The school's functionality diagram examines the connections between different activities
In the Finnish school discussion, there has been talk about strengthening independent learning (Välijärvi, HS 16.2.23), the skill of concentration (Kallionpää, HS 2.12.22), the courage to reform the school (Juuti, HS 15.2.23), the ability of teachers to choose the right working methods (Niilivaara/Rissanen, HS 22.1.23), about the teacher's ability to understand the goals (Toivola, HS 25.1.23) and that improving the level of education is not a sufficient goal for Finland, but more is needed in an increasingly complex world (Heinonen/Hildén, HS 4.3.23). Discussion takes us to the edge of motivating learning. How could all students experience learning as meaningful and not as an external requirement?
It is easy to agree with Olli-Pekka Heinonen and Kaarlo Hildén. With "future-proof learning" we need to strengthen our ability to change and find new perspectives on the world. But how does that happen?
Meaningful learning for the future and for the individual is experiential, experiential and artistic doing alone and together, researching and versatile evaluation of these processes. Meaningful learning is understanding and exploratory in nature, and the work methods leading to it are also made possible with the help of school planning.
A teacher's professionalism is knowing how to utilize the offers that learning environments make possible. He chooses the best places and the right rhythm for each student. Working together, interaction situations, multi-rhythmicity, multi-location, project-like exploratory work, participation experiences, physical activity, dialogue, deepening work, etc. require professional skills from the teacher. In addition, it would be good to develop your own ability to read and observe your own working environment.. The learning environment can help and support the teacher in many ways.
The child must have the opportunity to be slow, to choose varying working positions and places to work. Meaningful learning is multi-rhythmic and multi-place.
Here, the header image is a diagram of the functionality, in which I usually try to take into account the above working methods and places and the connections between them. After numerous workshops, meetings and sketches, a plan for a school or, in this case, a multi-purpose building is formed.
In order for the idea of meaningful learning to come true, teachers must also have the opportunity to develop their own skills. For some reason, Finnish teachers have the least additional training among teachers in OECD countries (TALIS 2018).
Teachers also need time for meaningful continuing education.
Kouvola's Inkeroinen multipurpose hall. Design and visualization by AFKS architects, contractor SRV. Pedagogical design OPPIMAISEMA..