The forum provides Fulbright grantees in Finland the opportunity to present their research and receive feedback from fellow Fulbrighters and other attendees.
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| Courtesy of Maija Kettunen |
The first day of the seminar focused on Education and was held at the University of Helsinki. The first presentation of the 2018 Fulbright Forum was by yours truly. No pressure, right? I found comfort knowing my audience was a group of supportive and interested Fulbright teachers and scholars. My presentation, “21st Century Students Take Action with Project-Based Learning (PBL),” gave a brief overview of the inquiry process and how Finnish schools embrace interdisciplinary instruction. Individual presentations like mine were allotted 15 minutes. I knew I had to focus on my project’s major points in order to not go over time.
Finland’s new national curriculum promotes a version of inquiry called, phenomenon-based learning. Phenomenon-based learning uses the natural curiosity of students to learn in a holistic and authentic context. Real-world phenomena provides the motivating starting point for learning which includes many subject areas.
Phenomenon-based learning is:
- Inquiry-Based
- Interdisciplinary
- Collaborative
- Hands-On
- And…Technology Rich
There are a number of benefits when students engage in PBL and apply 21st century skills:
- Students’ levels of engagement increase
- They develop inquiry skills
- Students learn new content
- PBL promotes students’ overall well-being
- And students develop skills they can use in all aspects of life.
I think my presentation was well-received. There were several questions from the audience and the discussion continued during coffee and lunch breaks. Please view my presentation’s slideshow to learn more about project/phenomenon/passion-based learning and how this method supports 21st century skills.
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| Two Fulbright teachers had the audience try a STEM activity as part of their presentation. |
The second day of the seminar was located at Aalto University in Espoo, a major region near Helsinki. The schedule included a wide array of topics from Health Sciences to Business and Engineering. While listening to the many talks, I kept thinking to myself, “I am hearing research that will eventually be what people read in the news, in magazines, and in professional journals." The speakers were not only incredibly knowledgeable, they were passionate. It is my goal to give students at my school similar opportunities to conduct research and deliver presentations for an authentic audience. Just think of the increase in motivation.
The Fulbright Forum was not all presentations and panel discussions. After the first day, we got to play a popular sport in Finland called floorball. This is my new favorite game. Floorball is a type of floor hockey with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. You play with sticks similar to those in hockey and a small plastic ball with holes. We were all rookies, so we did not stick to regulation play. What we did do was run full speed up and down the court whacking at the ball (and each other) in attempts to make a goal. We made up for our lack of skills with enthusiasm. It was a blast!
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| Courtesy of Maija Kettunen |
There is so much to say about the Fulbright Forum. It was intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding. I am honored to be among the group of Fulbright grantees in Finland this term. From the comradery among Fulbrighters, you would never guess that most of us are from extremely different fields of study. This is one of the things that makes the Fulbright program so great. I have been able to explore my own research interests and learn more about the world from fellow Fulbrighters.
I would like to conclude by thanking the Fulbright Finland team for organizing such an amazing event. It is no easy task planning a two-day seminar, but they pulled it off with flyer colors. To all those involved, I give you a heartfelt kiitos!
