Category Archives: Schools

Schools involved.

Christmas Greetings from Hankasalmi

At the Global Innokas network meeting in September we talked about sending Christmas greetings to each other. This autumn we’ve been learning about northern lights in our school. They’ve been doing research about northern lights for 40 years in Hankasalmi and this year there was a northern lights themed seminar including a drawing competition for school kids. For the drawing competition we studied some myths about northern lights. We have read many stories and poems. We have also done crafts. That’s why we felt like it would be appropriate to have northern lights themed Christmas celebrations in our school. We’ve learned a song about a fire fox, painted scarves and practiced a dance for it. We want to share a video of our practice as a Christmas greeting to you. In this video we see preschool, first grade and second grade students singing.


Merry Christmas!

Heli, Aseman koulu, Hankasalmi

This Autumn term with my Chinese colleagues

Last spring I worked very intensively with my Chinese colleague Sienna. During the GEC Conference we had time to really know each other. I really enjoyed working with Sienna. During this Autumn Sienna has been very busy: she has been trained by an International School. So we will continue our co-operation next year. We keep on WeChatting.
At the beginning of this November we got visitors from ZhongGuanCun nro 3 Primary School and from Beijing Capitol University. I took these five ladies to Oppimisen Fiesta -Conference where we had an opportunity to meet for example Finland’s former president Tarja Halonen. Teachers from ZhongGuangCun Primary School were very impressed!

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Teachers also stayed a whole day in our school SYK. They visited different classes and took part in teachers’ meeting. After teachers’ visit, a student from Beijing Capitol University stayed on my class for a week.
Liu Jia, alias Aleena, was very interested of Finnish ways to teach and learn. Liu Jia had lots of questions, she recorded and filmed her thoughts, she interviewed both me and my students from different grades. Liu Jia gave my students many presentations about Chinese School culture – we even had a face massage moment (as every schoolgirl and -boy in China daily have at 9.20 – 9.25 am.).
We also spend our weekend together; we visited Nuuksio National park, baked cinnamon buns, had sauna and dinner. I appreciate Liu Jia’s attitude: she was brave to taste everything!
I wish my colleagues in China a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ps. My class will celebrate Chinese New Year at the end of becoming January..!

Raini Sipilä, SYK

It’s Christmas time!

As the Christmas comes nearer the more my students work with Christmas decorations: they have cut snowflakes, panted our windows full of snowmen and they have made beautiful Christmas cards. We decided to send our Christmas cards to both Oulu, Metsokangas school and to Hankasalmi, Asema school. We hope our Finnish friends to have a Joyful and Merry Christmas!

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The Project of the Kitchen Waste

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In this update I’ll shortly tell you about the China co-operation which happened in summer 2016, the aims of the co-operation and specially of meeting the Chinese students. Co-operation brought up many new ideas, notices and particularly lovely memories. Making a short blog posting of this material has been slow – What not to write, because everything was so wonderful.

In spring 2016 three Finnish teachers got a Chinese teacher partner as their co-worker pair with The Global Innokas network. Our task as a co-worker pair was to plan and carry out a project which we first carried out in our own country with our own class and again together in the summer conferences in Peking and Shenzhen. The audience of the conferences had opportunity to follow the last lesson of the project and comment on it. The aim of the co-operation was to build understanding by using PBL (Project Basic Learning) to understand differences of cultures and to learn new aspects from each other concerning possibilities of collaboration.

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Mine and my Chinese partner Kathy’s project theme was Kitchen Waste – recycling and reusing of kitchen waste. The theme was practical and actual enough, so it was also accepted in Kathy’s Chinese team. Our first project theme The Mathematical Forms was rejected by the team as a too abstract. For a Finnish teacher this kind of approval method was strange because we in Finland are used to making decisions more freely without any approval method used by the school management. On the other hand Kathy’s backup team did fine work for example in making teaching videos.

Meeting The Chinese Student

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The students of both Chinese schools were absolutely sweet, brave and charming. The first meeting with the students of the Peking project class has remained in my mind especially well. There two future students of ours were running sweating from gym class in to our project class and one of them lifted a plastic bag full of recyclable kitchen waste on the table. Immediately without any hesitation we started to chat openly:

– What is your name and where are you hurrying form so sweaty? Oh, you have your recycling material already with your. What have you brought with you?

So, he started showing what kind of kitchen waste he had brought with him. There was an empty beer can among other things. The student told that he had bought the beer can on the way to school and that he had poured the beer on the ground. I wondered in my mind how a fifth grader has been able to buy beer. Kathy reminded the student that too much soda can be fattening. The open and joyful atmosphere of the meeting impressed me at once and I felt cozy and relaxed – this project will succeed.

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The classes were delightful, where everyone participated eagerly and actively. The students used our common language English well and I understood that the knowledge of English had been one of the criteria to get in to this class and this project. Due to students good activity, possibly other criteria were good manners and working skills. During the teamwork it seemed that students had difficulties in sharing ideas and planning together, both of these had to be emphasized before starting to work and have a clarifying discussion on what common planning means. In Shenzen once I had to interfere in children’s tone of conversation and tell them that they lacked common understanding. I asked them to talk in English so I could help them. It looked that a member of the group didn’t want to take others in to consideration at all and others didn’t like the situation. There were also other similar situations in which you could see the children’s difficulty informing one common plan of the group. Many children had planned a fine plan of their own which their wanted to stick to and not to change it because of others’ opinions.

While working the children were able to ground their working finely and tell of their aims. They were eager to tell of their work thoroughly and theoretically. I might miss a bit more spontaneity and a braver desire to experiment. Was the perfection of the result the most important thing?

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Outside the classroom children looked and giggled what we did and were very eager to help. While we were visiting the Peking school the learning street held there introduced the students’ fine work. As a presenter I got a boy of my project class who guided me by hand form one stand to another. There was almost a dispute of my attention – who will be able introduce his own work to me. Altogether the Chinese children performed briskly and talked loudly in front of the audience.

The most evident thought of the journey was how fluent it was to get along with the students and create interaction despite the differences between the cultural backgrounds. The Finnish and the Chinese school system perhaps approaches children’s capability and individuality from different goals, but despite them children are children anywhere in the world. A smile meets a smile!

The experience of the co-operation with the Chinese colleague was fine and successful! The experience of peeking the Chinese school system was amazing and eyes opening, without saying anything of all possibilities to meet all the friendly and helpful people who I met during the journey. Thank You!

– Minna from Metsokangas Comprehensive School, Oulu, Finland –

Greetings to Santa and friends in Rovaniemi

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The mystery skype turned out to be not so mysterious after all 🙂 The children from Rovaniemi recognized Anu from the springs Robo Cup -competition in Helsinki and the children from Espoo had read too well the papers on the classroom wall. For on the plan for this years activities and events said “Mystery skype Rovaniemi”. This plan was made in September when the Finnish Global Innokas teachers met in the University of Helsinki. So it only took about 5 minutes and we knew where the others are from. Last minute we remembered that Christmas was closing in and remembered to send greetings to Santa.

Work continued in each end. The children in Jalavapuisto Espoo were very interested in our new friends from Rovaniemi. How old they are and do they also study in a bilingual class. They enjoyed picking a friend to send a Christmas card to. These cards are now on their way and we hope they bring lots of joy to Ounasrinne school’s class 6C.

5K class, Jalavapuisto school, Espoo, Finland

My reflection after visiting Finland primary school

At the early of November, I had chance to go to Finland primary school, this is the place where every basic educator aspire to. The first day in Finland, I had a chance to follow the teachers from Zhongguancun No.3 primary school to Helsinki University and have a conversation with Jari Lavonen and Tiina Korhonen. From this meaningful talking, I knew that the education system in Finland, the way of teacher training, the important qualities in 21st century, teacher cooperation , crucial ability of teachers in school life and so on . I learned that teacher is the very important part in this education system.
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SYK is a historical schooland has its own long storythe basic values of this school is respecttrust and growth as a person. When we come to this school, we had chance to talk with the school principal who told us the background of this school, the school history and the management philosophy and characteristics of this schoolthey pay more attention on the value of open, equality, freedom. Every school has their own education culture. What impressed me the most is the school corridor. In this corridor, it is showing the pictures of school history, school building changesand a special wall which exhibited the people’s names who make contribution to the country construction. This school share the history with students, it is also a very good education resource to encourage students to make greater progress. By understanding history, we can be better developed in every aspect in future life. I also saw the pictures which are very simple color and lines with the shape of door, the principle told us they used to encourage students should continue to progress, be brave, and have courage to open every door in their life.
liu3 liu2In SYK, I spent one week to follow Raini to experience the real school life in Finland, it is very valuable chance for me to know the education in different country, although we have different language and culture background, but we have the same passion for better education and love for children. Raini taught me a lot and answered my questions very patientlyshe tried her best to explain everything in her class, I am very touched! After I graduating from university, I want to be a good teacher and share my thinking with others.
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In this school, I learned a new learning way is “Phenomenon Based Learning”, this learning way can combine subject knowledge with real life together, children can find the studying point which they are interested. Children enjoy learning, teachers are creative to use different ways to motivate students. Every teacher has their good way to teachand all teachers can be trusted by school, family and society. In the process of learningteacher will have a clear study plan, pay attention to every student, and give special guidance to children. Students can have their own choice to join in or not. In different project phase, the teacher will have different arrangement, teaching method and works exhibition. In this school, I saw all teachers and all children can be treated equally. The atmosphere here is relaxed and fun, but rules are also strictly required.
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In Finland school, technology science is used widely. Every student has their ipad and phone. I had chance to join in a computer courseswe learned how to use an website called ’’Prezi’’ to make a topic presentation which they are interested. In another school, I saw teachers guide students to play an interesting “coding game”, the degree of difficulty according to their grades. They are having fun by learning. In Raini’s class, I saw every students be encouraged to solve the problems by using technology, search the information what they need. It is very good way to learn the knowledge what they can not learn in limited class. I asked a boy ”Can you control yourself not to use your phone and play games in school ?”, the boy answered me: ”I like school very much, I just use my phone when I am allowed to use.” So excellent answer! We should try our best to let children love school, it is the basic explanation for all question.
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From my observation, I know that every teacher at SYK pay much attention on the topic of “environment protection”, from lower grade to higher grade, they all have environmental studies. In fourth grade, teacher led children to know nature in different way, like “nature watch”; in 9th grade, they had an expert teacher to teach them to promote the awareness of environmental protection by using shadow play; in their school activity, I was lucky to see their material recycling Design show, very interesting
They used very creative way to design the wasted material. This kind of learning related to our real life, the development of society and the world environment, very meaningful!
I think teachers are the most important part in Finland school. In SYK, I saw many nice, warm, talented and experienced teachers. Through talking with Tiina and practicing with Raini, I found that “teacher cooperation” is very useful way to have self-development for teachers. In Raini’s fourth grade, every Wednesday, four teachers will gather together to have a discussionaim to make a new study planshare expericencessolve new problems and so on. In Raini’s study project, she want to help children to know the different weather, temperatureplants and animals in different areas in Finland at the same time, she will cooperate with teachers in different areas, they use video, pictures to know each other, it is very informative way to teach with the way of teacher cooperation. In future work and study life, I will try to make self-improvement, strive to become a professional teacher, and provide better learning resources to my students. Thanks for Raini set a good example for me.
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After half month visiting in Finland, I was deeply impressed by very nice teachers and students. I saw Raini apply drama in their literature study very well, I saw very creative children in the class. I am really grateful for this valuable experience happened in my life, it help me to have better progress. I will work hard in the future, and strive to become a good teacher
BR, LiuJia,  Capital Normal University

Mystery Skype!

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We had night school. During night school we had a mystery skype. We called with skype to someone that we didn’t know (well the teacher knew). We could ask “yes/no”-questions from the other class and try to figure out where they are from.

“Do you live in Europe?”

“Is it 8 P.M. Where you are?”

“Do you speak another language than English?”

“Is it hot where you live?”

Just to name a few. We found out that our mystery skype class was calling us from Janesville, Wisconsin, America. Next we are going to get together in Edmodo and get to know each other better.

5K class, Jalavapuisto school, Espoo, Finland

Autumn greetings from Global Innokas!

This week our Global Innokas Network experienced global education in many angles. First, we participated in a state grant applicants’ seminar day organised by Finnish Board of Education. We heard speeches of global competences, how to grow up to be global citizen and new sights of language education. We also had an opportunity to connect with actors from Finnish educational field that implement global education in their municipalities. kuva1

Second, we had a meeting with Finnish Global Innokas teachers in the University of Helsinki. The teachers shared best practices from the last school year and planned this year’s activities and events. Fruitful face-to-face conversations and working together for the same goal is fairly important to teachers as well as us organizers. In such skilful and ingenious group, new kind of educational innovations can truly nourish!

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Skype call to Indonesia

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53 students from Metsokangas Comprehensive School had a Skype call to their new friendship class from Indonesia. During the first call students from both countries presented their country, traditional food, dance and daily life. All students were very excited and eager to learn from each other.

Children from Indonesia presented their traditional dance with the traditional costumes and properties.

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The Finnish students presented the traditional song of Finland.

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The Skype connections will be continued. Next time our students will present acrobatic show to their new friends.

– Petri and Jaana from Metsokangas Comprehensive School –

Global Innokas Friendships

At the Global Innokas network meeting I met teachers from Helsinki and Oulu. We decided to get familiar with each other’s classes and schools as well as different sides of our country. There would be a school from the capital city (3rd grade), a small school from the countryside (1st grade) and a big school from a town in Northern Finland (5th grade) involved in this partnership. We decided to set FaceTime and Skype connections between the schools. The classes made questions for each other to try and guess the location of the other school and they were only allowed to answer with “yes” or “no”. My class was the first grade and luckily they had the easiest job to figure out the location of the other schools since they were located in big cities. The other two classes had a tougher time trying to guess our location. We also prepared ourselves for the video call by filming the surroundings of our school with iPads and compiled them into an introduction trailer.

The other classes also sent introductions of their hometowns for us to see. We’re planning to continue our collaboration in autumn by sending our ‘friendship classes’ presentations we’ve been making in our environmental studies and Finnish classes.

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Heli, Hankasalmi Asema School