The Finnish Model will work well on reforming the U. S. because it provides equal education and opportunity to everybody. In the country of Finland, “there were no high-tech, interactive whiteboards in her [Kim’s] classroom…no police officer in the hallway” (p. 83). This suggests that these students do not need fancy equipment or armed protection to be the smartest kids in the world. In addition, the Finnish want for everyone to be successful despite their circumstances at home, and one way they do so is possessing academic and vocational schooling. This gives students a choice between two equitable options of education instead of forcing them down a one-way path to graduation. The U.S., in my opinion, would greatly benefit from allowing this
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According to Sahlsburg, accountability is not an acknowledged word in Finland. It is thought of as a “responsibility of one’s actions, and the teacher much assess and evaluate every child” like a doctor would to their patient (Sahlsburg, 2011, 13:06). Finnish schools must also define their own curriculum-- comparable to defining their own constitution. In other words, schools are free to execute their autonomy in order for their students to have a better tomorrow. In addition, holding teachers accountable for a non-achieving student such as “the stoner kid” does not accurately depict the overall performance of the teachers themselves. Sometimes a teacher’s salary is cut or their job title becomes threatened due to the actions of several students. The United States uses this as a tool of assessment to judge the effectiveness of their teacher; however, the Finnish thinks it is an unnecessary feat. The difference Kim points out in The Smartest Kid in the World is the stoner kid in Finland “was a model student, attentive, and showed up to class” (p. 83). In the United States, those same kids did not care, and a teacher’s evaluation was dependent upon those kid’s performance. Ridding the American system of this problem would greatly improve the education overall for American …show more content…
They assumed all kids could improve over time. Whether you were the school slacker or a special education student, “equity was not just a matter of tracking and budgets; it was a mindset” (p. 164). This socio-cultural influence has a major impact on the balance of teacher-student relationships. The balance of learning from others and following others appears to become the precedent for the student to find their own way. The multiple perspectives of the Finnish Model of education such as equity, accountability, and mindset, all play a role in deeming the Finnish kids as the smartest kids in the world. Whether it comes from the multiple theaters in which kids can choose their education; the multiple aspects of accountability from respected teachers; or the multiple agreement of the mindsets of educators who can all agree on specified goals for their students; Finland is a country the United States should willingly open their arms to and implement changes to help gain the momentum in to push their students to the
According to Sahlsburg, accountability is not an acknowledged word in Finland. It is thought of as a “responsibility of one’s actions, and the teacher much assess and evaluate every child” like a doctor would to their patient (Sahlsburg, 2011, 13:06). Finnish schools must also define their own curriculum-- comparable to defining their own constitution. In other words, schools are free to execute their autonomy in order for their students to have a better tomorrow. In addition, holding teachers accountable for a non-achieving student such as “the stoner kid” does not accurately depict the overall performance of the teachers themselves. Sometimes a teacher’s salary is cut or their job title becomes threatened due to the actions of several students. The United States uses this as a tool of assessment to judge the effectiveness of their teacher; however, the Finnish thinks it is an unnecessary feat. The difference Kim points out in The Smartest Kid in the World is the stoner kid in Finland “was a model student, attentive, and showed up to class” (p. 83). In the United States, those same kids did not care, and a teacher’s evaluation was dependent upon those kid’s performance. Ridding the American system of this problem would greatly improve the education overall for American …show more content…
They assumed all kids could improve over time. Whether you were the school slacker or a special education student, “equity was not just a matter of tracking and budgets; it was a mindset” (p. 164). This socio-cultural influence has a major impact on the balance of teacher-student relationships. The balance of learning from others and following others appears to become the precedent for the student to find their own way. The multiple perspectives of the Finnish Model of education such as equity, accountability, and mindset, all play a role in deeming the Finnish kids as the smartest kids in the world. Whether it comes from the multiple theaters in which kids can choose their education; the multiple aspects of accountability from respected teachers; or the multiple agreement of the mindsets of educators who can all agree on specified goals for their students; Finland is a country the United States should willingly open their arms to and implement changes to help gain the momentum in to push their students to the