Creative and participatory methods

Creative and participatory methods and monitoring

Jari Aho

Model of work in the week:

Warm-up> action > reflect and share > process (conceptualize, reasoning, ideas...)

Creative learning refers to the process of teaching using an imaginative approach in order to make learning more interesting, exciting and effective.

Useful methods for warming up.

1) students are walking in a circle and choose 2 people to make up an even triangle but they should not notice that they are followed. Everybody is moving and triangle also, the student have to always change the location to keep the even triangle. At the end everybody announce their observers.

2) students walk in a circle and find one person to follow and observe, they should not notice it. Also  the student should try to notice who is following him/her and do teacher's orders (go closer to your observer, follow him, stay in front of him).

3) put yourself in a circle according to the first letter of your name. Step forward, say your name and do a movement (funny, exercise, salto, clapping hands). Then others should repeat it. And so on.

4) circle puzzle. A group of 5-7 students should stay in a circle and take each other's hands. One student holds two different students' hands, 1 hand for 1 person. They make a net, their task is to make up a circle again without leaving the hand, always holding hands.

Methods for activity

1) net with thread: throw the thread saying smth in common between you and the person you are throwing at. After some throws you can notice a net.

2) jigsaw- collaborative group work. Home group: 1234, 1234, 1234, 1234. Expert group 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444. Learning group, I.e. Home group 1234, 1234, 1234, 1234.

3) learning cafe. Home group again the same. In Learning group member 1 of each group stays other members follow together to next group. After some time all the groups move to next group with the same members. So every group's 1 member stays and explains other group members their work while the members of this group goes around to other groups and make some comments, additions. At the end #1 of each group comes to board and presents their work with additions made by other group's members. So everyone can enjoy the result.

4) 6-3-5 where 6 is number of students, 3 is number of paper given for each student, they can write only one wish, word....on one paper, 5 is minutes given for each circle. Circle 1: 6*3=18 words. Then the card of 1st student goes to the second student, and so on 6 circles. Circle 2: the same. So there are 6 circles, 108 words. 50% of these words are common ones describing the theme, common problems, wishes...

5) sociometric method

Caisa and SIMo in Helsinki

22.05.2014

Caisa cultural centre

It is situated in the centre just near the railway station. It is easy to get for foreigners. They can gather here, get information, celebrate cultural national holidays, have a room, hall for conferences, parties, exhibition. This week they had an exhibition of African week. We could enjoy design, art of African tribes. There were amazing, beautiful ornaments, pictures depicted on clothes. They colored materials with natural dying plants, drew pictures by hands. These masks are made from pans, recycled materials. The pictures in the gallery mostly refer to abstractionism. Women's images, spiritual images, non existing creatures are depicted on the pictures.

 

CIMO - Centre for International Mobility

CIMO is independent organization under the Ministry of Education and Culture. 

CIMO provides information about internationalization, supports international communication in education, funds projects, individuals, universities and schools for internationalization all over Finland. Then universities decide whom they will spend abroad. Some unis send apply to CIMO, prove their afficiency, prove efficacy of previous projects and ask for funding international projects, events.

CIMO itself is funded by National Board of Education, European Union, different programs, other external sources.

Most international degree students in Finland are from Russia, China, Vietnam, Nepal, Estonia, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Germany. International students ratio is 1/10. They apply for university, take exams of university. Education is free till 2016 then is unknown, No scholarship.

Finnish students go to study to UK, Estonia, Sweden, Germany. Approx 600 students every year.

The most valuable competences appreciated by employers in foreign workers in Finland.

Traditional competences: tolerance, language skills, cultural knowledge.

New: resilience, curiosity, productivity.

Useful:

Erasmus + programme started this year and will continue for 7 years.

Information for foreign students can be found in:

Studyinfinland.fi

Cimo.fi

Tampere

Sara Hilden's museum

There was an exhibition of an American painter, photographer Andy Warhof (1928-1987). The exhibition came from Pittsburg, the USA. 

 He was the leading figure of new movement at that time - pop art. His art covers different themes such as death chamber, animals (a cow), celebrities ( Marilyn Monroe, F. Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Mao Tse Dun), sex (formal, informal orientation), knives, emotional photos and short documentary films, abstractionism, everyday objects, dollar sign, puzzles with numbers to paint, Myth series (Mickey Mouse, witch, Uncle Sam, Mata Hari, Santa, lady from Gone with the wind, Dracula, Superman, Howdy Doody, the Shadow of himself). He used pink and yellow colors a lot, also he liked to show one picture in different colors, shadows, one main color, ex, in blue, in white.

He had great impact on American and world art, brought some new ideas, openness, crazyness to art, design and style. He had mental disease in childhood and it affected a lot on his works. Most of his works are strange, crazy, mad, furious, fearing, disgusting. But some are interesting: Myth series, emotional pictures and video.

TAKK - Tampere adult education centre

Established in 1962

It is a private educational institution but studies are free here. Funding is provided by National board of education, government, companies, Ministry.

4000 students daily.

100 + qualifications

It gives vocational education for immigrants: basic, intermediate, higher.

Qualifications: ICT, security, electricity, metal work, heating,logistics, painting, health care, tourism and catering, management...

Integration and multicultural training in TAKK

Since 1989

250 students daily

30 language teachers

Initial assessment of language level, study path.

Language training is 10 months by 10 week models based on National core curriculum.

Language level is taught till B 1 level.

Literacy training: 5 months+ 5 if necessary

Especially for those adults who cannot read and write

Preparatory training for vocational training

20 + 20 credits. 40 weeks based on National core curriculum.

New internet training course based on Lynk software. You can do video conferences, video lessons online and send them, PPT, excel, word docs, messages online. The programm works on voice. It shows on screen that person who is speaking during the conference for example.

During studies average scholarship is 700 euro per month.

It is enough to live. Country pays 60% of apartment rent. But there is high unemployment among immigrants. The service tries to help with working place. Apartments are given on credit with 0%. But they are expensive. For example, 2 roomed flat costs 200 thousand euro.

We had a talk with studying immigrants from Afghanistan, Russia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Curdistan. They like their studies and life but they are worried about employment.

Sites: 

Kotisuomessa.fi

Takk.fi/en

Private: tornado American roller coaster for the first time!!!

Talented students support

Excellence in skills

Thomas Eernola

Piria Tuomonen

Every student is talented in some way. Teachers have to recognize their talents (abilities) and help them to develop them.

Gardner's 8 areas of intelligence:

1) linguistic/verbal intelligence

2) logical/mathematical intelligence

3) musical intelligence

4) bodily-kin esthetic intelligence

5) spatial intelligence

6) naturalist intelligence

7) interpersonal intelligence

8) intrapersonal intelligence.

Learning styles:
1) Visual
2) Oral (auditory-musical)
3) Verbal (lingusitic)
4) Physical (kinesthetic)
5) Logical (mathematical)
6) Social (interpersonal)
7) Solitory (intrapersonal)

Skills competition: students competition + company's exhibition

Colleges do not train teachers. They are trained at university.

It is possible to study simultaneously in vocational school and upper-secondary school.
Vocational school - 3 years, upper secondary school - 3 years, and if simultaneously 3-4 years.
But it is difficult. They get certificate from voc school and school certificate and take matriculation exam but there is limit: only 4 subjects). 

If a student goes to vocational school after upper-secondary, he/she can study at voc school for 2 years only.
If after some other qualification, study at voc school will take 1 year, making individual plan on only necessary courses. It is competence based education.

Useful:
1) to create smth new you need to view on boundaries of different areas (music and electricity, language and gardening)
2) Learning cafe method: group work. Each group discusses and draws a picture or writes their thoughts, then choose a person in charge who will stay at this table and is responsible for presentation their ideas to other group members while other members of this group will move to another tables and listen to their person on charge and add some own ideas. It is good for sharing ideas. At the end a man in charge takes the poster and presents the ideas of the group and generated ideas by other group members. + questions.

Special needs education

05-09th of May, 2014

In Finland at special needs classes they educate, deal with general development, upbringing. 

Attitudes towards disabled people in history:

- persecution 

- pity

- active rehabilitation.

There are 2 types of attitude between sn people and society:

- integration is child's adapting to the host environment

- inclusion is the host adapting in order to meet the needs of the child.

Special needs children:

- handicapped

- blind, deaf, mute, sensor problems

- with learning disabilities (dyslexia, discalculia, reading, writing disabilities, keeping info in mind, right and left side brain interaction disturbance, disbalance)

- with behavioral problems

- with study problems

These students have Individual Educational Program. It's goal: progress monitoring to ensure adequate progress. Teacher write goals for individual student, parents give advice, see, agree on it. Then they can see if the goals are reached at the end.

Youth guarantee

Youth are people under 25 years old. According to this new project the government helps for all young people gain access to education, learning and employment.

After the 9th grade a person can go to:

- vocational start - one year to think and decide what you are interested in and where to go.

- 10th grade - a person with bad marks can improve their education. Studies are individual. There is at least one such a course in every town. Approx 15 students study their.

- my own career - in 8-10 grades. For those who have study, behavioral problems. They go to companies and work their for free, changing the sphere of work every 6 weeks.   3 days at company, 2 days at school for basic education to take exam after the 9th grade.

- home economics education- learn housekeeping, everyday skills - 6 months.

- workshop for young people - profession practice, learning by doing: metal work, furniture, wood work, work on client's order - 6 months. Organized by municipalities and educational institutes. Also there is a National workshop association - non gov org. It produces training, development, info services.

- apprenticeship - people work and complete a qualification while working. For people over 20 years old.

- labour market training - is organized by Employment and economic development office. People can find a job, learn new skills, new profession here.

Useful: 

1) tutors brought wheel-chairs, black glasses and ear phones and we realized how it is difficult to be handicapped.

2) kiipula visit

3) logical toys

4) info about helping programs

Kiipula vocational school

06.05.14

Kiipula vocational school for special needs students.

It was founded  in 1945.
It is situated 30 km away from Hameenlinna.
Turnover: 28.7 mln euros,
Staff: 402
Students: 600
Finance: 37000 euros per year is for one student

Mission:

We create to our customers new possibilities and solutions to improve their working and functional  capacity, welfare and success.

Values

Poductivity

Courage

Partnership

Fairness

This college takes care of: disabled people, people having behaviour problems, people needing rehabilitation, prisoners. Education, lunch and working and learning materials are free.

Departments:

1) Vocational college (special and adult education)
2) the Garden
3) The rehabilitation Centre

The vocational school consists of some 1-2 storey buildings with less classrooms but more workshops and computer classes, practice rooms; garden; greenhouses; shop; cafe; dormitory; gym. In every place students work and learn by doing, mentors and assistants lead their work and help them. Cafes, shops are working like real ones, even book-keeping is hold by special needs students. There are some full of flowers and tomatoes greenhouses which are well-equipped, have every machinery, even those which put soil into pots. Everything is automatic, easy to maintain. The products of greenhouses are used in school restaurant and sold to nearby towns. This is business but it is not enough to keep these greenhouses.

Preparatori I course is for those who don't know where to apply after the 9th grade, students with behavioral problems
Preparatory II: guidance and education for disabled people to work and independent living. They do not participate in education and training leading to a qualification.
Preparatori II is modified for prisoners.
Both need from 40 to 120 credits, study from 1 to 3 years.

Learning is in small groups, do practical projects, do on-the-job learning.

There are dormitories where disabled and difficult students can live and communicate, have friends and change their behavior. 250 places in dormitory.

There are 20 000 students with special needs, and approx. 4500 of them attend special needs vocational schools, others who are more able go to common vocational schools, or universities.

Guidance Taina Poutanen

The seminar was about Career counseling at universities.

It must be done not only by counsellors but also teachers, tutors, principal, other staff. They have functions divided table for counseling students.

They prepare students at university to be interviewed at work place. They have voluntary courses for it.

She gave us a list of the most valuable transferable skills in the future:

Useful: self-knowledge method

Drawing a hand where every finger introduces skills, qualities, knowledge, experience, networks and source of energy in heel of their hand. A student can draw a finger to show for how much he or she has this competence or with different colors. It shows how much he or she needs to learn further.

Study counseling Paivi Pukkila

Study counseling

C works at school. 1 C = 250 students

To become a C a person should have teacher education and 60 ECTS (60*27) course of counsellor. 

C is not a psychologist. C does not give answers, c and student search for answers together. 

C works at secondary, upper sec, vocational schools and universities, not primary school.

Functions of a C:

Comprehensive school:

- objectives are set by a national curriculum

- class based lessons 76 hours:

7th grade: self knowledge, learning skills

8th grade: professions, occupations

9th grade: upper secondary school.

- personal counseling

- study visits, work experience, periods

- cooperation with parents, student welfare team

- national joint application system (grade 9) - students electronically apply to 5 different places to study after 9th grade

- transfer to the next school level

Upper sec school:

- objectives are set by nat curric

- one compulsory course in counseling

- personal counseling

  Planning the studies and courses

  Matriculation examination

  Career counseling

- tutoring students' training

- student welfare team

- marketing

Stages of group development

1) forming

2) storming

3) norming

4) performing

5) adjourning

The key areas of counseling discussion

1) preparation

2) starting, warm up

3) counsellor's roles

4) communication and dialogue. Pay attention to 'hot words'.

5) interventions

6) ending

7) documentation and reflection

Interruption styles

1) acceptance: empathy, listening to stud.

2) catalytic - open questions, help in decision making

3) confrontational: inconsistency between what. Student says and does

4) prescriptive: c.works as an expert in a situation and offers a solution.

Useful warm up exercises:

Sociogram: 

1) stand in a circle according to your birthdays, first letter of your name, age

2) say "what you are good in" - students are staying in a circle

3) in circle one students stands up and asks: "am I the only one who ..." (Visited France, has 2 children)

    If it is true for someone too, he or she stands up and a speaker says another sentence till nobody stands up. Then another person in a circle stands up and asks.

Warm-up:

in pairs count 1-2-3 many times. Then clap hands-  2 -3 many times

    Then clap hands - stamp feet - 3 many times.

    Then clap hands - stamp feet - shrug your shoulder.

 Feedback metaphors:

As a student I am .....

As a teacher I am ....

As a good counsellor I am ...

Jukka's teaching to use moodle as a teacher

Today Jukka Niinimaki taught us how to create a course and develop it in the moodle.

We learnt

- organizing the page

- importing docs

- enrolling students

- creating forums, assignments, groups

- creating and importing tests

Moodle must be bought by an organization not an individual. We can ask access permission from administrator to create our course and do it with login and password. It is very convenient place for teachers and students to communicate, exchange docs, get news, do tests and assignments...

The main point is to press Turn to editing on and then start modifying the course as a teacher. 

The most necessary buttons: 

- resources ( we can upload file, folder, video, ppt, web page, page,book, PDF, picture)

- activities (forum, assignments, wiki, quiz...)

- settings (edit settings, groups, enroll members, import...)

A lot of commands in details are in the copybook.

Assessment day 2

15.04.14

Ice breaking method:

Self-assessment method. We can ask any question concerning student's, colleague's mood, thoughts, attitude, feeling after lesson, after working in group, feelings before and after the lesson. Offer them some toys, pictures, draw a picture, items to choose and then describe and answer the question. It makes situation friendly, informal, good to know their minds.

Wilma - electronic register of all Finland schools. Marks, schedule, students formative as comments, letters for parents, study programs.

Self and peer assessment method:

Teacher gives students group work, students do it and then T hands out a paper to each student where 3-4 questions are written. Questions are connected to student's group work behavior, presentation ... The questions are written in lines and student' names are in columns. For self as one column should be: self assessment where. A student will evaluate himself or herself.

We did this method themselves as students. Group work task was making up 4 types of assessment for 1 course, subject over the period of 1-2 months. Assessment types: pre-assignment task (before the course starts), assessment in the beginning of the course (on the first lesson), ass during the course, final assessment. 

Assessment day1

14.04.14

Irma Kunnari, MEd, Principal lecturer

Final assessment: vocational school - competence test

                             Upper sec sch- Matriculation exam

                             9th and 6th grade - national test. School decides to take them or not. Some schools do not take these exams but schools of Helsinki decided to take them. School autonomy

In Finland formative and summative as are not called so in curricula and everyday speech.

Formative as - learning evaluation: as of learning, ass for learning, feedback, as during the studies.

Summ ass - final ass.: as related to learning objective, competence based as, evidence of competence, final as.

Warm-up method: to get the idea of students mood, aim we can use cards with different pictures of animals having various types of mood and doing different things. Students take one card and then give reasons why they chose it.

Useful: Finnish curricula of different levels

            

Taitaja 2014

09.04.14

International Seminar at the Finnish National Skills competition:

Work based learning (WBL) as a sustainable practice in Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Lahti

Morning: Seminar

Afternoon: Skills competition - Taitaja

Over 50 countries participated in seminar. 9 speakers were speaking about vocational education, WBL, apprenticeship, their country's practice, ... The scale of the exhibition was enormous. It was organized by Salpaus Further Education.  It was the biggest exhibition I have ever seen. Students were eager to participate and win. It was also an advertising event for companies and colleges. I think everybody got their benefit: students, companies and vocational schools and of course me. I spent a splendid time their with my husband and group.

Over 300 students of VET participated in skills competition. Students competed in different areas: construction, repair work, cooking, landscape design, plumber's work, sewing, laboratory work, ICT, car repairing by hands and with autorobot equipments, construction with wood, ...

Some services were being done by VET students: hair modelling, massage, nail colouring, hands massage, 3D printer (names on plastic).

Companies were advertising their products, services at exhibition. There were big and small enterprises such as Wurth (hardware, car parts,cars), Kiitolinja (communication), Bosch (bicycle engine), ABB, ICT Academy, Lahden Seutu (horse industry), Salpaus (cars, tracks, tractors selling), Orfer (robotics), Teklab (Technology), Sew Eurodrive, Sick Sensow Intelligence,  Fazer (bread, chocolates), Sampo (kitchen equipment), Autorobot, Mirka (building construction), Metsa Wood (construction with wood - buildings), 

Kaeser Kompressorit, Tikkurila (repair work materials), Vex Robotics () Lahti Kotihoidon (emission free car selling company), ...
Things I liked the most:
- Finnish enthusiasm to develop VET
- second speaker who talked about WBL and professional skills in the European context
- Salpaus company's competition: 8 students doing all 8 different works connected to loading, unloading, shipping the cargo on various working machines in time
- bicycle exhibited by Bosch which goes with engine: electricity.

For more info: taitaja2014.com

Jukka Niinimaki

Week 7

ELearning/MLearning and Pedagogical models

Tutor: Jukka Niinimaki

There are 4 types of ELearning:

1) Contact Learning (F-t-F): timetables, materials tasks at web. Tutoring and assessment are at contact learning.

2) Blended learning: Contact periods + learning at web. Tutoring and assessment are partly at contact period, partly at web.

3) Self-learning at web: no teacher, only self-evaluation. Learning for yourself and by yourself

4) Collaborative learning at web: Tutoring and assessment are in web. Peer assessment isimportant.

New:
Word press = google site blog. It's an alternative. He says it's more professional.

Popplet: it's a tool to create different schemes, spider maps, brainstorming maps. It's free.I have learnt to use in 5 minutes, very easy, but useful. You can add as many boxes as you wish. Also there are more different forms.
 Example of Popplet:

Sanna

Week 5

Sanna Ruhalahti

Site creation:
1) google sites - create - choose form - name your site ...

2) ucoz.com

Questionnaire and test creation:
1) Google Drive - Create - Form
Don\t forget to put Name as the first question. There are different types of questions. You can send tests via Google+, Facebook, Twitter. Answers are given in "Otvety" in Google Drive.
2) msocrative.com
3) flubaroo.com

They can check and give you statistics, ANSWERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER ANSWERING THE TESTS.

Jouni Day 3

Jouni enqvist
Day 3

Concepts of teaching

1) authentic learning
Students are interested in their learning, are motivated if what they are learning mirrors real life contexts, equips them with practical and useful skills, and addresses topics that are relevant and applicable to their lives outside of school.
There is no right or wrong answers. There are many potentially correct answers like in actual scientific theories and findings. There are open ended questions, complex problems. It is interdisciplinary like life itself - no compartmentalized. Students will have to apply multiple skills or domains of knowledge in any given educational, career, civic or life situation.
AL is intended to encourage students to think more deeply, raise hard questions , consider multiple forms of evidence, weigh competing ideas, investigate contradictions, navigate difficult problems and situations.

2) scaffolding (леса, подростки)
S is instructional techniques used to move students toward stronger understanding and greater independence in learning. Teachers provide successive levels of temporary support that help students. Reach higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition that they would not be able to achieve without assistance. Also S can reduce negative emotions in learning process.

3) relevance
Personal relevance occurs when learning is connected to an individual student's interests, aspirations, life experiences.
Life rel occurs when learning is connected to real world issues, problems and contexts outside of school.

4) ZPD - zone of proximal development.
It is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.

DIANA model Dialogical authentic net learning activity
Cornerstone A: creating common ground for online learning
Cornerstone B: authenticity in Online learning
Cornerstone C: dialogic activities In online learning
Cornerstone D: reformulating tasks and problems and developing proficiency in online learning

Useful sites: 

1) http://www.freewebarcade5.net/media/the-scale-of-the-universe-2.swf
It shows a scale of Universe, the least 10 (-35), the biggest 10 (27): the universe. It's amazing to see different things in scale and get info about this  thing if you click on it.

2) http://www.webelements.com/pictures.html
This site contains elements of Mendeleyev's periodic table which can be seen via different sciences. Biology also. 

Jouni day. 2

31.03

We studied STEM integration not only stem but also other subjects are possible to integrate with them. See PPT presentation in Finland file in computer.

21st Centuty skills 

We were talking about  a list of skills well-known as "21st Century Skills" (http://www.imls.gov/about/21st_century_skills_list.aspx) and discussed how much they are appropriate to different subjects. I found out that not every skill is suitable for every subject but in different degree they can be used by teachers and students. 

STEM integration

How to motivate students to learn? If students know why and what they are  learning  they will be more motevated.  Students should be able to transfer their knowledge and skills from one subject to another. So it can be possible by making connections across disciplines. 

LUMA Luonnontiede ja matematikka

Also it was interesting to found out about levels of integration like sequenced, parallel, partial, enhanced and total. 

Some usefull websites were offered by Jouni Enqvist:

 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm - is a free and open peer reviewed collection of online teaching and learning materials and faculty-developed services contributed and used by an international education community.

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/discussions/ - math forum 

http://www.howstuffworks.com/ - is the award-winning source of credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works.

http://www.hippocampus.org/ - is a free, core academic web site that delivers rich multimedia content--videos, animations, and simulations--on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers and college professors, and their students, free of charge.

http://eu.ixl.com/ - IXL is  about helping students learn maths

http://www.learnerstv.com/ - is a comprehensive site providing downloadable Video lectures, Online Tests.

Jouni Enqvist day1

31.03.14
Day 1

Tutor: Jouni Enqvist

PK + CK = PCK
PK - pedagogical knowledge
CK - content knowledge
PCK represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular aspects of subject matter are organized, adapted, represented to instruction.

Lee Shulman is a  father of PCK (1986-1987)

In 1990s technologies developed greatly and they began to appear in every sphere and in education.
So TPCK or TPaCK appeared: technological PCK

TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies.

Useful info:
1) Wolfram Demonstration Project - site
* for different subjects
*games, puzzles
* different types of textual analysis
* books reader
*3 D pictures, demonstrations
* maths, physics tasks, graphs

2) Wolfram Alpha site: wolframalpha.com
It;s a search engine:
*a lot of areas of humanities, social, science, art...
* possible to ask questions
* dictionary
* can do comparative analysis
* can solve maths tasks
*statistics
Press "examples" and see its functions, subject areas, possible question to ask.

My lesson at Seminaarin Koulu

27.03.14

I conducted a lesson at grade 6 and showed Presentation about Kazakhstan at grade 5. 

Grade 6

9 students

Theme:  countries, sports

Aim: introduce Kazakhstan to Finnish students, give some info about Canada, England.

The lesson went well, students were interested, active, did everything quickly only some students were slow and could not say Kazakhstan.

1) I showed ppt presentation and video about RK.

2) questions

3) group work. Match info about RofK, Canada and England with pictures. Students we're passionate to do it.

4) stick them on poster and decorate it.

5) prepare presentation of poster. Every member should speak.

6) presentation. Everybody listened to each other. But students talked very quietly and some students didn't hear. 

7) did a comprehension test, gave feedback: smile, neutral, sad face.

Assessment: formative

Some Students have heard about R of K thanks to London Olympiad, one student's uncle went to Astana.

There were 3 students in each group. The students’ levels of the English language proficiency were different but it wasn’t a matter for them. Stronger students helped weaker ones. Every student took part in group discussion, presentation.

I tried to make a lesson communicative, used individual approach. It was practical lesson where students improved their skills to read, speak, communicate. Groups had to speak about their country and make others know about it. I told them it but during presentation some students were shy, and spoke in a very low voice that it was difficult to hear for other students. That is why some new information, especially about Canada, wasn’t understood by other students. May be it’s my fault: if I had known that they spoke so I would have asked others to come to whiteboard and listen to a speaker in a close distance.

As test showed students understood the theme well: 4 students answered without any mistakes, five students had one mistake out of 5. Almost everybody drew a smile, only 3 drew a neutral face. To my mind it’s a good result for first time.

Grade 5    Students: 23.

I showed them only presentation about Kazakhstan. 1 student knows about RK: London Olympiad.

Riihimaki schools

Date: 25.03.2014

Place: Riihimaki town 1. Comprehensive school
                                     2. Riihimaen Lukio

1. In Comprehensive school we saw the class of Home economy subject. Studying this subject students learn how to cook, to clean the house, use washing machine, household devices,  everything concerning home affairs. Boys and girls study together and learn one and the same things together. There is no gender differentiation. It is unusual for our schools to have such a subject. The classroom looks like two kitchens, with some tables where students can sit, write, study home economics. It is well equipped, has a lot of items of household.

2. I liked Riihimaen Lukio better. We listened to school principal and a project leader Aleksi Lahti.
What amazed me a lot was the fact that in spite of his very young age, about 26, he studied a lot, he is very clever. He studied history, economics, statistics, law. He is a double master, studied at 3 Universities.
He spoke about the project he led. 8 schools take part in this project. Project: using IPads in lessons. He teaches teachers to use IPads, finds, buys IPads, teaches how to use some applications.

Useful things for me:1.  m.socrative.com. Site to create and check tests automatically.
                                  2. Metacognitive thinking method.
Students write an essay in electronic form - T checks and write comments electronically - T.chooses the best, medium and the worst essays - deletes names from essays and leaves comments - gives every student his or her essay with comment and these 3 essays - Students compare his/her essay with example essays and writes the observation, comparisment - gives the Teacher. This way students understand their mistakes, see others' mistakes, compare and make conclusions for themselves. 

Kauriala lukio

Kaurialan Lukio

1st day - Visit of Principal of Kaurialan Lukio to HAMK           03.03.14

It is the biggest upper secondary school in Hameenlinna area.
 Number of students: 570
 Teachers: 32

Grade                 Number of students
1                               <25
2-6                           < 30
7-9                           < 24
10-12                       > 40

Comprehensive school is given for comparison.

As far as primary and comprehensive schools are conpulsory they are funded better than Lukios where students can choose to study or not. Principal has to manage and win different work, projects to  get money from Government. They always have 2-3 ICT projects in collaboration with city schools, are schools or alone. Also schools are funded depending on number of students.

2013     6126 E per student
2014     5870 E
2015     5620 E

These numbers are low as he said. The schools need more for student exchange, etc.

Teachers' cooperation time is 2-5 hours a week. Max 95 hours a year. They include:
- Teachers' meetings
- Team meetings
- Parents' evenings
- Planning different projects
- Planning the school together

Teacher can take sick leave 2 weeks of which are fully paid but more time needs other account.
These days approx 3.2 days a year teachers take sick leave.

Projects:

• Maths camp
• Adventure track
• Comenius - staff training
• Space weather
• International club
• Movie club
• The stories of the cards
• Music cafe
• Classical geometry in classical ballet

Assessment

Grading scale is 4-10

Today, 04.0314, we visited Kaurialan Lukio. 

The school is big, clean, beautiful. 

About Matriculation exam

Purpose: it measures maturity and knowledge

Students take School Certificate then Matriculation exam Certificate and only after it they have right to try take entrance exams of university.

General Battery of tests is divided into 2 groups, days. Subjects of each group are taken at one time. So if a student wants to take 2 subjects of 1 group he or she has to take them in different periods. For ex., you may take chemistry in spring and social studies in autumn.
Day 1 subjects:
Chemistry, Geography, Social Studies, Health Education, Religion or Ethics

Day 2 subjects:
Physics, Biology, History, Psychology, Phylosophy.

Failed exam can be retaken during next 2 periods, if a students fails again he or she has to take all the subjects again during 20 years of period.

Checking:
1- Subject teacher (then during 1 week the work must be sent to Exam Board)
2- Exam Board in Helsinki

The mark of the Board is more important.

Now exams are paper based but since 2016 it will be electronic step by step (first subjects: geography, phylosophy, German. Maths will be electronic in 2019)

About courses

There are 500 courses at this school.
1 lesson = 75 minutes
Schoolyear is 190 schooldays, i.e. 38 weeks. (In Kazakhstan 34 weeks)

Students choose courses, make up their own schedule according to the schedule of courses which has been done by principal. They don't know who will teach them. Teachers' names are not given in the schedule.
Students choose courses for 6-7 weeks, then testweek. After it they take other courses for 6-7 weeks and againg testweek, and so on.

One teacher can teach max 5 courses in 1 period. There teachers teach 2-3 subjects. For ex., one teacher teaches chemistrty and physics, or maths and physics.

For example, in chemistry: 1 compulsory course for everyone, 4 voluntary courses (if a student wants, needs) and 3 extra courses  (if a student wants, needs). These courses can be divided by the student to different years. For ex, 2 courses of chemistry can take during the 1st year, 2 courses next year.

The school has only electronic register, no paper based. Each teacher has own paper (register) where they put marks, make some notes. No checking. Teachers' don't have lesson plans.

Student Council

It consists of 2 teacher and some students. 
Student council members:

• attend teachers' meetings
• meet with the principal once a month
• evaluate the goals of the year
• take part in recruiting interviews
• decide on food
• can write complains with their names on.

Seminar and voyage to Stockholm

That morning we (Bolashak group, IB students, University staff of 3 people) arrived at Helsinki harbour to have a conference on the board and then to sail to Stockholm, Sweden. 

At first we listened to University Lecturer Dawn Aarnio who had speech on "Dealing with Change". Then spoke another lecturer. Unfortunately I didn't listen to them because I was with our daughter.

Further our group by 2-3 people showed presentations about what they had got here in Finland to be useful in Kazakhstan. All the speakers did their work very well. Everybody created something which could be taken into consideration while writing final report or report at our home-schools. Afterwards the presentations were discussed and evaluated by group-mates and University representatives.

I worked there in collaboration with the teacher from Astana school Yerniyazova Zhupat Oralovna who taught history. But our common issue was the perspective to teach Global Perspectives when we arrive. We decided to work here together, gather materials, create plans, etc. So our work started with making up a presentation describing short review of teaching GP in Kazakhstan and showing some new things we found here. As our tutor said we did well.

Conference was hold for 5 hours with one coffee-break. After conference all the members of conference were divided into groups of 4: 3 people from Bolashak group and 1 IB student or our tutor. It was done for conducting group discussions, interview in informal atmosphere. Duman, me, Yermek were in group with Mr.Lloyd (our tutor). He told us strong and weak points of our presentation and gave some advice. 

So, the more or less formal part finished and we had opportunity to enjoy perfect meal in unlimited amount in ship restaurant and have fun.

Next morning at 10 we moored to Stockholm harbour and were given time on our own till 4 o'clock. My family decided to attend Nobel Museum and see some sightseeings that's why we went to City Centre by bus. Fortunately we were not alone who decided to go there. Quite a big group of 8-9 people arrived there too. We managed to use these 4 hours in Stockholm in memorable way. We had a lot of photos, walked by Royal Palace, watched 12 o'clock-Marsh or Swedish army, visited Nobel Museum, had lunch, bought some souvenirs. At first our daughter was happy to have a walk but then she got tired and fell asleep.

We got the ship at 3.30 and continued our voyage back to Finland. 

This voyage was great. As far as we don't have seas and oceans we haven't had such a journey on a board. It was better than going to Tallin because this time we were longer, together with our daughter and spent night on the board. She played, communicated with children of different nationalities on playground, so had fun!

Visit to Seminaarin koulu

In February we have visited Seminaarin Koulu primary school.

 

Interesting, for some people may be curious, facts:

 

Primary classes: 1-6 grades

Number of students: 700

Number of teachers: 47

Teacher assistants: 26

School nurses: 2

Total staff: 90

Diverse class arrangement: 

• General Education classes - 30
• Special Education classes (for handicapped children) - 10
• Preparatory classes (for immigrants) - 1     

Ordinary and handicapped and autistic children study at one school.

The school is well equipped: 

• plenty of electronic devices
• hardware, electric working equipment for boys, a lot of sewing machines 
• teaching aids, materials
• showers, sauna

FREE: education, books, meal, pen, pencils

PAID: after class activities - 18 different clubs

NO uniform for students

10 point grade system: 10 is the highest

                                   4 is  the lowest

If a student has 4 points in 2 subjects he or she will study that grade again.

 

TEACHERS ARE GREATLY TRUSTED!!!

Welcome

Hello everybody! 

It's my new blog. You are welcome!

As far as I am in Finland I uploaded my photo from the "Finlandia" ship.