I recently returned from Mallorca, where I joined the “4 C’s: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking” course through the “Tęsk: ateik, tobulėk, prisidėk!” (“Continue: Join, Grow, Contribute!”) project run by the Lithuanian National Education Agency. This project is funded by the European Social Fund+ and co-financed by the European Union. 

During the intensive course, I worked with teachers from 6 different countries to explore creative thinking, strengthen both verbal and non-verbal communication skills, develop empathy and assertiveness, and learn strategies for collaboration and critical thinking that help students analyse information and form independent opinions. 

I posted a short article about this experience on social media and, interestingly, one comment said that going on such a course is pointless because everything can be found online for free. 

What do you think? Is it really worth attending courses abroad when so much is available online? Why (or why not) do you think international courses are still relevant for teachers today?