EduTech Boot camp

My image of a boot camp is that it is linked to doing sports to the bitter end. Obviously, I was curious to what an educational technology boot camp could be. Exhausting my poor brain? Let me tell you: it is learning about what technical applications/tools there are that could be used in teaching and learning! The boot equals a snap shot about many many applications.

It is fun to attend a real course when most of the studying is done virtually. Doing different tasks in groups, learning to use apps together, learning to know each other better, being students observing our teachers ways to teach (yapp – we do that) just to name a few. Doing & learning together is the melody and that's what we did for two days.

 I hoped to have learnt more about using the applications – but that’s my homework.  Prezi, popplet and we video are some tools that I will dig into asap.  The homework will have to wait a bit though; there are other things to be done first.

The other thing is hands-on. Good news is that the course gave me ideas on how to proceed.  We have some digital material to edit with my teammate. I have never done it before, so there’s a Bit to learn. My head if full of words to describe my feelings about editing: challenge, anxiety, technical knot, fury, master, pride and prize. Yapp – I use such cheesy techniques as bribing when it comes to my own studies. 

Any suggestions how we should bribe ourselves?  

teacher practice

The active search for teacher practice has started. I suffer from light phone phobia - or let's say - I rather send an e-mail than pick up the phone to call a stranger. Fact is though, that many things are a lot clearer and FASTER when you call up someone. I made the first call today - and 5 more - and am a lot wiser when it comes to my teacher practice now. It's not easy to find a course in English related to my field of study in my hometown. The web based course I had found might work, but I need to do teaching observation in some other course and it would probably be better to do it in the same course.

I have thrown a couple of additional nets into water and have contacted the principal teacher of a study program. Everyone I have contacted have been helpful and I am certain the teaching practice will be in place for next semester.  

First virtual session :-)

Two weeks have passed since our first virtual session! That's a long time, but I still remember some bits. We concentrated on learning styles in our presentation. The image above is from the PracTutor blog. I like to see images, pictures, videos as addition to learning and we started our presentation with this picture. There learning style tree is one way to separate different preferred learning styles. There are a lot of different theories about learning styles (eg. Neil Fleming's VARK model or David A. Kolb's Experiential Learning theory. Dig into them!

Learning styles (LS) means simply "various ways to learn something". Your preferred learning style is the result of your personality, previous experience (e.g. school, work), the outside world and all the interaction between these actors. It might help your learning to know your strong and weak learning styles. Then you might want to learn sth in your preferred way if you have the choice, or you can practice your weak learning style. Learning is most efficient when you have strengths in many different learning styles

Meshing hypothesis or matching guidelines means when you try to match a students preferred LS to your teaching. This is not actively done in schools but I found out that Havukosken koulu in Vantaa has taken part in a trial where they matched their 6-7 (now 7-8 graders) according to their preferred LS. They put 4 groups together according to their preferred LS and have adjusted the web based teaching to match the student’s preferences. The groups are flexible, including both 7-8 graders and they empathize on their learning community and "doing together". The student’s auditory, visual, tactile and kinetic senses are activated depending on their preferred LS. They also try to move teaching more outside the class room.

To match teaching according to LS is not easy to apply, but perhaps it is possible. It is certainly easier to apply in student counseling.  I’m interested to hear the final results of this trial at Havukoski school. So far, the feedback from the students has been very positive. This might be the key to motivate students.

Taking notes during your learning process is handy - but I must admit that I am too lazy to do it. During last year I have gotten hooked on mind maps. They take some time to do, but they really help me to see the big picture. The mind map below is an overview about learning styles in teaching and tutoring. This picture is my route map to knowledge about learning styles. Mind maps change all the time as you learn, so if I made a mind map now, it would look totally different. I wanted to post it here because in our breakup, the slides didn't come up as they should, so my "students" ;-) didn't have the possibility to see the mind map.    

It was exciting to listen (and watch) the other presentations. I learnt that giving examples after teaching a theory is very good. I realized that teaching in a slow pace is better than trying to include a lot in a 20 minute presentation. Thanks D! 

I also learnt that what curricula actually is. I have known it before, but not on a detailed level. Perhaps the foreign language mixed it up for me. As to teaching style, I really liked the style where the presenter read out comments during the presentation and made it alive. This way all opinions were on-air and the discussion followed a red line. I also realized that I prefer when not everything is read out loud that is in a PP presentation. I sort of like to read that myself. Thanks P!

Off to preparations of the next session.

The studies and planning ahead

Study Plan and Schedule:

I have to start here because scheduling my studies is the most difficult part at the moment. I believe, though, that it will become easier once I get more time. Yapp - I know - when will we get more time? I have decided that in November I have more time and can study regularly during the day, not at night as I have to do right now. Studying at night is not my kind of pie - I get so engaged that I stay up too long and have trouble sleeping.  

The innovative Vocational Education and Training program totals 60 ECTS.

Vocational Pedagogy (22 ECTS)
Basics of Educational Science (10 ECTS)
Teaching Practice (13 ECTS)
Optional Studies (15 ECTS)

Vocational Pedagogy divided into two parts  VOC 1 and VOC2.I plan to study VOC1 and VOC2 this school year. I have studied 25 ECTS of Educational Science at Jyväskylä University so 10 credits will be accredited to Basics of Education. I plan to do my teaching practice year 2013. Most likely in the spring semester - I just need to talk to the school and the teacher. I have found a suitable course, but I still want to "shop around" and see if there is something else. I better pick up the phone soon because I need to sign up for this during September. I will do 10 ECTS of optinal studies this fall semester, the remaining 5 will be later - perhaps even fall 2013.

What studies support and nurture the development of your core competences?

I am a Political Scientist so reading the Paper and watching the news is one way to keep my substance core competences up-to-date. I am planning to teach a course about the EU, which means that I will do some research about recent developments and refresh my memory on EU-history, enlargement and I guess I cannot skip the monetary union :-) It is amazing if that will not be one subject for discussion during the course. I will also look for seminars in the area and visit the EU-information office for ideas and guidance.

If I end up choosing an administrative route and teach administration in a vocational school, reading about good governance and sharing "smart tricks around the office" would be a start.

I get new ideas about what I could teach all the time, so I guess I am not ready to lock the teaching practice yet. One thing is sure though. Since I have no previous teaching experience, a course in teaching methods is a must.

Consider the possibilities teacher practise in your own field of work. In which vocational institute or polytechnic or other institute can I carry out my teacher practise? What core contents shall I concentrate on? Which target audience shall be my students?


I have touched upon what courses I could teach above. The EU course is in a University of Applied Sciences, a virtual course actually. The iVET course is also mostly virtual, so I'm sure that is not a problem. I might, however, need a hands-on course for my teaching observation. Keski-pohjanmaan koulutusyhtymä with its 6 schools and on-the-job training unit could also work very well, but it seems like all their teaching is in Finnish or Swedish. 

As a social scientist, I am interested in society, its functions, its purpose, the people inside it and the relationships between all actors. For the last few years equal rights, especially from a gender perspective, has been the most interesting bit. I would love to teach gender issues from a practical angle. How to act in a way where you treat women and men, boys and girls equally? How not slip into typical ways to treat people differently in the classroom or pretty much any where else. I will observe myself closely during my teaching practice and see if I slip into old fashioned ways. 

Since I most likely will teach about the EU virtually, I will concentrate on finding ways to guide students to find info and I will put in much effort to try to motivate them to dig into the very complex and large EU spider net. Since it is a virtual course, both young and middle aged adults will be the audience. 

What former competences or learning shall I present to be accredited? –Familiarize yourself with the accreditation policies of the school.


I will present my former studies in Educational Science for accreditation - a total of 10 ECTS will be accredited.

My competence and vocational teacherhood

I am new to teaching but not to working-life. When I made the first task (questionnaire based on competence) the answers didn't surprise me. I have been in working life for about 10 years. Some of that time still as a University student. 

When you start a new job, you are the "new one" from all aspects. Co-workers measure you and talk about you while you are doing your best to quickly learn what you are supposed o do and to do it really well and fast. With time you learn what is typical for your working community and you assimilate to the working culture.

I am interested in on-the-job training and I have grasped the subject a bit at my office. I realized that when the new person gets good training right away and you make a plan together on how you can develop even more, the results are the best. Not to forget that a mentor should be available for all the stupid questions. Let's face it, we all have them and it should be OK to ask them without being scared to loose face in the working community.

From the competences above I have knowledge and experience of working community, world of work, values integration, global competence and vocational competence. Though, this experience comes from various working communities, not from a school. I have no experience from teaching - yet :-) I feel about the middle, "substance (vocational competence)" that the more you know, the more you realize what you don't know and you ask yourself what you really know.

My workplace has gone through many organisational and policy changes. That has taught me a lot about working life, working community and values integration. I could write a novel about what it has taught me but let me explain in in practice. A workplace is like a machine. All parts have to fit together, be in good shape and has to be treated equally because all parts are just as important. There are always some minor problems with the machine - then you have to open up and look what's wrong. You must be able to fix all parts, otherwise it's impossible to get back on the road again.

What are the starting points in my vocational teacher-hood? -Reflect on your previous strengths and your previous competences.

I am a rookie when it comes to teacher hood. I know very little about what it's like to be a teacher, except that I wouldn't mind the long summer holidays :-) For many years, I have thought about being a student counselor or a career coach. That kind of role is what I am striving towards. I want my students to find their drive in working-life.

For long, I was wondering why I have to be a teacher first, in order to become a student counselor. After doing 25 ECTS of Educational Science I partially know. It is not enough to just know your subject, you need to know how to teach, how to motivate students, help them find their own motivator, give them feedback, applause when they succeed.. the list is very long. With time, I have noticed that I have strong interest in this field and I believe I have what it takes. My approach is more one on one, that's why I think a tutoring role or special needs education is what I will focus on in the future.

 How do I want to develop as a vocational teacher? What motivates me?

One of the largest problems in the school of work is lack of motivation among students. The greatest number of drop-out are in vocational training. According to Statistics of Finland the Academic Year 2009-2010, 9.1% of all Voc. training students didn't finish their degree. There has been much written about this in the papers - but the problem hasn't been solved. I think intensified tutoring is an answer for some, but I need to find out the other options.

I have been a quite easily motivated student, but I had esp. in 8-9th grade, high school and University a tendency to leave everything to the last minute.. That was stressful. I often read something interesting but due to time restraints, there was no time to go deep. I just had to study in order to get the exams approved. This is a very common way to study - and approved among the students. It is NOT cool to study. This attitude needs to be changed - and I'm on in :-)

The greatest motivator for me and for many others, is to have a job where you may see the results of your work - and hopefully as many positive ones as possible. In vocational teaching you may see this. What will be challenging for me is to find different ways to motivate students that have no interest what so ever to study and I cannot get through to them. That is why educational training is needed - they may give us some tools that we can use together with our common sense

Welcome, dear reader.
Project VET is yet another project I have gotten myself involved in. My goal is to become a Vocational Education Teacher. The journey started in June, but I jumped aboard with both feet end of August. The journey will not only be vocational education based. I walk on thin ice when it comes to new media, applications and of course blogging. But hey - the focus is on the learning process and everything around it.