If you teach young learners who are all the same age and live in the same town, opportunities for sharing and comparing life experiences can feel more limited than they would be in a multi-national class of adult learners.
One nice idea with adults, for example, is to invite them to take a 'snapshot' of their lives 5, 10 or 20 years ago, depending on their age, which they can then compare with classmates.
But you can take the 'spiral' approach with young learners, and ask them to think about their own families.
Procedure
• Ask the learners to do a little research and find out what their parents or grandparents were doing on the same day (for fun – it doesn’t have to be exact) 10, 25 or 50 years ago.
• Learners come to the next lesson with that information and exchange with each other. You can build the results into a shared 'snapshot'.
• You can also ask the class to report on their shared snapshot: it might be possible to summarize the notes, perhaps in survey form, generating some basic statistics.
Extension
• Another question which takes the same approach is to ask young learners to find out who the first person in their family was to settle in that town, and build a timeline. They can also ask where their ancestors came from: you can record this on a map.
• If you are teaching a class of adult learners, you can of course ask the same question about their own lives.
joi, 29 decembrie 2011
miercuri, 21 decembrie 2011
101 things you can do the first three weeks of class
Introduction
Beginnings are important. Whether the class is a large introductory course for freshmen or an advanced course in the major field, it makes good sense to start the semester off well. Students will decide very early - some say the first day of class - whether they will like the course, its contents, the teacher, and their fellow students.
The following list of "101 Things You Can Do..." is offered in the spirit of starting off right. It is a catalog of suggestions for college teachers who are looking for a fresh way of creating the best possible environment for learning. Not just the first day, but the first three weeks of a course are especially important, studies say, in retaining capable students. Even if the syllabus is printed and lecture notes are ready to go in August, most college teachers can usually make adjustments in teaching methods as the course unfolds and the characteristics of their students become known.
These suggestions have been gathered from UNL professors and from college teachers elsewhere. The rationale for these methods is based on the following needs:
1) to help students make the transition from high school and summer or holiday activities to learning in college;
2) to direct students' attention to the immediate situation for learning - the hour in the classroom:
3) to spark intellectual curiosity - to challenge students;
4) to support beginners and neophytes in the process of learning in the discipline; 5) to encourage the students' active involvement in learning;
6) to build a sense of community in the classroom.
Ideas for the first three weeks
Here, then, are some ideas for college teachers for use in their courses as they begin a new semester.
Helping Students Make Transitions
1. Hit the ground running on the first day of class with substantial content.
2. Take attendance: roll call, clipboard, sign in, seating chart.
3. Introduce teaching assistants by slide, short presentation, or self-introduction.
4. Hand out an informative, artistic, and user-friendly syllabus.
5. Give an assignment on the first day to be collected at the next meeting.
6. Start laboratory experiments and other exercises the first time lab meets.
7. Call attention (written and oral) to what makes good lab practice: completing work to be done, procedures, equipment, clean up, maintenance, safety, conservation of supplies, full use of lab time.
8. Administer a learning style inventory to help students find out about themselves.
9. Direct students to the Learning Skills Center for help on basic skills.
10. Tell students how much time they will need to study for this course.
11. Hand out supplemental study aids: library use, study tips, supplemental readings and exercises.
12. Explain how to study for kind of tests you give.
13. Put in writing a limited number of ground rules regarding absence, late work, testing procedures, grading, and general decorum, and maintain these.
14. Announce office hours frequently and hold them without fail.
15. Show students how to handle learning in large classes and impersonal situations.
16. Give sample test questions.
17. Give sample test question answers.
18. Explain the difference between legitimate collaboration and academic dishonesty; be clear when collaboration is wanted and when it is forbidden.
19. Seek out a different student each day and get to know something about him or her.
20. Ask students to write about what important things are currently going on in their lives.
21. Find out about students' jobs; if they are working, how many hours a week, and what kinds of jobs they hold.
Directing Students' Attention
22. Greet students at the door when they enter the classroom.
23. Start the class on time.
24. Make a grand stage entrance to hush a large class and gain attention.
25. Give a pre-test on the day's topic.
26. Start the lecture with a puzzle, question, paradox, picture, or cartoon on slide or transparency to focus on the day's topic.
27. Elicit student questions and concerns at the beginning of the class and list these on the chalkboard to be answered during the hour.
28. Have students write down what they think the important issues or key points of the day's lecture will be.
29. Ask the person who is reading the student newspaper what is in the news today.
Challenging Students
30. Have students write out their expectations for the course and their own goals for learning.
31. Use variety in methods of presentation every class meeting.
32. Stage a figurative "coffee break" about twenty minutes into the hour; tell an anecdote, invite students to put down pens and pencils, refer to a current event, shift media.
33. Incorporate community resources: plays, concerts, the State Fair. government agencies. businesses, the outdoors.
34. Show a film in a novel way: stop it for discussion, show a few frames only, anticipate ending, hand out a viewing or critique sheet, play and replay parts.
35. Share your philosophy of teaching with your students.
36. Form a student panel to present alternative views of the same concept.
37. Stage a change-your-mind debate. with students moving to different parts of the classroom to signal change in opinion during the discussion.
38. Conduct a "living" demographic survey by having students move to different parts of the classroom: size of high school. rural vs. urban. consumer preferences...
39. Tell about your current research interests and how you got there from your own beginnings in the discipline.
40. Conduct a role-play to make a point or to lay out issues.
41. Let your students assume the role of a professional in the discipline: philosopher, literary critic, biologist. agronomist. political scientist. engineer.
42. Conduct idea-generating or brainstorming sessions to expand horizons.
43. Give students two passages of material containing alternative views to compare and contrast.
44. Distribute a list of the unsolved problems. dilemmas. or great questions in your discipline and invite students to claim one as their own to investigate.
45. Ask students what books they've read recently.
46. Ask what is going on in the state legislature on this subject which may affect their future.
47. Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of learning.
48. Take students with you to hear guest speakers or special programs on campus.
49. Plan "scholar-gypsy" lesson or unit which shows students the excitement of discovery in your discipline.
Providing Support
50. Collect students' current telephone numbers and addresses and let them know that you may need to reach them.
51. Check out absentees. Call or write a personal note.
52. Diagnose the students' prerequisites learning by questionnaire or pre-test ant give them the feedback as soon as possible.
53. Hand out study questions or study guides.
54. Be redundant. Students should hear, read. or see key material at least three times.
55. Allow students to demonstrate progress in learning: summary quiz over the day's work. a written reaction to the day's material.
56. Use non-graded feedback to let students know how they are doing: post answers to ungraded quizzes and problem sets, exercises in class, oral feedback.
57. Reward behavior you want: praise, stars, honor roll, personal note.
58. Use a light touch: smile, tell a good joke, break test anxiety with a sympathetic comment.
59. Organize. Give visible structure by posting the day's "menu" on chalk- board or overhead.
60. Use multiple media: overhead, slides, film, videotape, audio tape, models, sample material.
61. Use multiple examples, in multiple media. to illustrate key points and . important concepts.
62. Make appointments with all students (individually or in small groups).
63. Hand out wallet-sized telephone cards with all important telephone numbers listed: office department, resource centers, teaching assistant, lab.
64. Print all important course dates on a card that can be handed out and taped to a mirror.
65. Eavesdrop on students before or after class and join their conversation about course topics.
66. Maintain an open lab gradebook. with grades kept current. during lab time so that students can check their progress.
67. Check to see if any students are having problems with any academic or campus matters and direct those who are to appropriate offices or resources.
68. Tell students what they need to do to receive an "A" in your course.
69. Stop the work to find out what your students are thinking feeling and doing in their everyday lives.
Encouraging Active Learning
70. Have students write something.
71. Have students keep three-week-three-times-a-week journals in which they comment. ask questions. and answer questions about course topics.
72. Invite students to critique each other's essays or short answer on tests for readability or content.
73. Invite students to ask questions and wait for the response.
74. Probe student responses to questions ant wait for the response.
75. Put students into pairs or "learning cells" to quiz each other over material for the day.
76. Give students an opportunity to voice opinions about the subject matter.
77. Have students apply subject matter to solve real problems.
78. Give students red, yellow, and green cards (mate of posterboard) and periodically call for a vote on an issue by asking for a simultaneous show of cards.
79. Roam the aisles of a large classroom and carry on running conversations with students as they work on course problems (a portable microphone helps).
80. Ask a question directed to one student and wait for an answer.
81. Place a suggestion box in the rear of the room and encourage students to make written comments every time the class meets.
82. Do oral show of-hands multiple choice tests for summary review and instant feedback.
83. Use task groups to accomplish specific objectives.
84. Grade quizzes and exercises in class as a learning tool.
85. Give students plenty of opportunity for practice before a major test.
86. Give a test early in the semester and return it graded in the next class meeting.
87. Have students write questions on index cards to be collected and answered the next class period.
88. Make collaborate assignments for several students to work on together.
89. Assign written paraphrases and summaries of difficult reading.
90. Give students a take-home problem relating to the days lecture.
91. Encourage students to bring current news items to class which relate to the subject matter and post these on a bulletin board nearby.
Building Community
92. Learn names. Everyone makes an effort to learn at least a few names.
93. Set up a buddy system so students can contact each other about assignments and coursework.
94. Find out about your students via questions on an index card.
95. Take pictures of students (snapshots in small groups, mug shots) and post in classroom, office, or lab.
96. Arrange helping trios of students to assist each other in learning and growing.
97. Form small groups for getting acquainted; mix and form new groups several times.
98. Assign a team project early in the semester and provide time to assemble the team.
99. Help students form study groups to operate outside the classroom.
100. Solicit suggestions from students for outside resources and guest speakers on course topics.
Feedback on Teaching
101. Gather student feedback in the first three weeks of the semester to improve teaching and learning.
Beginnings are important. Whether the class is a large introductory course for freshmen or an advanced course in the major field, it makes good sense to start the semester off well. Students will decide very early - some say the first day of class - whether they will like the course, its contents, the teacher, and their fellow students.
The following list of "101 Things You Can Do..." is offered in the spirit of starting off right. It is a catalog of suggestions for college teachers who are looking for a fresh way of creating the best possible environment for learning. Not just the first day, but the first three weeks of a course are especially important, studies say, in retaining capable students. Even if the syllabus is printed and lecture notes are ready to go in August, most college teachers can usually make adjustments in teaching methods as the course unfolds and the characteristics of their students become known.
These suggestions have been gathered from UNL professors and from college teachers elsewhere. The rationale for these methods is based on the following needs:
1) to help students make the transition from high school and summer or holiday activities to learning in college;
2) to direct students' attention to the immediate situation for learning - the hour in the classroom:
3) to spark intellectual curiosity - to challenge students;
4) to support beginners and neophytes in the process of learning in the discipline; 5) to encourage the students' active involvement in learning;
6) to build a sense of community in the classroom.
Ideas for the first three weeks
Here, then, are some ideas for college teachers for use in their courses as they begin a new semester.
Helping Students Make Transitions
1. Hit the ground running on the first day of class with substantial content.
2. Take attendance: roll call, clipboard, sign in, seating chart.
3. Introduce teaching assistants by slide, short presentation, or self-introduction.
4. Hand out an informative, artistic, and user-friendly syllabus.
5. Give an assignment on the first day to be collected at the next meeting.
6. Start laboratory experiments and other exercises the first time lab meets.
7. Call attention (written and oral) to what makes good lab practice: completing work to be done, procedures, equipment, clean up, maintenance, safety, conservation of supplies, full use of lab time.
8. Administer a learning style inventory to help students find out about themselves.
9. Direct students to the Learning Skills Center for help on basic skills.
10. Tell students how much time they will need to study for this course.
11. Hand out supplemental study aids: library use, study tips, supplemental readings and exercises.
12. Explain how to study for kind of tests you give.
13. Put in writing a limited number of ground rules regarding absence, late work, testing procedures, grading, and general decorum, and maintain these.
14. Announce office hours frequently and hold them without fail.
15. Show students how to handle learning in large classes and impersonal situations.
16. Give sample test questions.
17. Give sample test question answers.
18. Explain the difference between legitimate collaboration and academic dishonesty; be clear when collaboration is wanted and when it is forbidden.
19. Seek out a different student each day and get to know something about him or her.
20. Ask students to write about what important things are currently going on in their lives.
21. Find out about students' jobs; if they are working, how many hours a week, and what kinds of jobs they hold.
Directing Students' Attention
22. Greet students at the door when they enter the classroom.
23. Start the class on time.
24. Make a grand stage entrance to hush a large class and gain attention.
25. Give a pre-test on the day's topic.
26. Start the lecture with a puzzle, question, paradox, picture, or cartoon on slide or transparency to focus on the day's topic.
27. Elicit student questions and concerns at the beginning of the class and list these on the chalkboard to be answered during the hour.
28. Have students write down what they think the important issues or key points of the day's lecture will be.
29. Ask the person who is reading the student newspaper what is in the news today.
Challenging Students
30. Have students write out their expectations for the course and their own goals for learning.
31. Use variety in methods of presentation every class meeting.
32. Stage a figurative "coffee break" about twenty minutes into the hour; tell an anecdote, invite students to put down pens and pencils, refer to a current event, shift media.
33. Incorporate community resources: plays, concerts, the State Fair. government agencies. businesses, the outdoors.
34. Show a film in a novel way: stop it for discussion, show a few frames only, anticipate ending, hand out a viewing or critique sheet, play and replay parts.
35. Share your philosophy of teaching with your students.
36. Form a student panel to present alternative views of the same concept.
37. Stage a change-your-mind debate. with students moving to different parts of the classroom to signal change in opinion during the discussion.
38. Conduct a "living" demographic survey by having students move to different parts of the classroom: size of high school. rural vs. urban. consumer preferences...
39. Tell about your current research interests and how you got there from your own beginnings in the discipline.
40. Conduct a role-play to make a point or to lay out issues.
41. Let your students assume the role of a professional in the discipline: philosopher, literary critic, biologist. agronomist. political scientist. engineer.
42. Conduct idea-generating or brainstorming sessions to expand horizons.
43. Give students two passages of material containing alternative views to compare and contrast.
44. Distribute a list of the unsolved problems. dilemmas. or great questions in your discipline and invite students to claim one as their own to investigate.
45. Ask students what books they've read recently.
46. Ask what is going on in the state legislature on this subject which may affect their future.
47. Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of learning.
48. Take students with you to hear guest speakers or special programs on campus.
49. Plan "scholar-gypsy" lesson or unit which shows students the excitement of discovery in your discipline.
Providing Support
50. Collect students' current telephone numbers and addresses and let them know that you may need to reach them.
51. Check out absentees. Call or write a personal note.
52. Diagnose the students' prerequisites learning by questionnaire or pre-test ant give them the feedback as soon as possible.
53. Hand out study questions or study guides.
54. Be redundant. Students should hear, read. or see key material at least three times.
55. Allow students to demonstrate progress in learning: summary quiz over the day's work. a written reaction to the day's material.
56. Use non-graded feedback to let students know how they are doing: post answers to ungraded quizzes and problem sets, exercises in class, oral feedback.
57. Reward behavior you want: praise, stars, honor roll, personal note.
58. Use a light touch: smile, tell a good joke, break test anxiety with a sympathetic comment.
59. Organize. Give visible structure by posting the day's "menu" on chalk- board or overhead.
60. Use multiple media: overhead, slides, film, videotape, audio tape, models, sample material.
61. Use multiple examples, in multiple media. to illustrate key points and . important concepts.
62. Make appointments with all students (individually or in small groups).
63. Hand out wallet-sized telephone cards with all important telephone numbers listed: office department, resource centers, teaching assistant, lab.
64. Print all important course dates on a card that can be handed out and taped to a mirror.
65. Eavesdrop on students before or after class and join their conversation about course topics.
66. Maintain an open lab gradebook. with grades kept current. during lab time so that students can check their progress.
67. Check to see if any students are having problems with any academic or campus matters and direct those who are to appropriate offices or resources.
68. Tell students what they need to do to receive an "A" in your course.
69. Stop the work to find out what your students are thinking feeling and doing in their everyday lives.
Encouraging Active Learning
70. Have students write something.
71. Have students keep three-week-three-times-a-week journals in which they comment. ask questions. and answer questions about course topics.
72. Invite students to critique each other's essays or short answer on tests for readability or content.
73. Invite students to ask questions and wait for the response.
74. Probe student responses to questions ant wait for the response.
75. Put students into pairs or "learning cells" to quiz each other over material for the day.
76. Give students an opportunity to voice opinions about the subject matter.
77. Have students apply subject matter to solve real problems.
78. Give students red, yellow, and green cards (mate of posterboard) and periodically call for a vote on an issue by asking for a simultaneous show of cards.
79. Roam the aisles of a large classroom and carry on running conversations with students as they work on course problems (a portable microphone helps).
80. Ask a question directed to one student and wait for an answer.
81. Place a suggestion box in the rear of the room and encourage students to make written comments every time the class meets.
82. Do oral show of-hands multiple choice tests for summary review and instant feedback.
83. Use task groups to accomplish specific objectives.
84. Grade quizzes and exercises in class as a learning tool.
85. Give students plenty of opportunity for practice before a major test.
86. Give a test early in the semester and return it graded in the next class meeting.
87. Have students write questions on index cards to be collected and answered the next class period.
88. Make collaborate assignments for several students to work on together.
89. Assign written paraphrases and summaries of difficult reading.
90. Give students a take-home problem relating to the days lecture.
91. Encourage students to bring current news items to class which relate to the subject matter and post these on a bulletin board nearby.
Building Community
92. Learn names. Everyone makes an effort to learn at least a few names.
93. Set up a buddy system so students can contact each other about assignments and coursework.
94. Find out about your students via questions on an index card.
95. Take pictures of students (snapshots in small groups, mug shots) and post in classroom, office, or lab.
96. Arrange helping trios of students to assist each other in learning and growing.
97. Form small groups for getting acquainted; mix and form new groups several times.
98. Assign a team project early in the semester and provide time to assemble the team.
99. Help students form study groups to operate outside the classroom.
100. Solicit suggestions from students for outside resources and guest speakers on course topics.
Feedback on Teaching
101. Gather student feedback in the first three weeks of the semester to improve teaching and learning.
The Name Game
The Name Game is a collaborative learning exercise which accomplishes a variety of important things:
• It makes you learn your students' names quickly and it makes your students learn each other's names quickly.
• It creates a sense of fun and involvement in the early weeks of the semester.
• It demonstrates that collaboration has advantages over working in isolation.
Lots of professors play a variant of the Name Game, but our version is based on what we call "the group mind" technique. We tell the students that we have three weeks (or three classes or whatever) to learn each others' names and that we are all responsible for insuring that everyone does it. We explain that cultures all over the world have developed strategies for insuring the social distribution of knowledge, such that if one person is lost, the knowledge is retained somewhere else in the group (you can skip this step if you teach, say, engineering and don't want to talk about fuzzy stuff like culture). We encourage them to help each other in the learning process.
Start by having seven to ten students introduce themselves and then ask an individual in the group to name other individual: "Luke, which one of these people is Rick?" "Rick, point to Susan." "Susan, what is the name of the person sitting next to Attila?"
If Susan doesn't know the name of the person next to Attila, we'll say, "Ask Attila" or "Ask Luke!" In doing it this way, we can keep everyone on his or her tiptoes, because anyone might be made responsible for an answer at any time - and everyone knows that someone nearby can be counted on for help. No one is made to feel stupid, because the entire group helps out.
At the beginning (and sometimes at the end) of each class in the designated period, we play The Name Game: "Susan, is Attila here today?" "Bob, what is the name of that woman coming in the door?" "Kathy, point to two people named Mike."
This is also a nice technique to interject into the middle of a long class, just to shake up people's minds and get their attention revved up.
• It makes you learn your students' names quickly and it makes your students learn each other's names quickly.
• It creates a sense of fun and involvement in the early weeks of the semester.
• It demonstrates that collaboration has advantages over working in isolation.
Lots of professors play a variant of the Name Game, but our version is based on what we call "the group mind" technique. We tell the students that we have three weeks (or three classes or whatever) to learn each others' names and that we are all responsible for insuring that everyone does it. We explain that cultures all over the world have developed strategies for insuring the social distribution of knowledge, such that if one person is lost, the knowledge is retained somewhere else in the group (you can skip this step if you teach, say, engineering and don't want to talk about fuzzy stuff like culture). We encourage them to help each other in the learning process.
Start by having seven to ten students introduce themselves and then ask an individual in the group to name other individual: "Luke, which one of these people is Rick?" "Rick, point to Susan." "Susan, what is the name of the person sitting next to Attila?"
If Susan doesn't know the name of the person next to Attila, we'll say, "Ask Attila" or "Ask Luke!" In doing it this way, we can keep everyone on his or her tiptoes, because anyone might be made responsible for an answer at any time - and everyone knows that someone nearby can be counted on for help. No one is made to feel stupid, because the entire group helps out.
At the beginning (and sometimes at the end) of each class in the designated period, we play The Name Game: "Susan, is Attila here today?" "Bob, what is the name of that woman coming in the door?" "Kathy, point to two people named Mike."
This is also a nice technique to interject into the middle of a long class, just to shake up people's minds and get their attention revved up.
vineri, 16 decembrie 2011
Common Visual Aids
Flip Charts/Posters
ADVANTAGES:
- easy and inexpensive to make and update
- portable and transportable
- left in view of the audience
- good for interaction with the audience
DISADVANTAGES:
- unsuitable for large groups
- anxiety-provoking for facilitator with poor handwriting or poor spelling
Slides
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- good for large groups
DISADVANTAGES:
- formal and impersonal
- shown in the dark
- not good for discussion and interaction
- more difficult to update than other visual aids
- require special equipment
Videos
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- good for large or small groups
DISADVANTAGES:
- more expansive than other visual aids
- requires special equipment
- not good for discussion and interaction
- require accurate cueing
Overhead Transparencies
ADVANTAGES:
- good for large gropus
- easy to create
- easy to transport
- provide an informal atmosphere
- open to interaction with groups
- easy to update
DISADVANTAGES:
- impermanent; they yellow with age
- require less common equipment
Computer Projections (e.g., PowerPoint™)
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- evidence of preparation
- good for large or small group
- easy to integrate with classroom discussion
- animated
- up-to-date technology
- easy to update
DISADVANTAGES:
- require special equipment/facilities
- require initial training to create
- require significant time to create
- require basic graphics/composition skills
Samples, Examples, and Mock-Ups
ADVANTAGES:
- real-world/authentic
- three dimensional
- sometimes inexpensive and readily available
- experience may be tactile/auditory as well as visual
DISADANTAGES:
- sometimes difficult or impossible to acquire
- often difficult to handle or distribute
- require storage space
- usually out of natural environment
ADVANTAGES:
- easy and inexpensive to make and update
- portable and transportable
- left in view of the audience
- good for interaction with the audience
DISADVANTAGES:
- unsuitable for large groups
- anxiety-provoking for facilitator with poor handwriting or poor spelling
Slides
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- good for large groups
DISADVANTAGES:
- formal and impersonal
- shown in the dark
- not good for discussion and interaction
- more difficult to update than other visual aids
- require special equipment
Videos
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- good for large or small groups
DISADVANTAGES:
- more expansive than other visual aids
- requires special equipment
- not good for discussion and interaction
- require accurate cueing
Overhead Transparencies
ADVANTAGES:
- good for large gropus
- easy to create
- easy to transport
- provide an informal atmosphere
- open to interaction with groups
- easy to update
DISADVANTAGES:
- impermanent; they yellow with age
- require less common equipment
Computer Projections (e.g., PowerPoint™)
ADVANTAGES:
- professional in appearance
- evidence of preparation
- good for large or small group
- easy to integrate with classroom discussion
- animated
- up-to-date technology
- easy to update
DISADVANTAGES:
- require special equipment/facilities
- require initial training to create
- require significant time to create
- require basic graphics/composition skills
Samples, Examples, and Mock-Ups
ADVANTAGES:
- real-world/authentic
- three dimensional
- sometimes inexpensive and readily available
- experience may be tactile/auditory as well as visual
DISADANTAGES:
- sometimes difficult or impossible to acquire
- often difficult to handle or distribute
- require storage space
- usually out of natural environment
joi, 15 decembrie 2011
Human Knot Icebreaker
Summary: A good icebreaker or teambuilding activity for new people to learn to work together – in close physical proximity! The goal is to figure out how to untangle the human knot without letting go of hands.
Ages: 12 and up.
Recommended number of people: 7-200 (group sizes of 10 are ideal).
Messiness factor: Might break a sweat – (close proximity – hope you’re not claustrophobic!).
Materials required: None.
Recommended setting: Both indoors or outdoors.
Human Knot Game
Goals of the Human Knot Game:
• Team building and communication
• Problem solving
• Ice-breaker or get to know others better
Setup for the Human Knot Game:
This game is versatile in that multiple group sizes can play. Form groups of about 10 people each. Have each group standing, facing towards each other, in a circle. Each person should be standing shoulder to shoulder. First, instruct everyone to lift their left hand and reach across to take the hand of someone standing across the circle. Next, have everyone lift their right and reach across to take the hand of another person standing across the circle. Make sure that no one is holding hands with someone standing directly beside the person.
How to Play the Human Knot Game
To play, the groups must communicate and figure out how to untangle the knot (forming a circle of people) without ever letting go of any hands. If you wish, this icebreaker can be played competitively, in which the facilitator says “Ready.. Set.. Go!” and has all the groups race to become the first group to finish. If any group member lets go of a hand (breaks the chain), then the group must start from the beginning, or you could impose a penalty/punishment for that person (e.g. wear a blindfold).
This game typically takes 15-30 minutes to complete. You can impose a time limit if you wish to make the game more challenging. When you are done with the Human Knot activity, you can ask some debrief questions if you wish, such as “How well did you group work together? What strategies did your group adopt? How did it feel to solve the game?” etc.
Variations
To increase the difficulty level, you can either (1) blindfold some of the players or (2) require that the game be played silently (no talking).
10 Rules of Teaching in this Century
We’ve been predicting a technology revolution for decades, and actually, it happened 5 years ago. We are now past the tipping point. Suddenly, we find that higher education no longer has a corner on knowledge-making and distribution. But on the bright side, the entire culture is learning-resource rich, technology has a more human face, and education has become more critical than ever.
As the revolution gathers momentum, many higher education institutions are clean-sheet redesigning teaching, learning, assessment, and career development. The 10 rules in this article suggest the depth of change that’s occurring on campuses right now.
These rules describe how to transform current teaching-centered practice to learning-centered practice, using the technologies of today.
Two basic 21st century laws frame these rules: First, the knowledge developed during the course does not pre-exist the course. Second, since the knowledge of the course does not exist before the course (because you and the students develop the knowledge during the course), your chief challenge is to manage the process of knowledge discovery. Here are the rules for how to do this:
1. Re-examine and adopt the move from teaching to learning. This principle gained prominence in the 1990s as a catch phrase, but with limited implementation, well before the tipping point in 2005. Now, there are many reasons to make this move and no longer reasons not to make the move. Before, it was hard to make the move because of the comparatively tiny resource set and the restricted learning opportunities compared to what is available today. Now, because learning resources and opportunities are infinite, make the move: Don’t just tell students the key knowledge in your field, but help them discover it through problem-based active learning. Change your curriculum from a list of what you will say to a list of essential problems (or questions) that students will address, with your guidance, throughout the semester.
2. Re-visit the accountability measures on your campus (usually called learning goals or learning outcomes) and re-structure them to fit the move you and others are making. As course design at your campus or in your courses starts to incorporate active learning approaches, rubrics based on the legacy curriculum need to change as well. It may well be better to re-state learning outcomes in terms of essential problems and the research associated with those essential problems, and build rubrics based on the problems within a problem-based learning structure.
3. Make a corollary change in assessment, once this move from teaching to learning is underway in your course or course of study: Move most assessment activity away from testing and toward evaluation of student evidence of learning. Student evidence of learning is now easy to capture and store. In the new paradigm of active and varied learning, testing is less appropriate but assessing student evidence is more appropriate.
4. Insist on teaching only in technology-enabled classrooms. Information technology is the default learning technology of today. Campuses have spent millions of dollars on management systems such as the SIS, ERPs, and CRMs because they knew they had to. Now, to stay in business, they must spend millions more to finish the job of building learning spaces for the current learning paradigm: 100 percent “smart classrooms.” These learning spaces must allow all students to have access to the Net while they are in the learning space.
5. Make sure your students have technology management tools of their own as they take on active learning challenges. Campuses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on management systems for faculty, for them to teach. But, as you and your campus make the move from teaching to learning, students must also have tools to manage their own resources and evidence, not just during a course, but 24/7 while they are enrolled, including between semesters.
6. Insist on faculty having management tools for their own professional development to support annual review or a request for promotion or tenure. You, as a faculty member, must be as adept as your students in using Web-based applications, and there is no better way to learn the new breed of applications than to use them yourself for important professional purposes.
7. Do not discard the lecture or class discussion approach when appropriate, but use it primarily for the purpose of helping students address the essential problems of the course: Use lectures and discussions to help students to make progress in their projects and therefore to build their course portfolios.
8. Make sure your students have a digital repository of some sort--a portfolio system, a wiki, a blog, a Web page builder, a place to store and manage the evidence of their active learning.
9. Require your students to interpret their collected online evidence at regular intervals and, finally, in capstone Web presentations.
10. Make the collection of evidence the primary work of the course. In other words, students should be graded largely or entirely on their final portfolio for the course. In a learning-centered course, the portfolio is the sine qua non.
As the revolution gathers momentum, many higher education institutions are clean-sheet redesigning teaching, learning, assessment, and career development. The 10 rules in this article suggest the depth of change that’s occurring on campuses right now.
These rules describe how to transform current teaching-centered practice to learning-centered practice, using the technologies of today.
Two basic 21st century laws frame these rules: First, the knowledge developed during the course does not pre-exist the course. Second, since the knowledge of the course does not exist before the course (because you and the students develop the knowledge during the course), your chief challenge is to manage the process of knowledge discovery. Here are the rules for how to do this:
1. Re-examine and adopt the move from teaching to learning. This principle gained prominence in the 1990s as a catch phrase, but with limited implementation, well before the tipping point in 2005. Now, there are many reasons to make this move and no longer reasons not to make the move. Before, it was hard to make the move because of the comparatively tiny resource set and the restricted learning opportunities compared to what is available today. Now, because learning resources and opportunities are infinite, make the move: Don’t just tell students the key knowledge in your field, but help them discover it through problem-based active learning. Change your curriculum from a list of what you will say to a list of essential problems (or questions) that students will address, with your guidance, throughout the semester.
2. Re-visit the accountability measures on your campus (usually called learning goals or learning outcomes) and re-structure them to fit the move you and others are making. As course design at your campus or in your courses starts to incorporate active learning approaches, rubrics based on the legacy curriculum need to change as well. It may well be better to re-state learning outcomes in terms of essential problems and the research associated with those essential problems, and build rubrics based on the problems within a problem-based learning structure.
3. Make a corollary change in assessment, once this move from teaching to learning is underway in your course or course of study: Move most assessment activity away from testing and toward evaluation of student evidence of learning. Student evidence of learning is now easy to capture and store. In the new paradigm of active and varied learning, testing is less appropriate but assessing student evidence is more appropriate.
4. Insist on teaching only in technology-enabled classrooms. Information technology is the default learning technology of today. Campuses have spent millions of dollars on management systems such as the SIS, ERPs, and CRMs because they knew they had to. Now, to stay in business, they must spend millions more to finish the job of building learning spaces for the current learning paradigm: 100 percent “smart classrooms.” These learning spaces must allow all students to have access to the Net while they are in the learning space.
5. Make sure your students have technology management tools of their own as they take on active learning challenges. Campuses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on management systems for faculty, for them to teach. But, as you and your campus make the move from teaching to learning, students must also have tools to manage their own resources and evidence, not just during a course, but 24/7 while they are enrolled, including between semesters.
6. Insist on faculty having management tools for their own professional development to support annual review or a request for promotion or tenure. You, as a faculty member, must be as adept as your students in using Web-based applications, and there is no better way to learn the new breed of applications than to use them yourself for important professional purposes.
7. Do not discard the lecture or class discussion approach when appropriate, but use it primarily for the purpose of helping students address the essential problems of the course: Use lectures and discussions to help students to make progress in their projects and therefore to build their course portfolios.
8. Make sure your students have a digital repository of some sort--a portfolio system, a wiki, a blog, a Web page builder, a place to store and manage the evidence of their active learning.
9. Require your students to interpret their collected online evidence at regular intervals and, finally, in capstone Web presentations.
10. Make the collection of evidence the primary work of the course. In other words, students should be graded largely or entirely on their final portfolio for the course. In a learning-centered course, the portfolio is the sine qua non.
luni, 12 decembrie 2011
PEE- an Essay - writing technique
PEE is an essay-writing technique used in English. This Entry will explain what each letter means and give an example from a Romeo and Juliet essay.
• Point - Make a point. This can be anything from a short sentence to a few lines.
Example - We first see Romeo in Act 1 Scene 1. He seems to be over-dramatic, and exaggerates everything he says.
• Evidence - Quote the text. The quote needs to be related to the point you made.
Example - Mis-shapen chaos of well-seemed forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! (1.1.178-180)
• Explanation - Explain the quote, what it means, how it works, and how it backs up the point you made originally.
Example - In this quote, to exaggerate his point, Romeo uses a number of oxymorons.
This quote also shows that Romeo is a very emotional and immature person as he is acting depressed just because one good-looking girl (Rosaline) turned him down.
The final finished paragraph:
We first see Romeo in Act 1, Scene 1. He seems to be over-dramatic, and exaggerates everything he says:
'Misshapen chaos of well-seemed forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!' (1.1.178-180)
In this quote, to exaggerate his point, Romeo uses a number of oxymorons. This quote also shows that Romeo is a very emotional and immature person as he is acting depressed just because one good-looking girl (Rosaline) turned him down.
It is also possible to add an R on the end of PEE:
• Review - Check your work, make sure there are no spelling mistakes, and see if you can improve it in any way. Reviewing your work and correcting your work could be the difference between getting a B or an A.
By following PEE, you have the necessary structure to write a good paragraph in an essay.Since PEE is an acronym and has several connotations, it is very memorable.
sâmbătă, 10 decembrie 2011
Liceu a la Cluj: fără catalog, materii după bunul plac şi lucrări ţinute la seif
S-au dus vremurile când profesorul de limba şi literatura română era spaima elevilor de liceu. Nici profesorul care dictează comentarii literare sau lecţii interminabile, spre disperarea elevilor nu mai este la modă. „De veghe în lanul de secară”, prin metoda „pânzei de păianjen”, ore de istorie pe „YouTube” şi lecţii de Business pe internet.
Aşa se desfăşoară cursurile în cel mai recent înfiinţat liceu din Cluj, care funcţionează la Şcoala Internaţională după programa Cambridge, primul de acest fel din provincie. Cei 13 elevi care s-au înscris în clasa a IX-a, prima ce funcţionează după programa internaţională Cambridge, studiază exclusiv în limba engleză.
Cursul de limba şi literatură română este singurul în care nu se învaţă într-o limbă străină. Chiar şi aşa, profesorul de limba şi literatura română a fost nevoit să se „reinveteze” şi să adapteze cerinţelor programei Şcolare Cambridge şi să impună o disciplină fără să aibă un catalog, inexistent în acest sistem de studiu.
Tertipuri pentru captarea atenţiei:
Aşezaţi pe scaune în cerc, o carte în mână pe care şi-o pasează de la unii la alţii, doar atunci când doresc să spună ceva, aşa îşi încep ziua „elevii Cambridge”, la cursul de limba română. „Astfel, impui în mod natural o regulă prin care elevii să nu vorbească unii peste alţii. Deobicei se foloseşte o mascotă. Noi fiind la ora de română utilizăm o carte”, explică Cosmina Mocanu, profesoră de limba română de trei ani la Şcoala Internaţională.
Apoi, Cosmina Mocanu trece la predarea romanului „De veghe în lanul de secară”, de J.D. Salinger. Nu-şi trimite elevii în bănci pentru a le dicta un comentariu, ci scoate un ghem de aţă, pentru a aplica „metoda pânzei de păianjen”. Elevii îşi dau o bucată de aţă unii altora, atunci când doresc să-şi expună opinia cu privirea la subiect. „În felul acesta se stimulează expunerea opiniei şi nu pune elevul în dificultate. Faptul că fiecare e parte din această pânză de păianjen îi face să se implice activ. Aţi văzut că cei care sunt mai timizi sunt ultimii care îşi doresc să vorbească. Astfel, au şansa să asculte alte opinii, până să le vină rândul”, mai spune profesorul.
Elevii trec de la o oră la alta fără clasica pauză de 10 minute. Au nevoie doar de un minut, cât să-şi aducă din pupitrul propriu aflat pe holul şcolii cele necesare următorului curs.
Dacă unii elevi merg să studieze limba germană, jumătate din ei se îndreaptă spre atelierul de arte. „Elevii-Cambridge” îşi pot alege materiile pe care le vor studia. Nici orele de istorie nu se desfăşoară după metoda clasică. Profesorul le arată la fiecare lecţie filmuleţe de pe YouTube, iar cel de matematică le dă teste diferenţiat, în funcţie de nivelul la care se află.
“Pe cinci dintre ei mi-am propus să-i trimit mai repede la examen, astfel încât să poată studia pe parcursul celor patru ani cât mai multe disciplină”, a declarat Iulia Igna, profesor de matematică. Profesorii nu au cataloage, iar elevii dau un singur examen la sfârşitul anului, pentru fiecare materie. Lucrările sunt ţinute într-un seif ascuns în şcoală şi sunt trimise ulterior la Universitatea Cambridge, unde ele sunt corectate.
Cât costă şcolarizarea la Liceul „Cambridge”
Sesiunea de examene pe care elevii o vor susține, denumită în engleză “A Levels”, este recunoscută internațional. Cu notele primite la aceste examene, elevii vor putea să candideze la universități de prestigiu din afara granițelor precum și din România. Cei care studiază după programa Cambridge plătesc lunar 1590 de lei.
Citat: E mult mai bine aşa. Nu trebuie să scriem la dictare cinci pagini cu ce zice profu`, din care nu înţelegem nimic Dana Mucichescu, elevă clasa a IX-a.
Pedagogia Waldorf
Ce este pedagogia Waldorf ?
Şcoala Waldorf este o alternativă la învăţământul tradiţional, în cadrul învăţământului de stat, a cărei pedagogie se bazează pe indicaţiile pedagogice ale lui Rudolf Steiner. Şcoala Waldorf este o şcoală europeană; toţi cei care sunt preocupaţi de dezvoltarea ideilor pedagogice în lume cunosc şi recunosc succesul său în toate ţările dezvoltate ale Europei.
Prin pedagogia Waldorf se oferă o alternativă educaţională care să implice în procesul de învăţământ întreaga fiinţă a copilului. Adică, se învaţă exact aceleaşi materii ca-n orice altă şcoală, dar metodele de predare sunt diferite, urmărindu-se nu numai bombardarea intelectului cu informaţii, ci şi rafinarea simţurilor şi modelarea sensibilităţii sufleteşti faţă de ceea ce este frumos şi bine.
Prima şcoală Waldorf a fost înfiinţată în 1919 la Stutgart din iniţiativa filosoful german Rudolf Steiner şi cu sprijinul material al lui Emil Molt, managerul fabricii de ţigarete Waldorf-Astoria (de unde şi denumirea de pedagogie Waldorf).
Scoala urmăreşte prin acţiunile sale integrarea socială a tuturor tinerilor pe baza principiilor libertăţii, democraţiei, toleranţei, moralităţii.
Deşi reprezintă cea mai răspândită alternativă la învăţământul de stat din România, esenţa pedagogiei Waldorf este foarte puţin cunoscută. Eforturile cadrelor didactice şi ale părinţilor de a promova această iniţiativă s-au izbit uneori de necunoaşterea acestei alternative.
Şcoala Waldorf nu este o şcoală particulară (nu se percep taxe), nu este o şcoală ajutătoare, ci ea se adresează tuturor copiilor, sistemul fiind astfel conceput încât să-i ajute deopotrivă pe cei slabi, în atingerea unui nivel acceptabil, cât şi pe cei dotaţi, în aspiraţia lor naturală spre performanţe cât mai notabile.
Prin ce se deosebeşte pedagogia Waldorf de sistemul tradiţional de învăţământ?
- Se urmăreşte educarea omului în ansamblu;
- Programele diferitelor materii sunt comparabile cu cele din sistemul tradiţional şi aprobate de Ministerul Educaţiei şi Cercetării;
- Disciplinele şcolare nu sunt privite ca şi scop în sine ci ca mijloace educaţionale;
- Este echivalent nivelul cunoştinţelor cu cel din şcoala tradiţională, la nivelul clasei a IV-a, la Testarea naţională şi la Bacalaureat.
- Nu se dau note sau calificative, elevii primind la sfârşitul clasei o caracterizare complexă care specifică atât abilităţile şi neajunsurile la fiecare obiect de studiu cât si aspecte legate de evoluţia tânărului şi sfaturi cu privire la posibile direcţii de orientare în studiu;
- Materiile principale: limba română, istoria, geografia, biologia, matematica, fizica, chimia, sunt predate în perioade de 2-4 săptămâni, câte două ore la începutul fiecărei zile, în cadrul cursului de bază. Limbile străine, cursurile artistice şi practice, sportul, dar şi orele de exerciţii la materiile principale apar în orar după cursul de bază. Acest mod de lucru reduce mult numărul de materii la care elevul trebuie să se pregătească pentru a doua zi şi duce la o aprofundare mai bună a materiei prin ritmul zilnic;
Mai presus de toate, această şcoală îşi propune dezvoltarea copiilor şi tinerilor din toate punctele de vedere, ştiinţa fiind însufleţită prin artă şi legată de viaţa zilnică prin practică în toţi cei 12 ani de studiu. Unul din scopurile acestei şcoli este acela de a pregăti indivizi cu mentalităţi sănătoase şi capacitate mare de adaptabilitate pentru viaţa socială de mai târziu.
De ce aş vrea să înveţe copilul meu într-o şcoala Waldorf?
Pentru că aici poate să descopere lumea înconjurătoare din mai multe perspective: ştiinţifice, artistice şi tehnic-mestesugăresti. Importantă este aici cunoaşterea si socializarea, mai puţin competiţia si izolarea. Este important să înveţe să cânte la un instrument muzical, să participe la sărbători în colectivitate şi să aibă posibilitatea unei relaţii umane firesti cu educatorii lui, să se simtă înţeles şi tratat cu atenţie.
În şcoala Waldorf copiii au şansa de a învăţa, de a creşte frumos în gândire, simţire şi voinţă. Oare este puţin lucru să înveţi să fii om?
„Nu este menirea noastră să transmitem judecăţi generaţiilor care cresc. Trebuie să-i ajutăm să-şi folosească propria capacitate de judecată, propria putere de înţelegere. Să înveţe să vadă în lume cu ochii proprii. Să cultivăm capacităţi, nu să transmitem judecăţi. Nu în adevărurile noastre să creadă tineretul, ci în personalitatea noastră. Să vadă cei care vin după noi că şi noi suntem căutători. Şi trebuie să-i îndrumăm şi pe ei pe calea căutătorilor.”(Rudolf Steiner)
Sisteme alternative de predare
Sistemul finlandez de predare
Finlanda este una dintre tarile cu cele mai ridicate niveluri de trai din lume. In urma perioadei de grava recesiune economica din anii '90, guvernul a hotarit sa dedice fonduri importante educatiei, cercetarii si tehnologiei. Rezultatul: in mai putin de 10 ani, Finlanda a trecut pe primele locuri din lume ca bunastare sociala si bogatie.
Exemplul Nokia.
La inceput, un sat cu o singura fabrica, de cizme de cauciuc. Apoi, o fabrica de televizoare. In sfirsit, pe baza aliantei dintre patronat si sindicate, se mizeaza pe telefonia celulara. Astazi sunt lideri mondiali, inaintea Germaniei, Japoniei si a Statelor Unite.
De ce este atit de obisnuit ca, in Finlanda, un adolescent normal sa termine primele 8 clase cu medii excelente, vorbind o engleza perfecta si citind o carte pe saptamina?
07:45 - Saili (15 ani) asteapta autobuzul urban care il va lasa la poarta scolii (nu exista autobuze scolare). Autobuzul trece la fiecare 5 minute. Finlandezii incearca sa-i faca pe fiii lor sa fie independenti de mici. Pe foarte putini dintre ei, parintii lor îi duc cu masina pina la scoala. Biletul este subventionat de catre municipalitate. Conform legii, nici un elev nu poate locui la mai mult de 5 km de scoala. In exterior, instalatiile scolii dau o impresie spartana. Nici un muc de tigara, nici o hirtie pe jos, nici un grafitti pe ziduri.
09:15 - Orele de 45 de minute. Finlandezii mizeaza pe studiile de limba materna, matematica si engleza. 75% dintre materii sunt comune in toata tara. Restul il alege scoala, de acord cu profesorii, parintii si elevii. Orele sunt scurte, intense si, mai ales, foarte participative. In interiorul scolii, curatenia este si mai evidenta. Totul pare recent dat in folosinta. Pe banci si pupitre nu sunt semne, si nu se scrijeleste nimic. Scoala este publica si, bineinteles, gratuita, dar cu instalatii demne de un colegiu "scump" din Spania. Salile de cursuri dispun de ecrane gigant de plasma cu TV in circuit inchis, acvariu de 200 de litri cu pesti tropicali, bucatarie completa, dispozitive audiovizuale, aer conditionat, multe plante. Fiecare doi elevi au cite un calculator. O duzina de masini de cusut in sala de croitorie, aparate de sudura, scule de timplarie, schiuri... O sala de sport acoperita, un auditoriu pentru orele de teatru si o sala de mese cu autoservire. Cartile sunt gratuite, materialul scolar e gratuit, mincarea e gratuita.
12:00 - Mincare calda, nutritiva si gratuita. Saili are o jumatate de ora pentru prinz, la restaurantul scolii. Legea finlandeza obliga ca meniul sa fie gratuit, nutritiv, si cu multe feluri de salate si fructe. Se bea apa sau lapte. Costurile le plateste municipalitatea fiecarui oras. Daca orele se prelungesc pina dupa amiaza, scoala are obligatia de a oferi o gustare elevilor.
16:05 - Inapoi acasa, Saili joaca hockey cu fratele lui mai mic. Nu exista delincventa, strazile sunt sigure. Cind se lasa seara, Saili si fratele lui, care au invatat sa gateasca la scoala, pregatesc cina pentru parintii lor, daca acestia intirzie la serviciu.
18:30 - Cina si sauna (aceasta, de 3 ori pe saptamina) sunt momentele in care familia se afla impreuna. Se converseaza mult, mai ales despre proiectele copiilor, dorintele, progresele si nevoile lor. Dar in aceeasi masura, se fac si planuri de vacanta pentru toata familia, in comun.
20:15 - Temele si la culcare. Copiii finlandezi au foarte multe teme de casa, desi Saili le termina rapid, intr-o ora sau doua, pentru ca de-abia asteapta sa se urce in pat si sa citeasca Harry Potter in engleza. Pentru Saili, scoala este ca un serviciu.
- "Daca un copil doreste sa studieze, poate sa ajunga medic sau judecator sau inginer, chiar daca familia sa este una saraca".
- Educatia fiecarui copil costa statul finlandez 200000 de euro, de la gradinita pina la absolvirea unei universitati. "Sunt banii cel mai bine folositi din impozitele noastre".
- Studentii platesc doar cartile si mincarea (2.50 euro la restaurantul facultatii). Apoi, statul îi ajuta sa se emancipeze dindu-le subventii pentru inchirierea unei locuinte si primul salariu.
- Elevii au un respect total fata de profesori, si se vede in orice moment politetea in relatiile dintre ei. Nu poarta uniforme, dar sunt intotdeauna simplu si corect imbracati si ingrijiti.
- Intr-o scoala din centrul capitalei Helsinki, sau dincolo de Cercul Polar, nivelul este acelasi. Sistemul educational nu este elitist si nu urmareste producerea de genii, ci atingerea unui nivel general mediu cit mai inalt.
- Temele sunt sfinte. Si este foarte rau vazut ca un elev sa copieze, chiar si de catre ceilalti elevi. Este de neconceput ca un elev sa scoata o fituica la un examen. Cel care ar face-o ar fi izolat de catre restul de elevi. "De ce sa risti, cind poti sa studiezi?" Pe aceeasi linie, ca adulti, nu-si vor imagina ce este evaziunea fiscala. Nu e de mirare ca Finlanda se afla in fruntea tarilor cu cele mai ridicate statistici de transparenta si cea mai scazuta coruptie publica.
- Presedinta Finlandei, Tarja Halonen, licentiata in Drept si profesoara: "Cind îi cert pe studentii mei, le spun ca irosesc banii contribuabililor".
- Nu exista repetenti, desi nu exista decit o singura oportunitate de a lua un examen, "pentru simplul motiv ca viata insasi nu se traieste decit o singura data". Se studiaza pina cind se ia examenul, dar promovarea in anul urmator este automata.
- "Ziua de lucru" a lui Saili este intensa, de la 8 pina la 3. Orele sunt insa scurte, de 45 de minute. Una dintre recreatii se petrece obligatoriu afara, in aer liber. Se stimuleaza rationamentul critic inaintea memorizarii mecanice. Orele sunt relaxate, cum ar fi cursurile de dansuri de salon, teatru, arta digitala, coafura, arte martiale, hockey, schi de tura, gastronomie, primul ajutor, dulgherie, mecanica sau muzica. Elevii cinta la vioara, chitara electrica sau la ce prefera. Si, inca odata, se incurajeaza gindirea critica si se discuta.
- "Saili inca nu s-a hotarit ce vrea sa faca mai incolo. Chimie, medicina veterinara sau creatie de jocuri video. Il intreb daca este fericit. Fara sa clipeasca, imi raspunde ca da."
Finlanda este una dintre tarile cu cele mai ridicate niveluri de trai din lume. In urma perioadei de grava recesiune economica din anii '90, guvernul a hotarit sa dedice fonduri importante educatiei, cercetarii si tehnologiei. Rezultatul: in mai putin de 10 ani, Finlanda a trecut pe primele locuri din lume ca bunastare sociala si bogatie.
Exemplul Nokia.
La inceput, un sat cu o singura fabrica, de cizme de cauciuc. Apoi, o fabrica de televizoare. In sfirsit, pe baza aliantei dintre patronat si sindicate, se mizeaza pe telefonia celulara. Astazi sunt lideri mondiali, inaintea Germaniei, Japoniei si a Statelor Unite.
De ce este atit de obisnuit ca, in Finlanda, un adolescent normal sa termine primele 8 clase cu medii excelente, vorbind o engleza perfecta si citind o carte pe saptamina?
07:45 - Saili (15 ani) asteapta autobuzul urban care il va lasa la poarta scolii (nu exista autobuze scolare). Autobuzul trece la fiecare 5 minute. Finlandezii incearca sa-i faca pe fiii lor sa fie independenti de mici. Pe foarte putini dintre ei, parintii lor îi duc cu masina pina la scoala. Biletul este subventionat de catre municipalitate. Conform legii, nici un elev nu poate locui la mai mult de 5 km de scoala. In exterior, instalatiile scolii dau o impresie spartana. Nici un muc de tigara, nici o hirtie pe jos, nici un grafitti pe ziduri.
09:15 - Orele de 45 de minute. Finlandezii mizeaza pe studiile de limba materna, matematica si engleza. 75% dintre materii sunt comune in toata tara. Restul il alege scoala, de acord cu profesorii, parintii si elevii. Orele sunt scurte, intense si, mai ales, foarte participative. In interiorul scolii, curatenia este si mai evidenta. Totul pare recent dat in folosinta. Pe banci si pupitre nu sunt semne, si nu se scrijeleste nimic. Scoala este publica si, bineinteles, gratuita, dar cu instalatii demne de un colegiu "scump" din Spania. Salile de cursuri dispun de ecrane gigant de plasma cu TV in circuit inchis, acvariu de 200 de litri cu pesti tropicali, bucatarie completa, dispozitive audiovizuale, aer conditionat, multe plante. Fiecare doi elevi au cite un calculator. O duzina de masini de cusut in sala de croitorie, aparate de sudura, scule de timplarie, schiuri... O sala de sport acoperita, un auditoriu pentru orele de teatru si o sala de mese cu autoservire. Cartile sunt gratuite, materialul scolar e gratuit, mincarea e gratuita.
12:00 - Mincare calda, nutritiva si gratuita. Saili are o jumatate de ora pentru prinz, la restaurantul scolii. Legea finlandeza obliga ca meniul sa fie gratuit, nutritiv, si cu multe feluri de salate si fructe. Se bea apa sau lapte. Costurile le plateste municipalitatea fiecarui oras. Daca orele se prelungesc pina dupa amiaza, scoala are obligatia de a oferi o gustare elevilor.
16:05 - Inapoi acasa, Saili joaca hockey cu fratele lui mai mic. Nu exista delincventa, strazile sunt sigure. Cind se lasa seara, Saili si fratele lui, care au invatat sa gateasca la scoala, pregatesc cina pentru parintii lor, daca acestia intirzie la serviciu.
18:30 - Cina si sauna (aceasta, de 3 ori pe saptamina) sunt momentele in care familia se afla impreuna. Se converseaza mult, mai ales despre proiectele copiilor, dorintele, progresele si nevoile lor. Dar in aceeasi masura, se fac si planuri de vacanta pentru toata familia, in comun.
20:15 - Temele si la culcare. Copiii finlandezi au foarte multe teme de casa, desi Saili le termina rapid, intr-o ora sau doua, pentru ca de-abia asteapta sa se urce in pat si sa citeasca Harry Potter in engleza. Pentru Saili, scoala este ca un serviciu.
- "Daca un copil doreste sa studieze, poate sa ajunga medic sau judecator sau inginer, chiar daca familia sa este una saraca".
- Educatia fiecarui copil costa statul finlandez 200000 de euro, de la gradinita pina la absolvirea unei universitati. "Sunt banii cel mai bine folositi din impozitele noastre".
- Studentii platesc doar cartile si mincarea (2.50 euro la restaurantul facultatii). Apoi, statul îi ajuta sa se emancipeze dindu-le subventii pentru inchirierea unei locuinte si primul salariu.
- Elevii au un respect total fata de profesori, si se vede in orice moment politetea in relatiile dintre ei. Nu poarta uniforme, dar sunt intotdeauna simplu si corect imbracati si ingrijiti.
- Intr-o scoala din centrul capitalei Helsinki, sau dincolo de Cercul Polar, nivelul este acelasi. Sistemul educational nu este elitist si nu urmareste producerea de genii, ci atingerea unui nivel general mediu cit mai inalt.
- Temele sunt sfinte. Si este foarte rau vazut ca un elev sa copieze, chiar si de catre ceilalti elevi. Este de neconceput ca un elev sa scoata o fituica la un examen. Cel care ar face-o ar fi izolat de catre restul de elevi. "De ce sa risti, cind poti sa studiezi?" Pe aceeasi linie, ca adulti, nu-si vor imagina ce este evaziunea fiscala. Nu e de mirare ca Finlanda se afla in fruntea tarilor cu cele mai ridicate statistici de transparenta si cea mai scazuta coruptie publica.
- Presedinta Finlandei, Tarja Halonen, licentiata in Drept si profesoara: "Cind îi cert pe studentii mei, le spun ca irosesc banii contribuabililor".
- Nu exista repetenti, desi nu exista decit o singura oportunitate de a lua un examen, "pentru simplul motiv ca viata insasi nu se traieste decit o singura data". Se studiaza pina cind se ia examenul, dar promovarea in anul urmator este automata.
- "Ziua de lucru" a lui Saili este intensa, de la 8 pina la 3. Orele sunt insa scurte, de 45 de minute. Una dintre recreatii se petrece obligatoriu afara, in aer liber. Se stimuleaza rationamentul critic inaintea memorizarii mecanice. Orele sunt relaxate, cum ar fi cursurile de dansuri de salon, teatru, arta digitala, coafura, arte martiale, hockey, schi de tura, gastronomie, primul ajutor, dulgherie, mecanica sau muzica. Elevii cinta la vioara, chitara electrica sau la ce prefera. Si, inca odata, se incurajeaza gindirea critica si se discuta.
- "Saili inca nu s-a hotarit ce vrea sa faca mai incolo. Chimie, medicina veterinara sau creatie de jocuri video. Il intreb daca este fericit. Fara sa clipeasca, imi raspunde ca da."
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