STEP BY STEP CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCHOOL AND WORKING LIFE International Partnership Conference on Education and Business Life September 1 5, 2008, Helsinki, Finland & Stockholm, Sweden Hannu Naumanen - Headmaster, Pielisjoki School Jari Heiskanen - Teacher, Pielisjoki School Antti Piitulainen - Vice President HR&Operations, Abloy Oy CITY OF JOENSUU www.joensuu.fi FINLAND
North Karelia, Finland the easternmost region of Finland plenty of pure and peaceful nature 16 municipalities population 170.000, the biggest city Joensuu a common border with Russia ( 300 km ) international contacts in the sectors of trade, business, culture, companies, production, education and research 2
Joensuu Karelian beat and vitally a university town with 57.000 inhabitants, lively capital of North Karelia the forestry capital of Europe ( EFI ) plastic and metal industry, information and communication technology, cross-border callaboration education is of high importance 2 % immigrants 3
Finnish education system 4
Education system of Joensuu Compulsory education 5
The school as an organization The teacher * a professional teaching / education * Interested in children and young people * responsibility *freedom / curriculum *desire for selfdevelopment development as a professional, as an individual *teaching and education in an active learning enviroment Leadership *management (task) / leadership (human) *the vision, objectives, aims, dreams * domestic and foreign policy The student * knowledge * skills * social skills The principal s role in entrepreneurial education * how to support the learning process in the student; significance * how to support the teacher in promoting the learning and educational process in the student? * threat or possibility * faith in the future * trust * allow time open discussion permission to act * support, incentive, enthusiasm; one s own example, leadership by example * seek out networks take care of yourself Fortunately we cannot stop the student from learning outside school 6
Pielisjoki school entrepreneurially-acting educational team the teacher interest group the teammate education The student the subject groups parents the team leadership 7
Teacher opinion: Why entrepreneurship education? Positive outcome to student demands from working life a possibility to try out talents and skills in practice enhances the awareness of one s work contribution a possibility to combine of different school subjects an opportunity to create contacts with working life motivation the joy of doing variation in work routines students right to participate in projects sometimes financial gain for the class Positive outcome to teacher broadens the horizon increases knowledge and skills more experience new ideas for one s own work personal development real life problems to solve a possibility to develop one s teaching methods more motivation integration between subjects new channel for the source of information 8
Successful entrepreneurship project creating context presenting of a problem critical evaluation making specified questions make a written plan between the class (teacher / school) and the firm real life working life problems (mutual benefit) the opinions of the company s experts (appreciation of students work) polishing the research problems assigning the process tasks to the class assemble data (making good use of information technology) seeking new advanced knowledge processing data in student teams (some of it as homework) publishing the results for example joint meeting, press, on-line learning circle, web sites evaluation instructive evaluation 9
7 th grade (age 13-14) 8 th grade (age 14-15) 9 th grade (age 15-16) Example: Co-operation between Broman Group Ltd and Pielisjoki School, (2007 2010) Broman Group Ltd is one of the leading spare parts and supplies companies in Finland. The turnover of the concern is more than 100 million euros and it has almost 500 employees. The chains AD VaraosaMaailma and Motonet are part Broman Group Ltd. the student: actor the teacher: instructor the company: functional learning environment the student: active acquirer of data the teacher: instructor, updating one s own knowledge and skills the company: functional learning environment and training place the student: applier of knowledge and skills the teacher: processor of one s own knowhow, instructor the company: future workforce 10
Teacher s role in a successful entrepreneurship project teacher as an instructor in learning guides students in data search encourages students to set problems to create explanations and develop them and give feedback about each other s opinions works as a model of an expert, dares to throw himself into exploring unknown areas with the students guides students to process data in a deeper level supports students ability to take the responsibility of the learning process (it doesn t mean that teaching is excluded) 11