Penygroes school

Been to a marvelous school. They worked with ICT and focused on skills. They told us that their curriculum has changed the last couple of years, in their mind towards the better. It was wonderful to how confident the kids were, knowing what to do and that they could rely in their own skills and knowledge. They have interactive whiteboards in every classroom and computers where the kids could work and create. Really loved it!

Sightseeing

We're close to the sea. This is an old castle probably from the 10th century. Glenn has not done his home work so that's why we don't know for sure.

Doing some ICT work

Today we're at an old school, built in 1899. We are here for looking at the platform were the project will publish the work and were most of the communication will be.

On board...

Sitting on the ryan air plane soon departing for Stansted. After that we're going to London and from there to Wales.

Blandade bilder från finland

Soon at home

Now there is only a short time left until I'm back home. So Sweden, here I come.

Finally there was snow

And now we are going home. Just left my Danish friends for check-in at Oulu airport. Gv has been a week full of impressions and I now dream in some strange language which is a mix of Danish, Finlands-svenska and english.

Valve

Today I have been to the international school of Oulo first and then we went to the culture centre of Oulo.

Zef evaluation

ZEF is an evaluation tool where you focus on the areas that is important and leave the areas that are unimportant. It is also used for threat analysis, strategy analysis, innovation management. It is important to work with the development and to use this tool for planning the future. The interesting thing is that how you use it is more important than the tool itself!

Your processes have to get visible! You also have to think about what you are going to do with the information you get. If you do that in forehand it will also change which kind of questions you will ask!

See more at: ZEF

Why is the Finnish schools better than the Danish and Swedish ones?

Today when we were at Kaakkuri school we were discussing the school systems of the different countries (Sweden, Finland and Denmark. We tried to see if there was differences in the family patterns, but no, all three countries are dealing with families with different formations. Maybe we could see that the Finnisch families still relied a lot to school because of II WW, that has had a greater impact here in Finladn because of the great destruction of the country under the war. Education therefore was very important and still is. One of the things that strike me is that they seem to work more systematically than we do. So it´s not the content but the systematic in how you work and follow it up that differs.
Another thing is that the work that has to do with other things except teaching, like team work, is not a great part of a Finnish teachers job. When you teach higher grades, from 7th you mostly teach just one subject, could this have an impact?

One other thing we talked about was how many students that went on to upper secondary (gymnasiet)and how to encourage it. We really did not find any solution there. I mentioned that we have an interest in looking into, maybe in a Comenius Regio Project, how to help the students and the teachers to overcome the sometimes big step from lower Secondary to Upper Secondary School. Maybe we could build a project from this with Denmark and Finland.

The new flue is on in Oulo

In just one class there was 7 students absent because of the new flue. That made me a little worried but on the other hand I did my bad travelling last year, this year I will stay healthy!

In the afternoon today I was in Hiinta school. It was very interesting to see that a lot of things were the same as in Kaakkuri school even though the Hiinta school is built in the 50's.

I also had the opportunity to sit down with the people from the Comenius Project "Growing up together" that are going to the first visit in Wales in late November. It was very good to meet them and I really look forward to go to Wales.

Kaakuri school

This picture is from a computer lab. It's like a submarine almost. The headmaster said that it is sometimes called the Kursk... The school is amazing with a lot of air and lights. They have a lot of technic like document cameras and projectors. Now i'm on my way to Hiinta school.

Bingo

On Oulos pub Leskinen

The trip to Oulo

Well a few things I'm thinking about from the trip here...

First I was sitting on the airport of Landvetter, and there I could go online with my computer and see ON the computer when there was boarding time... Just look at the Luftfartsverkets homepage if you're interested.

Another thought was, between those of us that went to Italy with KLM, the sandwiches are not getting better... this was a really small one...

when we were going to start with the plane they were playing music which I think was supposed to calm you down... but to me it was more like when they played that slow music at the Titanic... in Swedish it's called Närmare Gud till dig..a little bit too dramatic for me.

Another thought was that I'm not used to not go by charter when I fly... it is very quiet on an airplane a Sunday afternoon in Finland...

I'm wondering if you can go by train to Oulo and how far it is from Göteborg... Are there any trains in Finland?

And the last thought... it's very far north... I arrived at 17.25... and it was already dark!

Ok, going to the first meating...

In Oulo

Have arrived and waiting for my bag and transport

Travelling reading

What makes the results in Swedish schools... Could this be the proper reading for this trip? I will give it a try... Still half an hour before departure!

The fever is gone

Everything is packed and I'm ready to go, now I only have to wait for the time to go... in the meantime I will read a little about the Swedish school system I think. It is always a little bit hard to describe it in English but I've found a good text that I can use.

My daughter has had two girlfriends here this night (it's Halloween) and I think they have been awake all night so my sleep has been a little disturbed... I guess you all have experienced tired girls together... giggeling... for hours...