Visiting Mecca- part 2

June 10, 2023

Visiting Mecca- part 2

After having lunch in a building shaped like a fish that was famous for its fish soup, (yes everything is fishy here), we journeyed not too far down the road to another school. I wondered how on Earth anything could top the wonderland of love that we had just left. Things seemed so put together at Kirkkomännikkö and Rantarousti. The Finnish director shrugged her shoulders when asked about how they get funding and approvals for such large capital projects, "hmm we just do", she said like it was no big deal. Like along with so many other things, she didn't really understand why we would ask such things.

(Confession: this has come up several times on our trip. Fins grow up receiving trust from the moment they are born. They are made to be self-sufficient and do the right thing. Their systems support equality and not competition. It is odd to have to beg borrow or steal for something. Simply if you need it, we find a way to get it for you. More on this later.)

But I digress.... our bus ride took us to a new building. nestled within a neighborhood with houses just on the edges of the property, bikes everywhere and sunshine shining on a giant U of a building. Our bus drove right up into the middle of the school. It struck me there were no curbs. There were tiny plots of playground in the middle of the pavement. Most of them had that rubber mat material made from recycled tires to cushion any falls. The bus had free reign to pull up wherever it wanted so it took us smack into the middle of the U. I saw solar panels, a caged spiral staircase leading to three floors, kids and adults playing in a middle playground, and several pods of play spots. There were two young boys on swings eating ice cream cones. You could tell they weren't there with a program, they just came to play and lived in the neighborhood. They watched us and ate their ice creams not a care in the world. Chillin.

A panoramic view at Linnakangastalo (At least an attempt at it...sorry all my pictures don't do it justice)

spiral staircases everywhere. so pretty

When we would go to leave, there was a class standing gathered around this flower on the pavement. They were playing a group game similar to duck duck goose!

Entering the building we were again greeting with the modern bright white cabinetry and walls and bright spots of orange, purples and greens, comfortable seating, and IKEA style kitchenette and a general feeling of chill. It was the teachers' lounge! The Fins take their teacher think and rest time very seriously! They encourage small groupings of conversation, comfort and rest to be at your best.

We proceeded to walk into the end of the building and there was a ping pong table that had tons of coats, snow pants and all sorts of kids stuff piled on top. Most kids road bikes from up to a few kilometers away to get to school each day and the morning had been chilly, but it never stopped them. The kids were playing off in the small (old) gym.

One thing I noticed about a lot of the schools in Finland that we visited was the design of having almost mud rooms at the entry. People would take off their shoes and coats and leave them. It left the furniture, carpets and soft things in better shape for longer as dirt and salt aren't being carried in. Kids are taught from a young age to dress themselves and gather their things. They don't just lose things. If they do, they suffer the natural consequences. It often made me think about how often I try to help others avoid a mistake-- am I actually doing them a favor? Screw around and find out! Learn from our mistakes. Mistakes really ARE ok. Don't follow the teacher's advice using a belt sander? Lose a finger... its that simple! (I can use that example because that happened to me in wood shop in 6th grade!)

Usable space

Classes eqipt with stoves and counters and sinks in case gthey want to do experiments or cook!

Loved these stadium style benches that could pull out. They were everywhere.

One thing that struck me as we ventured through this school was that they use EVERY bit of usable space they can find. Their tables are small and flexible. They have ergonomic chairs that turn into saddles. They use chunky stadium steps that are covered with carpet for book nooks, teaching spots and to divide space. There are spots of tables and chairs under steps, in halls, and all over, creating little small group or one on one spots for learning.

These steps were the main stairs in the building but were used to gather groups as well. Everything is designed as a multipurpose space.

Valuing creativity and supporting DREAMS

How do you know what you want to be when you grow up if you don't know your interests? How do you know if you are well suited to be a surgeon or a blacksmith if you have never used your hands to try? From the time students are in what we would call preschool or daycare, there are experiences available for them to explore. They do project-based learning and use tools, laser cutters, sewing machines and more! These kids aren't just stitching sock puppets. They are making laser lights with led light strips, designing puzzles, contraptions, wiring lights and electronic motherboards. It is incredible.

There was a sewing room that had multiple spaces for laying out fabric, dozens of sewing machines, embroidery machines and more. There were dress forms, ironing boards, and white boards for designing. It was heaven for someone like me who is dreaming of the day that I can work with a class of kids to do costume design and maekup design for shows. So cool!

I love the floors in the arts rooms!

Music rooms at Linnakangastalo

Drama Room!

Insert pix here!

There was a room that I walked into that had walls in black- a stark contrast to all the other rooms so I knew it was special for something. There was a platform in the corner with a curtain to draw across creating a little proscenium stage. There was a sound mixing board in the room, mirrors, different cubes to use as set or props or simply chairs to sit on in class. There was a desk, computer access and a white board. Attached to the room was a little closet textiles, you name it! with costume storage and props, playbills and music. It was across the hall from the music room. DREAMY. I took more video there than pictures and even had a swordfight with my new High School English teacher friend. (But we couldn't decide who would be Mercutio!)

Tech and what they call handicrafts

At each level, there seems to be ample design for technology. There is metal craft, wood work, ceramics, textiles... you name it! In some of these schools, the classroom teachers do all of this. There is ample training available and even free continuing training for all teachers so that no teacher goes in blind to a project they have not yet done. Some schools get specialists that are trained mostly in the craft, then secondary in pedagogical education. They may not have as many hours per week as classroom teachers, but it all depends on the level and the school.

Presentation about virtual learning spaces

We moved into a room on the second floor that would be a 3-4th grade room. There were several couches and small seating areas, some tables as well as two stadium seating mobile units. I chose to sit at the very top. I felt safe and secure there and not at all like I could fall. There was room for others to sit, but I could have laid down and really gotten comfortable!

Pasi's colleagues gave us a presentation about a virtual world learning environment that has been designed that would allow you to "walk" into a space virtually and learn. It seemed a bit like Fortnite, but you could manipulate a school environment and learn from anywhere. We spoke about the possibilities for pen pals or virtual learning even across the world. This program was pretty cool and makes our learning systems that we used for Covid seem blocky and linear. I love the idea of kids waslking around a space, meeting up and chatting, and doing games and experiments online.

They had enough outlets built into the ceiling so that if they wanted to host a family party or a band, they could. That's thinking ahead!

TRUST

We walked through the daycare wing which they call Kindergarten. It serves ages 1-6. While they do have some requirements for supervision ratio, they operate on trust the same way they do with all the other things in the Finnish world. Starting at the young age of, ...well, ...birth... Fins believe in a child's innate ability to do the right thing. They expect it. They demand it. There aren't really any other options. For the Fins it works! Students are able to play, sometimes with very loose supervision, and they end up ok! We walked through a hallway where there were two little boys playing with blocks in the hall. We were all amazed we were able to just walk through. There were teachers nearby working 1:1 of 1:3 with other kids in the group, but no one directly within arms' reach of the boys. What's more... the boys had all sorts of structures set up in the hallway. Great structures.... but I am not sure that we wouldn't get a little spank for having such a messy hall in a possible pathway to an exit.

There were space saving things EVERYWHERE! Walls of the rooms had cabinets that housed double cribs that came out as murphy beds (pictured). It was easy to imagine this place all filled with tons of kids.

There is so much more I can share, but the biggest takeaways from these schools today..... useable spaces. These buildings were designed with a few things in mind.... sustainability, muti-use shareable spaces, flexibility and students. I will write much more on all of these things once I can process a little more.

Thanks for reading!

moveable walls with multiple uses