Week 19, 21.05.11 – 27.05.11 (Personal Blog) – Mandy Brown

This week was my last in Finland.  I continued with my presentations in St Olofsskolan; met my student tutors for the final time, and packed and returned home to Northern Ireland. 

Generally, the presentations went well with the students and I found that I could talk with them at their level.  The school appeared very relaxed and somewhat different to that of Northern Ireland.  For example, there is a more casual relationship between student and teacher, where they are more like equals – casually dressed in jeans and teachers called by their forename rather than surname.  I spoke to the teachers about this and their response was that it would feel strange to be named by Mister or Missus.  I was glad to have the opportunity to engage in this project as it was a challenge for me to present to an older group of students, and I value the experience for the future.

During my last evening in Turku I met with my student tutors to say our final farewells.  This was a lovely experience, we enjoyed a coffee and chat and went to the local cinema together.  I had been given some free cinema tickets as a thank you for participating in the school project, therefore making the most of this.  It was a sad time to be finally leaving and on reflection, we all agreed it would have been nice to spend more free-time together.  However, I welcomed them to Northern Ireland in the future and hope to keep in contact.

Finally, I flew home on Saturday evening.  Unfortunately the flight was delayed which was disappointing.  However on a more positive note – I was happy to be returning home, no matter how long the delay was.  Everything has more or less come to an end, and I am one of the few exchange students left to go home.  It is a sad time, as I have met many great people from other parts of the world whom I hope I will be in contact with in the future.

Overall, the Erasmus experience has been excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to other students considering studying abroad.  It was a great opportunity to experience so many other things, and helped in broadening my views and knowledge outside of Northern Ireland.

Week 18, 14.05.11 – 20.05.11 (Cultural Blog) – Mandy Brown

This week I experienced more of Finland’s culture.  I visited another city (Tampere) with other exchange students, Finland played Ice-hockey against Sweden and I gave a presentation to Grade 8 students (14 year-olds).

Firstly, at the weekend I visited Tampere – the third largest city in Finland, and having knowledge of this fact, I expected it to be interesting and exciting.  It appeared to be a nice city and I saw the Finlayson Factory, famous for making textile machinery and then moved to cotton production.  I have noticed that Finlayson is branded on household cotton items, such as towels, so I suppose this is something to be recognised.  However it seemed there was not much to do in the city so I decided to visit the Sarkanniemi adventure park and observation tower.  This turned out to be expensive but worth experiencing as it is supposedly Tampere’s largest tourist attraction.  All in all, it was lovely way to spend time with what remains of the other exchange students.

In addition to this, Finland versus Sweden in the Ice-hockey championship final was a massive celebration for the Finn’s.  I watched the match online and Finland were awarded the World Championship 2011 title at a result of 6 – 1!  The players returned home to Helsinki where there was a large crowd of people to welcome them back.  There was entertainment and footage of the match shown.  Meanwhile, in Turku there was a television screen in the city centre showing this homecoming.  I found that although the Finn’s were out drinking alcohol (as they usually do for celebrations), there was not the same atmosphere as in Helsinki.  They waved their Finnish flags here and there, with a few cheers and chants.

In addition to all of this, I visited St: Olofsskolan, a school for Grades 7 -9 (13 -15 year-olds).  This school’s language of instruction was Swedish; however the students were fluent in English, with a number being bilingual.  I voluntarily participated in this as part of the Erasmus in Schools project and presented a talk about Erasmus, my experiences of the Finnish culture compared to Northern Ireland, and informed the students about the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  (Grade 8 had been learning about the United Kingdom). 

This was my first real experience of presenting and interacting with 14 year-olds, never mind being foreign students; so naturally I was somewhat apprehensive.  However in the end I realised there was need to be as it all went very well.  The students were well behaved, good humoured and appeared interested.  I look forward to visiting the school next week to continue these lessons.

Week 17, 07.05.11 – 13.05.11 (Professional Blog) – Mandy Brown

This week I completed my University work and visited two new settings.  

In terms of University work I have completed all work that I will submit next week.  My host University appears to have a more relaxed approach to meeting submission deadlines, as late submissions do not have a penalty like Stranmillis.  I dislike this approach as it lacks focus on self-discipline and in my opinion is a poor way to guide students into the transition of working life where meeting deadlines can be essential.  However, I have continued to work effectively and independently to meet relevant submission dates within good time.  Stranmillis’ methods have taught me to meet deadlines and perhaps as a mature student, I prefer this due to working full-time. 

This week I visited two different settings: a Children’s Centre and Turku International School.    The Children’s Centre was an interesting experience where the manager showed me around and had a discussion.  The centre cares for children aged 0 – 18 years old whom face difficult circumstances at home and/or school.  Currently it has seven places caring for adolescents; and they are encouraged to become independent young people.  The centre had an individual apartment attached for other cases, such as a mother and baby in need of help.  The facilities offered were excellent with a nice calm and relaxed atmosphere. 

During my visit to Turku International School I also experienced a relaxed atmosphere.  It was somewhat different to schools in N.I.  Firstly the children are not with one teacher for the entire school day, they move classrooms for different lessons.  They also tended to have a 10-15 minute break of free time in between lessons.  In addition to this I found (like the pre-school) that teachers were not under any pressure to make yearly, termly or weekly plans.  It is important to note that the teachers and children are clearly not facing the same pressures as of N.I.  The school has adapted its core curriculum to include part of England’s curriculum for teaching English.  Furthermore, on another note, Child Protection and security are not a major concern, as there were no fences around the playground and no security code system at the main entrance.  Even with these differences to N.I that surprise me, it all runs smoothly; and therefore I like the provision.

Finally this week I have also focused on updating my Curriculum Vitae and applying for employment back in N.I because I will need to return to work. 

Cultural Note: Finland’s Mother’s Day was on Sunday 8^th May and all the shops and supermarkets were closed for this holiday.  It gives the impression that the Finnish take advantage of whatever holidays they can get!

Week 16, 30.04.11 – 06.05.11 (Cultural Blog) – Mandy Brown

I mentioned at the end of last week’s blog that I had helped the children in my placement make ‘Vappu’ hats.  This was in preparation for VAPPU on 1^st May.  Therefore I was able to experience some of the Finnish culture over the weekend.  It seems Vappu (May Day) was traditionally ‘Worker’s Day’ and it has been an official flag-raising day since 1978 – ‘The Day of Finnish Work’.

Naturally, I was keen to experience this celebration so I went along to the town on the eve of Vappu where I met with other students (including Alex and Andrea from last year’s exchange).  We relaxed in the park and then headed to the Art Museum in the town centre; where an official-looking gentleman was giving a speech to the crowds that had gathered.  In today’s society the celebration of Vappu is mainly for secondary school graduates (past and present) to celebrate by bringing out their white caps.  After this speech the students put their caps on and continued to be merry with sparkling beverages (traditionally mead “sima”).

Following this, the crowds walked behind a carnival-like parade towards the Aura River where the statue ‘Lilja’ was situated.  It is a tradition, I am told (and have now witnessed), that the dentistry students clean the statue Lilja with an enormous toothbrush.  The students pretended to clean the statue followed by a politician’s speech, which was spoken in Finnish, Swedish and English.  From what I could grasp of the speech it seemed that the general public were not overly thrilled by what the man had to say.  Apparently, there has been a recent election of government politicians and people believe that the new parliament is not going to move forward with equality but go back to some traditional old way.  However as the speech means less to me, I was happy to experience the Finnish culture as it turned out to be a massive celebration.

On Vappu day I went to a park in Turku for a picnic with other students.  This was still a major celebration for the Finn’s, attending with their white caps and alcoholic drinks.  It was quite a different experience to see so many Finn’s out enjoying themselves, although I found that they do like to drink a great deal!  It was nice to see that even though alcohol was involved, there were no drunken fights and everyone was celebrating in harmony.

Prior to Vappu I had heard it was a massive celebration and that I must experience it while in Finland.  However I was somewhat disappointed, as with all the talking about it I must have had high expectations which were not met.  To end though, it was a lovely experience and another one to add to my memories of Finland and Erasmus.

Professional Note: This week was my last in placement and I was sad to leave.  I taught the children about ‘nature’ with a PowerPoint presentation and ‘nature trail’ as my final lesson.  This was enjoyed by all and a great way to end my time with the children.  To conclude my time there I visited the International School with the Pre-school children.  It was interesting to see how on the opening morning they go straight to a desk and undertake two lessons with the teacher.  I look forward to observing the full routines when I visit the school next week again.

Overall I have enjoyed placement immensely – the teachers, children and environment as a whole were great and I will miss it.  As a thank you and farewell gift I gave the setting a ‘Twister’ game for the children (which they were delighted with) and some Irish Linen tea towels so as to leave them with some memories of Northern Ireland.  The teachers were kind and gave me famous ‘Fazer’ chocolate and Salmiakki with a beautiful Finnish ‘Marimekko’ candle holder.

Picture 1: Speech given at the Art Museum



Picture 2: The crowds at Vappu

Picture 3: Parading towards the Aura River

Picture 4: Holding Flags around statue 'Lilja' before the toothbrush clean!

Week 15, 23.04.11 – 29.04.11 (Professional Blog) – Mandy Brown

This blog will discuss, reflect and compare my acquired knowledge of general aspects between Finland and Northern Ireland’s Early Years provision, education and curriculum.  My knowledge and understanding of each has developed over time and as my Erasmus experience is almost complete, it is important to consider these issues.

As previously stated, my placement training in Turku is in a Daycare and Pre-school setting.  The organisation cares for young children aged 3 – 6 years old.  However for the purposes of this blog the focus will be on the Pre-school facilities (caring for 6 year olds) as children in Finland begin basic school education at 7 years old.  The general routine includes four hours pre-school teaching in the classroom (9am – 1pm and an hour of this includes ‘resting time’ and lunch-time), with the afternoon session as daycare.  According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2004), the level of education a pre-school teacher should hold in Finland is a bachelor or master’s degree in education; or a bachelor degree in social sciences with an additional pedagogical course.  Pre-school entry is government funded, however private daycare costs are the responsibility of parents/guardians.

In Northern Ireland (N.I) daycares generally follow the same routine as my experiences in Finland.  On the other hand, the organisations somewhat differ in that 4 year old children may attend Pre-school or Nursery School (non-compulsory); 5 and 6 year old children attend Primary school (compulsory).  In Pre-school it is less structured with a focus on ‘learning through play’ with curriculum guidelines for government funded settings, {Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA, 2006)}.  At age 5 in Primary One, play-based learning is still important with a more structured approach to the curriculum.  In recent times the school curriculum for Primary 1 and 2 has changed to incorporate the ‘Foundation Stage’, linking more so with the Pre-school teaching methods.  The day is from 9am until 2pm for the first three years in Primary school, without any ‘resting time’.  Teaching staff must hold at least a Bachelor of Education degree, or a Bachelor degree and Post Graduate Certificate of Education.  Support staff such as Classroom Assistants should have at least a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level three in Early Years Education.

According to the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) (2010) pre-school/pre-primary education is voluntary, however all municipalities of Finland are required to offer and provide the free service.  N.I is similar, attempting to provide this however I find it does not quite match the high-quality provision that Finland is providing.  I reflect this to N.I and it seems that Finland provides many Social, Health and Education benefits.  For example, education is free for all residents of Finland, including University students!  I find that N.I and indeed the United Kingdom (U.K) are seriously lacking the high-quality services that this country offers.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2004), states that a beneficial strength to the Finnish system is well-educated and multi-disciplinary staff.  It is therefore questionable if the educators and pedagogues in N.I are encouraged sufficiently to become well-educated.  Certainly from previous experience in N.I daycares I have found that staff are not motivated to study and achieve a higher qualification.  Furthermore – this has encouraged me to consider if educators back home are not well-educated themselves, it seems impossible to educate children (the future generations) to the highest of standards.

Moving on, although the countries differ on the school starting age, they both follow a curriculum with seven areas of learning/subject fields.  On reading relevant literature {N.I Curriculum: Foundation Stage (2006), and the Core Curriculum for Pre-School Education in Finland (2000)} I found that Finland’s Pre-School curriculum divided learning into Language and Interaction, Mathematics, Ethics and Philosophy, Environmental and Natural Studies, Health, Physical and Motor Development, and Art and Culture.  In addition to this, municipalities and individual Pre-School providers can further prepare and approve a curriculum for education in compliance with the Core Curriculum.  It seems that pedagogues in Finland have more scope with their teaching therefore it this appears to be another strength for the country’s education system.  It may be worth considering if these differences help result in the findings and reputation of the Finnish being recorded as one of the top achievers in education.

This blog may seem lengthy; however I consider it all to be of relevance and importance as part of my Erasmus experience.  In truth I have read and learned from practical placement much more than I have written though unfortunately the word count does not allow for this.

References

CCEA (2006) Understanding the Foundation Stage, Belfast: CCEA.

Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) (2010) Pre-Primary Education, Helsinki: FNBE.  (Accessed from http://www.oph.fi/english/education/pre-primary_education on 29 April 2011).

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (MSAH) (2004) Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland, Helsinki: MSAH.

National Board of Education (2000) Core Curriculum for Pre-School Education in Finland, Helsinki: Yliopistopaino/University Press.

Professional Note: This week in placement I worked with the children, encouraging creativity to make ‘Vappu’ hats in preparation for the May Day weekend.

Personal Note: This week the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton took place and I decided to watch the celebrations on the Internet.  This was a nice way to experience the happenings of the UK and history in-the-making.

Week 14, 16.04.11 – 22.04.11 (Cultural Blog) – Mandy Brown

As time goes on I am taking opportunities to experience various surrounding countries of Finland.  Previous blogs have included visiting Norway and Russia; and so Estonia follows this week.  I travelled to Tallinn for the cultural experience and to meet with my friend.  I was pleased that spring arrived in Estonia as well as in Finland.  Therefore I was able to pack away my winter clothing and sent it back home.  Temperatures were well into plus degrees not unlike home.  In addition to this I was glad to experience a country that was less expensive!  For example, provided I took the time to view menus around the town I got a decent meal for a reasonable price.  This encouraged me to be more relaxed about dining out whereas in Finland I am conscious of the more expensive prices.

The natives in Tallinn seemed much the same as the Finnish people – quiet and did not say more than absolutely necessary.  They spoke fluent English which was useful for me, however I soon realised that they also spoke Finnish.  Furthermore when I was in a shop, the assistant spoke to me in what I thought was Finnish, but was in fact Estonian.  She explained to me (in English) however that the two languages were similar.  I explored the medieval ‘old town’ of Tallinn which appeared to be small.  It was a quaint place and things could be seen within a matter of one or two days.  The people working in the old town were in medieval dress which I thought was a nice way to attract visitors to the town.

I participated in a bus tour of the city to learn about the main sights.  It seemed in general, the city was tiny and that everything was within walking distance.  Therefore following the tour I set off on foot to explore more.  This allowed me to see that not the entire city was pretty and that there were poorer areas. 

On a professional note – as I walked through Tallinn I noticed numerous children’s play parks, similar to Finland in that they were spaced out around the city.  I enjoyed observing the comparison to Northern Ireland and that there seemed to be a high importance on quality outdoor play facilities.

Finally, it is now a matter of weeks before I return home and the experiences I have gained from Finland and the surrounding countries seem worthwhile.  I look forward to reporting to others of my experiences and hope that I return as a more culturally informed individual, able to reflect on my own cultural differences.

Picture: View of the 'old town' in Tallinn.

Week 13, 09.04.11 – 15.04.11 (Professional Blog) – Mandy Brown

A Professional Blog is appropriate this week.  I attended placement and a trip to Saint Petersburg in Russia organised by University (the main purpose of this was to tour children’s homes).

In the pre-school setting I find that as time passes, planning and organisation of work for the children is different to that of Northern Ireland.  The teachers are not pressured to the same extent with large amounts of paperwork; in fact it seems more relaxed and that they can use their time more effectively with the children.  I favour this approach as I would suggest from previous experience that teachers are constantly required to complete excessive amounts of administrative duties, hence creating a de-motivated atmosphere. 

During a lesson this week I helped the children make their own paper clocks this week, in keeping with the current topic of time.  This was an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere and following the activity the children used their individual clocks autonomously, telling the time. 

In addition to this I attended an information meeting from Turku International School which was primarily for the prospective parents to learn more about the school.  It was a great opportunity for me to learn about the school and to request some placement days so that I can experience the Finnish schooling system for children above seven years-old.  The teachers were happy to welcome me to the school and I will be observing some lessons in May.

Finally this week I visited Saint Petersburg in Russia to tour some children’s homes with a mix of sight-seeing opportunities.  This was an enjoyable way to gain course credit!  Whilst there I visited two children’s homes which was an interesting experience.  I was informed that the most common reason that children (3 – 18 year-olds) were living there was because of poor social welfare backgrounds, for example, parents could not care for them properly.  The homes were similar in that both provided mini-apartments for the children to create a homely atmosphere that the children could feel comfortable in.  I was told that they encourage the children to be independent with day-to-day activities as they would do at home, for example cleaning and tidying their dinner dishes.  According to the owners, a child’s length of stay in the home can range from one week to one and a half years.  I questioned if they had outdoor play facilities because I think this is an important resource for children (as I did not see any outside); they did not have any however the indoor facilities were impressive.

To end my time in Saint Petersburg I explored the cultural surroundings.  It appeared to be large and extremely busy with traffic.  In the beginning I found this city unattractive because the buildings and pavements tended to be unkempt, smoking is permitted anywhere and the fuel fumes from traffic was quite disgusting.  However I filed this to the back of my mind and found some lovely architecture with beautiful, colourful cathedrals.  I also visited the Russian Vodka Museum as I am informed that vodka is very popular in Russia and that people tend to drink it straight by itself and often! 

Week 12, 02.04.11 – 08.04.11 (Cultural Blog) – Mandy Brown

I travelled this week and experienced more of the Finnish and other cultures.  Firstly, my sister and her boyfriend arrived in Helsinki at the weekend where I met them to explore the city.  They had flown to Tallinn and ferried it over to Helsinki, informing me that the Baltic Sea was frozen with ice during the entire journey.  I was not overly surprised by this as I have adapted to this as a normal sight because I live in Finland, therefore it was not as exciting for me!

We visited the Suomenlinna Island (a fifteen minute ferry journey from Helsinki).  Again, the sea was covered in ice and the boat was breaking through it with ease.  The Suomenlinna Island appeared to be a quaint village with 850 residents on the Island.  As we walked around the Fortress I saw that it was a beautiful place, however could not believe that people lived there as it seems a remote environment. 

In addition to this I attended an organised event through University to cook and eat some traditional Finnish food.  Although I have tasted some Finnish food in my placement, this was a good opportunity to experience and learn new recipes.  Finnish trainee chef students demonstrated the recipes and I made Pulla – a Finnish Sweet Bun, Blueberry Pie, Karelian Pastry and Cinnamon Cookies; the food was delicious.  The majority of the Finnish students were fluent in English; however some were not so good and tended to shy away from talking.  This is different to back in Northern Ireland as people tend to be more outgoing and enjoy talking, although I can understand that it may be difficult to have the confidence to speak a second language without fluency. 

I also attended an event organised by exchange students in my housing complex – an International Dinner.  Everyone brought some home-made food of their home country for others to try and there was a nice atmosphere to enjoy discussions about the foods on offer.  I tried German and Spanish food and both were very nice.

Finally – the weather in Finland is gradually changing, and for me it is a slow yet welcoming transition to the spring season.  Finn’s have informed me that spring usually arrives earlier than April, however due to an extremely cold winter it has taken longer to change.  I am looking forward to the change in weather as I would like to pack away my winter clothes and enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather!

Picture 1: Suomenlinna Island with my sister.

Picture 2: Finnish Food Event with other Exchange students.

Week 11, 26.03.11 – 01.04.11 (Professional Blog) – Mandy Brown

March and April are becoming the demanding months in relation to placement and University work submissions.  Managing my time was important in the beginning however has become more crucial at this stage of the semester.  I completed two examinations this week; one for the Service System module and one for the Finnish Language class.  I passed the Finnish examination with some additional assignments to complete before the end of the semester. 

Furthermore, I completed three days in placement this week and I continue to learn new things as time goes on.  This week there were less staff and children due to sickness; therefore I was allocated to care for the 4 year-old children rather than pre-schoolers on one of the days.  This was different as I had forgotten how much more dependent children can be at this age.  My University tutor recommended I work with this age to observe the differences and this was a good opportunity.  The teacher allowed me to introduce new songs to the children and read story-books, and the children concentrated well.

Over time I have noticed that the behaviour management of the children seems more relaxed than of Northern Ireland.  I am curious whether this is because the children are in smaller groups or if their behaviour is acceptable that would otherwise be inappropriate back home.  Perhaps it is because there is a more relaxed atmosphere between teacher and child; therefore children do not have the same respect for the teacher.  I find this a challenge as I am trying to follow the teachers lead and be consistent, however in Northern Ireland I would not tolerate some of the behaviour.  It is a difficult position to be in, as I had the authority to discipline in previous employments as would seem appropriate and here I have to hold back.

On the other hand I am impressed with the method of how children’s work is recorded.  Each child has a folder where their work is filed and it is accessible to the child should they wish to look at their work.  I find this a personal way for the children to enjoy their progress and have observed children doing this.  In Northern Ireland work is separated by subject exercise books and children do not necessarily get to see their work at a leisurely pace.  In raising this point, time seems precious and perhaps it is not manageable to allow thirty children to access their work during teaching time compared to a pre-school of nine children.

I look forward to returning to Northern Ireland and experiencing my old routine and being able to bring new ideas and opinions that I have learned in this setting in Finland.

Week 10, 19.03.11 – 25.03.11 (Professional Blog) – Mandy Brown

Placement and University classes continued again this week with a short trip to Norway!

During my time in placement the teacher is encouraging me to teach more pre-school lessons with the children.  I think this is because she is pleased to have a native English speaker in the setting and I am very happy to do so as it is all good professional experience.  There does not appear to be as big an emphasis on lesson planning here as there is in Northern Ireland, and I hope to discover if this is a true reflection of other pre-school’s (or schools for that matter) in the city. 

Therefore I taught an unplanned lesson about clocks and time this week.  This activity included group activity sequencing numbers on the clock (the teacher provided me with a wooden clock where the numbers could be slotted in).  I moved on to encouraging the children to create a group comic strip on the blackboard where they created a story, thinking about the times that things happen during the day.  The children were engaged and listened well and we ended the lesson with an independent worksheet on time. 

In addition to this, as Turku is the ‘European Capital of Culture 2011’, pre-school children in the city had been invited to see an orchestral play in the concert hall (free of charge).  I attended the trip helping to supervise the children and enjoyed my first experience of a Finnish play.  Although performed in Finnish, I was able to understand the plot.  The concert hall was full with pre-school children and teachers and I think this was a lovely experience for the children.

With regard to University my Service System in Finland course has ended and I have some final online submissions to complete.  I have enjoyed this learning experience as it has developed my knowledge of the systems in Finland in which I can compare to Northern Ireland.  There seems to be a more relaxed relationship between students and tutors in all classes that I have attended compared to Stranmillis.  For example, a one-week extension for some work was given for what seemed no reason, whereas back home there is a protocol for students to request this.  The method of submitting work here is all through returning it online which I find strange but have adapted well to.  On return to Stranmillis I think it may be a challenge for me to re-adapt to submitting hard-copy assignments and adjusting to the old routine, however I look forward to this!

·         In addition to the above I briefly visited Norway with four other exchange students this week, and discovered that it is an expensive country yet very beautiful.  Not only was I impressed with the surrounding scenery and lovely city of Oslo, but the Norwegian’s appeared to be more openly welcoming, helpful and friendly – seemingly different to that of the Finn’s.  I was somewhat surprised by this as they are close neighbours.  The people were also more inclined to speak and share a joke than the Finnish.  Visiting this country was an expensive however excellent experience!

Picture: Me in the stunning Norwegian Fjords.

Week 9, 12.03.11 – 18.03.11 (Personal Blog) - Mandy Brown

It seems appropriate to compose a personal blog this week, to reflect on my experiences in Finland as a whole.  As time has passed I have come to realise that I have been living in Turku for a little more than two months now (half-way through my time here).  My ‘normal life’ back in Northern Ireland seems so far gone it almost seems unreal, although regular contact over the Internet with family and friends has kept things in perspective.  Therefore, I am happy being away from my comfort zone. 

My lifestyle has changed somewhat in comparison to being a part-time student in Stranmillis, to a full-time Erasmus student.  For example, I am much more conscious of cutting back on purchasing luxury items, firstly because things are more expensive here and secondly because I am relying on my own personal savings to accommodate my time in Finland.  Therefore I do not eat out often (in placement I try Finnish food - for free) and search for the cheapest items in the shops! 

Furthermore, it has been a long time since I have worked as a student in placement in a daycare/school; I have had to adjust and accept that it is not an employment with a salary and that I do not have the same level of responsibilities as I would normally. 

In addition to this, the student lifestyle appears to include attending many parties and events (more so than I am accustomed to when living back home).  However I understand that it is important to attend these so that I can continue to make new friends and find out about other cultures.

I am continuing to attend Finnish language classes at University and still find it a difficult language to learn.  On the other hand it seems that language has not become a barrier in everyday life.  I find that constant reading of signs and hearing people speak Finnish helps me recognise the language and is all part of my learning process.

My experiences in Finland up until now have encouraged me to reflect on my own culture and personal views.  As a person I have developed more confidence to embrace new experiences and become more open to meeting new people from other cultures.  So far the Erasmus experience has been great and I look forward to the remaining time here.  I hope to bring home with me my enhanced knowledge and understanding that there is more to experience outside of Northern Ireland.

Week 8, 05.03.11 – 11.03.11 (Professional Blog) - Mandy Brown

This has been an active week in relation to my placement experiences.  The number of placement hours I have to fulfil during my time here is becoming more demanding than I first thought.  However, I am confident that I will complete this with continued determination as I am nevertheless enjoying placement. 

Tuesday 8^th March was ‘Shrove Tuesday’ - the Finnish equivalent being ‘Laskiaistiistai’.  According to some Finn’s this is a popular event where sledging is performed, with a competition for the best.  Unfortunately I did not attend the event in the city, although there was a celebration in my placement.  The children enjoyed sledging outside, with a hot chocolate drink and a cookie.  During afternoon snack they had a traditional Shrove Bun ‘Laskiaispullat’ which was filled with whipped cream and jam; I tried one and it was very nice.  In addition to this, I visited a skating rink with the children.  The children are very well-equipped with ice skates and appear to have few problems skating, I think this may be because the children are raised to play such activities and they can complete them with little effort. 

I had been asked to plan and complete an activity with the children in Pre-school.  I planned to teach the letter ‘R’ to maintain the children’s current learning of the English Alphabet.  The lesson included a group discussion on the carpet about the alphabet and then creating a mind-map together of objects that begin with the letter ‘R’.  Although all of the children speak English the teacher was needed for some translations and misunderstandings, for example, ‘R’ in the Finnish alphabet sounds different to that of the English one; some children were confused and thinking of Finnish words. 

The mind-map led onto an individual task of drawing, labelling and colouring their own object.  I was available to assist the children although most of them worked independently throughout.  To complete this lesson I also provided a simple handwriting sheet to assess the children’s forming of the letter and ability to write.  I had allocated thirty minutes for the whole activity, however in practice it took longer.  The teacher thought this was fine and there tended to be a more relaxed atmosphere than of back in Northern Ireland.  I like this as more time can be spent with the children individually ensuring they have gained an understanding of the topic.    The learning purposes were to identify and recall letters, with sequencing and group discussions to prompt thinking skills.  On reflection, an area for improvement is my judgement of allocated times, although the lesson went well as the children were attentive, respectful and engaged in the activities.

Pictures: Examples of children's independent work as part of my planned lesson.

Week 7, 26.02.11 – 04.03.11 (Cultural Blog) - Mandy Brown

This week life in Turku was back to some sort of normality for me.  My visitors had gone and it was time to attend University classes and placement again.  As part of my ‘Get Finternational’ course I attended an ‘Equality in Finland’ workshop which was informative and interesting.  Numerous statements relating to equality in Finland were made to encourage some constructive debates.  It was challenging to agree/disagree with the statements because once I had made my choice, we were asked to explain why and from listening to others’ views arguing valid cases; I began to re-think my decisions.  For example, a statement for debate was that ‘individuals earning a higher salary and in better jobs should pay more tax (40% of their earnings)’.  This was argued that individuals in better jobs had studied a long time and deserved to keep all of their earnings versus everyone gets a free education in Finland, therefore everyone should pay taxes, especially those who have studied for many years and not paid any taxes over this period.  This left me unable to strongly agree or disagree as I thought they were both excellent points, resulting in a reflection of the issues discussed.

Monday 28^th February was Kalevala's Day - Finnish Culture Day, where the Finn’s celebrate the epic folk poetry written by Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884).  I have learnt that the Kalevala was part of a patriotic movement recognising the heroic past of the people and the move of Karelianism.  It seems that traditional Finnish food can be eaten on this day and in general it seems that Pea Soup (Hernekeitto) and Gingerbread biscuits (Piparkakut) are some typical foods eaten regularly.

In addition to this, I attended a museum exhibition named ‘Fire! Fire!’.  This was an interactive exhibition based on the history of the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, where three-quarters of the city had been destroyed.  Furthermore, to extend my cultural experiences I went to an Ice Hockey match to watch Turku’s local team (TPS) play.  This was my first experience of watching an Ice Hockey match live (even though there is the Belfast Giants back home!).  There was a good atmosphere in the arena and I soon saw that ice-hockey is a very physical and what seems an aggressive sport.  However, it was a great experience and I was amazed at the players ice-skating skills.  As my time in Finland continues I realise that there are more things to experience here.  I look forward to further experiences to come and intend to grasp these opportunities with both hands!

Picture 1: The local ice-hockey team (TPS) playing a match.

Week 6, 19.02.11 – 25.02.11 (Cultural Blog) - Mandy Brown

There were no University classes as it was ‘Winter Week’.  This provided opportunities for me to explore Finland more so than usual.  My cousin, friend and boyfriend visited this week which also encouraged me to sight-see, rather than continue with my normal daily life in Finland.

I visited the capital city, Helsinki, to meet my visitors and spent the day there observing the beautiful architecture and surroundings.  I walked round the shopping areas, thinking I had seen most of the city; however when I checked the map in the evening it seemed I had only seen the south-east area!  Helsinki appeared to be considerably larger than Turku, so I decided to re-visit the city when my boyfriend was returning to the airport.  On return I visited Helsinki’s Zoological Institution Museum where the building itself was impressive along with the excellent display exhibits.

In addition to this I visited the town of Naantali, the home of MoominWorld.  It was recommended to me by my University tutor, and on reflection I was pleased I had taken her advice.  I am told that MoominWorld opens during Winter Week each year.  I got to meet the Moomin’s in person and enjoyed looking around the Moomin House!  There were opportunities to ice-skate and to use the snow-slide (which I did!). 

Including all of the above, I investigated Turku; I visited the Cathedral and Turku Castle.  The Cathedral was nice; however the Castle was more interesting, full of history and many objects to illustrate this.  I decided to walk by the Harbour near the Castle to take in the view.  It was amazing to see the frozen Baltic Sea with various ships anchored to the Harbour and appeared to have been there for some time.  As I observed the peaceful scenery, I noticed a random skier skiing along the frozen water around the ships.  This strikes me as a dangerous activity, however it seems that it is perfectly normal for the Finn’s and I admire their skill and courage.  Finally, while in Turku I took my visitors to the Finnish Scouting Museum as they have a keen interest in Girl Guiding and Boy Scouts.  This was a nice activity enjoyed by all; the scout expert was very friendly, enthusiastic and interested in mine and my family’s background. 

Overall, this week has been beneficial for my increased knowledge and understanding of Finland and I look forward to exploring more as the semester continues!

 Picture 1: The Zoological Museum.

Picture 2: Exhibit outside the Zoological Museum.













Picture 3: Me inside the Moomin House!

Week 5, 12.02.11 – 18.02.11 (Cultural Blog) - Mandy Brown

It is my fifth week in Finland and although it seems to me that I have lived here far longer, it is only now that I have had more opportunities to experience the culture.  My student tutor invited me along with the other tutor and two exchange students to her apartment at the weekend for a DVD and snack night.  This was enjoyable as it was a more relaxed atmosphere, where I could get to know about the Finnish people rather than them helping me with practical things all of the time!  During the evening we were able to engage in conversation ranging from University life to personal life.  It seemed that we were all intrigued about one another’s culture.  An example of this is that although my tutor gains course credits for helping me, she expressed that she also wanted to learn about me and Belfast.

We also discussed sauna and my tutor explained it was normal for most homes to have a sauna and for people to use it Finnish style (unclothed).  As a family, everyone can go together and that the only awkward part for her personally was during puberty, going into the sauna with her brother.  She invited us all to go to a sauna, and I look forward to joining some Finnish people for this experience.

As part of my ‘Get Finternational’ course I attended the Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum, which is the only part of Turku to survive the fire in 1827.  This was an interesting experience to learn a little about the history of Turku in its original form.  It was an outdoor tour including looking inside some of the wooden houses.  I was informed that in those days families baked bread twice a year as a batch could hang from the ceiling and be edible for six months.  In addition to this I saw an old printer’s office, which apparently is still used today for making wedding invitations.

Finally my last experience involved the ‘Understanding Cultural Diversity’ workshop.  I was amongst a group of mainly exchange students and three Finn’s.  The tutor was very engaging, using ice-breaker activities to involve everyone from many different countries, speaking various languages.  This workshop was interesting with numerous examples given to stimulate my thinking about my own identity, beliefs and values, and that of others around me.  It has prompted me to keep an open-mind regarding other people and how their culture may differ from my own; with a reminder that although this is the case, everyone should be respected equally.

Picture: An original Turku house in Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum.

Week 4, 05.02.11 – 11.02.11 (Professional Blog) - Mandy Brown

This week has been more structured than that of previous weeks.  I have attended University lectures and started my day-care placement.  University lectures differ somewhat to that of Stranmillis University where a three-hour lecture began considerably early at 08:15AM.  The lecture was based on the Social Services System in Finland, including Education and Health and Social Care.  Although the lecture appeared long; group work with students from other cultures proved useful when comparing the systems in Northern Ireland, England, Poland and Finland.  This was a great opportunity to discover that education systems vary from country to country (for example, starting age at pre-schools, primary and upper secondary schools.)

In addition to the above, my initial observation of my placement was that it appeared to be a very relaxed environment.  On my arrival I was warmly welcomed with an offering of coffee and porridge (excess food from the children’s breakfast!).  I was informed that I would be in the ‘Bumblebees’ pre-school room (a group of 6 year-olds).  It is required that the day-care provide 4 hours pre-school per day, usually from 9AM to 1PM.  During this time the children have one hour formal learning, seated at desks to prepare them for primary school.  This provision is funded by the government.  However, if a child stays for the afternoon session in ‘day-care’, parents are required to pay for this.  One surprising observation is that the setting does not have a secure coded lock on the front door, therefore anyone can enter.  I had a discussion with the teacher about this and we concluded that perhaps Finland has not had as many child protection issues as Northern Ireland; hence there is no need for this.

In comparison to my employment experiences in Northern Ireland (day-care, primary school, after school clubs) I am amazed at the provision provided in this setting.  Although the general routine appears to be similar, there is a greater emphasis on outdoor play and health.  An example of this is that although the weather conditions are cold with snow, the children are fully equipped with suitable clothes.  In regard to health, the children are not given any sweet desserts unless it is a party day.  The children are given large portions of dinner and from what I have observed so far, they eat everything they are given with no complaints.  They also have their own individual packets of sugar-free chewing gum which they chew after eating lunch.  According to the teacher, this is common across Finland for adults alike – for good dental health!

Finally, I have been impressed by the quality of the setting in general.  It is always clean, tidy and has excellent facilities for the children.  For example, desks, chairs and toys are made from wood.  These new experiences have opened my mind to the possibility that Northern Ireland is a long way from introducing this type of provision.  I look forward to further experiences in my setting so that I can consider more similarities and differences.

 Picture 1: Pre-school facilities - wooden desks/chairs.

Picture 2: Beds for 'resting time' after lunch.