What is FIS, the International Finnish Curriculum?
“Finnish education is, broadly, the education of the future and that reports the highest levels of happiness, paramount value for the Lintac community. It is an education focused on 21st century skills, such as empathy and entrepreneur attitude, necessary traits for navigating a changing world. Our goal is to be, by 2025, the first school in South America to offer this international model”, says John Seaquist, headmaster.
To implement a high standard educational system in the school, that would fit the needs and maximum potential of each student, an agreement was signed in 2021 between Polar Partners (on behalf of the international Finnish curriculum) and Lincoln International Academy.
This curriculum will be implemented from Playgroup to 6th grade, and it is centered in learning, not in memorizing. Its objective is to encourage the abilities that the XXI century person needs, meaning critical thinking, leaning to learn, problem solving and teamwork.
How are we doing at Lincoln International Academy?
An Institutional Comprehensive Diagnosis was made during the first stage (2021-2022), training began in March that year, and we had two visits of Polar Partners, in May and October.
During the second stage (2022), a team of teachers received training on site, asynchronously and online. Teachers went through an extensive professional development program guided by Finnish educational experts.
In 2023, FIS implementation is focus in two objectives: first, learning environments and second, teaching methods.
- Learning enviroments:
We can appreciate a greater diversity of spaces in which our students are learning as well as more heterogeneous ways in which they choose how they feel more comfortable learning.
Not only learning in open air but using the environment to reach a learning objective in a meaningful and proactive way. Having more contact with the ground, sitting on cushions, carpets or barefoot when entering certain spaces are various ways where students choose to learn as Finnish educational principles, such as physical activity, joy in learning and equity in the educational process.
- Teaching methods:
Today we can see learning experiences centered further in the student. This means that the students have an active participation in the class dynamics and evaluations in which they are given greater autonomy and trust in their abilities to manage their own learning process.
There is a wider range of pedagogic activities to boost learning from the students’ collaborative, formative and elective principles. Also, and in some thematic units of basic education the subjects are enhanced by developing interdisciplinary classes.
Finally, 2023 objectives seek to enhance the attentional capacity of our students while allowing collaborative work on teacher planning and constant professional development.
Tener la posibilidad de conocer cómo trabajan los profesores en Finlandia ha sido muy enriquecedor e inspirador. Estas capacitaciones me han permitido conocer y experimentar nuevas formas de enseñar, considerando lo que es relevante para mis estudiantes en el futuro. Me siento motivada a seguir desarrollándome y aplicar lo que voy aprendiendo con mis alumnos.
La experiencia ha sido muy gratificante, siento estar centrando mi labor en acompañar a mis alumnos en la obtención de habilidades indispensables para la vida a través de experiencias significativas llenas de desafíos.
