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!!!