Our active
period in SRES ended last Thursday. Even though we realized it in advance that
the four weeks would go fast, we were amazed how suddenly the final week and
the final lesson came.
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We had two
hour long lesson per day with 3rd graders and even though it sounds
a short time, I took lot of preparation work and days were drawn out often to
midnight. One of the main targets of program was to create learning situation
and environment, where the pupils would be in central and active role by
creating and exploring
information by themselves – and learning by that way. Someone could think that
if you give more responsibility and tasks for students, you can lighten your
own work load by doing that. Yes, in some cases that might work that way, but
when operating with class with 30 pupils, the preparation and schedule planning
takes notable part of your work time – especially, when you have to compress
your daily class room activity effectively in two hours.
When
planning, the important questions are for example: how to organize the schedule
that every pupil can be active, how to adjust the level of assignments right
(not too easy, but not too challenging either), and maybe the first and
foremost: how to create effective learning environment.
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| The final floor ball game. It shouldn't be serious, right? "Why didn't you pass?!" |
Operating with
fellow worker(s) is a priceless advantage in best possible case. And that case
came true this year. I, as a media education student and a journalist, have
some know-how about creating media contents and how to use them supporting
teaching and learning and Matleena, as a teacher student, has a lot of
knowledge and experience about teaching methods and working with young pupils.
Our team play, from planning to class room, went perfectly and we gave each
other great support and our own special areas were balancing each other. And of
course, Steve as a class teacher gave us invaluable tools and safe backup when
working with large class.
| Sanna and Risto having some spelling practice with shaving foam! One example of Mr. Aho's innovative teaching methods. |
I will tell
and analyze more details about our class room activity later. No it’s time to
continue my other duties related to the project and try to fit everything
undone tasks in Upper Peninsula to these rest three weeks I have left here.
Semester in Finlandia University is over and the dorm is almost empty. That means
lot of time and space to think and create!
E-Magazine project with SRES 3rd grade and Sodankylä's 6th grade will continue awhile and there will be still
some updates. Please follow!
And for the final,
the compulsory weather update: finally snow has melted almost totally from
Hancock area and last two days have been almost hot causing some burning to
some parts of skin. The forecast still promises some possibility of snow
showers for the next weekend, so you shouldn’t celebrate yet. This lake-effect
has been something unprecedented
for Finnish!
| A view from the school yard only three weeks ago. The snow storm interrupted the school day and busses are ready to carry kids back to home. |
