TellNet Tellnet

Policies and research acknowledge teachers' role in developing innovation in education and training practices. There is particularly a need to harness the transformative potential of ICT for innovative and effective teaching and learning approaches with the potential to equip both teachers and learners with new skills for jobs and lifelong learning. The assumption is that a Learning Network is a suitable support for competence development. Such networks can have a key role in supporting in-service teachers in their changing role, encouraging their professional development and sharing good practices. It is important to understand the dynamic and multidirectional flow of social influence within such networks.

TeLLNet is to study the eTwinning network (currently over 80 000 teachers) through visualization techniques, Social Network Analysis (SNA) and a number of complimentary methods. Identifying the main structures, actors, networks and Communities of practice that are effective in sharing practices, encouraging innovation and creativity at schools, and engaging new members is important to understand the motivations and drivers for people to be part of these networks. This will particularly enable providing better support and services and more needs-focused lifelong in-service professional development. The research focuses on identifying

1. drivers and barriers for lifelong professional development of networked teachers
2. mechanisms for disseminating practices within and across networks
3. innovating new peer-learning approaches within a European-wide teacher networks.

Project results will be embedded through

1. eTwinning networks (for National Support Services, teachers' lifelong learning and in-service professional development, as well as youth and pupils' citizenship) and 
2. European Schoolnet's education policy makers’ networks.

Project recommendations, future scenarios and research results have a significant impact at sectoral, regional, national and European level.

Roles and organisation of TeLLNet

European Schoolnet (EUN) coordinates the project using proven management strategies for coordinating networks of schools and policy-makers at European level. As Central Support Service for eTwinning, EUN runs the collaboration platform, services and has experience of supporting  teachers' online collaboration liaising directly with 31 of eTwinning National Support Services and the eTwinning Steering Committee. EUN acts as Project Manager (WP1), lead the dissemination and exploitation of project results (WP5&6), and provide quality assurance (WP7). EUN is involved in each WP to ensure that research is applicable for its networks: for school collaboration and for education policy makers at regional, national and European level.

Participating research institutes act as official WP leaders where their particular expertise is best applied:

• Visualisation and Social network analysis (WP2);
• Teachers Professional development work package (WP3); and
• Future scenarios and exercises (WP4).

Disclaimer:
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.