Today we have discussed about identity, Culture, culture shock, intercultural interaction. Culture shock. What does it mean? Foreign students often experience culture shock when they first come to the another country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least one of five distinct phases: Honeymoon, Stepping in: the distress stage, Stage of autonomy: ''Getting used to", Back to normal, Back home again stage.
On Tuesday we have been in Tampere. Tampere is the second-largest urban area and third most-populous municipality in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki municipalities of Helsinki and Espoo. Firstly, in the morning we have been in Sara Hilden art museum to see exhibition of Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was an American artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His paintings, prints, photographs, and drawings from this period include: Mao, Ladies and Gentlemen, Skulls, Hammer and Sickles, Shadows, Guns, Knives, Crosses, Dollar Signs, Zeitgeist, and Camouflage. Warhol make paintings of iconic American objects such as mushroom clouds, electric chairs, Campbell's Soup Cans, Coca-Cola bottles, celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, Troy Donahue, Muhammad Ali, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Then we have visited adult education centre of Tampere (Immigrant education). Project managers Mari Poikolainen and Tarja Liljeroos familiarized us about their Centre, the objective of centre, how they work, how they teach migrants. After that we have managed to talk with migrant students. Among them were people from Russia, Afghanistan, Estonia etc.
Today's our topic was Skills competition as a tool supporting the talented learner and as a tool to develop VET. Vocational skills competitions have become established as a form of supporting and developing vocational education. In 1988, Finland joined the organisation that arranges the world championships in vocational skills: International Vocational Training Organization, today known as World Skills International. Every year the number of participations is increased. For instance, Estonia joined in World Skills International (WSI) in 2006, Russia in 2012 and Belarus in 2014. In 1988 the first national Taitaja skills competitions were organized in Hameenlinna.
Taitaja9 is a competition skills intended for 9th grade pupils in basic education.
TaitajaPLUS is a vocational skills competition for special needs students.
The World Skills Competition can be participate under the age of 23. The World competition in vocational skills was in Helsinki in 2005.
Participants in Euroskills is open for young people under 25.
Benefits (and criticism) of skills competitions for
* students
* VET providers and stakeholders
* companies
* teachers
Today morning we have been in Kiipula Centre of Vocational Education and Rehabilitation.
Mr. Petteri Ora, project director has presented short presentation about what is the Kiipula Foundation. Kiipula Centre of Vocational Education and Rehabilitation provides services on vocational special education, adult education, rehabilitation, and work life development.
The centre is divided into three sections: Vocational College Special Education and Adult Education, Rehabilitation Centre, Kiipula Garden. After that Mr. Markku Aunola, principal in Kiipula Centre of Vocational Education and Rehabilitation told about Vocational special education in Finland, Funding and guiding principles (education policy).
After lunch we have seen a lot of useful things. Students, who need helps learn work based learning. Finally, we have seen Kiipula Gardens as learning environment. Kiipula Garden is specialised in all-year-round greenhouse production. We have seen many kind of flowers, tomatoes etc. growing in Greenhouses. We also have had possibility to buy products of Kiipula Garden from the Miinantori -shop.
