Visiting the IB-school in Kifissia, Athens!

Because several persons during my trip to Athens have asked me to blog in English so I decided to blog in English! I have had a wonderful time in Athens analysing my data for my doctoral research. Surely I have had some days of too to enjoy the best of Athens: food, sun, history, markets and company of new friends. But, I have also done two visits to two different school libraries to see how things are there. Both are privately funded schools so their economy has not significantly effected by the financial situations.

First I would like to write of my visit to The International School of Athens in Kifissia, on of the beautiful northern suburbs of metropolitan Athens. The school is providing IB, international Baccalaureate education from preschool to the diploma level that is in American terms K-12, in Finnish, the upper secondary school. The school has at the moment over 300 students and that number is built of 53 nationalities! So we are talking about a truly a multinational and multicultural school environment.

The IB education has the same standardised structure wherever the diploma is taken. There are some 2000 schools worldwide, 15 upper secondary schools in Finland has the IB diploma education. There are several possibilities to take studies, but there are three obligatory courses that a student has to take: the theory of knowledge, the extended essay and CAS (creativity, activity, service). All of these three extend to the period of 2 years, which is the time to prepare the IB diploma program.

The theory of knowledge really got this librarian heart to bounce! Imagine that, the students need to study the theory of knowledge! An oral presentation skills and an essay of 1600 words assess this section. The issues are studied through questions, for example:

• How do we know?"
• What counts as evidence for X?
• How do we judge which is the best model of Y?
• What does theory Z mean in the real world?

Finland and I do believe most of the western world is in the middle of very heated discussions that get under the skin of the most of us. There just was an article in Finland, where actually the upper secondary school students argued that it is the adults that are lacking in social media skills and ethical skills in the internet. Maybe because the social media is not their ‘own’ arena of communication? The hate speech and sharing the stories of false media has gotten out of hands. There was just also an article that showed as, that it is harder to accept the scientific knowledge, if it is in deed conflicting with our own knowledge perceptions and earlier conceptions.

There is seriously a need for a proper communication and conversation culture and not just to argue endlessly who is right and who in opposite is wrong. Me and myself, we are always right, no matter what. This idea of educating the students to the theory of knowledge sounds so great! The Finnish core curriculum, even the new one taking effect during 2016-2017, is very much structured according to the subjects. There are general parts in the beginning and in the beginning of three different grade levels, 1-2, 3-6 and 7-9. But all in all, it is the subject teacher’s job to implement the issues in the general parts. Transversal competences and multidisciplinary learning modules are these that has to be implemented to subject teaching and these skills include, among others, multiliteracy, IT skills, cultural skills and managing the daily life.

The ISA school had 2 libraries, one for the smaller children and one for the high school student, which was years 9-12. When looking at the library with the eyes of a Finnish school librarian, the collection looked really old. And the collection was fairly small. The librarian has a changing collection of books she took from her private library to be able to deliver the students more variation to the reading material on several areas.

The downstairs library was very well used, small library users going in and out. Both the librarians had a teacher degree and neither of them had a librarian education. The primary school librarian had been there only a few months and I surprised her with a question, what do you see as your biggest work challenge here as you are just starting your work? She replied that how to connect the library to the lessons and the studies. As I was looking at the shelves and the material, I know what would have been the answer of a Finnish librarian: weeding, getting rid of the old and used material.

This was actually the one difference to the school libraries I have met in Finland. Main issue is the collection, not necessarily the activities. At least more than here. I started to wonder that is it the difference of a teacher point of view and librarian?

The high school librarian, Gina Grammatikou, had a very good grip on the critical thinking skills and argumentation skills. She is also teaching the debate skills and is the debate team coach. During the first week of every school year she has the older students and all the teachers coming to the library. During the first week, it is about Approaches to Learning, all students come to the library every day and the days have following themes: 1) Library / media center orientation, 2) Internet research skills, 3) Academic honesty (an IB term, lovely!), 4) organisational skills (note-taking, summarizing, etc.) and 5) public speaking (really!). So, she keeps reminding of all the students of these same skills over and over again.

We also talked a long while of information seeking, critical thinking and books as sources of information. The collection there was rather old and not up to date considering the non-fiction. The librarian had done a collection of free resources on their web page. We also talked of the issues web vs. books in teaching information seeking. She said, and I asked permission to quote: “books as a resource of information today is like having a dead body next to you, which you are trying to vitalize with vitamins”. Books are needed, the book will never disappear, but the information environment of a digital age child is out there and we more or less should be able to support them in their own environment, we cannot change the behaviour of a whole generation.

The also take part to model United Nations activity, which was very interesting model of working, I heard about it the first time. She is also using the method called Socrative seminars, where students are training their argumentation skills.

All in all, I had a very lovely visit, thank you to Gina and all the teachers I met during my visit! I learned a lot and hope we can collaborate some how in the future! Euharisto kai kalo kalokairi!!

Nyt hei ihan oikeesti!

Oxfordin sanakirjojen toimitus valitsi vuoden sanaksi 'totuudenjälkeinen'. Siinä vasta on vuoden sanalla kolkko kaiku. Viime vuonna vuoden sanaksi valittiin vedet silmissä naurava emoji. Itku pitkästä ilosta? Itselleni tutkijana, kirjastoammattilaisena sekä kouluttajana on hyvin vaikea sulattaa sitä faktaa, että joudumme edes käsittelemään jotain mikä on 'post truth'. Miten niin totuuden jälkeinen? Mitä se on? Mikä aiheuttaa sen ettei totuutta enää tarvitsis hakea? Mitä sitten tilalle? Tunteella mennään, tiedosta ja totuudesta viis?

Samassa uutisessa mainitun määritelmän mukaan totuudenjälkeinen on määritelty seuraavasti: "(termi viittaa) olosuhteisiin, joissa objektiiviset faktat vaikuttavat yleiseen mielipiteeseen vähemmän kuin tunteisiin ja henkilökohtaisiin vakaumuksiin vetoaminen". Hallituksen taholta tullut "päivystävät dosentit" dissaus? Tätähän olemme jo saaneet kokea Suomessakin, liittyen esimerkiksi vuosi sitten syntyneeseen pakolaisaaltoon. Tunteet olivat pinnalla ja jokainen roskauutinen sai levitä verkossa melko vapaasti ihmisten tunteiden kantamana.

Psykiatrisen vankisairaalan vastaava ylilääkäri ja THL:n tutkimusprofessori Hannu Lauerma on tänään 19.11. Turun Sanomissa haastattelussa kertonut, miten moni ihminen on kaikesta suomalaisesta koulutuspuheesta huolimatta tällaisten juttujen vietävissä. Olen kuullut Lauerman puhuvan ja hän puhuu tiukasti, paljon ja täyttä asiaa. Hänen mukaansa ihmiset ovat hyvin taipuvaisia uskomaan myös disinformaatiota, mikäli se myötäilee heidän omaa maailmankuvaansa. Tähän viittaa myös ajatukset siitä, että jos luettu/opittu asia ei sovi omiin tietorakenteisiin, sitä ei uskota vaikka faktat kuinka toiseen suuntaan osoittaisivat. Mielikuvilla pelataan ja niitä käytetään ns. vaihtoehtomediassa hyväksi surutta.

Meillä on hallitus, joka on antanut puitpaut vaalilupauksille eri aloilla; itselleni lähellä on luonnollisesti koulutuksen ja yliopistojen leikkaukset. Mutta nyt on Yhdysvalloissa valittu presidentti, joka tuntuu olevan vielä jotain aivan muuta: demagogi, populisti, miljonääri joka pelastaa köyhät ja raskautetut, paljon oikeussalissa aikaa viettänyt 'anti-establishmentti' -tyyppi, jonka puheet olivat vaalikampanjan aikana suurelta osin puuta heinää. Ja näitä juttuja tulee koko ajan, ikävällä tavalla a gift that keeps on giving.

Vaalien alla törmäsin myös termiin 'ignorance porn'. Esimerkinomaisesti selitettynä, The Daily Show Yhdysvalloissa, meillä vastaava on Noin Viikon Uutiset, kävi useaan otteeseen kampanjan aikana haastattelemassa Trump kannattajia. Niiden videoiden katsominen on tuuperruttavaa. Luulot, uskomukset ja salaliittoteoriat ovat arkipäivää. Toki Trumpin kannattajissa oli äänestäjätutkimusten mukaan paljon koulutettuakin väkeä, mutta jos eräs äänestäjä pohtii että Obama oli vastuussa 9/11 iskuista, koska ei ollut silloin toimistolla vaan jossain golfaamassa: ignorance porn.

Informaatiolukutaidon aspektit ja medialukutaito ovat olleet coloradolaisen ystäväni mukaan Yhdysvalloissa paljon puheenaiheen vaalivoiton jälkeen. Farewell, America jutussa kirjoitetaan median roolista vaaleissa ja miten kirjoittajan, Neil Gabler, mukaan media olisi osittain jättänyt objektiivisen ja todenperäisyyksiin perustuvan reportoinnin taakseen. Mediaa on syytetty mm. siitä, miten Trump sai media-aikaa kun hänen sanomisia päiviteltiin päivästä toiseen. Tästä asiasta lisää vaikkapa täällä Mari K. Nimemen Ylämaan Kettu -blogissa. Media-asiaa ajatellessamme voi lähteä miettimään, paljonko yleissivistystä nykypäivänä tarvitaan, jotta voi median ja uutisten suhteen olla todellakin kriittinen ja osata jäljittä jokainen juttu juurilleen.

En yhtään ihmettele Neil Gablerin pelkoa siitä, mihin Amerikka on menossa. Yle uutisoi muiden medioiden vanavedessä Trumpin valitsemasta läheisimmästä neuvonantajastaan Steve Bannonista, joka on myös seuraavan lauseen päästänyt suustaan: "Pimeys on hyvästä. Dick Cheney, Darth Vader, Saatana. Se on valtaa. Se vain auttaa meitä silloin, kun vastustaja on väärässä. Kun he eivät tajua, keitä me olemme ja mitä aiomme tehdä." Amerikka ja koko maailma Eurooppaa myöden on vedenjakajalla, ensi vuodesta tulee Europassa merkittävä vaalivuosi. Tilannetta ei tule väheksyä piirun vertaa, kun tällaiset typit ovat vallan kahvoissa.

Ja tämä pitkähkö alustus vie nyt tämän blogikirjoituksen varsinaiseen asiaan: lukemiseen, oppimiseen, lukeneisuuteen, tieteeseen, tietoon ja informaatiolukutaitoon. Big think sivuston Derek Berekin artikkeli 'What is lost in nation thats reading less literature' pohtii samaa asiaa jota ovat suomalaiset lukemisesta kertovat jututkin pohtineet: lukemisharrastus laskee laskemistaan ja pitkien tekstien lukeminen on yhä useammalle nuorelle haaste. Tässä pesii todellinen pulma.

Knowledge Quest on Yhdysvaltain koulukirjastoyhdistyksen lehti. Kyseisessä lehdessä on vaalien jälkeen 18.11. ilmestynyt Sara Stevensonin artikkeli "Information Literacy Lessons Crucial in a Post-Truth World". Suomessa on aivan sama tilanne. Koulut, kirjastot ja kodit ovat avainasemassa tilanteessa, jossa olemme menettämässä lukevia lapsia ja nuoria. En lähde tässä keräämään uutisia lukemisen tärkeydestä, lukemisen merkityksen me tiedämme. Mutta, miten tärkeää on lukeminen, lukemisen taidot ja oppiminen tässä totuudenjälkeisessä maailmassa, missä jokaisella kansalaisella pitää olla koko ajan varoitusvalot vilkkumassa kun kohtaa uutta informaatiota?

Olen niin monesti vetänyt kirjoituksiini myös uuden opetussuunnitelman, POPS2014. En tee sitä nyt, koska tämän asian pitää olla selvä ilman sitäkin.

Kuten sanottu, olemme vedenjakajalle ja tätä tilannetta ei nyt parane sössiä.

School library situation in South Africa, and 'Meanwhile in Finland'...

The IFLA school library section satellite was extremely interesting! After talking to several local librarians and educators and after my presentations to them, we all were able to conclude that we are experiencing similar difficulties in the field of school libraries. That is somewhat odd because of several reasons:

• Finland is still among the top in PISA results and is widely recognized as a top education nation. South Africa on the other hand has unfortunately been found in the lowest top of education rankings of OECD
• South Africa is still struggling with a whole range of different problems in schools than Finland: reading skills is still a fact that has to be promoted, lack of finances, a varied school system with a wide range of schools (from Private to poor township schools), technology is widely missing, in some areas girls are missing a week of school every month in lack of sanitary towels during menstruation, etc.
• In townships the students are even being robbed on their way to schools. The news paper recently urged the certain year class not to wear their school jackets which indicate the certain school. This school got tablets and carrying technology with you can be very dangerous. It took only a few days and the school had been robbed of all smartboards and computers. Thieves get away schools tablets, Thieves targeting schools
• Higher education costs money, at least 1000€ per year, This is leading to lot of young ones not being able to get educated, dropping out of studies because of tuitions. Youth unemployment is a severe problem, and not to mention criminality.

These are severe problems people in education are facing every day. I was amazed and blown away by the school librarians I met during the satellite meeting! In spite of all the above mentioned, they are engaged, brave, enthusiastic, extremely dedicated and a great example of activism in reading and literacy! After a short while I understood, that it is me who is learning here.

There were 5 panelists on Thursday, who were all presenting the situation of school libraries in South Africa. The issues can be collected to a clear list:

 

1. Management

There are 9 provinces in South Africa. Inside every province there are citied and inside different directorates involved in arranging local education. Provinces are quite autonomous. Every province has a school library person in charge, but they are retiring soon - will new ones be appointed? The management is sporadic and there is a lack of general management. The provinces has different situations and some provinces are a little better off. They obviously have things a little bit better. Some provinces has encouraged teacher training in reading, literacy and management of school libraries. School library of the year award is given to that library which has shown most progress. There are national guidelines.

 

Meanwhile in Finland, there are no guidelines, no one in charge in the government, and no legislation what so ever. Nothing to obligating to school library functions.

 

2. Financing

The school libraries here are lacking in financing. Some of the reasons are listed already above. The national guidelines suggest that 10% of the learning material costs should be put to library materials, but that doesn't always happen. Theresa said that the problem is that school libraries to acquire money but the results are not seen immediately. A lot of projects are going on as well. There are organizations, companies and NGO's that are financing for materials, spaces and furnishing.

 

Meanwhile in Finland, we do have similar problems. If there is a school library governed by a single school, it can be that a principal is giving the person responsible of the library some money when there is some to spare. The libraries taken care of by municipality libraries are usually better off. And if we are good at something too, it is projects. The sad business with projects is that it is always ending at some point. Then it is up to the organization to take over, also financially.

 

3. Space

Many schools in South Africa are downright crowded. If the school has not been built with school library in mind, it is hard to find the space. And many schools has been forced to turn the library room to a classroom, Computer room or similar.

 

Meanwhile in Finland, the problem is the same. The meaning of school library to teaching and learning is not widely acknowledged. New buildings may have a library room, if the management is acknowledging this issue. Usually the same faith of library rooms falls in Finland too.

 

4. Personnel

There are too few school librarians in South Africa. What is noteworthy is that researcher Albert Boekhorst summed up his research in school librarians. He was not able to find a things as a "typical school library". There just were too many models. BUT, one thing that he found to be the leading issue was, ta-daa, SCHOOL LIBRARIAN. This is what is needed for a proper school library.

 

Meanwhile in Finland, there are approximately some 20-30 full time librarians in Finland! The profession is very rare. We can start by asking does the public libraries give the attention to schools or do we need pedagogical librarians?

 

There are a lot of things going on in South Africa but there is a lot of work to be done. There people are dedicated and have a clear vision to aim for, much thanks to the national guidelines. Biggest problems are in staffing and lack of political will in implementing the national guidelines. There is still a lot of happening and the activism is making things happen!

 

Meanwhile in Finland, I argue that the meaning and the possibilities of school libraries to teaching and learning has not been fully acknowledged. Yes, libraries are mentioned in the core curriculum, but the library is still mainly considered to be a help for reading and literature. In engaging libraries to information literacy teaching, which is already happening here, is a big question in Finland.

 

I promised to keep the posts short when I started the blog. Sorry about the lengthy writing, but there was just much to be said! :-) I will be visiting 5 different school libraries next week, more to come!