our partners on twinspace, our secured digital working environment. Two of my classmates and I, for example, presented our class in an interactive Powerpoint presentation including short audio recordings in which we all introduced ourselves. Moreover, every one of us participated in at least one international Zoom meeting and summarized the gist of it to the rest of the class. (Alexander)
The eTwinning project was a great way to experience other cultures but also to think more about important topics like mental health and the coronavirus crisis in particular. Although we had a lot of work to do during these weeks, it was good fun. I hope the other schools that participated enjoyed the project just as much as we did. (Finn)
When talking to students from other countries, I realized that we are all going through rough times right now but that by working together we can make big things happen. We absolutely NEED to work together. […] In the project I could improve my English and I learned to express my feelings. The great variety of activities really made me feel good. I just loved to work with eTwinning and with my class. (Mirjam)
In everyday life you often forget what makes you happy or what happiness actually is. The project opened my eyes a bit because now I concentrate more on what I enjoy in life, I try to appreciate the little things and I am grateful for them. The most important thing that I’ve learned is that if you want to be or become happy, you first have to start accepting yourself for who you are. (Clara)
I appreciated that I could concentrate on myself and my own interpretation of happiness. I would definitely recommend eTwinning because we got to know many new viewpoints and I liked the fact that it was so different from what we normally do at school. (Lilja)
Of course, we faced a few challenges too, for example the bad internet connection in some meetings. And I would have preferred to have the Zoom meetings with the partners in the morning rather than in the afternoon. (Elias)
It was really cool that we could present our class, school, town and country in a creative way using a great variety of digital tools. I also found it really interesting to learn how teenagers from other European countries speak English. Everything was well-organized and I’d like to thank all the teachers who made this exchange possible. (David)
I’d also like to express my gratitude to our partners abroad and especially to you, dear 5B students, for your contagious enthusiasm, your reliable work, your amazing team spirit and creativity, your open-mindedness towards other cultures, and last but not least for spreading many good vibes. It has been an immense pleasure to embark on this journey with you. (Mag. Ingrid Lechner)
Link to the e-manual for happiness, our collaborative final product: https://read.bookcreator.com/78TQKIjyWzYVXxsg4kTHI7r0N403/byNIOnscTxKAO…
Text: Laura Aigner, Finn Salchner, Mirjam Berger, Alexander Zweckberger, Clara Pinggera, Lilja Meusburger, Elias Pargger, David Batinic (alle 5B Klasse); Mag. Ingrid Lechner
Fotos: Mag. Ingrid Lechner
