Led by Olli-Pekka Malinen and Minna Repo
Four afternoon sessions on the 28 & 29 October and 11 & 12 November
Why join?
Finland’s education has gained international attention for the ability to produce excellent learning outcomes even though the students start school older and spend fewer hours a year in the classroom than their counterparts in most other European countries. Finland is also known for its well-trained teachers that enjoy a high degree of professional freedom.
In the first two sessions of the workshop, the participants will gain an understanding of the guiding principles of the Finnish way of education and answers to the questions including: what are the myths and facts of Finnish educational system? In what ways does the Finnish National Core Curriculum address learning in the 21st century? How can the so-called transversal competencies they be taught? How is the balance between academic and creative subjects being cultivated?
The third session in November will focus on educational support in the Finnish education model and introduce large-scale initiatives to promote students physical and mental well-being.
During the last session, the participants will get familiar with the Finnish way of looking at assessment and reflect on how to put what has been learned into practice across national borders.
Throughout the sessions, the participants are involved in a critical reflection of the Finnish practices in relation to their own educational context. The participants learn from each other through sharing their ideas and experiences in a range of active learning exercises.
Registration
Costs: 250 Euros per person
Registration is open until Monday, 26 October.
Event details
Who is it for?
Primary and lower-secondary school educators.
Online workshop goals:
By the end of the workshop, the participants will:
Understand the guiding principles of the Finnish way of education.
Be able to reflect on these principles in relation to their own context.
Know how the Finnish schools prepare their students for their future.
Be aware of how the learning of 21st-century skills can be embedded in daily school life.
Be inspired to apply the workshop ideas to resolve their local challenges.
Schedule
Session 1 - Wednesday, 28 October:
Introduction to the Finnish Education - distinguishing myths and facts.
Active reflection of the myths and facts of the Finnish education system.
Session 2 - Thursday, 29 October:
At the core of Finland's curriculum.
The role of creative subjects in Finland's curriculum.
Session 3 - Wednesday, 11 November:
Educational support in Finland.
Initiatives for supporting students’ physical and mental well-being.
Session 4 - Thursday, 12 November:
(Re)considering evaluation and assessment
Me and our curriculum - What do I take home from the Finnish approach?
Format of the online sessions
The online sessions will start at 13:00 (Amsterdam time/ CET time) and participants should expect to be engaged online until 16:30 (Amsterdam/CET time). Each session will be led by Olli-Pekka Malinen or Minna Repo and will include break-out discussions and activities. There will be a short break midway through the session. Participants will need an individual device to actively participate in the sessions (e.g. laptop).
Featured speakers
Olli-Pekka Malinen
Lead Expert at EduCluster Finland
Over the course of his career, Dr. Olli-Pekka Malinen has worked in Finland as a special education class teacher, researcher, teacher trainer, education consultant, project manager of large-scale school development projects, and vice director of a multidisciplinary research and development institute. He has also been a visiting researcher in Beijing, China, a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and a visiting researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In his current role as a Lead Expert at EduCluster Finland (University of Jyväskylä Group), Malinen specialises in sharing Finland’s educational approach with international audiences.
Malinen has authored multiple scientific and professional publications, and presented in some of the most prestigious educational conferences around the world. During his professional career, Malinen has lived in four countries and collaborated with partners across five continents. Due to his international experience, Malinen interacts confidently with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Malinen regularly leads professional development workshops for Finnish principals and teachers covering topics such as co-teaching, inclusive education, and evidence-based methods of positive behaviour support.
Minna Repo
Lead Expert at EdCluster Finland
Ms. Minna Repo graduated with her MA in Education from the University of Oulu in Finland, in 1993. During her first years as an educator, she held multiple positions as a primary teacher. Later she has held positions as principal in Finland, teacher and house parent in a fusion curriculum boarding school in Pakistan, teacher trainer for Fox International Consulting, teacher and in-house trainer in a public Emirati all boys schools, with an Emirati curriculum and a Finnish methodology, P.E. and Art teacher in an IB international school, a pedagogical coordinator and lead expert in Qatar-Finland International School and as a Lead Expert at EduCluster Finland.
Repo’s pioneer mindset and her teaching and training positions have taken her across the world, from the smallest rural schools in the Finnish countryside to the international metropolis of the Middle East. Through this experience in education, Repo has gained a unique perspective in many matters regarding learning environment, curriculum and pedagogy, leading students and staff into a future of world-class education.