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!
Raini Sipilä, SYK
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
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.
SYK is a historical school，and has its own long story，the basic values of this school is respect，trust 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 school，they 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 changes，and 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.
In 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 patiently，she 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.
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 teach，and all teachers can be trusted by school, family and society. In the process of learning，teacher 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.
In Finland school, technology science is used widely. Every student has their ipad and phone. I had chance to join in a computer courses，we 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.
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 discussion，aim to make a new study plan，share expericences，solve new problems and so on. In Raini’s study project, she want to help children to know the different weather, temperature，plants 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.
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
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
This week our Global Innokas Network experienced global education in many angels. 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. 
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!
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.
Heli, Hankasalmi Asema School
Raini and Sienna, Minna and Kathy and Jaana and Yiwen kept in touch during the Spring 2016 via WeChat. WeChat was the best option, because it worked both in China and Finland. It was also possible to use the Web WeChat with the computer, so it made communicating and sending attachments more convenient.
In China the volunteers also created the Finland-China chat group, that we used to communicate and share information about the conference. Tiina, Raini, Minna and Jaana also had their own group, that was easy way to keep in touch and share pictures while everyone was in the different school building.
All Finnish-Chinese co-worker pairs wrote their project plan together about the theme that was suitable for both countries, for the students of both teachers and also for professors and team leaders in both countries. During the Spring all pairs chatted, sent attachments, shared ideas, improved the project plan many times and also Minna and Raini had a few Facetime voice calls with their partners before the Finnish team arrived in Beijing.
After arriving in Beijing the Finnish team meet their Chinese partners for the first time. It was exciting moment for them all! After talking and getting know each other a little bit better, pairs started their work with students. All 25 students were at first very excited, because they didn’t know each other or even the Chinese teacher. That’s why on the first lesson we had to get to know each other by playing different kind of “getting know each other” games. The students also made the name tags by using their English name.
All teachers and students worked together in Beijing for 3-4 days before the demo lesson. During working Chinese professors and Tiina gave them advices how to improve their project and also told them how well all pairs worked together. It was nice to get positive feedback, because all teachers worked hard before and after arriving in Beijing.
After every hard working day we had dinner with Chinese or Americans. In Beijing we got a chance to have a dinner in Mongolian Hot Pot restaurant. Guali ordered us the traditional Chinese food, f. ex. boiled chicken legs – that was new for all of us. During the dinner time we enjoyed also a traditional Chinese performance and saw how the noodles were made longer and longer. On the another evening we had dinner with our Chinese teacher partners. Then we tasted the Beijing roasted duck – it was so delicious and we also liked a lot of the dessert called “Bomb”.
It is a fine opportunity to work with a colleague and a class from China. My students have asked lot of questions from their new friends, like: How long are your school days? What is your favourite movie? What hobbies do you have? It is good to see that there are things that are pretty much the same in both countries but also to see and to understand the differencies. My students were quite amazed about schooldays in Beijing: 5th graders have eight school hours per day!
My students have made A3-sized postcards to their friends in Beijing. I will take them to China as a souvenir from Finland.
Raini Sipilä, SYK
A lot of things has happened this spring between Helsinki and Beijing. I have got WeChat -messages nearly everyday from my Chinese colleague Sienna, my class has worked well with the theme Nest and now Sienna’s class in Beijing has started the project aswell.
Today we finally met: a FaceTime call let us talk face to face. I think it is marvellous how technology helps us to build relationships between people from different parts of the world. I and Sienna had a wonderful conversation about our schools, our jobs as teachers, and about becoming GEC Conference. We decided to meet at least twice before our teaching demo. We also decided to make another FaceTime call on next Monday so that our students could see each other and ask some questions. It is nice that the same project is happening in Finland and in China at the same time!
Raini from SYK
Co-operation with Chinese colleagues has started slowly. I think the main problem was that I didn’t success to create a GEC-email account – so my Chinese colleagues perhaps thought I was too lazy to answer their e-mail. But as the summer – and the GEC Conference – gets closer the more we chat – by WeChat.
My Chinese colleagues are Ms. Xiaoshuang Xi and Ms. Haijing Du from Beijing Zhongguancun 4th. Primary School. I have chatted mostly with Xiaoshuang (Sienna) and we have thought our project based learning unit. At the moment it seems that our topic will be a Nest. It will be marvelous to see what will happen in Helsinki and what will happen in Beijing. This is a fine opportunity for me to see how things work in China and how I and my Chinese colleagues will build a project together.
My 3rd graders have made video and Power Point -presentations about Helsinki. I have tried to send them to China, but for some reason I haven’ t succeeded. But we keep on trying!
Raini Sipilä, SYK
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