FINLAND EDUCATION INQUIRY
August 25 – 28, 2019
MAME’s Finland Education Inquiry is a unique opportunity to experience Finland’s internationally acclaimed, top performing education system, first-hand. Participants will learn about Finnish education directly through interactions with professionals, including experts in teacher education, principals and teachers. Through three school visits, they will experience daily life in Finnish schools. They will be immersed in Finnish educational theory at work in the classroom, where the students are at the centre, and equality, cooperation, inquiry and play are highly valued. At a customized workshop, with a professor of educational sciences, participants will learn about the Finnish Education system and current teaching practices focused on problem-solving, citizenship, creativity and entrepreneurship. Through structured collaborative conversations with peers, they will have the opportunity to construct and solidify their understandings from their targeted observations, reflect on their own practice, discuss relevance to multi-age philosophies and plan for application in their own classroom. Participants who join our inquiry into Finnish education will bring knowledge and practice from one of the best education systems in the world to their classroom.
Program Schedule
DAY 1 – Sunday, Aug. 25
12:00pm – 8:00pm
Meet and Greet, Registration
Orientation:
Discussion of prior knowledge of the Finnish education system
Setting of focus, expectations, purpose and goals
Team-building activities with dinner to follow (at participants expense).
DAY 2 – Monday, Aug. 26
8:00am – 12:00pm
Early Childhood Education Centre (ages 0-6), Helsinki.
Participants will take part in various targeted classroom observations and discussions with classroom teachers and administration.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch: Participants will experience part of daily school life, having school lunch with staff and students at the school. This will provide an opportunity to engage in casual conversations about Finnish education and classroom practices.
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Customized Workshop: Exploring the Finland Education System – The purpose of this workshop is to understand what are the key aspects that have led Finland to reach globally acknowledged educational success. Participants will have a more profound view into the Finnish educational practices by learning about innovative educational learning environments and venues. They will also discover how Finnish children learn about problem-solving, citizenship, creativity and entrepreneurship through experiences of working life, the economy and society. This workshop will include time for question and answer, and self-reflection. Led by a professor of Educational Sciences from the University of Helsinki.
DAY 3 –Tuesday, Aug. 27
9:00am – 12:00pm
Grade 1-9 School, Helsinki
Participants will take part in targeted classroom observation and discussions with classroom teachers and administration.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch: Participants will experience part of daily school life, having school lunch with staff and students at the school. This will provide an opportunity to engage in casual conversations about Finnish education and classroom practices.
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Reflection and Group Forum
Participants will take time to reflect on their targeted observations and engage in structured collaborative conversations with colleagues. They will have the opportunity to construct and solidify their understandings from their targeted observations and the symposium from the day prior. They will reflect on their own practice and discuss the relevance to multi-age teaching philosophies. Participants will have time to consider and plan for application in their own classrooms in a collaborative setting.
DAY 4 – Wednesday, Aug. 28
9:00am – 12:00pm
Grade 1-9 School, Helsinki
Participants will take part in targeted classroom observation and discussions with classroom teachers and administration .
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch: Participants will experience part of daily school life, having school lunch with staff and students at the school. This will provide an opportunity to engage in casual conversations about Finnish education and classroom practices.
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Reflection and Group Forum
Participants will take time to reflect on their targeted observations and engage in structured collaborative conversations with colleagues. They will have the opportunity to construct and solidify their understandings from their targeted observations and the symposium from the day prior. They will reflect on their own practice and discuss the relevance to multi-age teaching philosophies. Participants will have time to consider and plan for application in their own classrooms in a collaborative setting.
The Details
• Must be a current MAME member (since October 2018) to be eligible for a bursary.
• Limited number of bursaries available; applicants may still consider attending at full cost if not
selected for a bursary.
• Non-MAME members/colleagues/spouses/friends may attend at their own cost. Participants will have the option to extend their travel plans before and/or after the program dates.
• MAME will take care of arrangements for the school observations, customized workshop and group forums; all other arrangements (hotel, flight, hotel transport from airport) will be made by individual participants.
• School tours will be booked with the assistance of https://eduvisit.hyplusglobal.fi/
Estimated Costs
Registration Fee: $1,260
(includes school observations, customized workshop, school lunch and transportation to host schools)
Hotel: $600
Scandic Grand Marina Hotel
Katajanokanlaituri 7, 00160 Helsinki
5 nights based on double-occupancy, breakfast and wifi included
Flight: $1300 (estimated cost as of Jan. 15, 2019)
Total: $ 3160
• Additional costs may include: food, airport transfers
• Approx. $1800 (per person) bursary available from MAME (limited # available) if application is selected
• Members are responsible upfront for all costs incurred; they will be awarded the bursary after the inquiry has taken place (no earlier than September 2019)
• Application and $100 non-refundable (if selected) deposit is due on Dec. 10, 2018 * Now extended to Feb. 15, 2019; only cheques/bank drafts made out to “MB Association of Multi-age Educators” will be accepted by mail
• Registration Payment ($700), less the deposit is due Jan. 18, 2019 * Now extended to Feb. 25, 2019
• Registration remaining balance is due April 1, 2019
Please contact Kathy Klenk, Chairperson of the Manitoba Association of Multiage Educators at chair@multiagemanitoba.org with questions.