Fulbright Year in Finland

Here, you will find my personal reflections as I spend August 2017 through May 2018 as a Fulbright Scholar in Helsinki, Finland. I am conducting qualitative research on the quality of STEM teacher training programs with the LUMA Centre Finland/University of Helsinki, mapping their regional impacts using ArcGIS, and also working on a research project evaluating the potential for online learning platforms to support community-centered learning. You can find my reflections on the Finnish education, and updates on my formal research projects, in my posts below:

Disclaimer: This is not an official Department of State website or blog, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program of the U.S. Department of State.

“Pedagogy of Love” and Assessments: Waldorf Model in Helsinki, Finland

"I would die for [my students] and they know it." -- High School Teacher at Elias-koulu lukio, Helsinki, 2018 When ...
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Demystifying the Finnish Education System, Part II: Is Finland abolishing school subjects?

In the months leading up to my move to Finland, friends and family regularly forwarded me any links to news ...
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To MOOC or Not to MOOC?: Creating Supports for In-Service Teachers

One of the main projects I have been working on as a part of my Fulbright has been research examining ...
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A Story from Election Night in Finland

Though this post is not strictly "education"-related, I wrote a piece earlier this year about my experience on the night ...
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Policy Evaluation in Finland: Mapping the Effects of Education Policy for the Ministry of Education

One of my main research projects in Finland has been assessing the impacts and effectiveness of the LUMA Centre's Development ...
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Finnish Model for Professional Development: Educa 2018

Two weekends ago, I spent my Saturday morning at Educa, an education fair in Helsinki organized by Trade Union of Education ...
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An Update on My Research

While I have been reflecting more generally about Finnish education and culture on this blog over the past several months, ...
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Finland 100: Education & the Construction of a Finnish National Identity

Last Wednesday, Finland celebrated Independence Day (itsenäisyyspäivä)--marking 100 years since Finland declared its independence from Russia. A marked difference between the ...
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Demystifying the Finnish Education System, Part I: No Tests or Homework?

When I asked a classroom full of Finnish 9th grade students how much homework they traditionally get every night earlier ...
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What does bottom-up, teacher-centered education policy change look like?

Now that I have been in Helsinki for over a month, I have had time to get situated within my ...
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