1. The Finnish Choice of Vocational Education
Karen Lee
Distinguished Fulbright Award in Teaching Recipient
Washington, DC
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
University of Jyväskylä

2. What I’ve Been Up To
I’ve been hanging out in schools! Over the past 5 months I have visited over 45 schools and classrooms and seen some amazing stuff.
Talking to everyone who will have a cup of coffee with me! I’ve been lucky to meet with teachers, students, study counselors, scholars, administrators, parents and random people on the bus about Finland and the educational choices available here.
Reading anything I can get my hands on! I’ve read educational research, student papers, dissertations, historical novels, books, magazines- you name it and I’ve read it as a way to understand the history and the present topics of Finland better

3. My Original Action-Research Questions
What factors influence a student’s decision to attend an academic or vocational school for upper secondary schooling?
What are the curricular differences between the academic and vocational track? Do students who choose the vocational track learn the critical thinking and civic skills that students on the academic track acquire? Once in the vocational track, do students have the opportunity to switch to the academic track and are they successful?
What lessons from Finnish vocational schools can I bring back to my students who opt out of the college track?

4. What I’ve Learned Finland is amazing!
I can’t speak Finnish, but Finland is amazing!
Don’t send me home, Finland is amazing!

5. Now, What I’ve Learned About Schools
Individual vs. Conformity
Depth vs. Breadth
Community
Culture
Equality

6. Other Things I’ve Learned

7. Things I’m Still Thinking About
How can we support new teacher’s transition from theory to practice without loosing pedagogical foundations that have been proven to work?
With more diversity in home life and values coming into the classroom, how does a teacher maintain an atmosphere that values the student autonomy but doesn’t exhaust a teacher’s patience?

8. Things I’m Still Thinking About
How do students who clearly value education also become more engaged and interested in school?
How can students be encouraged to go beyond the norm and push themselves in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship?

9. And Maybe the Biggest Question
What role can choice play in US Schools?

10. Thurgood Marshall Academy PCHS
Located in southeast, Washington DC
Has 390 students grades 9-12 (ages 14-19)
Enrolls students from the part of the city that has some of the most difficulties
lowest income
poorest performing schools
highest unemployment rate
highest high school drop out rate

11. Ranked highest performing open enrollment school in DC
Charter founded in 2001
100% of our students are accepted into college
80.5% enroll in university right after graduation
74% remain in college
Very successful academic program, but no vocational program

12. I am a US Social Studies teacher who works in a college prep school and is studying vocational schools in Finland.

13. My Finnish Lessons Trust and Hope Choice Collaboration Greatness
Life-Long Learning
Bonus: A reminder that really smart people like to work with their hands!

14. What I’m going to do next
Finish the website (with video!)
Go back to DC and try a few things out in my classroom
Write about it
Learning Cafés
Teacher as researcher group
Be a life-long learner

15. Kiitos!