Hello from Northern Finland! Today we started off by taking a bus to Rantarousti School in Tyrnävä, which is a kindergarten and primary school, grades one through six, with a special education department. After we removed our shoes, the principal showed us all around the facilities, which included many wings of differing grade levels. The spaces were organized by grade level and had large rooms that could be used for group lessons or divided into smaller rooms for more individual study. What we enjoyed about this experience is that we got to discuss with students and teachers, whom were eager to answer our questions. All of the teachers frequently mentioned their constant collaboration and their efforts to make their classrooms feel like home for all of their students. We toured many areas of the school, such as “Handicrafts,” where students learn woodworking and art skills; the transition areas, where they keep their bookbags; and finally, the mainstream and special education classrooms.
After lunch at a famous Oulu fish restaurant (where we took a photo with a reindeer), our group visited Kempele School, which contains grades one through nine and a daycare facility. As in the last school, we immediately removed our shoes upon entry. While walking through the building, we noticed the vibrant colors scattered throughout each room. School projects such as self-portraits and bucket lists lined the halls. We even got to listen in on an English lesson, where they were doing a Kahoot on English grammar (which I may have joined). It was interesting to watch them learn our native language, similarly to how we learn in the United States. Lastly, we toured their state-of-the-art music and craft rooms, where students typically spend about two to four hours a week. Overall, we were blown away by the emphasized importance of arts, collaboration, special needs education, and innovation shown at both schools.
After we toured, one of the guides gave us a presentation on emerging technologies, including the metaverse (megacities and 6g technology). It was neat to see new technologies and ways that they can be used in schools, and for adaptive learning. The software we were shown included avatars, streaming abilities, and uses the cloud. We were even shown how the technology can navigate to Furman from where we were currently! It was nice to see a little glimpse of home from so far away!
We ended the day by visiting the ‘French Riviera’ of Finland. Although we were exhausted from a long day, our group was excited to visit this beachy area and take a picture in front of the legendary Nallikari Lighthouse. After climbing many steps, grabbing delicious ice cream, and exploring an outdoor gym, we reboarded the bus and returned to our hotel to get some rest before tomorrow’s adventures. Kiitos for reading – follow @megandalexisabroad on Instagram for more photos!
– Alexis Akers and Meg Sabo
