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And in the US, many people buy their books rather than using the library. I have a huge library of children's books and classics at my house that my kids can pick and choose from. They do go to the library too (or will as soon as our library over here opens - we are FINALLY getting a library on our side of town after almost 5 years of working for it - the substation we have does not have a collection so you have to order online and have books delivered).
And in the US, many people buy their books rather than using the library. I have a huge library of children's books and classics at my house that my kids can pick and choose from. They do go to the library too (or will as soon as our library over here opens - we are FINALLY getting a library on our side of town after almost 5 years of working for it - the substation we have does not have a collection so you have to order online and have books delivered).
The first big batch, I gave to soldiers in Afghanistan. They had enough books to build a small library, though I'm sure they had books from other sources.
I haven't decided what to do this time around. Maybe the VA hospital. Maybe some going to the library in my home town.
I first started with science fiction then got into other stuff. I also buy my books instead of getting them from the library, but I'm sure there are kids (grown-ups, too) who check out books.
That country has bascially one language, one unified culture, secure borders and a very limited immigration policy along with being primarly a socialist country (without the use of force and/or a rigid and militiaristic socialist government). The people in Finland are all essentially of the same race aside from some Finnish-Russian heritage that remained after World War I.
False. I was just in Finland in April. They struggle with a vast variety of language. There are essentially FOUR main languages there: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. Even though I only spoke English, I could often tell which language people were speaking on the street because they are all completely different from each other (Finnish is similar to Hungarian, Swedish is similar to Danish and Norwegian, Russian is obviously a completely different alphabet). They have a much more difficult linguistic challenge than we do.
False. I was just in Finland in April. They struggle with a vast variety of language. There are essentially FOUR main languages there: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. Even though I only spoke English, I could often tell which language people were speaking on the street because they are all completely different from each other (Finnish is similar to Hungarian, Swedish is similar to Danish and Norwegian, Russian is obviously a completely different alphabet). They have a much more difficult linguistic challenge than we do.
While I agree that it does have to face more than one language, Finland does not have a much more difficult linguistic challenge than we do. At least where I am from, you'll have more than that many languages spoken in one classroom, let alone the entire country.
False. I was just in Finland in April. They struggle with a vast variety of language. There are essentially FOUR main languages there: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. Even though I only spoke English, I could often tell which language people were speaking on the street because they are all completely different from each other (Finnish is similar to Hungarian, Swedish is similar to Danish and Norwegian, Russian is obviously a completely different alphabet). They have a much more difficult linguistic challenge than we do.
What percentage of the people would you say do not speak Finnish?
So many people miss this obvious point. We have top notch states with HS's better described as advanced educational institutions then we have Mississippi skewing results with Tyrone losing an eraser tip up his nose.
What are you going to do?
I made this point in my thread about Mississippi being the weakest link in our nation's education chain. I have a Tyrone, and though he has not yet stuck an eraser up his nose, I wouldn't put it past him! It's criminal that my students have been allowed to make it to high school operating on a 5th-7th grade level. But the district says that when they graduate, they will all be ready for college.
I need another glass of kool-aid. Mine is wearing off.
Wouldn't education here improve if we could shunt off almost half of our the low achievers to a vocational school?
The "low achievers" who get "shunted off" to vocational education here have the option to continue their studies in higher vocational institutes (engineering degree), and even university level with restrictions. You can also elect to study to become an abitur simultaneously during vocational education, removing all restrictions for university admission after graduation. Some of the trade programs (Plumbing/HVAC, Electrician, IT) currently have, on average, more stringent standards for admission than high schools.
False. I was just in Finland in April. They struggle with a vast variety of language. There are essentially FOUR main languages there: Finnish, Russian, Swedish, and English. Even though I only spoke English, I could often tell which language people were speaking on the street because they are all completely different from each other (Finnish is similar to Hungarian, Swedish is similar to Danish and Norwegian, Russian is obviously a completely different alphabet). They have a much more difficult linguistic challenge than we do.
I've spent most of my life here, been all over the country, and never had any problems with language. Most everyone living here can speak either finnish or english enough to get by with others, no matter what their first language is. 99% of those who speak swedish as their first language are perfectly fluent in finnish.
Quote: Yet one of the most significant things Sahlberg said passed practically unnoticed. "Oh," he mentioned at one point, "and there are no private schools in Finland."
Somebody clearly has an agenda. There are about 75 private schools in Finland at the basic level. Most are required to follow a standard curriculum set by the ministry of education, the same as in public schools.
The "low achievers" who get "shunted off" to vocational education here have the option to continue their studies in higher vocational institutes (engineering degree), and even university level with restrictions. You can also elect to study to become an abitur simultaneously during vocational education, removing all restrictions for university admission after graduation. Some of the trade programs (Plumbing/HVAC, Electrician, IT) currently have, on average, more stringent standards for admission than high schools.
Don't get me wrong, I like what they are doing in Finland. I resent, however, being compared to Finnish teachers when it is not apples to apples. If a Finnish teacher were to come to America and have to work in the conditions here, they will have the same issues as we have.
In Singapore, not every child will take standardized tests and that makes a huge difference. But yet we are compared to them. The entire social construct is completely different - remember the kid that got caned for vandalizing? Every student I have ever had from an Asian country is a stellar student. So much so, that I am usually embarrassed of my American students (behavior, attitude towards school, etc). Is that because the Asian teachers are better?
Also, are you saying in Finland that higher vocational institutes offer engineering degrees? Here, engineering requires a university degree. I was a vocational student and later decided to go back and get a bachelors degree and then a masters in education. There were no restrictions. Of course, I did not go to a top ten school. (I don't know what abitur means).
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