Equal Opportunity video

This is hilarious. Rated R when it comes to language but brings out some of the stereotypes we see in working-life. I am going to use this video in class :-)

equal opportunities

Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset

NOW is the time to do a lot of things. President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy is spot on that the future should look better. The papers are mostly filled with bad news regardless of field or continent, so one could say that a person with an entrepreneurial mindset has many opportunities and many gaps to fill. Creating new jobs through increased entrepreneurship is the right way to go. However, I feel even more confident that more jobs will be created through an entrepreneurial mindset within just about any organization or work place. We need the new and innovative ideas, that lead to better products, to not only enter middle management but be implemented. And as Van Rompuy was saying, we need to bring in all the potential and resources we have in society in order to reach that goal.

As a social scientist and future educator, my solution comes from each individual and the surrounding institutions that form our society. I stumble upon Van Rompuy’s words “how can women be stimulated to start their own business”. Before I used to go and look for solutions (or problems) far away, but I have learnt that the solutions can often be found closer than you think.  Therefore, the first place where an entrepreneurial mindset should be fostered is at home. The second key to an entrepreneurial mindset is gender sensitivity that lets our youth flourish.

Parents as role models

Before and during kindergarten and school, the parents’ role is of indescribable importance. They introduce the children to society and the world. The role stays there for life, but as the child grows older, other people come and go as role models as well. I therefore want to stress the parents’ role in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. If children see and experience how their parents are persistent in their everyday actions, innovative, solve problems, test new ideas, take some risks or talk positively about setting up a business, then the child grows up with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities

When it really hit me, that I don’t have the same opportunities as my male colleagues to get a superior position, we rolled up our sleeves with some colleagues and started a "women  struggle” (kvinno kampen) project at work. The idea was to have as many colleagues as possible wear a T-shirt on the International Women's Day with the kvinnokampen logo and make the employer aware of the fact that we need to look into gender quality and make a gender equality plan at work.  

There was perhaps 30% participation in the project, which was good as it was mostly mouth to mouth recruitment. After this, my employer decided to form an equality group that made a gender equality plan at work. So far so good; when it came to implementation, it all stagnated. Ever since, I’ve learnt more about gender equality. Only when all men and women can be part of the educational system and work force and have equal opportunities to get a job based on their knowledge and get the same compensation for the same work, then society is using its full potential.

I want the rules and the stage to be the same for men and women in meeting rooms. So where are “equal opportunities” seeds that lead into “I can do anything” trees planted? They are planted at home, at the toy section, in school, in the town swimming pool, in the queue to Santa Claus – everywhere. It is all about being a good role model as a parent, employer and teacher. You don't need balls to change tires, or tits to fill in the kindergarten application form. Kids need to see that.  

Gender Sensitive Education

I believe that through gender sensitive tuition, we give our youth a stronger self-esteem and courage to study whatever they are truly interested in and eventually entering the work force with courage to be entrepreneurial. Gender sensitive teaching is about awareness. It’s about learning that there are boys and girls in the classroom, and they all need our attention and encouragement. It’s about realizing that girls are not automatically better in languages than boys, or that boys are not automatically better in sciences than girls. Boys are not generally wilder than girls. These are just assumptions and behavior that is accepted in society.

 A gender sensitive the teacher is aware that society and the school is not equal. The teacher is sensitive to unequal treatment or structures, and he or she may e.g. chose not to use certain study material because it enforces gender stereotypes. The teacher raises the students’ awareness to equality and helps the students’ understand why equality is better and finds ways to stop the pattern.  It is all about our words and how we treat and encourage the students.

In InnoOmnia entrepreneurial Hub young entrepreneurs are encouraged regardless of gender. In the French Incubation for Women, the project is targeted for women wanting to start up a business and its aim is to take into consideration all constraints that face women in order to have a successful business. Both projects represent something I find crucial:

- All young people regardless of gender should be encouraged to entrepreneurship

- All men and women should be able to enter the work force with equal opportunities. No person should face more constraints due to gender.  

Sources:

European Training Foundation ETF. Entrepreneurship Training: 12 Good Practice Examples retrieved on 21 December 2012

Suortamo, M et all 2010. Sukupuoli ja tasa-arvo koulussa. Juva: PS-Kustannus.
Van Rompuy, H.: ETF Conference On Entrepreneurship 'Timely And Relevant' video on 15 November 2012.

the individuality of learning

What is your favorite method of learning? It depends what you want to learn, right. 

One approach to learning is by defining one’s preferred learning style or styles. Teachers will then try to match the preferred learning styles of the students to the teaching. You may read more about learning styles in the first virtual session post and learning styles post.

Another way to differentiate learning is by separation of learning methods. In entrepreneurship education teachers are encouraged to use different methods of teaching. Below I have listed learning methods that are encouraged in entrepreneurship education. Precisely these methods were listed in a survey conducted by Lappeenranta University of Technology and Kerho keskus ry where 343 elementary and upper secondary school teachers participated in a web-based survey about their methods and activities during the last 6 months in 2009-2010. The top of the list represents the most popular methods for the teachers and the bottom end lists the least popular methods.

1. learning by doing

2. problem based learning

3. co-operative learning

4. learning by developing

5. creative problem solving

6. learning in teams

7. peer learning

8. project based learning

9. real world simulation

10. e-learning

11. learning diaries, portfolios

12. debates

13. pedagogical drama

 You may read more about the study in Pihkala et all. 2011. Entrepreneurship Education - What Is Really Happening in Class Rooms? The above mentioned learning methods activate the students to take part in their own learning process. They encourage a learning environment which is not based on endless teacher lectures. The majority of these methods are collaborative but individual learning is also used. Especially e-learning is excellent for learning at an individual level. Educational technology provides a great tool to strengthen students weak areas.

There is a lot going on in e-learning at the moment. There is e.g. the Molla project for pre-school children. Molla (media, participation, child) – project started in 2011 and is funded by the Finnish national board of education. The aim of the project is to introduce ICT (tablets and digital cameras) to pre-school children in a safe and participative environment. The project is produced in co-operation with Turku Top-centre and Viikki Campus of the University of Helsinki and is implemented in Lappeenranta, Lemi, Savitaipale and Taipalsaari regions.

On elementary school level there are seven schools in Vantaa participating in a pilot project where ICT is being used in order to support individual learning. One example of this is Havukoski school where they matched the students learning styles and placed the students in four different groups based on the findings. One of the main ideas is to develop teaching practices where ICT (laptops) are being used to support different learners.

There are a lot going on in the e-learning field, which is good, but it takes time to get the big picture.

I’m looking forward to see what teaching and learning is like in my teacher practice school. I am very eager to dig into it and am determined to find suitable methods to teach depending on the subject.

References:

Molla (Media, osallisuus, lapsi). Retrieved on 17 December 2012 from http://molla.ejuttu.fi/molla-media-education-kindergarten

Pihkala et all 2011.Entrepreneurship Education - What Is Really Happening in Class Rooms? Retrieved on 17 December 2012 from http://developmentcentre.lut.fi/files/muut/YKTT_2011_Lappeenranta_E_E.pdf 

Tieto- ja Viestintätekniikka opetuksen eriyttämisen tukena. "Jokaiselle jotakin -oppilaiden oppimistyylit verkkopohjaisen oppimisen taustalla". Retrieved on 17 December 2012 from  http://www.edu.vantaa.fi/tvt/?p=43

Tieto- ja Viestintä tekniikka opetuksen eriyttämisen tukena. "Tavoitteet". Retrieved on 17 December 2012 from http://www.edu.vantaa.fi/tvt/