Finnish Twinning
Twin School: Jalavapuisto School (Espoo, Finland)
Jalavapuisto School (Espoo, Finland)
One of our advisors Mr. Stuart Patton and a committee member of EDiversity Nick Wang have visited the twinning school in Espoo, and have met the teacher who will head the twinning relationship. She has over 20 years of experience as a Primary school teacher in Finland. This school has also twinned with a school in Canada.
This development follows our first face-to-face discussion on Feb 19 with two representatives from Finland, Ms. Minna Kukkonen, Innokas-coordinator in Espoo City and Innokas Network and Dr. Kristiina Erkkilä, Dir. of Development for the Education & Cultural Services, Espoo, while they were in HK. They visited Holm Glad 2 and together with the headmistress, we discussed about the collaboration.
The discussion leads to the following:
What is Innokas:
This development follows our first face-to-face discussion on Feb 19 with two representatives from Finland, Ms. Minna Kukkonen, Innokas-coordinator in Espoo City and Innokas Network and Dr. Kristiina Erkkilä, Dir. of Development for the Education & Cultural Services, Espoo, while they were in HK. They visited Holm Glad 2 and together with the headmistress, we discussed about the collaboration.
The discussion leads to the following:
- Will start off with teachers knowing each other first probably through skyping and emailing
- Teachers work out their children’s needs and characteristics and decide learning topics for children.
- This way teachers can have exchange too about both cultures and set up further exchanges
- 6 hours differences, so possible to set up skype exchange during school hours, or recording of activities can be done.
- They preliminarily are particularly interested in our ‘making’ and ‘designing’ part.
- Students in both places may have similar level of English, so it’s possible to have reading projects together too.
What is Innokas:
- The Innokas Network is a collaboration of forward-looking schools, universities and companies focusing on children who are today learning their 21st century knowledge and skills.
- Within the network, we are finding ways to make creativity, innovation and technology part of everyday schoolwork. Our thinking is based on the Innovative School concept in which the school and its surroundings are seen as a holistic network of learning environments improved with technology.
- Innokas Network is coordinated by Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, by City of Espoo and by six sub-coordinators from Finland. Since 2011, over 40 000 students, teachers, parents, learning technology companies and other stakeholders all over Finland have participated in their network activities.