Week 10: Friday / Last Day

On every course the best part is always having the opportunity to share experiences with colleagues but during this course it has been even more than that. I have never experienced such a joy of sharing and discussing with colleagues as here during these (hard) 10 weeks.

I used to think I knew how to survive with my computer skills but it has been awakening to notice how much there is still to learn. Of course, that could be depressing but on the contrary I feel happy. Why? The answer is simple: I’m not too old to learn new things!!!

I find it useful to know how to create a blog, or even create a site for a whole group or even a blog for every English course and every Swedish course. And every time I start anew I can update the blogs. I find that quite attempting. The blog is not the only new issue that I find useful, it just came to my mind sitting here reading other participants’ great blogs and updating mine. Everything taught to us during this course has been done for a reason, they are useful great tools and what’s the best they are FREE, just take them into use.

It will take some time to digest this all and I’m quite sure no one can immediately start using it all but in due time we shall find out where and how we can make our teaching (even) better and the students get (even more) interested in their studies.

I want to thank everyone who made this experience worthwhile. I have really loved this journey. And I’m sure we’ll meet some time somewhere. 

Take care, my dear international friends and colleagues!

Week 10: Thursday

Now we are here, it is almost the end of week 10, I don't even want to say it aloud but it really is the last week on this course. I have had a wonderful opportunity to learn to know so many great people from different parts of the world. Thank you everybody! Thank you Oregon! Thank you Robert! Thank you whoever it is I should thank!

There is so much we have been shown and taught and now it's just up to ourselves to grab them and implement our knowledge and begin or continue using everything available. Step by step.

It is for the best regarding our students but who would deny it's not awesome and nice for us teachers, as well. It would be so boring to go on with the same old well proven methods now after these educational weeks. I wouldn't like to do it and I refuse to do it!

It feels so good that most (is not all) of us want to stay in touch even when this course is over. Hopefully we manage to do so. I already found a colleague on Facebook, I hope he will accept me as a friend even there.

The ending of this course is not the only heart breaking but exciting event this week. Tomorrow my students are doing the final exam in English and I am probably more excited and nervous about that. If they fail it's the teacher's fault but if they do well it's due to their own skills, of course.

Week 9: On the educational system in Finland

Before the end of last week I received an e-mail via CIMO.fi. It was from a university professor in education in the U.S. who had become particularly interested in our educational system.  He wanted to have an email or regular letter conversation about the educational system in Finland. He works at Western Connecticut State University. So I'm happy for starting a new conversation with the world, once again. Finland has 'traditionally' done quite well in PISA surveys. And the ground work for this is done in comprehensive school, so I can't take any personal pride in the results but the students' basics are good for continuing at the secondary school level.

Week 10: Monday

This is an exciting week (waiting for Robert's comments)
This is a sad week (departing from our colleagues all around the world) Hopefully not!
This is an important week ( we are giving some advice to our followers)

This is going to be a good week, isn't it.

Week 9: Friday

Now I have posted my project plan, I have to admit I'm not proud of it but considering all that has happened during the last few weeks I'm happy.

With the help of my project plan I want to make my students read more. It is quite common in Finland and probably in many other countries, as well, that (young) people read less than before. With the help of tech tools I’m trying to encourage them to get interested in literature.

Now I'm going home and take a nice nap and leave the project rest in peace for a while.

Have a nice day and rest of the week!

Week 9: Wednesday

Dear Friends around the world!

I’m finally back from France. If I had been able to anticipate the difficulties with the Internet, I certainly would have asked for a change in plans and stayed at home! But now I’ll start studying Vita’s and Yuliya’s project plans and hopefully be able to post comments on them in time. Oh, world,  please be patient with me, will you….

Sinikka

Week 8: Wednesday

Yesterday I failed in creating a classroom on Nicenet.org. Today I somehow managed to create one and then I got carried away and created several.

1. for my plan for a tech project to come, as I don’t have a group to teach English at the moment, this room is called ‘Literary Circles’

2. for our school project  and it is called ‘Nordplus HOKEEP’

3. I also accidentally joined Yuliya’s classroom as I only meant to have a look and then I noticed I was a member there, but Yuliya suggested I could stay and act as a visitor and even participating in their discussions. And that would be great!

And now that I have got the idea how to create them you never know how many there will be, but not just for the fun of it. I also need to guide members to join the classes.

In the afternoon I also posted my project plan draft, I am sorry partners I’m not very proud of it but fortunately it’s only a draft and not the final yet. I’m keen to see my partners’ postings they are surely awesome.

Tonight we are off to our Comenius meeting in Cholét, France. I will not be back before next Wednesday. I do hope the connections are so good that I can do the readings, postings and commentings over there. I take my laptop along and my headset so I really hope I will finally see you all, my dear colleagues around the world in the webinar on Friday. And if I fail, the webinar can be watched later when I come home because it will fortunately be recorded. Let’s keep our fingers cross for a good connection in France.

Now I’ll take a nice little nap as we are leaving at half past 2 in the middle of the night.

Have an interesting week you all!

Week 8: Monday

I created a blog for communication beteween me and my students the url is http://harjavaltaenglish.blogspot.com/
But it's just a blog...

Week 7: Friday

Oh, this week is soon over and I feel I haven't done anything even if I have. I have received positive feedback for some PowerPoint presentations and I have read through lots and lots of postings and blogs. So this week is really time-consuming in many ways. I’m planning to do the project work on reading or rather having students to read, which is quite a challenge as they claim they don’t read. I wonder if that’s true. If it is it’s quite sad because I find a person who is literate not reading books in the same position as an illiterate person. Do they really understand what they are missing in life?

I have been thinking a lot of independent studying and how I might be a hinder of students’ development to independency. (Maybe) I ought to improve myself and avoid doing so much instead of them…