Tag Archives: hope

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What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success

In the Finnish view, as Sahlberg describes it, this means that schools should be healthy, safe environments for children. This starts with the basics. Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling, and individualized student guidance.

In fact, since academic excellence wasn’t a particular priority on the Finnish to-do list, when Finland’s students scored so high on the first PISA survey in 2001, many Finns thought the results must be a mistake. But subsequent PISA tests confirmed that Finland — unlike, say, very similar countries such as Norway — was producing academic excellence through its particular policy focus on equity.

In the Finnish view, as Sahlberg describes it, this means that schools should be healthy, safe environments for children. This starts with the basics. Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling, and individualized student guidance.

In fact, since academic excellence wasn’t a particular priority on the Finnish to-do list, when Finland’s students scored so high on the first PISA survey in 2001, many Finns thought the results must be a mistake. But subsequent PISA tests confirmed that Finland — unlike, say, very similar countries such as Norway — was producing academic excellence through its particular policy focus on equity.

In his book Sahlberg quotes a line from Finnish writer named Samuli Paronen: “Real winners do not compete.” It’s hard to think of a more un-American idea, but when it comes to education, Finland’s success shows that the Finnish attitude might have merits. There are no lists of best schools or teachers in Finland. The main driver of education policy is not competition between teachers and between schools, but cooperation.

This is a really inspiring structure for education, it kind of makes me feel hopeful.

Plan of Action, lets try this again

Part 1: Today’s Task

Okay, so here’s the deal, if I actually finish the quite simple task of studying for my philosophy exam, aside from the summary of the court case in mindscan by 10:30 then I give myself permission to start (although probably not finish) one of the projects on my craft list, which may or may not be shared with tumblr depending on the Christmas related secrecy of chosen project.

Part 2: Sleep and Exercise

If I go to sleep earlier then, or around 12:30 and get up before 9:30 I give myself permission to play wii for half an hour after breakfast. Although this may have to be adjusted due to Adam being back.

Part 3: Tomorrow’s Tasks

Before lunch, start and ideally complete another chapter of physics. Try to find a more, how do I say this, um QUICK, way of reviewing the textbook.

After lunch, start reviewing the first half of calculus before that exam sneaks up on me.

After arriving back in Waterloo, write a summary of the court preceding in mindscan and practice my amino acids (Don’t forget my flash cards ever again!)

Hopefully more than this will be completed, but even doing this amount will hopefully make me believe I will be able to adequately prepare myself for exams.

Part 4: Exam Protocol

Sleep by midnight, up by nine. My exam isn’t until 11, so review the prep I did for philosophy, eat breakfast etc. in between then and the exam. Also be prepared to go to the bank afterwards in order to get some bank related tasks out of the way. After the exam/bank I will reward myself with bubble tea. and possibly Chocolate. mmmmm.

That’s about as far ahead as I can think, but the basic outline for the rest of midterms is:

Study Calc and BioChem

Take Calc Exam

Study BioChem

Take BioChem Exam

Study Materials and PHYSICS

Take Materials Exam

Study Physics

Take Physics Exam

*Note* The spacing between exams is not even, thus the clumping of subjects

Somewhere in there I’ll have to pack and move my stuff, get a book for the plane, read a bit of the book mom got for me, but you know, that’s the gist.

This would be easier if the internet wasn’t so fun.

That last quote from Jack Layton’s letter is everywhere, as it should be.

jaimeleigh:

dbizzle:

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

Really nice final words to our country from someone who really loved it.

Hopefully everyone’s listening.

Truly, truly, truly.

mildlyannoyedrabbit:

Have you ever been set free? I was recently. For more than a year I’ve been wrought up, tortured by things that are beyond my control. If I want to get down to brass tacks, I would say that I’ve been under an existential thumb for several years. I know – it all sounds so vague and maybe even ominous. It’s not. I just want to mark this occasion but I don’t want to dredge up the details. I am free because they no longer matter.

Also, I don’t know why I picked this picture. There is something in his expression that spoke to me. Ok, October 2011, it’s a whole new ball game or whatever metaphor does the trick.

I adore mildlyannoyedrabbit ever since Dana showed me.

Feeling pretty good tonight. I think calc tomorrow will go okay. At least, I feel more prepared then I have for the last three calc exams I’ve taken. Good enough, to sleep for eight hours, and just do some assignment questions, finish the practice midterm tomorrow. I got through all the examples in my notes, mostly by myself! I even wrote my little summaries. 🙂