Day 6 - Estonia

4/19/19

Hyvää huomenta!

Today is our last full day in Finland and we are spending it in the neighboring country of Estonia - a mere 2.5-hour ferry ride from the dock in Helsinki. Our Viking Express ferry was packed full of travelers headed to different locations for the Easter holiday. We enjoyed a private conference room on the boat where our group had the opportunity to reflect and debrief some of our takeaways from the week.

Below is a compilation of noticings with regard to Finnish education from the 22 Connecticut educators who joined us on our journey:

• An overall sense of belonging
• A sense of trust among adults as well as among adults & children
• Integration of content and application of skills in context
• Independence at all levels
• Student-developed questions (the Finnish view teacher-directed questions as stifling student inquiry)
• Autonomy (confident, autonomous learners & educators)
• Focus on process versus outcomes
• Atmosphere of respect
• Commitment from the federal government to education
• Equity in educational opportunities
• Comfort (lighting, greenery, multi-use furniture)
• Play-unstructured & deliberate (a playful environment that encourages curiosity)
• Emphasis on the joy of learning
• A sense of community
• Systems and stakeholders supporting education
• Civil discourse - Finnish focus on the possible. 
• "Challenge" vs. "crisis"
• Asset approach (assume the best of students and teachers and provide support only as needed)

Here are some images from our excursion into the medieval Old Town of Estonia.

The view from the deck of the Viking Express ferry.

Restored medieval tombstones.

The view from the top of the old town's protective wall. 

Town Square

Farm to table dining. Yummy!

Thank you to Dr. Betty Sternberg at Central Connecticut State University for organizing this trip! A great big thanks to our CT colleagues who joined us on this journey and to those of you who have followed us along the way. We hope to hear more of your thoughts and wonderings with regard to our experiences (you can still comment on any of our posts!). 

Additionally, we are grateful to all the educators and representatives of the Finnish education system who gave their time to help us develop a greater understanding of their underlying philosophy of education as well as a taste of Finnish culture. 

Thanks for reading!! :)

kunnes jälleen tapaamme! 

J & A