In the article “Teachers as Leaders in Finland,” by Pasi Sahlberg, it is clearly explained the major differences in the education system of not only Finland and the United States. In the article it is explained how in Finland there are many differences that students in the United States and would appreciate. In Finland there are also no standardized tests; the teachers are responsible for determining how well the students are doing themselves.
After reading the article about the comparison of education system, one can easily tell some of Sahlberg’s main points. One of them being that the education system in Finland is very different from the one currently used in the United States; In Finland there is no external testing to determine the
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Teachers in each country go through different educational standards to be able to teach; For a person to become a teacher in a Finnish school that person must at the very least get a Masters Degree in education, which differs greatly from the requirements to become a teacher from how a person can become a teacher in the United States, where being a teacher who has a Masters Degree, but unlike Finland it is not a requirement for teaching. In primary school teachers teach 4 or 5 sessions of 45 minute lessons, in junior high school they teach 5 or 6 sessions of 45 minute lessons (Sahlberg 2), focusing more on what the students need to learn. This allows for students to focus on the information they were given in those 45 minute lessons as well as makes lots of repetition obsolete. In Finland the schools even hold their principals to higher standards, such that as principles, they need to be qualified to teach a classroom and most of them choose to do so.(Sahlberg 3) In the United States principals are administrators they do not have to and usually don 't need to teach a class or be qualified to do …show more content…
The education system that Finland has in place is better because of the requirements of becoming a teacher or principle, how long classes are and because there are no standardized tests in Finland. Teachers have to study very hard and go through years of studying before being able to be a teacher, or a principle. Stuck working there!--> With that being good the Finnish system; to me at least, is better than the one we currently use since teachers and principals are on somewhat equal ground over there with being in the same union and principals having to qualify for a teaching job to be principle and how the principals actually teach classes because they want to rather than being solely focused on administration work. Classes being shorter in Finland can be both good and bad, since if the student can enjoy a specific class it might seem like time is going by faster making shorter classes’ bad for those wanting more; while some classes may make someone feel like they’ve been listening to the teacher forever and can’t handle how boring a class can be especially nowadays with so many people having attention problems. Now teachers in Finland end up being better just by having to have an advanced degree not in the subject they want to teach, but in plain education, while according to the article; in the UK there seems to be a shortage on teachers so retired soldiers have been called upon to
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
This assignment has discussed two examples of curricula and it has been concluded that the Finnish curriculum is more suited to preparing individuals to life in the modern society. It has been stated that Finnish schools are ‘the schools of civilisation in an information society’ (Sarajala, 2001b) and therefore, they arguably educate and prepare young adults more sufficiently than the schools of England, who simply provide basic foundations for future development after education.
Through the use of credible sources, an explanation, and connection to thesis Rizga is able to back up her argument. Rizga provides many credible sources; one of the many is Robert Glaser, “the godfather of standardized testing.” Rhee, however, although providing evidence, does not cite her source. Rizga writes about how Roberts Glaser warned people of the dangers of emphasizing on standardized testing. Rhee, on the other hand, states “Out of 34 developed nations, American kids rank 26th in the world in math, 21st in science and 17th in reading.” Rizga then explains her evidence by elaborating on Glaser’s warning by saying: “He called them ‘fallible and partial indicators of academic achievement’ and warned that standardized tests would find it ‘extremely difficult to assess’ the key skills people should gain from a good education.” Rhee, however, never explains her evidence. Rizga’s evidence clearly connects with her thesis because it supports her argument of how standardized tests are not an efficient way to measure a student’s intelligence. Rhee’s evidence supports the idea of how standardized test should be used to see how the United States ranks in the world, but this is not Rhee’s thesis. Through the use of credible sources, an explanation, and connection to the thesis, Rizga is able to clearly support her
Education is one of the cornerstones and pillars to the establishment and preservation of democracy. In history, countless scores of philosophers and political thinkers believed that only an educated citizenry can take on the quintessential task of upholding democracy. Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, stated that “an informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.” A renowned defender of public education, Jefferson proposed plans for an education system that included grammar schools in his presidency. As a result of these relentless policies for education, the United States expanded on the concept of public instruction through the establishment and upkeep of a practical education system. The United States continued this tradition and established a reputation as one of the best education in the world. Currently, this is no longer valid as other countries such as Finland, China, and South Korea are competing for the dominant position through rigorous reforms that aim to boost student performances (“Best Education”). Meanwhile, the American system is inefficient, inhibited by political obstacles and gridlock while Finland, the top ranked country in terms of schooling, is continuing to improve. According to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) examinations that tested pupils across a variety of subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science of 2009, Finland’s students were ranked among the top (“PISA 2009”). The American students were ranked below average for industrialized countries in the world, revealing the reality of the educational crisis in the country. Finland’s education system, compared to the Americans, offers major differences that greatly ...
“Students take between ten and twenty standardized tests, depending on the grade. A total average of one hundred thirteen different ones by graduation. ”(Locker) A few years ago the United States, along with other nations, was given a test to assess the academic strengths and weaknesses of each nation and rank them accordingly. When the results were released and the United States was ranked near the bottom, it was decided to start incorporating more testing through school.
First, many Japanese students are surprised by American schools because American students pay much attention to teachers, and also they interrupt teachers to ask questions or to express their opinions. The style of teaching in the U.S. is completely different from Japan, especially in two points. One difference is that teachers in Japan expect students to be quiet in classes. In general, teachers explain the content of textbooks, hand-outs, and other materials. But in American schools, teachers think class participation is very important, and they require students to give their opinions or ask questions in classes.
The United States has persistently been ranked at the bottom when it comes to education among developed countries. They have tried to come up with strategic ways to change their ranking, like standardized tests. This is an administered test over certain subjects like Math, English, History, and Science, and the form is the same for all test takers. They were not the first country to develop this method; in fact, this method was inspired from other countries that appeared to be doing better than them and still remain ranked at the bottom.
Since the release of the report by Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in December of 2010 many in the government and community are searching for ways to reform the American education system to give American students the greatest opportunity to succeed. According to the report, American students are not testing as high as other nations in the world (Duncan, 2010). There are many contributing elements that have brought America to her knees in the education system, however, the obsession with standardized testing is found to be one of the most influential downfalls.
The information that I read about Finland’s child care is completely different than that of the United States. “We guarantee equal and universal day care for children, and we subsidize according to how much income you have. We believe that the day-care system is not just about taking care of kids, but it’s also about their education” (Chandler, 2014). In Finland, parents have the option to stay home and raise their children with benefits until they are three years old, although most parents only stay home for around one year. However, in the United States, mothers only have six weeks of paid maternity leave, which means that more infants are being placed in daycare earlier (Chandler, 2014). Also in the United States, parents have the option to put their child in preschool from the young age of three. On the other hand, Finland does not start compulsory schooling until the age of seven because “We have a lot of research showing that starting school earlier does not bring better results” (Chandler, 2014). I was not able to find any similarities between the United States and Finland regarding
Standardized testing is not the best way to measure how well a teacher teaches or how much a student has learned. Schools throughout the United States put their main focus on standardized tests; these examinations put too much pressure on the teachers and students and cause traumatizing events. Standardized testing puts strain on teachers and students causing unhealthy occurrences, Common Core is thrown at teachers with no teaching on how to teach the new way which dampers testing scores for all students, and the American College Test determines whether a child gets into college or not based on what they have learned during high school. Standardized tests are disagreeable; tests should not determine ranking of people.
...mmond, Linda). In America, students are evaluated based on assessments whereas Finland is not confined to any external standardized tests to rank students or schools. “Most teacher feedback to students is in narrative form, emphasizing descriptions of their learning progress and areas for growth.. The focus is on using information to drive learning and problem-solving, rather than punishment.” (Darling-Hammond, Linda). Finland has shown a promising gradation throughout recent decades; reasons for this may be its approach to tests as it focuses on establishing a productive learning state at a young age then advancing into administering actual tests at a later age. According to observations found by the researchers Välijärvi and his team, “ Finland has adopted alternative approaches in education policies to raise student achievement.” (Välijärvi, J. & Malin, A.).
In conclusion, in Finland,the teachers teach students with the aim of helping them learn,not pass tests.
Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve oneself.
Education is a very important aspect in the life of a child. The level of success a student has in the classroom is greatly influenced by their teachers. Students, as well as their parents, depend on the teachers to guide them through their education. But who guides a teacher to perform successfully in the classroom? Principals and teachers play an important role in schools. A good relationship among school leaders and teachers is necessary and play an important role in making improvements in the school. Leadership refers to the “process in which one person successfully exerts influence over others to reach desired objectives”. (Okoji, 2015) Good leadership involves honesty, vision, confidence and commitment. It is the ability to inspire a
Teachers have always played one of the most important roles in schools and in the educational histories of most students. One of the greatest challenges facing education systems is implementing the changes that would increase student learning. In this paper, I seek to investigate the traditional views of school reform by redefining the roles teachers can play in school change and thus, increasing student’s learnings outcome.