Orientation to the Finnish Education and Culture

A Pedagogical Philosophy By Matthew Zwicker, University of Oulu, EdGlo 2019 In such a diverse and globalized world, there is a high demand for teachers to practice sensitive pedagogy aimed at the learning of all students from different cultural backgrounds and all diverse context which affect a student's learning. In a Multicultural Education course I completed while at Northwest University, I developed a pedagogical philosophy which would cater to the instructional approach in the ideologically diverse classroom of the 21st century. My pedagogical philosophy in how I, as a teacher, will aim for the learning of all students from different cultural backgrounds and situations is a three point system (not process). This three point system is not to be followed systematically (as a list of instructional duties) necessarily, but all three points are to be integrated into one's didactics simultaneously – each point is dependent on each other. The Sheltered Instructio...

Reflection on Comparing US Education and Finnish Education By Matthew Zwicker, University of Oulu, EdGlo 2019 Before coming to Finland, I was amazed by what I read in articles describing Finnish education. Like many US articles are about foreign education, I was partially skeptical about these articles in that the Finnish educational system might be romanticised. However, my short time in Finland and in Finnish schools has broadened my understanding behind this powerful educational system. There are distinct difference which enable the Finnish system to thrive in comparison with the US educational system. Show Me the Money I initially thought that Finnish schools proved "more successful" (to whatever standard) in comparison to the United States because of the country's monetary designation to education. Refuting this idea, I found that Finland on average spends an entire percentage point less than the United States spends on education. The success of Finnish...