Finnish Teacher Education in Action

As part of the celebration of Helsinki - World Design Capital for 2012, the University's Department of Teacher Education has produced a series of videos about teacher education (each subtitle is the link to YouTube).  Which video clip highlights best the differences between Finland and U.S.A.'s teacher training?

Becoming aTeacher
This first video introduces the respect that the teaching profession has in Finland and why so many Finns are proud to pursue this calling.

Finnish Teacher Education
The teacher education approach emphasizes their training and preparation for the teaching to the whole child.  Teachers are required to earn a master’s degree which usually takes five years.

TeachingPractice - Reflection in Action
This video clip is of two student teachers who are working together with a supervising master teacher in a sixth grade class at the practice teaching school.  An instructor from the university (my advisor) also observes and facilitates reflection during the practice teaching. (We are in the back of the class observing this lesson.)  As I stated in an earlier post, this practice teaching series happens three times during their training.

Tribute toDiversity
This segment provides background on the teacher’s code of ethics and among the techniques the supervising teacher models for the student teachers is differentiated instruction.

Smartphone inTeaching and Learning

This is a six minute video clip about using Smartphones in class.  I am not sure how many teachers are using this technique, but it is great to see the productive use of this technology.

Progress Scheduling School Visits

So my school visits are progressing... After next week's ski holiday winter break, I will have several more schools to visit coming on the radar:

I look forward to visiting a school in Kirkkonummi (about 40 kms away) where the principal has written a problem-based mathematics curriculum and she was a Fulbright teacher about five years ago.  After the winter break, I will also have the opportunity to visit the English School in Helsinki and return to the Viikki Teacher Training School.  My Fulbright buddy Eija has also suggested several schools in the Helsinki metropolitan area that I should pursue.

I  am most excited about the ten schools that Kari Kinnunen (who is with the teachers union) has offered to coordinate for me.  Kari will initiate the contact with 5 schools in Espoo and 5 schools in Vantaa which are both right outside Helsinki, but not visited near as much as the Helsinki schools.  I continue to learn how small Finland is -- Kari had a Fulbright teacher colleague from Chicago at his school many years ago. 

My preference for most of my schools will be to establish a relationship with some teachers and return to the school several times.  Check back to see what I learn.  Any questions you wonder about?