Our goal was to improve the digital competences of teachers. They should get to know applications and tools of the IT sector and receive information on its adequate, meaningful use in the classroom. In doing so, we wanted to strengthen two additional areas: On the one hand, the concept of independent learning, which is written in the school programme, and on the other hand, we wanted to support the possibility of virtual student encounters or exchanges. Furthermore, we wanted to provide training in the use of e-twinning and other communication software to implement them in international student projects. Our teachers should gain more confidence to act as multipliers for IT applications or to supervise virtual international student projects. These projects should not be initiated and managed by language teachers alone. Moreover, we wanted to involve natural sciences teachers in order to integrate scientific topics. We also planned language training for administrative staff to prepare them for requests of partner schools and student visits.
The Goethe-Gymnasium is a grammar school and one of the schools in Hesse with a thematic focus on Europe (“Europaschule”) that is active in many areas. On the one hand, we prepare our students for their studies and careers. In the meantime, they need knowledge in the field of ICT. On the other hand, we encourage them to participate in social, political and economic life - in a European dimension: our pupils should support the sense of European identity . In this context, they will also have to find solutions to questions that will come up through this community and therefore need intercultural competence in order to be successful professionally in a European or in a larger international environment - but also in order to recognize the meaningfulness of the community. We as teachers can only do justice to these tasks if we ourselves have a good know-how in the field of ICT and intercultural competences or the necessary awareness. With the project we want to train teachers in these areas and raise their awareness. One of our goals was to facilitate virtual contacts between students from different European countries.