Program
PROGRAM
Tentative program – Please note that minor changes are possible!
Sunday: Introduction to the course
13:00 –16:00 ( Venue: To be confirmed later )
- Welcome!
- Introduction to the course
- Getting to know each other
- Team forming
Distance learning: Preparing for team presentation on Tue (1.5 hours)
Monday: Preparing your mind for innovation
9.30-12.00
- Preparing your mind for innovation
- Design Thinking workshop
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13:00-16:00
- Design thinking project – visit a learning center
- Afterschool club teacher job shadowing
Distance learning: Design process models (1.5 hours)
Tuesday: Discovering innovation tools
9:30-12:00
- Team introduction and design process presentation
- Digital collaboration tools
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13:00-16:00
Wednesday: Insights into Finnish education
9:30-12:30
- Experience Finnish education in practice: visit a local school and shadow classes. Opportunity to talk to teachers and pupils.
12.30-13.00 Lunch
FREE AFTERNOON
Distance Learning: Phenomenon-based Learning in Finland (2 hour)
Thursday: Idea presentation and action plan
9:30-12:30
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13:30-16:00
Friday: Deepening Your Experience
10:00-12:00
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-16:00
Optional visit in the evening: EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Saturday: A walk down memory lane
10:00-12:00
- A walk down memory lane
- Course certificates
Registration and prices
REGISTRATION AND PRICES
How can I participate?
All registrations must be done using the online registration form.
Discounts available for groups of 5 or more participants! Contact info@visitedufinn.com for more information.
The course will be confirmed later. For the moment, we take binding pre-registrations. If you want to send a group, but you don’t know yet all participants’ names, it is possible to add them to the registration form like this:
participant 1, participant 2, etc.
If you have problems or questions about completing the online form, please contact info@visitedufinn.com
REGISTER (Registration takes place on our sister company, Euneos’ website)
Prices
(Read more about grants and other options for financial support.)
If you have Erasmus+ KA1 funding, it should cover the fees. For those who come from outside the EU countries, there are other professional development grants for teachers. We have tried to keep the costs so low that self-funded participation is also a real option.
The price excludes Finnish VAT 24%. For VAT exemption, you need to register as a representative/employee of a company or organization and during the registration, attach a tax certificate, trade register extract, or similar from your country. A screenshot/picture of a VAT-number or Erasmus-related OID (Organization ID) are also acceptable.
Course fee 660€
Price includes
The meal package (100€ excl. VAT) is obligatory, and it includes:
- Lunches (including a School lunch) and refreshments each day
Other expenses
Airline tickets, accommodation, and local travel tickets to be bought separately.
Payments
When we confirm the course we send a link to pay with a credit card or an invoice to make a bank transfer. The participant should assume all the bank transaction fees.
Please note that all payments must be made in advance and in euros (€).
Cancellation policy
Pre-registration
We can confirm this course once we have received 10 registrations. Note that also pre-registration is binding; as there is a minimum and maximum number of participants, every registration counts.
Cancellation by participant
All cancellations must be made by email to info@visitedufinn.com at least a month before the course starts. If you do not cancel your participation at all, you will be charged the full fee. Please note that a processing fee of 50€ (excl. VAT) will be deducted from all refunds. If unable to attend, the registered person may substitute someone else from the same organization by sending a notification to info@visitedufinn.com.
Cancellation by VisitEDUfinn
If the documents attached during the registration process are not valid, and the participant does not deliver proper documents immediately after requested, VisitEDUfinn has the right to cancel the participation without any refund. However, participation is always possible, paying the normal fee (or the price difference).
In case the event is canceled due to COVID-19 or a similar situation, all the payments will be refunded without any processing fee. VisitEDUfinn is not responsible for any damage caused by the cancellation and strongly recommends purchasing flexible flight tickets and accommodation.
Invitation letters
VisitEDUfinn will write invitation letters only after the full payment. If the participant cannot get a visa and sends evidence about the rejected visa application, VisitEDUfinn will refund the paid amount. However, 100€ (excl. VAT) will be deducted as an administrative fee.
Frequently Asked Questions about Registration and Fees
Trainer
TRAINER
Who is in charge of the Innovative Learning and Teaching methods -course?
Tuovi Ronkainen, a highly respected figure in Finnish education, holds an esteemed career marked by significant contributions in multiple educational spheres. Formerly, she served as the principal of Akaa Secondary School, steering the institution with adept leadership. Her passion for knowledge saw her transition from high school administration into academia as a student of futures studies at the University of Turku, aiming to become a future coach.
Before her principalship, Tuovi enriched young minds as a biology and geography teacher, leveraging her expertise to instill a deep appreciation for natural sciences. Beyond national boundaries, she also functioned as the Project Ambassador for the European School Heads Association (ESHA), advocating educational standards and sharing best practices across Europe.
Furthermore, Tuovi demonstrated an enduring commitment to global educational cooperation by coordinating Comenius and Erasmus+ projects across various schools, creating rich cultural exchange opportunities. As the former network coordinator of the Baltic Sea Project under the National Board of Education, she further highlighted her skill in fostering international collaborations for environmental education.
To summarize, Tuovi Ronkainen’s impressive career speaks volumes of her dedication towards education, both at a national and international level, and her commitment to fostering a sustainable future.
Erasmus+
ERASMUS+
VisitEDUfinn (OID CODE: E10020922 / PIC CODE: 899855324) organises ERASMUS+ Staff Mobility job shadowing and professional courses designed for teachers at all levels. Our programs are organized in different parts of Finland in cooperation with other stakeholders in the field of education (schools, universities, municipalities).
All the courses are designed following the Quality Standards for courses under Key Action 1 and participants are provided with certificates that meet the Europass criteria.
Course title: Innovative teaching and learning methods
Audience
- Kindergarten, primary, and secondary school teachers
- Special education teachers
- School management and leadership
- All other non-teaching experts
Working methods
- Workshops
- Facilitated discussions
- Distance Learning
- Teamwork and Presentations
- Field visits
Course outcomes
After the course, you will be able to
- Gain insight into Finnish schools and education
- Facilitate team-building activities
- Implement teaching sessions by utilizing participatory methods
- Apply design process to teaching and learning
- Combine your curriculum outcomes with Phenomenon-based Learning and Design Thinking
- Co-design multidisciplinary projects
- Use digital collaboration tools
European/ International dimension
We wait participants from many European countries as well as from outside Europe. Sharing ideas together with colleagues from different countries offers a broader perspective on the topic. The course is also a great opportunity for networking for future collaboration.
Accommodation
ACCOMODATION
The participants can freely choose their accommodation. However, we highly recommend being located close to Senate Square as the most interesting sights are within walking distance from the Square. Forenom offers comfortable accommodation in different locations around Helsinki area, and our clients get 10% discount (ask for a code). For those with a limited budget, Eurohostel is an excellent option.
Tell us what kind of accommodation you prefer, and we can help to find a place for your stay!
General Information
How to get from the airport to the hotels
Several Taxi companies are offering their services in the airport. The price to the city center is approximately 50€. There are also public transportation options; both the railway and bus station are located in the airport. The price is around 5€, depending on whether you pay cash or use an application or ticket machine.
Weather in Helsinki
Depending on the time of the year, the temperature can be anything between -30 and +30 Celsius. Please visit the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s website for updated news on weather in Helsinki.
Language
The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish, but practically everyone knows basic English, and especially the people involved in tourism speak very good English.
Currency
The Finnish currency unit is the Euro. There are numerous cash machines (ATMs) open around the clock and accepting all major credit cards. Besides, Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted almost everywhere (hotels, restaurants, shops, taxis, cafeterias, bars, etc.).
Voltage
The electric current in Finland is 230V, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin continental size.
Time
The time in Finland is GMT/UTC+2 (During Daylight Saving Time +3)
Helsinki
GENERAL INFORMATION ON HELSINKI
Is Helsinki the coolest city in the world?
Probably yes! In the capital of Finland, you can find the influence of both our neighbors, Sweden and Russia, but still the city is unique. It’s a modern metropole with over 650, 000 inhabitants (1,5 million in the larger metropolitan area) and yet you are never more than a 10-minute walk from nature. On the same day, you can pick berries in a forest and go to the Opera. Helsinki is a lively big city that never sleeps, but so safe that you can see 7-year-old first graders the take the tram to school on their own.
Feeling the fresh breeze of the Baltic Sea while wandering around the picturesque streets of this easy-going city, it is not so difficult to imagine why Finns are the happiest nation in the world. After the walk, warm yourself up with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun. These coffee breaks with friends and colleagues are almost sacred moments to Finns.
While in Helsinki, check out the libraries as a social innovation in Finnish education, interactive museums, the islands around Helsinki and the sauna. There are many more attractions that promise unforgettable experience in Helsinki such as Alvar Aalto’s studio, Helsinki Cathedral by Carl Ludvig Engel, Senate Square, Old Market Hall, Löyly sauna and restaurant, and much more.
Check out What’s up in Helsinki during your study visit!
Education in Finland
EDUCATION IN FINLAND
During our events and courses, you will get familiar with all the characteristics of Finnish education:
How is education in Finland?
- One of the basic principles is that everyone must have equal access to high-quality education and training.
- Each student has the right to educational support.
- Special needs education is generally provided within mainstream education.
- The Finnish education system is based on the philosophy of inclusion.
- Educational support and guidance covers support for learning according to the individual capacity of the learners, school attendance, pupil welfare, and guidance and counseling. The learning of gifted pupils and students is supported.
- The education system is based on trust and responsibility.
- Educational autonomy is high at all levels.
- Most education is publicly funded.
- National core curriculum gives space for local variations.
- Learning outside the classroom is common.
- The first national examination is at the end of general upper secondary education.
- Teaching continues to be an attractive profession.
- Finnish schools have highly educated teaching personnel.
- Continuing teacher education is widely encouraged.
Read more about Finnish Education.
Contact Information
For additional information about this course, please contact:
VisitEDUfinn Ltd.
c/o Eira High School for Adults
Iso Roobertinkatu 20-22 A
00120 HELSINKI
Tel. +358 407 516 478
Email: info@visitedufinn.com
