1. Teachers Training Pilot
The Italian experience
Alexandra Tosi
Unità nazionale eTwinning
Manchester, 22-24 May 2014

2. Primary & Pre-Primary Teacher Training
5 Years University Course – 600 hours of Traineeship, 2° to 5° year, all year round
First year of
University
2° Year
Traineeship in
school begins:
observation
3° Year
Growing n. of
traineeship
hours: assist
teacher in
school
4° Year
Co-planning of
a project with
tutor teacher
5° Year
Independent
planning of a
project
P
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S
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n

3. 3+2 years
Degrees in
a specific
discipline
* 1 Year post
graduate course,
including Traineeship
focus: methodology
and pedagogy
Public
selection
Secondary School Teacher Training
* Model applied for the first time in Italy during AY 2012/2013, only
partially repeated in 2013/2014

4. UNIVERSITY
Supervisor tutors
1 supervisor coordinates 20-40
trainees in 1 or more schools and
organizes hands on trainings
n. of Supervisros and trainees
depends on Region Population
Tutors at school
1 Tutor per 1 Trainee
n. of tutors and trainees depends on
Region Population
TRAINEESHIP AT SCHOOL, all year round

5. Schools
Work in class
University/Schools
coordination and training
University Professors
Supervisors
1 Tutor at
school
1 trainee
1 Tutor at
school
1 trainee
…
…
Supervisors
Tutors
trainees

6. AY 2012/2013
• A number of eTwinning Ambassadors were involved in
Initial Training Activities as Supervisors and spontaneusly
proposed eTwinning modules, mainly at Secondary Level
• Sharing these proposals and the first results of the EU
eTwinning Pilot within the Ambassadors network spread
the initiative to other Ambassadors collaborating with
Universities all over Italy
• Many eTwinning Ambassadors were also Tutors at school
and invited one or more trainees in their projects

7. Emilia Romagna:
Università di Bologna (S)
Lombardia:
Università Milano Bicocca (S)
Università Cattolica Milano (P)
Toscana:
Università di Firenze (S)
Marche:
Università di Macerata
Lazio:
Università Roma 3 (S)
Università della Tuscia (S)
Università Torvergata (S)
Sicilia:
Università di Palermo (P)
S=Secondary
P=Primary/Pre-Primary
Univ. eTwinning
Training
AY 2012/2013 &
2013/2014

8. 11 eTwinning modules were held in 9 Universities of 6
Regions
Very flexible: differing very much in hours, content, type of
activities, subject (many languages laboratories, general
didactic, citizenship, interculturality, ICT …), according to role and
availability of ambassadors/supervisors involved and to
University calendar and organization.
About 400 students attended eTwinning modules of
some sort.
AY 2012/2013

9. In 2012/2013 about 20* trainees (Secondary level)
registered in eTwinning Portal in the traineeship school
under the supervision of an eTwinning tutor, some of
them took part in their tutor’s eTwinning project.
400 Trained student20 registrations, only with
eTwinning tutor at schoolfew projects with tutors
* More trainees registered as normal teacher, being already temporary teachers,
others were invited as guests in the TwinSpace without registration
AY 2012/2013

10. Student attending an
eTwinning module
Student not attending
an eTwinning module
She/he can take part
to the tutor’s project
Tutor at school is an
active eTwinner
She/he cannot
register in eTwinning
Tutor at school is not
an active eTwinner
She/he can register in
eTwinning
Possible scenarios for trainees 2012/2013

11. AY 2012/2013 Secondary level, « soft » model
• No formal agreement with Universities: training
offered only when ambassadors were involved in
initial teachers training
• No international pilot projects: trainees
involved in projects if tutor at school was an
active eTwinner (sustainability)
• Registration allowed only when school
tutor/Head Master is registered and guarantees
for the trainees.

12. • The post graduate course for secondary trainees was
suspended for one year, except for few special cases.
Only 64 students in Rome were trained on eTwinning
• About 30 secondary trainees and 15 primary
trainees registered.
• The primary trainees took part to eTwinning Pilot
projects with UK and NO
AY 2013/2014

13. Primary level Pilot 2013/2014
• Three ambassadors involved in Primary Teachers’ Initial
Training as supervisors
• Recruitment of students on a voluntary base, willing to
take part in eTwinning Pilot projects (circa 15) – no
credits for eTwinning activities, very strong personal
motivation
• eTwinning registration and traing by Ambassadors
• Some students joined UK’s pilot projects beginning of
2014, some others matched with NO’s students, under
the guidance and supervision of eTwinning Ambassadors

14. • Official involvement of 4 Universities in Pilot
• Flexible approach for each University
• National path:
– Training for all students
– eTwinning promotion in placement schools
– Training to all willing tutors
– Students’ involvement in projects only if directly
followed by supervisors/ambassadors or school tutors.
Recognition?
AY 2014/2015

15. • International cooperation at all levels:
– Collaboration among Teacher Training Institutions
– Networking for teacher trainers/ambassadors
– Students’ involvement in some Pilot projects:
• student/student supervised and animated by
ambassadors for eTwinning training (TwinSpace, kits,
project planning…) and exchange of info/practice
• Students+pupils+tutor if possible and carefully planned
AY 2014/2015

17. Improvements
• Find agreements with Universities and involve more ambassadors
in ITT
• Provide more training for all tutors working in schools hosting
students that attended eTwinning courses, and also for traineeship
supervisors, in order to have more trainees involved in projects
• Allow students to register if under an ambassador’s supervision,
even if not from the school were the traineeship took place.
• More international collaboration among teachers trainers/school
tutors for practice sharing and students training on eTwinning. If
the situation allows for it (timing, pedagogical goals,
tutors/ambassadors availability etc;), students and tutors could
match up with other foreing students, given they are supervised by
a tutor that shares planning and responsibility.