GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

1. GEOGRAPHIC SETTING • EU, SCANDINAVIA, FINLAND, CENTRAL FINLAND • JYVÄSKYLÄ REGION (population 150 000) • JYVÄSKYLÄ MUNICIPALITY (population 35 000) • TIKKAKOSKI (population 8000) • three village schools (0-4, 20+25+110 students) • two elementary schools nearby (0-6, 200+400 students) • Tikkakoski school (7-9, 300 students) • Tikkakoski upper secondary (100 students) + upper secondary schools and vocational schools in Jyväskylä City MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

2. HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK parallel school system 1944 • school moved to Tikkakoski from Karelia comprehensive school 1973 • parallel setting lines • lesson quota system 1984 • national curriculum reform 1994 • national assessment reform 1999 • national curriculum adjustment 2004 MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A theoretical interpretation on why we are doing what we do: • Newtonian paradigm changing to quantum paradigm: traditional control is not enough certainty, predictability, efficiency in society changing to relativity, chaos, complexity, ambiguity, pluralism, contextualism • modern brain studies: three levels to account for • serial thinking: reasoning • associative thinking: learning by doing, tacit knowledge • quantum thinking: creative thinking, challenging existing solutions • constructivism: each student builds him/herself in his/her own way • student is a subject, teacher is a mentor • long, individual and holistic processes • community of learners, not a learning community: values essential guidelines MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

4. TIME CONTROL • very important • final phase in 9-year-comprehensive school • three school years • 190 school days a year • six periods, each 30 days and consisting of • whole-year subjects, • autumn- or spring-term subjects, • two-period subjects and • one-period subjects • five days and 30 lessons a week, each day 8-14 or 9-15 • each day 4-3 lessons theory+2-3 lessons functional subjects • 45 minute lunch break divides the day into two parts MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

5. ORGANIZATION •  school culture is essential • empowerment is crucial • student, teacher and other faculty teams • believe in what you do, live as you say/write, ethics • a lot of timetables and written agendas and programs • the fastest way to radical changes are small steps • fixed carefully formed heterogenic classes • fixed teacher-student – relationships • working together is based on knowing and trusting MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

6. CURRICULUM 7. 8. 9. Total Minimum FINNISH 3 3 3 9 9 ENGLISH 2 3 3 8 8 SWEDISH 2 2 2 6 6 RELIG./ETHICS 0,67 1,50 0,67 3 3 HIST./SOC. SCI. 2 2 3 4 4 CAREER GUID. 0,67 0.5 0.83 2 2 ARTS 2 0 0 2 2 MUSIC 1 0 0 1 1 MATHEMATICS 3 3 4 10 10 CHEM./PHYS. 2 3 2 7 7 BIOL./GEOGR. 2 2 3 7 7 HEALTH SCI. 0,67 2,0 0,33 3 3 P.E. 2 2 2 6 6 TECH./TEXT. 3 0 0 3 3 HOME ECON. 3 0 0 3 3 OPTIONAL 1 6 6 13 13 GERM./FRENCH (2) (2) (2) (6) (6) Total 30/31 30 30 90/91 90/91 MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

7. STUDYING • when school starts, framework is discussed with students • course in school culture • historical, time and theoretical framework • framework for various subjects • when a course starts, framework is discussed with students • objectives, methods, final assessment • objectives, methods, course assessment • focus on growing up and learning to learn, not on substance • focus on transforming thinking from concrete to abstract • student the subject, teacher a mentor • self-pacing, streaming, remedial teaching, special education • self-evaluation, process control methods MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

8. ASSESSMENT • assessment is based on objectives, not on comparison • personal objectives due to personal processes during studies • national objectives at the final phase due to national standardization (equality and justness)  • assessment on learning/studying skills emphasized • written and spoken process feed-back from teachers • self-evaluation, process control methods • assessment and progress made visible • course based assessment in school reports • school reports show history of personal progress • yearly parental evaluation discussions MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

9. EVALUATION • systematic and continuous discussion at school • among, between and with students, teachers and parents • mostly tacit knowledge • every three years a larger questionary-formed survey • national, regional and municipality evaluation • mostly result or statistical data evaluation MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä

10. Further questions to be asked • Why are we doing all this and where is all time going to? • When does efficiency become inefficient as a means to develop the quality of life? • If one gets everything ready, what is there to do? • Can perfectionism ever be reached? If something or somebody is perfect, it is so irritating that it becomes imperfect! MISSIO Mika Risku, MA, Principal, Tikkakoski School, Municipality of Jyväskylä