Early November, Experience Workshop welcomed the principal and two teachers of the Shangdi Experimental Primary School in Beijing, China.
The purpose of the study visit was to prepare future collaborations: to get familiar with Finnish education and explore the possibilities of student visits to a Finnish school in the future.
Visit to Kortepohja School
Principal Mao Xiangjun and maths teachers Wang Ying and Guo Xing attended classes for a couple of days at Jyväskylä’s Kortepohja school. They mainly visited the English-speaking classes taught by Gwyneth Koljonen. The 5th and 6th graders were eager to ask a lot of questions about the Chinese school days and were quite absorbed by the Tangram class one of the teachers, Wang Ying was teaching them.
The guests were also welcomed by Päivi Liimatainen, Kortepohja’s principal and Ida Peri vice-principal for discussions about how many differences there are between their school systems and school administrations and teaching methods in China and Finland. Although the primary schools’ world in Finland is non-competitive and non-hierarchical, children’s accomplishments are still very good as measured by tests.
Phenomenon-based Learning Workshops
Outside of their school visits, visitors were interested to gain a deeper and more practical understanding of phenomenon-based learning through workshops and discussions with dr. Kristof Fenyvesi. These interactive sessions provided valuable insights into innovative teaching methods.
In addition to their educational engagements, the visitors also had the opportunity to explore cultural sites in both Jyväskylä and Helsinki, and of course to experience the traditional Finnish sauna.
Photo credits: Nóra Somlyódy
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