Programs

21st century vocational education – Study visit at the Finland´s biggest vocational college

Come to beautiful Northern Ostrobothnia and have an innovative learning experience while getting familiar with Finnish vocational education! Learn about Finnish education system in practice by having a hands-on experience: school visits, peer observation, experimental learning, pedagogical strategies and much more! This one-week course is suitable for principals, decision makers, administrators, teachers and educators interested in vocational education.

Location: Finland: Northern Ostrobothnia: Oulu region and Lapland: Rovaniemi

Duration: 1 week

Availability: during the Academic School year August-May

Group size (min/max): 20-25 persons

Schedule

Day 1, Monday

• Welcome to OSAO
• Introduction to Finnish education system; getting familiar with early childhood education and comprehensive school, meeting with OSAO practical nurse students, educators and teachers
• Overview to general upper secondary school and vocational education; examples of IB career-related programme
• Overview to university and university of applied sciences studies; a peak to teacher training
• Lunch
• Particularities of vocational education: competence based learning, vocational units, vocational skills requirements and assessments of competence, collaboration with work-life etc.
• Getting to know Oulu with our students: visit Nallikari beach, Ainola Park or other places of your choice and enjoy seasonal activities

Day 2, Tuesday

• Visit the premises and meeting with the students and educators of the field of vocational education of your choice at OSAO (e.g. metalwork and machinery, processing industry, social and health care or construction)
• Lunch
• Practical lessons (of e.g. construction, metalwork and machinery, processing industry, social and health care) of your choice; getting start with the common project
  OR
  Workshops on themes e.g. education management, curriculum-leading process, pedagogical developing management, lifelong learning in work place
• Tips to take a good photo in Finnish nature by OSAOs media assistant students
• Evening activity: Bowling with OSAO students

Day 3, Wednesday

• The use of ICT in education
• Practical lessons of e.g. construction, metalwork and machinery, processing industry, social and health care of your choice; common project work continues
  OR
  Workshops on themes e.g. education management, curriculum-leading process, pedagogical developing management, lifelong learning in work place
• Lunch
• Visit to OSAO Muhos unit: Getting to know farm and domestic animals
• Preparing Wilderness meal at Finnish kota, activities depending on season: cross country skiing / snow shoeing / fat biking/ hiking/ berry picking/ mushroom picking by Matkajärvi lake

Day 4, Thursday

• Presentation of the project work
• Workshops on themes e.g. digital learning and media pedagogy, modern learning environments and pedagogy, learning material in online courses, developing cross-disciplinary courses
• Lunch
• Entrepreneurship in education: presentation and discussions, techniques and initiatives focusing on encouraging entrepreneurship
• Visits to house construction, metal workshop or other on-the-job work place of your choice and meeting with student and educators
• Evening activity: Finnish premier league baseball match (Oulun Lippo) + meeting with some of the players

Day 5, Friday

• OSAO unit visit of your choice and meeting with the students
• Lunch
• Workshops on e.g. themes: sustainable well-being, wellness in school community, students’ welfare services and individual supporting, inclusion as a policy and practice, current issues in special education

Day 6, Saturday

• Departure to Syöte fell area.
• Nature school and phenomenal learning: Learning every man’s rights in nature path when walking/snow shoeing/ kick sledging in the forest
• Lunch
• Wilderness skills: making a product from natural ingredients
• Visit to Forest Government’s visitor Centre or Husky Safari/ Skiing / Downhill skiing / Hiking
• Accommodation in Syöte

Day 7, Sunday

• Departure to Rovaniemi
• Visit Rovaniemi (Santa Claus village, Arctic Circle, Pilke Science Centre, some free time, shopping) including lunch at the Arctic Circle
• Departure back to Oulu
• Farewell party with activities

Camp School program for 16-19 year olds students