Aihearkisto: osaaminen

Sisu in three languages

osaaminen

We in Finland like to think that sisu (resilience) is culturally  a very Finnish phenomenon and maybe it is, but it is also a characteristic more and more in demand in the modern world of constant changes and challenges. Effective strategies to manage wellbeing are increasingly important for everyone. Upper secondary education -both VET and academic –  must prepare learners for a world where they are required to cope with the pressures whether they choose to continue directly to further education or go into the labour market. Coping with stressful situations like interviews, managing workloads and deadlines are essential working life skills today.

Building Resilience is an Erasmus + KA2 project where three European colleges (VWNotts/ UK, BBS Osnabruck/DE and Jyväskylä College/ FI) share and develop their current strategies to support students with stress and anxiety for example by making individual exam arrangements and increasing pastoral care.

The partners met for a kick off meeting in Mansfield, UK for two very productive days 31 Oct and 1 Nov to plan the next steps including the small study that the partners are going to undertake as part of the project. More information in this blog after the first results are ready at the start of 2018.

 

More information Minna Ahokas and Rea Tuominen (at)jao.fi

 

Digital ambassadors across Europe

ajankohtainen, henkilöstö, koulutusjärjestelmät, osaaminen, rahoitus

 

Digitalisation, robotisation, mobility, individualisation are some of the megatrends which will change our environment and life within the next decades. In our aim to use digital tools in a smart way we though it might be wise to use the joint understanding and experience of our European partners instead of trying to solve all questions we have in the implementation on our own. Therefore, representatives of five VET providers (including Jyväskylä Educational Consortium) and JAMK teacher training college joined forces for two days to discuss cooperation in the field of digitalisation of learning and teaching.

One of oldest partners of Jyväskylä Educational Consortium, IBJ network in Wilhelmshaven – Jever area, hosted the meeting and the other participants came from St. Gallen (CH), IES Puerta Bonita (ES), Aarhus Tech (DK), Horizon College (NL) and JAMK (FI).

All colleges agreed that there is a genuine need for non-traditional, more informal training and support for adopting the use of digital tools within the different staff groups. All colleges  have also either already appointed, or are planning to appoint, digital ambassadors (or eTutors as we call them) which is a peer-mentoring system for e.g. teachers to guide and help them to realize digital education with their learners. Secondly there is increased need for strategic tools or guidelines to help decide which instruments and investments are relevant and most cost-effective in VET.

After two very intensive days with lots of good discussion on the needs of the participating colleges the conclusion was that in the bigger picture the needs of the colleges are more or less the same. As the colleges are at different stages in development and adoption of digitalisation finding the suitable areas for cooperation was perhaps a bit trickier than expected and instead of a clear project plan the participants returned home with a bit of homework. The discussion will continue online and the next big step is to identify the potential coordinator for the project and start discussions with the relevant NA on the potential outcomes of the project.

 

More information Jaana Virtanen, Hanna Rajala and Rea Tuominen (at)jao.fi

We and I culture with Rijn Ijssel

henkilöstö, kotikansainvälisyys, koulutusjärjestelmät, osaaminen

The week before our mid-term break we had the pleasure of hosting ten visitors from the Netherlands. They came from one of our core partners, Rijn Ijssel VET College in Arnhem. The visit was a follow-up of several of our guidance and support staff having visited Arnhem in the recent years. The theme of this study visit was  to explore the various elements in student centered support systems in the Finnish VET. The programme included many visits and lots of discussion on themes such as avoiding drop-outs, individualisation of learning and transition from comprehensive education to upper secondary education.

 

 

 

 

 

On the final day of the visit, the visitors themselves were put in ‘the driver’s seat’ and they arranged a workshop on cultural differences – on the topic of we and I cultures – for the staff of Jyväskylä College and the five German trainee teachers that had been doing their placement with us for three weeks by then.

At the end of the day we also arranged an extensive feedback session for the visitors and asked them to share their thoughts on the visit and what they had learned. Here are some of their answers:

What was new?

  • entrerpreneurship
  • flexible start of studies
  • own path/ individual learning/ focus more on individual than group
  • practical learning at school
  • the flexibility of the whole system
  • possibilities in education also for adults / lifelong learning easier
  • closer relationship between teacher and student
  • free breakfast and lunch
  • respect for teacher, each other, environment and buildings

What surprised you?

  • same problems with the students e.g. drop-outs, attendance
  • self-reflection at such an early age/ spending a lot of time on self-reflection
  • no national tests/exams
  • students are quiet
  • great equipment
  • education is free
  • validation of previously acquired competences ( holiday jobs, social activities)
  • no grade/ exam pressure
  • personal help and support of the teacher for their students
  • calling  the teacher by their first name

What will you do? What kind of an impact will your visit in Finland have on your thinking, actions, way of working and/ or your organisation?

  • changing school and lessons into a place the students like to go to
  • individualize teaching more
  • value traditions but also appreciate changes
  • self-reflection for teacher and students
  • focus on skills (still missing) and (not so much) on what students already can do
  • introduce team teaching to my school
  • introduce self-reflection
  • lower the distance between teacher + team + counselor
  • long term goal:  start a course on entrepreneurship in my school
  • make more use of what students do in their free-time and side jobs

I want more! What would you like to happen next?

  • learn more about the matter of self-reflection
  • continue exchange with the purpose of learning from each other
  • learn more about education systems in Europe
  • (have a system where students can) start education any time
  • start pre-vocational programmes (valma)
  • make a project on avoiding dropouts
  • create warm, open, flexible individual learning paths without using so many hours for the inspections
  • international exchanges

A lot of food for thought! The next step of this cooperation will take place in November when Principal Pirjo Kauhanen and Programme Manager Minna Ahokas will visit Rijn Ijssel. During this meeting the memorandum of understanding between the two colleges will be renewed, and who knows, perhaps some of the issues mentioned above will also be discussed?

More information

Minna Ahokas (at)jao.fi

Rea Tuominen (at) jao.fi

Vaasassa tavattiin

osaaminen

Vaasassa tavattiin – Ammatillisen koulutuksen KansainväliSYYSpäivät 3-4.10.2017

Iloinen Vaasa kutsui meitä kansainvälisyyden parissa toimivia yhteen. Teemaksi oli valikoitu oivallisesti “Yhdessä – Tillsammans”. Ja se tunne jäi kyllä päällimmäiseksi näistä iloisen rempseistä päivistä. Asiantuntijoita oli saapunut näille kokoontumisajoille arvostettava joukko, puheenvuoroja käyttivät niin OPH, oppilaitokset kuin turvallisuusasintuntijatkin. Pääteemaksi olikin valittu yhdessä tekemisen lisäksi turvallisuus. Ja miten hyvään saumaan se nyt tulikin – edellisenä päivänä jouduimme seuraamaan Las Vegasin surullisia uutisia. Yritän kiteyttää muutamia pääkohtia päivistä.

Ammatillisen koulutuksen puoli on muuttumassa ja senkin vuoksi on tuettava kansainvälistä toimintaa. KV on arkea ja siksi meillä on mm. Erasmus+ ja erilaisia hankkeita. Erilaisissa paneelikeskusteluissa ja asiantuntijoiden puheenvuoroissa korostui kulttuuriÄLYN ja uskalluksen merkitys. Anteeksi kielten opettajat, mutta “Grammatik är inte viktigt” sitten loppujen lopuksi, mutta suunsa olisi hyvä uskaltaa avata! Kansainvälisessä kaupanteossa korostuu kuitenkin kielitaito ja asenne. Esimerkiksi Vaasan Wärtsilällä kaikki työntekijät tarvitsevat englantia ja perusolettamus on, että kieltä osataan. Wärtsilän Vaasan tehtaan henkilöstöstä 25% on käynyt toisen asteen koulutuksen. Meidän kansankynttilöiden on nyt vain muistettava antaa opiskelijoiden uskaltaa harjoitella kieltä turvallisessa oppilaitosympäristössä, sillä ammattilaisia tarvitaan. Tällä hetkellä globaali ammattilaisten kysyntä suuntaa katseensa Latinalaiseen Amerikkaa, Kiinaan ja Japaniin. Siksi myös näiden maiden kulttuurituntemus on avainasemassa.

Toisen teeman, turvallisuuden ympärillä pureskelimme kynänpäitämme hyvän tovin. Teeman alustajien mukaan turvallisuuden kautta tulee osaamista ja laatua. Digin osaaminen niputettiin tähän samaan pakettiin, sillä digi mahdollistaa kansainvälisyyden ihan näin kotikutoisestikin. AdobeConnect-luentoja voi pitää vaikka Japanista käsin. Maailma on siis meillä jo tässä – meidän tulee vain hyödyntää digitaaliset mahdollisuudet. Ulkomaan kirjeenvaihtaja, toimittaja Kari Lumikero kertoikin hyviä esimerkkejä omasta toimittajan työstään niiltä osin, kuin se on siirrettävissä meidän opettajien ja opiskelijoiden hyödynnettäväksi tuonne maailmalle. Wärtsilän turvallisuusjohtaja Rauno Hammarbergin vinkit sekä tehtaan turvallisuussuunnitelma sen sijaan sai allekirjoittaneen aivan liekkeihin!

Ehdittiin me juhlistaakin kansainvälisyyttä. Ja nyt pitää kyllä todeta, että osaa nuo “rantaruottalaiset” juhlat pistää pystyyn! Tällä ja päivien päätteeksi kuultujen paikallisten menestystarinoiden voimalla jaksaa taas. Huippupäivät, huippuseura, huippufiilis. Tehdään yhdessä – tillsammans!

Sanna-Maaria Kurki, kouluttaja

Five Trainee Teachers from Germany in Finland

kielitaito, kotikansainvälisyys, koulutusjärjestelmät, osaaminen

 

Moi,

We are five vocational trainee teachers from Hessen in Germany. We came to Jyväskylä in the end of September 2017 to get to know the Finnish vocational school system.

The School

From our point of view, JAO is a huge school with a lot of educational departments and opportunities. From the beginning onwards, we felt very welcomed and everyone was helpful.

As we all have different subjects, we were able to get an overview of the different locations. Milena,  who has nutrition and biology, was mostly at Primus working in the hotel, catering and service classes. For biology, she was able to go to the Schildt Upper Secondary School. Silke was mainly located at Viitaniemi in hairdressing and went to the Secondary School at Harju with Religion.  Nicole went to Kukkula working with the practical nurses in health care and English. Nadine mainly worked with bakers in Viitaniemi in nutrition and with chefs and high school students in English. Kristin was in the business department with her subjects business administration and English, and among others, got to know about visual merchandising and entrepreneurship at Viitaniemi.

For us, it was especially interesting how the system of individual learning is implemented into the Finnish vocational system and we are able to take lots of ideas home to our classes. Moreover, the programms VALMA and OKSA were very interesting for us.

In the beginning, the students were very shy, but they opened up a little after seeing us around more often. Especially in the practical lessons, it was easier to get into contact with the Finnish students.

The Finnish Language

For most of us, the Finnish language was something very new when we arrived and it still seems extremely difficult. But we were eager to learn some Finnish and therefore visited a foreign class that taught us some Finnish. In return, they wanted to learn some German and decided that Finnish is the easier language for them, which made the teacher very happy. It was a very funny lesson, as there were so many different languages and cultures in the classroom and we still managed to communicate with one another.

 

 

 

 

 

Impressions of Finland

During the three weeks, we used our weekends to travel to get to know different sides of Finland. Firstly, we arrived in Helsinki. Then we went to Rovaniemi to visit Santa Claus, the reindeers and the arctic circle. Our last weekend, we spent in Turku to see the archipelago and to have a traditional sauna with jumping into the Baltic Sea.

We are very grateful for being able to enjoy this great opportunity and learned so many new things. Thanks to everyone who helped to make our stay as special as it is.

Moi, Moi.

Milena, Silke, Nicole, Nadine and Kristin

More information

Rea Tuominen, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium

Ralf Hölzer-Germann, VET teacher training institute in Hessen