The weekend Thread

[deeaa*]

Went to see my kid's elementary school today, open doors day. Schools sure have changed from the time I was there :-) Took a few photos if someone is in the profession and interested. I'm especially jealous of those huge smartboards in every room...I have to do with a measley laptop and a video projector at my own school, no fancy touchscreens.



Here's the general location. The school is by this pond. I actually lived my childhood right here by the pond as well.



School yard.



Classroom. They have half a dozen classrooms with instruments. Every room has the smartboard, which is basically a 100" or so Windows 7 HD video touchscreen computer system.



I guess this is sewing and arts & crafts room.



Woodwork - nothing really fancy, it's for 7-10 year olds after all. Basic welding kits etc. in climate controlled booths on other side.



The whole building is socks only, or moccasins. Nobody can enter with outdoor shoes, so these shoe racks are everywhere.



Apparently mathematics class going on. Surprisingly few students in the class.



Some sort of study area with language headphones etc.



The actual music class.



Finally they served some brownies the pupils had made themselves. My kid liked his a lot :-)

[Tig***]

Impressive school, to say the least. I wish US school systems were as advanced!

[Brian Krashpad]

Impressive school, to say the least. I wish US school systems were as advanced!

Took the words out of my mouth Tig.

Speaking as a former teacher (middle school) and teaching law student (taught legal writing in my second and third year of law school, to 1 L's) married to a current teacher (20+ years as adult ed, now on 2nd year teaching first grade).

The current "teaching is testing" climate in the US is atrocious, a thinly-failed union-busting attempt to penalize teachers stuck teaching poor kids and kids whose first language is not English, as well as the "charter-school" hoax, are nothing less than an outright attempt to kill public education and privatize it as a gift to large corporations.

Sickening, honestly.

[tjcurtin1]

The Finnish school system is often - and from what I hear, rightly - touted as the best in the world:Smithsonian Magazine did a great story on them a year or so ago. Teachers have authority to meet the needs of the kids in their classes instead of being dictated to do one-size-fits all. and they don't do the whole testing stuff until late high school when they do an all-Europe test (which the Finnish kids do great on...) As you can see from D's pics, lots of arts and hands-on experiences - and they still have recess, too! Oh, did I mention that teaching is a HIGHLY REGARDED and RESPECTED profession in Finland?

On another note; D, I am telling my class the Kalevala stories this fall (this is the Finnish cultural mythic epic; they largely inspired Tolkien in writing the Lord of the Ring ) Such wonderful stories, and the children love them!