Learning experiences in Finland: knowledge has changed, difficulties, surprises, important activities and mindset changing about education.

I consider I have had a complete immersion in Finish culture during these three months here in Finland. My wife and my son that come back first to Brazil are doing a great struggle to adapt to their usual life and cutting the link with the Finish lifestyle focused mainly in equity and respect. I decided to write this introduction because is exactly this that I've felt the education in Finland. I will organize this post in sessions, each one to summarize a different aspect.

Experiences and activities were the most important in facilitating my own learning.

One very important experience I've lived here was the opportunity to be and to behave as a student after more than 15 years I became a teacher. In this period here I had enough time to read, reflect, being in contact and feel learning experiences. I could realize some learning activities and situations that are not more suitable for my subjects and for my students, and I was applying. I could perceive how it was important learning by doing (PrBL, E-activities creation, learning methods) and seeing what is the real function of the teacher, so distant what I had made, as a transferring information, and what I intend to be, a facilitator.

I have faced the two coin faces in the case of work in groups. During the activities performed by my first group (microteaching, PrBL, and others), although I've realized everyone tried to contribute of some manner, there were different levels of commitment and it disappointed me a lot, maybe the blame was mine by creating a greater expectation regarding the activities that I should have built. That situation has encouraged me to search scientific and general articles about workgroup and teamwork, it has been enriching. On the other hand, my development work group has an awesome synergy, similar interests and commitments. I'm really enjoying and extremely motivated to conduct this work in Brazil.

Others excellent experiences I had were: a fantastic networking with my colleagues from Brazil and with teachers and other professionals from Finland, I hope this could be so fruitful in the future; Finnish culture considering general aspects; opportunity I've had to deepen a subject that interests me through teacher and students talking; visit specific labs, freedom to change the timetable in order to achieve my learning expectations (in some cases); interaction with my son's teachers and staff toward to achieve a better comprehension about Finnish education and relationships; sharing experiences and foster discussions about various educational issues with my housemate Daniel and our neighbors Igor and Karina, as well as with my colleagues and advisors during our lunches at TAMK restaurants (I'll miss them!).

Skills and knowledge has changed or increased during my stay in Finland

Focus on Student centered learning and the real dimension should be released on student motivation and engagement in order to achieve the learning outcomes. We were exposed to many strategies directly linked with that, like MIRAMI Method, Carpe Diem, Design Thinking, Proakatemia, Demola, development work, autonomy etc. Other method I've learnt and I'll apply in my disciplines is Project based learning. PrBL is indicated to a variety of subjects, but I consider it is very suitable for ICT courses. I fell happy to realize as I was instigated to go deeper is this topic and mainly the amount of resources we've been presented about PbPL.

It'll be a great challenge integrating students, teachers, society and University around some projects, that is the further work of our development team. I've seen different initiatives in TAMK, Aalto and other Universities in this way and I've been encouraged by my friend Paulo through his amazing experience in IFES. I consider this project and these ideas appropriated for the Brazilian Economic moment regarding the Brazilian government proposal to stimulate entrepreneurship in Universities, Institutes and schools as a way to re-grow the economy.

I've heard about teacher as a facilitator as well as about student centered learning for a long time in my life, but it was like a distant dream impossible to reach. Now, I've felt confident and motivated to change my disciplines and the way of managing them. I've reflected a lot about me as a teacher and what it would be more fruitful and important for my students. I've been put in touch with many interesting tools applicable to be used in education and I expect I could use them in a good and efficient way.

Difficulties, surprises and memorable experiences

I am a proactive person and I hope that who is working with me has this same attiribute, therefore I had some frustrations during some work in groups. I've tried police me to realize that everyone is different from the others, at the same time that I've reflected that as much as I study, read and work, more I will learn and seize the opportunity to acquire new knowledges I'll be able to apply in my life and to provide a better class for my students. 

I faced a great difficult after 50 days here in Finland because my family needs to come back to Brazil, I think that my productivity fell down during some weeks, but my colleagues encouraged me to retrieve my internal motivation and I got it.

I had two big surprises during my time in TAMK: the first one was Proakatemia, how it has been possible to concentrate different concepts and method focused on student, like PbBL, learning by doing, flexibility, self-assessment and others. I've been surprised also about how BIS and ICT courses has conducted the first year of their courses focused on subjects integration, learning by doing and projects in order to motivate the students and as consequence decrease the dropout rates, that is a big challenge in ICT courses around the world.

I've had countless memorable experiences that is impossible to resume in a paragraph. The most part of them is related with the education of the Finnish people and how the are always ready to help us everywhere and all the time. I could not forget to talk about TAMK staff that has provided an awesome atmosphere. Talking about annoyed moments I'd say they're associated with repetitive experiences, like Proakatemia (not coaching training, it was amazing), some company visits and about our lack of choice to experience something that we'd have more interested in some moments.

Thank you so much, you are really inspiring teachers. I hope do my postdoc here in Finland soon.

Aalto Design Factory: Sharing the passion for doing.

Aalto Design Factory: Learning by doing, research and innovation.

Even though our large amount of work on development work project, a group of IF's teachers planned a trip to Espoo city to visit Aalto University Design Factory, a physical and mental working environment for product developers and researchers focusing in the learning process. We were hosted by Paivi Oinonem, that is the Design Factory Global Network strategist.

Before our arrival, I thought that the main focus of Aalto Design Factory was the product development and a kind of relationship between Aalto University and enterprises, but just in the beginning of our visit, I could realize that the huge effort spent to put together teachers, researchers, modern laboratories, prepared staff, enterprises, other Universities, "much money", was to improve the learning process through master's degree and extra courses focused in Product development, innovation, student centered learning and learning by doing.

In resume, Aalto design factory (ADF) offers five possibilities to students, from Helsinki and surroundings as well as abroad. The key course which was responsible by the idealization and creation of ADF is Product Development Project (PDP). It is a one academic year course where students from different fields of studies are joined in groups of 10 to develop a innovative project coming from a local or an international companies. Students have worked in a real-life problem as a basis for learning. At the end of the academic year the groups show their products at Product Design Gala. During our visit, Paivi showed some past projects' posters and explained some of successful projects to us.  

Beyond PDP, Allto Design Factories has provided a Design Thinking Master degree course in partnership with Stanford University, named ME310. This course has special emphasis on user centered innovation and it's organized around full time nine months and in collaborative workgroup of 8 from two Universities (4 + 4). Likewise PDP course, the problem come from global companies and they are usually bigger. Companies must invest between 50 to 100k euros.

Aalto Design Factory also offers summer courses through an initiative named Summer Studio, as well a support to students develop Bachelor's and Master's Thesis and a Bachelor's degree minor studies programme in Interdisciplinary Product Development. ADF also provide a pedagogical support to teachers create a course that includes the planning, implementing and evaluating process. Working methods are individual and group supported with pedagogical mentoring.

ADF infrastructure is awesome, each detail has been thought to foster an inspiring environment. Paivi walked with us around all rooms and labs explaining their purpose and affording us the chance of talking to staff and gather essencial information in order to understanding the ADF modus operandi. My development workgroup was attending that visit and it is impressive as the ideas were flourishing in our minds. Four staff members talked to us about the students' enthusiasm, they've tried to encourage the students putting their hands dirty and be present to help the students wherever and whenever they need.

Aalto Design Factory was born in 2008 based in a interdisciplinary Product Development Project course and today has been spread around five continent, 10 factories and 15 hug points. Inside the main building there is a cefeteria where they have encouraged everyone (students, teachers, staff, researches and clients) to collaborate and to enjoy that space to get together. As shown below, some TVs present others design factories in real time, it's really a inspiring space.

As Paivi told us, as much as they increase the collaboration with others Universities and countries, more significant, challenger and valuable the projects have become. Companies will be more interested and consequently will sponsor much more money, as a result, a larger number of students will benefit from the various courses offered. I could realize that two of the most important features they aim are interdisciplinarity, groups are compulsorily formed by students from different areas, and internationalization, the official language of ADF is english and more and more the groups are formed at least with a foreign member. The picture below shows as the Design Factory has spread around the world. It is missing Brazilian hub yet.

I've reflected a lot about that visit and I'd like to share some points I consider extremely relevant to ADF successful. (i) encouraging interdisciplinary teams; (ii) cafeteria strategy, opportunity to put together stakeholders from different projects; (ii) openness, Paivi told us every teacher or researcher can come in and use ADF dependancies; (iv) engaged and motivated staff; (v) many facilities to students: sauna, cafeteria, flexible use 24/7, printshop, machineshop, paintshop, and others; (vi) startups, supporting and being supported by ADF.

In my opinion, one sentence is able to resume Design Factory proposal: Sharing the passion for doing.