Digitale Erlebnistools

Lebensraum Schule - eine gesamteuropäische Strategie zur Verbesserung von Bildungschancen Entwicklung einer gemeinsamen Lernkultur durch Bildungslandschaften, pädagogischer Architekturund Schaffung von Teilhabemöglichkeiten.

Die Methoden wurden von unseren finnischen Partnern ausgearbeitet (Ausarbeitung in Englisch)

Schule leben – School as a living space

“Schools as a living space – a pan European strategy to improve educational opportunities Development of a shared culture of learning through educational landscapes, pedagogical architecture and opportunities for participation”

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss digital tools and digital learning environments in schools in Kuopio.

Primary and lower secondary education in Finland lasts for 9 years and it is for all youngsters between 7 and 16 years. Pre-primary education starts one year before primary and lower secondary education at the age of 6.

All schools in Finland follow a national core curriculum, which includes objectives and core contents of different subjects. The education providers - most often municipalities as the local education authorities - and the schools themselves draw up their own curricula within the framework of the national core curriculum. (Primary and lower secondary education | Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi) 2.10.2024)

More information about Finnish school system: Finnish National Agency for Education

The Framework for Digital Competence in Finland

“The descriptions of digital competence form the national framework for digital competence, which supports the local implementation of the guidelines of the National core curriculum for early childhood education and care 2022, National Core Curriculum for Pre-primary Education 2016 and National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014.

The purpose is that the providers of primary and lower secondary education and early childhood education update their digital strategies and plans as well as their curricula to reflect the national framework for digital competence. The detailed definition of competence promotes equal opportunities for children and young people to achieve the digital competence needed in studies, working life and social participation. The learner has the right to digital competence. “ (Support for Digital Competence | Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi) 2.10.2024)

Digitutors

Every school in Kuopio has at least one teacher who takes care of the computers, iPads and other digital equipment. There is also at least one teacher in each school who develops the digipedagogical education and helps other teachers to use digital equipment and materials in the school. These teachers also participate in different digital education courses yearly.

School homepage

Every school in Kuopio has their own homepage in the same place: Pedanet. In the homepage there is information about important things, events etc. Every class can also have their own page in Pedanet.

Kalevala School

Von Wright Schule

Digital equipment

In schools in Kuopio we have about 1 computer or an iPad for 2 pupils. In some schools we have different kinds of digital projects; for example, every pupil gets their own computer for studying from school. The computers will be returned to school after the pupil changes school or is done with primary or lower secondary education.

Digital learning materials

We have a possibility to use different kinds of learning materials in education. In some subjects we use books, in others we use digital materials. For example, in Von Wright school we use only digital books and exercises in environmental studies.

Wilma

Wilma is an electronic service used in every school in Finland to facilitate communication between schools and home. Wilma provides parents with information on child’s education and schooldays. Parents can contact teachers, the principal or the student health care directly through Wilma. Pupils can use

Wilma to monitor their own studies.

Teams, OneDrive, Sharepoint

Teams, OneDrive and Sharepoint are used for platform for materials. Schools can have their shared documents in Teams, OneDrive or

Sharepoint where everyone can find them easily. Teams is used also for platform for co-operation with teachers, families, organisations and different schools etc.

Forms: Questionnaires for pupils and parents

Forms is used in different kinds of activities in school. It has been used in voting, collecting opinions and in different questionnaires, for example welfare in schools. There has been also

questionnaires for families; for example, the interest to participate in school events.

Digitaitokalenteri – Digital Skills calendar

In Kuopio every school uses Digitaitokalenteri – a calendar for learning digital skills. With the help of this calendar, students achieve good basic skills in digital competence, media literacy and programming. The learning content is evenly distributed across different grade levels. The goal is to integrate these components naturally into the study of various subjects. The calendar has been created by teachers from different schools in Kuopio. The teacher from Von Wright School has also contributed to the materials for the calendar. The calendar is available to everyone online at: https://digitaitokalenteri.fi/

Tunne-, vuorovaikutus- ja turvataitokalenteri

In the city of Kuopio, a city-wide emotional, interaction, and safety skills calendar has been implemented for the 2024-2025 school year. The calendar is available online to everyone. Teaching emotional, interaction, and safety skills is part of the curriculum. These skills are important for future competencies. The calendar includes ready-made materials for different grade levels related to various topics. It also features specific themes each month. The calendar is available to everyone online at: https://tunnejaturvataitokello.kuopio.fi/

Qridi

In grades 1-2, there is a learning path available in Qridi. Learning paths (based on the curriculum) guide students’ learning and personal growth. Qridi is an assessment tool that helps collect and analyze feedback in contexts such as learning environments or project evaluations. It allows users to create surveys, evaluation forms, and gather data across various areas. Qridi also enables visual presentation of results, making analysis easier.

The tool is designed to be user-friendly, so creating and sharing surveys with different target groups is straightforward. Qrid can be particularly beneficial for teachers, students, and organizations looking to improve their quality of operations through feedback.

Padlet and Classroomscreen

Padlet and classroomscreen are used in different lessons for example for voting in classrooms, collecting opinions and participating in international projects. Classroomscreen is also used in visual structures of the school day or the lesson.

Good practices / OppilasAgentti – DigiAgents

DigiAgents are fifth-grade and sixth-grade students who are selected for the role based on their willingness and enthusiasm to help smaller students with digital skills. Collaboration with other classes takes place weekly. DigiAgents help also with PA systems, take care of lights and create PowerPoint performances to the different kinds of events in school in co-operation with the teachers.

DigiAgents are trained during the year. Currently, the meetings and training sessions for the students are not scheduled at fixed times; instead, they are planned separately during school days. The training content is determined as needed, with Agents receiving guidance tailored to their tasks according to the contents of the Kuopio Digital Skills Calendar.

The duration of the activity period is one or two years. The new Agents are selected at the beginning of the autumn semester. Previous Agents will train the new members, and there will be a common transition and development period in the fall, allowing the Agents to get to know each other and the operational methods.

DigiHiki-week in Von Wright school in Autumn 2023

Von Wright school organized a digital theme week in Autumn 2023. All the lessons during the week included practice in digital skills in one way or another.

The aim was to encourage students to engage in positive interactions and collaboration with each other.

The focus was on increasing community spirit through cooperation among students of different ages. DigiAgent -program was an important part of the week. Students became familiar with the learning content in Kuopio’s Digital Skills Calendar, with the goal of strengthening their own digital skills.

Here is the description and the schedule for 5-6-graders DigiHiki-week -program:

DigiHiki-week, 5-6-graders
- Aims: Students will become familiar with some of the learning content in Kuopio’s Digital Skills Calendar. The goal is to strengthen students’ own digital skills. They will be encouraged and guided towards positive interactions and collaboration, working together with students of different ages. Digital Agents will prepare materials for the Digihiki-weeks for grades 1-4 and assist younger students during DigiHiki-weeks in other learning environments.
- Subjects: Throughout the week, devices will be used diversely as tools in various subjects, including digital tasks and the program created for the MOK week on Teams. Participation in national coding week lessons will also be included.
- Description of Success: Students found the topic interesting, especially mentioning coding and creating their own games. The schedule was successful. However, more practice is needed in teamwork skills.

Coding and technology education

In Von Wright school we have a technology education course for all the 4th graders every year, one lesson per week. 5th graders have an optional coding course, two lessons per week for half a year.

Students are learning coding for example with Lego spike robots, microbits and different applications in iPads, for example Scratch Junior and Scratch.

Students are doing coding exercises using coding website code.org.

Digital screens in Von Wright school

In Von Wright school we have multiple tv-screens in the hallway and in staff room. We use the screens to inform the staff and pupils about urgent matters and also about different kinds of events.

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