Discovering Finland's Education System: Visit to Lauttasaari Elementary School

4th grade math Class

Visit to Lauttasaari Elementary School in April. First I observed a 4th grade mathematic class that had only 8 students. This was ½ of the normal class size. There were 4 boys and 4 girls. Other classes I visited: 6th grade Swedish class, 7th grade Environmental Science class, 4th grade Animation class and 2nd grade English for non speakers. What a delightful visit!

4^th graders. Kids walked with their socks. No shoes allowed! Students always leave shoes by the classroom door.

The teacher, Saara Nikkanen, introduced me to the class. I first spoke in English and then switched to Finnish. I asked if anyone knew where California is. Saara pulled out a map and I asked students to find California.

Mathematics with a Computer

Lesson started. Kids took out computers and started math lessons with a computer. Some kids took papers and started drawing and coloring a theme about home. Students worked independently. They signed out laptops. They knew what to do.

Sara teaches everything in Swedish. Since she is an elementary teacher, she also has to teach Math, Home Economics, Swedish, Geography and Life Science. Arts, and Environmental Science.

Other teachers teach Finnish, German, English and Music.

Class discussions

At 9 am, sixth graders entered the classroom. Now she had a full class. 16 boys, 8 girls. Swedish Lesson. She started with homework assignment. Students raised their hands to give answers. She had a template in overhead and she wrote the correct answers after students answered. Then she had a language program with voice. Kids had to repeat what the program said.

Next video on disco. Students translated what the dancer said in video. They all seemed very interested in answering.

Next, she showed photos on board and kids had books they followed. Students repeated aloud what the program said.

Next listening exercise; students had to write in Swedish. Write an answer to a spoken sentence. These voices came from a program, not from a teacher.

Next, independent work. They were allowed to work with partners.

Swedish Lesson for 6th graders

Ear phones for Oral Instructions

In this class she allowed the students to choose their own seats. Girls seemed to form a group and so did the boys. One boy worked by himself. He liked math.

Kids can get off their seats as often as they want. Teacher moved from group to group to monitor their progress. The class met for 45 minutes. Each kid had a box where she/he kept all the work.

Swedish Lesson for Nonnative Students

Students listened intensively

Environmental Science for 6th graders. Students were taken outside to a hillside that was located right next to the school. Teacher, Tiina Halttunen, explained the games and students anxiously played the games that taught them about senses and evolution.

Testing senses: Touch without seeing.

Touch without seeing and describe

Evolution in Action: Predator and Prey Relationship

Teacher giving instructions on animation.

Animation Class using free Stop motion software. The purpose of animation class was to teach few kids how to animate and then these kids will teach other kids on animation. This way, one teacher has an easier time in the classroom because of all these helpers. There were 5 students who quickly learned how to animate using a certain program. It looked very easy. Students just took pictures one after another and then join the pictures together using this program.

Do it Yourself

Teacher Instructions on how to add sound

Final Product in Animation