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Webinar: creITivity extended (plurilingual and intercultural education) (EN)
What happens when in the plurilingual and intercultural environment of a European School the New Technologies are being used in a creative way? That's when the “creITivity extended” is born!
In this workshop you will understand - and hopefully be inspired by - the way in which different groups of students (e.g. SWALS, L2 etc.) collaborate and benefit from the incredible possibilities of different applications in order to unite their different voices and languages, raising a common message: the climate and environmental crisis must stop, it's time for action!
Furthermore, the aim of the webinar is to provide you with the opportunity to experiment with these apps in order to be able to use them as you think best with your students.
We suggest you install on an ipad/iphone the following apps:
- Garage Band
- FlipaClip
- Green Screen
📅 When? February 12, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert?
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CHATZIRAFAILIDOU Evanthia (KAR-Teacher)L1 Greek and Subject Teacher, SWALS and Digital Learning Coordinator. My different roles at the European School Karlsruhe largely reflect my interests. Through my teaching experience and endless hours of experimentation with different applications, I have found paths to creative, fun teaching that turns students into creative content creators. Through such a process, they discover and learn not only subject matter, but also new skills, while enjoying every step of the way!

European School Education Platform Professional Development Opportunities
Upcoming courses:
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Students as designers of learning spaces
This course is back after a successful run in 2022. It invites teachers to rethink the role of learning spaces in fostering creativity, collaboration, and 21st-century skills.
📅 When? February 10, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Participants will explore methods to co-design spaces with students, applying frameworks like design thinking and leveraging innovative tools, including generative AI. Through reflective activities and a hands-on Learning Journal, participants will build practical plans to transform their classrooms into inclusive, sustainable, and flexible environments. The course emphasises collaboration, problem-solving, and the integration of European educational priorities, including diversity and digital innovation.
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Effective practices for AI and data in education
Every day, “intelligent” machines are sorting your inbox, recommending music, vacuuming your floor, or teaching you Klingon – and schools are not exempt from their influence. The “intelligence” of these machines is mostly based on data. Can such machines also help us to support our students’ learning?
📅 When? February 17, 2025
📍 Where? Online
This course builds upon the success of the 2022 course “What Can You Do with Data in Your Classroom”. In this enhanced and updated version, we aim to empower educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively and ethically integrate data and AI tools into their teaching practices.
Participants will explore how data-driven approaches and AI tools can be used in education while enhancing the ability to critically evaluate these technologies. By the end of the course, educators will have the confidence to use data and AI responsibly to support student learning and improve assessment practices.
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Nurturing thoughtful minds with collaboration and eTwinning
In today’s ever-evolving educational landscape, fostering critical thinking is essential for preparing students to navigate complex challenges and make responsible decisions. This course focuses on how collaboration and group work can serve as powerful tools for developing critical thinking skills while nurturing citizenship, aligning with this year’s eTwinning theme.
📅 When? February 24, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Our journey begins with a shift in mindset, encouraging educators to adopt a growth mindset and an innovator’s mindset—key attitudes for creating a classroom culture where critical thinking thrives. Anchored in the 6C’s of 21st Century Learning, this session emphasises Critical Thinking and Citizenship, exploring how these interconnected competencies help students become thoughtful, engaged global citizens.
Participants will gain practical insights and hands-on experience with tools and strategies for designing collaborative activities that enhance critical thinking. The course will introduce a variety of digital tools, including innovative examples of leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to promote critical thinking in the classroom. Additionally, we will highlight how eTwinning projects provide a dynamic platform for fostering these skills through cross-border collaboration.
The aim of the course is to equip educators with the mindset, tools, and methods to make critical thinking and citizenship the core of teaching. Together, we will empower students to think critically, act responsibly, and thrive in an interconnected world.
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Enhance numeracy skills with eTwinning projects
The primary aim of this course is to equip you with the skills and confidence to design eTwinning projects that revolutionise the way mathematics is taught and learned. By fostering innovation and collaboration, these projects will make mathematics more engaging and accessible, promoting the development of essential numeracy skills among students.
📅 When? March 3, 2025
📍 Where? Online
The course is structured to guide you through a logical progression of concepts, beginning with foundational topics and gradually advancing to more complex ideas. Each module builds upon the last, ensuring a cohesive learning journey. The final module focuses on integrating various mathematical disciplines through the planning and execution of eTwinning projects, providing you with hands-on experience in designing impactful, interdisciplinary initiatives.
By the end of the course, you will not only gain fresh inspiration for teaching approaches but also develop a broader perspective on the real-world applications of mathematics, preparing your students for future success in a rapidly evolving, globalised world.
Upcoming webinars:
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Supporting critical thinking with technology in the classroom
Can technology really help students think critically, or does it depend on how teachers use it? This webinar explores what teachers can do to support critical thinking in technology-enhanced learning environments and the challenges they might face.
📅 When? February 17, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert? Kairit Tammets is a Professor of Technology-Enhanced Learning at Tallinn University whose research focuses on teacher professional learning in technology-enhanced learning environments. With extensive experience in designing and implementing professional development programs, Kairit Tammets specializes in fostering social learning practices to promote the adoption of innovative teaching methods.
Kairit Tammets will share practical examples and easy-to-use strategies for designing lessons that foster engagement and critical thinking. By the end of the webinar, you will have useful tips to help your students ask questions, think more deeply, and discuss ideas thoughtfully.
The content of this webinar reflects the views only of the authors. The European Commission does not endorse any views, opinions or advice expressed by the speakers/presenters of this webinar.
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The Socratic method in schools: Midwife, sometimes gadfly
This webinar will explain its core elements and how they may be adapted to scaffold group discussions. In its myriad adaptations to different contexts, we will see that often it is more appropriate to speak of Socratic methods.
📅 When? February 26, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert? Erick Wilberding completed a Ph.D. in the History of Art at New York University. For nearly 30 years, he has taught at Marymount International School in Rome, where he is the head of the Philosophy and Theory of Knowledge Department. He has published Teach like Socrates (Routledge, 2014) and Socratic Methods (Routledge, 2019). In 2021 he wrote the TED-Ed animation about the Socratic Method. This tool will help improve your critical thinking, which has over 6.5 million views. He is greatly convinced of the value of making thinking visible through dialogic teaching.
The Socratic Method is one of the most versatile tools for teachers in the classroom, moving the crucial activities of analysis and judgment to the students. This webinar will explain its core elements and how they may be adapted to scaffold group discussions. In its myriad adaptations to different contexts, we will see that often it is more appropriate to speak of Socratic methods.
Webinar recordings:
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How volunteering transforms classrooms
Discover how volunteering enhances education by creating meaningful connections between schools, communities, and global networks. Explore strategies to integrate volunteering into classroom activities, empowering students to tackle real-world challenges while building critical skills.
📅 When? ENDED January 23, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert? Romina Marchesani has been an Italian high school English teacher since 1997, specialising in the integration of digital methodologies into education. Serving as an Erasmus+ Ambassador since 2022, as well as a Scientix Ambassador, she is dedicated to fostering inclusion, advancing sustainability, and promoting digital literacy. Romina actively contributes to pilot projects, research initiatives, and other European activities, facilitating meaningful, cross-cultural learning experiences for students and educators. Her professional focus is on inspiring innovation in teaching and creating impactful educational pathways.
In this webinar, discover how volunteering enhances education by building meaningful connections between schools, local communities, and global networks. Explore dynamic strategies to weave volunteering into classroom activities, empowering students to tackle real-world challenges while developing vital skills such as leadership, collaboration, and empathy. Through engaging case studies from innovative eTwinning projects, we uncover fresh approaches to project-based learning that ignite active citizenship and foster a sense of social responsibility. Learn how to develop partnerships with parents, local organisations, and community leaders to create a strong support system that amplifies educational goals. Discussions highlight how volunteering can spark creativity and inspire collaboration across disciplines, merging STEAM, civic education, and the arts. By the end, you will feel energised and equipped to design inclusive, multidisciplinary initiatives that align with curriculum standards, nurture critical thinking, and motivate students to make a lasting difference in their communities.
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Enabling children’s right to be heard in education by ensuring space, voice, audience and influence
In this webinar, Professor Laura Lundy, author of the ‘Lundy Model’ of child participation, will explore what the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requires to ensure that school-aged children get opportunities to be involved meaningfully in the decisions that affect them in education, drawing on examples where policy makers, schools, teachers and students have applied the Lundy model.
📅 When? ENDED February 3, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert? Laura Lundy is Co-Director of the Centre for Children’s Rights and Professor of Education Law and Children’s Rights at Queen’s University, Belfast, Professor of Law at University College Cork and a barrister at law. She is co-Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Children’s Rights. Her expertise is in law and human rights with a particular focus on children’s right to participate in decision-making and education rights. Her 2007 paper in the British Educational Research Journal, “’Voice’ is not enough” is one of the most highly cited academic papers on children’s rights ever. The model of children’s participation it proposes (based on four key concepts - Space, Voice, Audience and Influence) is used extensively in scholarship and practice. The “Lundy model” has been adopted by numerous national governments, including Ireland it its national strategy and framework on child and youth participation, as well as international organisations including the European Commission, Council of Europe, World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
Professor Laura Lundy, author of the ‘Lundy Model’ of child participation, will explore what the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requires to ensure that school-aged children get opportunities to be involved meaningfully in the decisions that affect them in education, drawing on examples where policy makers, schools, teachers and students have applied the Lundy model.

Webinar: Project Climate Council. Students: reduce the climate footprint of your school in 8 months! (EN)
This Webinar will present:
- a whole concept for improvement in the area of sustainability at school,
- based on the constant active participation of engaged students,
- accompanied by engaged teachers,
- with the very concern of a democratic approach,
- in order to involve a community as large as possible,
- for visible and measurable impacts and improvements in the end.
This Webinar will offer you:
- the opportunity of reflecting on how to conceive and start an ambitious and still realistic project in the sustainability area,
- if possible in a democratic way;
- and the opportunity of being supported by two colleagues, who now have some years of experience (do's and dont's!) in that kind of approach and process.
Welcome on board!
📅 When? February 5, 2025
📍 Where? Online
Guest expert?
- Florbela Calado. Teacher: SCI/Biology/STS at the ES Munich. Coordination: sustainable groups and actions — 5 teachers, 50 active students (S1 to S7), Eco-clubs, Safe-Academy, School garden, catering issues, ...
- Christophe Conot. Teacher: French (L1-L4)/Philosophy at the ES Munich. Middle Manager: head of languages, pedagogy and sustainability, working in constant collaboration with F. Calado in this area.

Online workshop: grade smarter, not harder, with generative AI
If AI is the new frontier of education, it must remain a tool that educators can understand, customise, and use freely. Achieving this vision requires embracing: open access to AI models for research, open sourcing of models for innovation, and open use for educators and learners.
In this webinar, our expert speakers will explore how openness in AI can transform education into an equitable, innovative, and inclusive space. The webinar will take place in late February – day and time is still to be confirmed. Keep your eyes open for more information.

Details
The "European Citizen in Nursery" webinar focuses on the role of early childhood education in shaping European identity and fostering a sense of European citizenship among young children. We will explore how nurseries can support the development of social values, cultural understanding, and multilingualism, promoting a strong sense of belonging to Europe from an early age. Key topics are teaching strategies and collaborative initiatives in European schools to create inclusive, diverse environments in early childhood education.
The "European Citizen in Nursery" webinar explores the challenges and opportunities in European school early childhood education, specifically at Berkendael School, where there are 9 different language groups. We would like to focus on challenges faced by big languages group versus small. Many children are monolingual, and the only shared space is the playground, where children tend to stick to their class groups. The webinar highlights the advantages of working with diverse language groups, teaching children from early age that they can play and collaborate even without a common language and fostering cultural awareness by exposing them to different traditions and backgrounds. This approach helps install the values of European citizenship and inclusion from an early age.
Speakers (2)
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GIROT Mathieu (BRK-Teacher)French teacher for about fifteen years, Mathieu Girot specializes in supporting students with special educational needs. Sensitive to project-based pedagogy and explicit teaching, he met two colleagues at the EEB1 with whom he brought the concept of the European Union to life and conceptualized for their nursery pupils.
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LANGE Inguna (BRK-Teacher)A Latvian by birth and married to a German, I’ve spent the past 26 years living as an expat in three European countries. Raising three children away from their native cultures has deepened my understanding of the significance of being a European citizen and the importance of cultural exchange.

Professional development offer |
Unless otherwise indicated, the professional development activities are only available in English. |
Upcoming courses: · Using debate in the classroom: critical thinking, inquiry, and communication skills, 27.01.2025 · Students as designers of learning spaces, 10.02.2025 · Ethical and effective practices for AI and data in education, 17.02.2025 · Nurturing thoughtful minds with collaboration and eTwinning, 24.02.2025 Upcoming webinars: · Building bridges: how volunteering transforms classrooms, 23.01.2025 · Enabling children's right to be heard in education by ensuring space, voice, audience and influence, 03.02.2025 · Supporting critical thinking with technology in the classroom, 17.02.2025 Webinar recordings: · Empowering literacy and digital skills with the “Let's Book Trailers” project, 04.12.2024 · Mastering classroom management: practical strategies for European educators, 10.12.2024 |

This training is part of the Change Environment Project, an initiative tackling the intersection of climate change and migration.
📅 When? January 20-21, 2025 (check the agenda below for more details)
📍 Where? Ecole Européenne de Bruxelles II - Av. Oscar Jespers 75, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
As educators, you are at the forefront of shaping how young people understand and respond to the complex realities of climate change, migration, and social transformation.
Spaces are limited – secure your spot today!
More information can be found on the European Commission web site.

The following information is a summary of the ESEP Newsletter / January 2025, edition 1. Please refer to the ESEP site for further info.
Unless otherwise indicated, the professional development activities are only available in English. |
Upcoming courses: · Using debate in the classroom: critical thinking, inquiry, and communication skills, 27.01.2025 Upcoming webinars: · Building bridges: how volunteering transforms classrooms, 23.01.2025 Webinar recordings: · Webinar series on collaborative approaches in special education needs, 22–25.11.2024 · Supporting students with special education needs, 25.11.2024 · Universal design for learning and eTwinning in action, 29.11.2024 · Empowering literacy and digital skills with the “Let's Book Trailers” project, 4.12.2024 · Mastering classroom management: practical strategies for European educators, 10.12.2024 |

January 2025 events on the European Digital Education Hub, on the theme of Artificial Intelligence on the Collaborative Inquiry Channel.
HANDS-ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LAB
Practical & accessible tips in this one-hour workshop to explore and try out AI tools - ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity - to ease some of the job tasks for teachers and other actors of education (organisation, communication, lesson design & planning, etc.).
Thursday, January 9th, 11.30 - 12.40 pm (Central European Time) - Add this event to your calendar
Guest expert: Noé Malais, passionate coder and Artificial Intelligence enthusiast, he has a Masters degree in Mathematics applied to Machine Learning (MVA) as well as in Educational Sciences (ETLV)
More information about the event on the hub!
POSTER EVENT
Harnessing Generative AI in Preschool Education: Unlocking New Learning Horizons
Tuesday, January 21st, 4.00 - 5.00 pm (Central European Time)
- Add this event to your calendar
Guest expert: Dr. Stamatios Papadakis
Dr. Papadakis is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Crete, specializing in integrating emerging technologies into preschool and primary education. His research focuses on mobile learning, computational thinking, and the pedagogical application of machine learning and AI in early childhood education.
More information about the event on the hub!
How to join?
If you are not a member of EDEH yet
1- Register to the European Digital Education Hub: I can join the hub here! Indeed, as a kind reminder, you will only be able to access the meeting if you are a member of the Hub! To access the meeting please register at least 5 days in advance.
The Hub (EDEH) is a MSTeams Group. In a few days you will receive an invite from the European Commission to formally join (check your inbox and spam). You can follow the instructions to finalise your registration and discover the platform.
If you already are a member of EDEH
1- Register for the event (to receive reminders and not miss it!)
2- Connect to EDEH - GRP-European Digital Education Hub | Général | Microsoft Teams
3- Join us on the Collaborative Inquiry Channel, on the day of the event, you will see the "Join meeting" appear 15 minutes before the beginning of the meeting. Just click on it to join! (see screenshot below). No meeting link or ID necessary. You can check the Collaborative Inquiry Channel link to verify that you can access the Hub correctly.
The European Digital Education Hub (EDEH) is an initiative of the European Commission, funded by the Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027) and operated by a consortium of 13 organisations under a service contract with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Details
In this webinar, we will discuss how to integrate plurilingual and intercultural education into L2 and L3 English classrooms, sharing practical tasks, lesson ideas, and projects that have been successfully used in our school. The objectives of this seminar are to:
- Explore practical strategies and tools for creating an inclusive and culturally diverse classroom environment that supports language development.
- Engage in interactive activities designed for teachers to help students build on their existing linguistic skills to develop their plurilingual and intercultural competencies.
- Show how to design and adapt activities that encourage communication, collaboration, and the development of both language and cultural awareness among students.
Registration and resources