Teaching Practice is OVER!

I am happy to announce that my teaching practice in Novia University of Applied Sciences Skenkonst program is over! This completed my pedagogical studies. I still have few lines to write to my Core Plan and add my guiding teachers report to it, but when that is done, I am ready to GRADUATE!

Observation is over!

I have had such a wonderful time in Vaasa during my observation for teaching practice. My school was Novia University of applied sciences and their Scenkonst/drama course. I also got to participate to one Gala Night where was an premiere of one film, made in a collaboration with other institutes in Vaasa.

Here is my lovely guiding teacher Gabriela Alisch and me having a toast for a film premiere!

Working on Special Needs Education

This is what I call teamwork!

I can do the design and layout of our task, including drawings for a cartoon presenting the main subjects in special needs education :-)

New Year, New Groups!

New year has began and educational studies will continue. Our first on-line session was on Friday 9th of January. We didn't get any tasks for this session and our group was asking what is going on by email. A day before this session, we got new information in optima about new tasks and also new groups. The reason to arrange new groups was very clear. There were five tasks to do and each group takes responsibility of one task. There were only four groups in VOC I period, therefore we needed one extra group.

My group is with an old group member Anu Nordlund-Knuutila and also Katja Laakkonen is in my group. Our groups task is to teach others key things about special needs education. This is great, as for the past year, I have worked as a teacher for students with special needs! Last fall, I was responsible of a class with 13 to 17 year old students in a comprehensive school.

After this on-line session, I emailed to Anu and Katja to familiarize themselves with the material given to us in optima. We will then have a Skype meeting after few days and decide what to do. The next on-line session is already in five days time!

Main topics for our task are:

• The student teacher is able to describe the ways how special needs education is carried out in the Finnish educational system. 
• He/she is able to find and apply the legislation concerning the special needs education in vocational education. 
• He/she can use the terms and concepts of special needs education in an appropriate manner. 
• He/she can plan and execute individual educational plans in multiprofessional work groups.

Main questions for our task are:

1. How is the vocational special needs education realized/fulfilled in the Finnish educational system?

2.  How is the special needs education carried out specifically in the vocational education? (Special needs eduction, sometimes referred as special support, inclusive education or intensive education)

3.Which Finnish legislature governs the special needs eduation?

4. What elements does an individual educational plan (= IEP = “HOJKS” in Finnish) contain, and how does the IEP process proceed?

5. Inclusive models and segregative models, what are they?