Goals, Connecting with the Community & the Innovation Center

Yesterday, we spent most of the morning discussing the GEC (Global Education Community) and how we move forward.  Our key focuses were on goals for the next three years, collaborating components, coordinating, research, resources and more.  Our teams brainstormed these topics to develop a plan and then shared as a group.  The big idea is that we need to get the word out about the GEC, grow our network, and continue the collaboration.  I continue to see more and more, how the work we are doing with this organization is really beneficial to our students' growth and readying them for life beyond school and in the workforce.  As a team of educators, we have really been able to come together and form a single vision of where we want to take this community.  Every member of this team sees the vast potential of the GEC in their schools.  Tis has the potential to take us to some great places!

We also talked a lot about not only just being globally conscious and connected, but also having ties to your own community. I feel like one of my buildings does an amazing job of being connected to the community, mostly through service projects that every grade does each year.  I will need to continue to focus on this critical part of creating a global citizen because it is often not sued enough or even let out.

I shared what Jefferson Elementary 2nd and 3rd grade students and staff did this year for the community.  They collected ingredients to create soup bags to donate to the local community food pantry called ECHO. The students learned about how food pantries work and help their community.​    Additional projects are happening by bringing gifts to nursing homes and globally by sending needed items to a school in South Africa. We also have community members join us for literacy nights, Junior Achievement programs, teaching topics like healthy eating, Parent Teacher Associations, and more. We encourage the community to come into our schools.

During the afternoon, we were able to visit the Museum of Technology - Tekniikan museo in Finland.  "The Museum of Technology is the only general museum of technology in Finland. The Museum of Technology highlights basic technological phenomena, technical inventions and industrial processes, and tells the story about Finland and the Finns."

This place was amazing seeing all the innovations that have come from Finland or that are apart of Finland's history.

Our main focus of this visit was the three different innovative learning activities that they are offering kids and schools.  The first one was an Innovation Game.  Before I played it I was skeptical of how it would work and promote critical and innovative thinking.  Once we began to play, then I say its potential for kids.  In my school, the students would need a facilitator so that they really play the game, but with that piece, it would really get them using some higher-order thinking.

The second activity revolved around younger kids.  A blanket was made that had many items hidden within it.  It also had some pictures that tied to the app Aurasma creating some Augmented Reality.  After the students have viewed what the pictures on the carpet took them too on the iPads, they had to  find the items hidden in the blanket and choose which ones fit with the Augmented Reality.  The last part of this activity was that each person shared a piece of technology that was important in their life. After sharing we had to create our own museum display, placing the items in groupings and displaying them based upon importance.

The last activity, I think the kids must have a blast with.  The activity is called TekGame.  "In the TekGame you'll score points by solving puzzles and brainteasers about the museum objects. Developing innovations requires both creativity and knowledge. In the TekGame Creativity Consultant Aimo and Engineer Iina introduce you to Finnish innovations and at the same time test you skills as an innovator. In the end you'll discover which area was your strength in the game – knowledge or creativity. Are you an expert? Are you bold enough to share your ideas with other players on the TekGame website?"  The entire game is played with a mobile phone (older model) and the use of QR codes setup at different exhibits around the museum.

**Moment to brag..... my team took first, being the most knowledgable and creative!  Go Team Old School (Kati and me)

I was highly engaged (and competitive) and thought this activity would really get my students interested in discovering information  They would get more out of research or exploration if it is made into a game.  This game me really fun ideas for what I could do for activities in the LMC (or soon-to-be Innovation Center) for students.  

Overall the day brought forward many great news ideas I am taking away as well as planning for the future.

U.S. Embassy, Innovation, and Collaboration

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland.  It was very interesting to see and hear what they had to say.  I guess the only things that I have ever known about embassies have been from movies.... It's a place to go if you feel threatened in another country and that they work as diplomats in discussions between the US and other countries.

I did have some takeaways from the presentations that they gave.  One program that the embassy is associated with is called ARC (American Resource Center) which helps teach American culture, history, and customs. "The American Resource Center seeks to further the understanding of America and its institutions. It specializes in providing the latest and most accurate information about the U.S. government and its policies, American values, history, culture and character."  They have some great databases and curated items available to the public.  Their elibrary is a great way to get access to great resources no matter what your study.

After the visit to the embassy, we returned to the University of Helsinki for some more collaborative work.  Professor Jari Lavonen spoke on assessment in Finnish schools. Teachers are trusted so no set assessments/standardized tests are given. There is a shift towards internal, teacher-conducted procedures like alternative and formative forms of assessment so that the aim is to improve learning.  I have always thought that formative assessments were more valuable than some of the summatives.  Formatives allowed me to look at where the students are currently at right away and determine if interventions are needed while the content is fresh.  It's difficult to go back at the end of a unit, after a final quiz, to focus on an area that the child is still struggling in.

The last half of the afternoon focused on tools to promote innovation.  We did activities with manipulatives, robotics, and ones that forced us to work collaboratively and think critically.  Critical thinking is an area of focus I feel sometimes is lacking in my buildings.  The children are not really given a chance to learn by solving problems.  Too often they just look to the teacher to have them give them the answer because they don't know how to problem-solve.  Integrating critical thinking in our classrooms is not an add-on but rather a mind shift.  Critical thinking and problem-solving is something students will come across in the work force so as educators it is our job to prepare them.

One of my favorite parts of the day was when I had the moment of down time and was able to talk to a few classrooms back at my school in Janesville.  It was fun answering the questions about Finland and discussing my work here.  The kids were fascinated and excited to talk with me.  I was able to share pictures to show them the similarities and differences between our schools and our cities.

I can't express enough just how amazing and valuable this experience has been.  I have so many great ideas that I can not wait to get back and implement.  The collaborative ties that I have already created is

Finnish School System

Today, we spent most of the day touring two elementary schools just outside of Helsinki, Finland.  The first school we toured was Saunalahti in Espoo.  This is a brand new school, having only been opened in 2012.

Here is some of the directing principles of the school and the vision they have.

School Values

1.     focused on child

2.     integrity and fairness

3.     tolerance and equality

4.     sustainability

5.     sense of communication

6.     holistic wellness

Vision

The inclusive Saunalahti School is a learning and expert community that enables growing roots and wings to children.

Their Mission

A child is not brought up so that he can be as pleasant and effortless for us as he can be, but so that he can be healthy and strong to fill in his future place in the world and discover himself.” –Maria Jotuni

The sense of community and personalized learning in this building could be felt the minute you walked through the doors.  I loved walking into the classroom and seeing students all over the room working, communicating, collaborating, and investigating.  The teacher gives the students the objective and the materials, then the students go where is most comfortable to begin their work.  They are not hindered by a strict block schedule.

The second school we visited was Mantymaki Elementary School in Kauniainen.

The principal shared with us the future of his and other Finnish schools through a project called The National Dream School Project.

Although the school was not as new as the previous, the key components that make the Finnish schools so great remained the same.  We were shown more of the "handycrafts" components here with wood-working, sewing, dance, and other work that in the US we would have as electives in the middle or high schools or not a focus in school at all.

3-D Printers

As I reflect on the experiences, one big takeaway is how they move forward with no testing, whereas I feel we are now inundated with testing in the US.  Saunalahti has personlized learning plans for each student and the teachers meet with the parents at least three times a year to go over this plan and set goals for both home and at school.  More meetings to go over these goals can be made on an as needed basis if they see the current methods are not helping them meet make advances.
There is no evaluation for the teachers.  As the principal of Mantymaki said, we trust our teachers. Test scores to assess teachers doesn't make sense because all kids are different and the teaching style has to change with each class.
The teachers here have a desire to be the best in their field and always strive to continue their learning too.  As the needs of the students grow, the teachers change how they work and teach.  There are some teachers I work with that do follow this path but there are many who would rather make it easy for them or not change their ways.  It was empowering to see these teachers at work.
There is a trust in the teachers and the teachers in their students.  Recess/breaks can happen for 15 minutes every 30 minutes or as they get older some are 30 minutes after every hour.  These are not supervised by teachers, but instead it works as collaboration time for them.  The students are getting the necessary movement or brain breaks they need to stay engaged.

See the articles - Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? and How Finland Keeps Kids Focused

The days can also be very flexible.  Younger students days are not as long and some students may start early for more interventions with a small group and the rest of the class arrives later.  Then the early group dismisses before the group that arrives later.
They have clubs for the kids that may involve interests and many are run by students themselves.  This goes back again to the trust in the child or learner to use their time effectively.

If I had to put just single words to what I saw they would be personalized, fluidity, quality, trust, visibility, personalized, engaged.  I'm just in awe of how they make this happen and can only think if only we could get to that place.....

Global Education Community - Beginning the Global Collaboration with Innokas

Yesterday, I arrived in Finland to attend the some professional development with Innokas and the Global Education Community conference at the University of Helsinki.  In attendance this week I am working with fellow educators from my district, as well as educators from Parramatta Marist High School in Australia, Zhenshou Normal College Affiliated Elementary School in China, Chongqing ShanHu Experimental Experimental Elementary School in China, Koulumestarin koulu in Finland, and the University of Helsinki in Finland.  Our focus is around the Innokas Network and Innovative School (ISC).

It's been amazing getting to know each other and share about our schools, lives, and ask additional questions.  Today we were introduced to the different school systems from China, Australia, and Finland.  Each school shared information and pictures.

I already knew, based upon articles I have read, that Finland has an amazing school system.  I was very intrigued to learn about the structure of their day.  There are many built in breaks to help students re-energize and within these breaks students have choice, including make their own clubs.

The finnish schools have classroom based assessments but no standardized assessments.  They are built upon respect for the teacher and their system.  Finnish education requires teachers to train for 4-6 years and develop expertise in curriculum and assessment. Medical and Law degrees are easier courses to access than Education.  It truly is all about what you value.

What I do really take away from today is the fact that we all have our promising components to our education systems and the overlap on technology integration and 21st century components.

I have had the opportunity today to have great conversations with the principal of Parramatta Marist High School in Parramatta, Australia, Gavin Hays.  We shared the strengths and struggles we have with education in our countries and got some good insight.  I can't wait to continue the journey this week and get deep into global project-based learning!

Beginning the Iditarod Unit Journey

On February 9th, students in one of my 1st grade class extended their Iditarod Unit by having this year's Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Erin Montgomery, talk to them before she gets ready to embark on the race. One of the many responsibilities Erin has for being teacher on the trail is to follow the Iditarod race via bush plane. For this connection, she talked to them about the dogs that go on the trail and how they are trained. She was able to share pictures and video. The kids were also able to ask her questions such as if she had ever been to Alaska before, and who is her favorite musher.

During the continuation of this unit, students use reading, mapping, and math skills to find out about different parts of the race, the dogs, where the racers are at, what the trail looks like, what life is like on the trail, and how long the race may takes. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race™ as a teaching tool in the classroom captures students’ interest and maintains that interest so that the teacher has the opportunity to teach skills and objectives to engaged students.

During her time on the race, Erin will try to find a time to call into the classroom and talk to the kids too. We don’t know when it will happen because being out in the wilderness of Alaska will make this a last minute opportunity.

After the race is complete, Erin will connect with the kids to answer questions they may have and share her experiences, as well as pictures and/or videos. 

http://itcteacheronthetrail.com/2014/11/17/skype-with-me/

NASA Visits Again!

Once again, NASA has made a virtual visit to Roosevelt Elementary.  The third grade challenge classroom spoke with Rachel Powers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.  Ms. Powers talked to the kids about our solar neighborhood.  

She shared about what it takes to be a planet, what each planet is made of, and about the dwarf planets that our known in our solar system.  The kids had a plethora of questions and Ms. Powers was happy to answer as many as possible.  

They learned about the new space telescope called the James Webb Space Telescope 2017 and were able to see pictures.  

The kids asked more about the dwarf planet Pluto and learned that New Horizons spacecraft that will be arriving at Pluto in July 2015.  This will be the first time anyone will be able to see quality pictures of Pluto.  

Overall, the kids learned some mind-blowing facts about our Solar System and are looking forward to talking to NASA again about the moon and the sun!

Culminating the Hour of Code Week

On Friday, December 12th, the fifth grade challenge class in one of my buildings culminated their Hour of Code week by speaking to Frederick Dupere, a software programmer at Microsoft in California.  Frederick is 28 years old and originally from Canada.

He talked to the kids about his job and the journey he took to become a programmer. The kids asked him about coding, what they could do to get such a job, and about creating their own apps, websites and programs. Mr. Dupere shared an important message to the kids that it doesn't matter your gender or where you come from, that as long as you keep working hard, you can be anything you want to be.

The experience was great and to quote one of the kids, "This is the best Virtual lesson we've done yet"!