eTwinning for future teachers: teacher educators' group

The PAST: (Pre) Historical Adventures in Storytelling and Teaching project is an international educational initiative aimed at enhancing the historical thinking, narrative construction, and critical analysis skills of pre-service teachers. Conducted in collaboration with universities from Türkiye, Kosovo, and Spain, the project integrates film analysis, historical inquiry, and digital storytelling to create an innovative, interdisciplinary learning environment.

Over 8 weeks, pre-service teachers and teacher educators from diverse faculties and departments participated in structured activities including the analysis of historical films and documentaries, group discussions, digital storyboard creation, and critical reflection exercises. Participants were organized into thematic groups focusing on four key areas: Megalithic Structures and Civilizations, Geographical and Cultural Transfers, Language and Communication, and Everyday Tools and Artifacts.

The data collected through surveys and open-ended reflections reveal several key outcomes:

• A majority of participants demonstrated increased confidence in identifying historical sources, recognizing anachronisms, and building historical perspective.
• Students emphasized the importance of historical accuracy in media and the role of empathy in understanding different periods.
• They reported a heightened awareness of narrative structure and critical engagement with historical representations in visual media.
• Many expressed a desire for more artistic and interactive approaches, such as drama or role-play, in future iterations of the project.

The project also encouraged collaborative, cross-university engagement, offering participants valuable experience in teamwork, historical storytelling, and academic communication.(See one of the group products, https://prezi.com/view/GFcGxO2Rt6CHYBMQLoxN/ )

Ultimately, PAST succeeded in fostering a deeper, multidimensional understanding of history and teaching, equipping future educators with tools to approach the past—and its narratives—with both analytical precision and creative insight. Resources and activities are available on the Twinspace https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/etwinning/projects/past-pre-historical-adventures-storytelling-and-teaching/twinspace/pages 

PAST: (Pre) Historical Adventures in Storytelling and Teaching projesi, katılımcıların tarihsel düşünme, anlatı kurma ve eleştirel analiz becerilerini geliştirmeyi amaçlayan eğitim fakülteleri öğrencileri için hazırlanmış bir eTwinning faaliyetidir.

Proje boyunca mikro dersler, tarihsel gerçeklik çalışmaları ve yaratıcı yazma etkinlikleri gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Uluslararası ortaklıkla çevrim içi ve eş zamanlı yürütülen proje disiplinlerarası bir öğrenme sürecinde ve dört tematik grup altında tasarlanmıştır.

📌 Megalitik Yapılar ve Uygarlıklar
📌Coğrafi ve Kültürel Transferler
📌Dil ve İletişim
📌Günlük Araçlar ve Eserler

Her grup, mentör akademisyenler rehberliğinde MÖ 10.000 yılına uzanan tarihsel unsurları akademik kaynaklar ışığında araştırarak, özgün hikâyelere dönüştürmüş ve öğrendiklerini dijital panolara aktarmıştır.

Katılımcıların geri bildirimleri, tarih öğretimine eleştirel bir bakış açısı geliştirebildiklerini, hikâye anlatımı yoluyla tarihi daha anlamlı bir şekilde kavrayabildiklerini ve farklı ülkelerden akranlarıyla iş birliği içinde üretim yapabildiklerini ortaya koymuştur.

💚 Bağlantıda, "Dil ve İletişim" temalı Grup Çalışması - Prezi Sunumu dijital pano örneğine yer verilmiştir. https://lnkd.in/dNSkDdBX

🌻 Katılımcılar tarafından önerilen ileri okuma listesine bu bağlantıdan ulaşabilirsiniz. https://lnkd.in/dvzvs35M

Projeye katkı veren tüm katılımcılarımıza teşekkürlerimizle..

 ⏰ Upcoming ⏰

Title: Challenges in implementing eTwinning projects at the university 

Description: The goal of this session is to explore the complexities of adapting an initiative originally designed for primary and secondary education to a higher education environment. It identifies key challenges such as aligning the eTwinning methodology with university curricula, overcoming administrative and cultural barriers, addressing technical integration issues, and ensuring effective engagement among faculty, students, and external partners. The session will also suggest strategies for overcoming these obstacles, including tailored professional development, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and adapting project frameworks to meet the unique demands of the university setting. All in all, together we will find problems, share them, and solve them. 

📅Date: 26 May 2025 

⏰Time: 17:00 – 18:00 CET 

🌍Location: Join the session by clicking here 

Title: Input in the EFL Classroom: Theory and Practice 

 Description: Over the second half of the XX century, research and theoretical developments in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) have advanced our understanding of the role of input, e.g. VanPatten's framework of input processing (1996), Krashen in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Long (1981), expanding on Krashen's proposals by focusing on the critical role of interaction for SLA. This session is planned to be a mix of the why behind what's done in EFL classes regarding input with applicable practice. 

📅Date: 21 May 2025 

⏰Time: 16.30 CEST

🌍Location: Join the session by clicking here 

 Speaker: Aneta Naumoska 

Sevgili Öğretmen Adayları,

Sizleri, 9 Mayıs 2025 Cuma günü, Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Hamide Kılıç rehberliğinde gerçekleşecek olan "Kahramanın Hikayesi" başlıklı ilham verici etkinliğimize davet ediyoruz.

Bu etkinlikte, MÖ 10000 filmi ile bağlantılı kahramanlık kavramı üzerine bireysel ve toplumsal bir bakış geliştirecek, kendi yaşam öykünüzü ve eğitim yolculuğunuzu yeniden keşfetme fırsatı bulacaksınız. Sınıf içinde fark yaratacak bir öğretmenin hikâyesi nasıl yazılır, birlikte düşüneceğiz.

🕗 Saat: 20:30
📍 Yer: PAST Project Google Meet

Dear Teacher Candidates,

You are warmly invited to an inspiring session titled “The Hero's Journey: His Story & Your Story” led by Dr. Hamide Kılıç, on May 9, 2025 (Friday).

In this reflective event, we will explore what it means to be a hero, connected to the movie 10,000 BC, in society. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your own story, your values as a teacher, and how to shape your journey to make a difference in the future classroom and beyond.

🕗 Time: 20:30 TRT
📍 Location: PAST Project Google Meet

Sevgili Öğretmen Adayları,
Sizleri, 7 Mayıs 2025 Çarşamba günü, Doç. Dr. Ahmet Göçen rehberliğinde gerçekleşecek olan “Hikâye Nedir? Hikâye Kurma Atölyesi” etkinliğimize davet ediyoruz. Bu atölyede, MÖ 10000 filmi ile bağlantılı hikâye anlatımının temellerini keşfedecek, yaratıcı düşünme becerilerini geliştirme fırsatı bulacaksınız. 

Tarih: 7 Mayıs 2025
Saat: 20:30 TRT
Yer: PAST Project Google Meet

Dear Future Teachers,
You are kindly invited to our  “What Is a Story? Storytelling Workshop, which will be held on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and led by Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Göçen. In this interactive session, we will explore the fundamentals of storytelling relating to the 10000 BC Movie and enhance our creative thinking skills. You will also experience practical techniques for building stories that can be used in classrooms, educational projects, and beyond.

Date: May 7, 2025
Time: 20:30 TRT
Location: PAST Project Google Meet

The eTwinning (ITE) project titled PAST: (Pre) Historical Adventures in Storytelling and Teaching has officially been launched through the collaboration of Manisa Celal Bayar University, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Bartın University, Afyon Kocatepe University, and İnönü University from Türkiye; Prizren Ukshin Hoti University from Kosovo; Zaragoza University from Spain; and Verona University from Italy.

The project brings together 10 academics and 26 future teachers and will be conducted over 8 weeks. Throughout the project, participants will engage in group-based activities focusing on a movie which includes Megalithic Structures and Civilizations, Geographical and Cultural Transfers, Language and Communication, and Everyday Tools and Artifacts.

The primary aim of the project is to foster critical thinking skills among future teachers, enabling them to approach (pre)historical content with a critical perspective, and to enhance their skills in protagonist and story analysis, research and discussion.

Through micro-teaching sessions, participants will be introduced to key concepts about the movie related to historiography and historiophoty. Moreover, by following the protagonist's journey within narrative structures, participants will be encouraged to generate inquiry-based questions and engage in group discussions for the analytical exploration of storylines.

The project ultimately aims to contribute to the professional development of future teachers by offering innovative approaches to history education and enhancing their critical and reflective thinking abilities.