My teaching education in Finland started 12 years ago. I was reading again some of the older posts in this blog and it is really interesting to revisit some of the reflections. Do we become wiser with time or with learning experiences or with both? Anyway, it is difficult to point out exactly what teacher education has given to me. Specifically for the IPTE, my goals were to get the needed qualification and to meet new people. In retrospect, I think it went further, with valuable observations of other teachers' work and time to reflect about my own practices. It seems cliché to say that we are living in strange times, but these last five years have been really challenging for education. Covid first, then generative AI, wow! Although some companies sell the idea that the chatbot is your new teacher, I think current time makes teachers the most needed. Not those that simply follow standards, but those that can create genuine connections, say two or three words when important and spark the desire for learning.
In my opinion, one way to do it is through a problem-based approach. I try to use it, beginning with some domain problem that motivates students. In the programming course I was teaching during the PTT, I also applied a cognitive load principle, wth students first familiarizing with worked examples, then presented with code with some errors to fix and finally developing their own code. This way, they practice with gradually reduced scaffolds. I have learned new tools inside Moodle. I created exercises using CodeRunner, that provides an environment where students write code and receive immediate feedback.
In the teacher education program, the most memorable thing was to do the group assignments together. We created a good atmosphere, even working remotely and not being able to meet in-person yet. Each colleague had experiences to share from different perspectives and fields of knowledge. As a member of the learning community, my role was to contribute that things were completed on time with participation from all colleagues.
I think vocational education is very challenging for teachers in three aspects. First, you need to stay up to date in your technical field. It means you need time and resources to constantly learn tools and methods relevant in workplaces. Second, the pedagogical challenges to teach diverse groups and bring the whole class to a minimum level of expertise. And third, the psychological or counselling aspect. In my opinion, vocational teachers have much more contact with students than traditional University teachers. It means students share their problems, sometimes even the personal ones, and you need to give some guidance.
It was great to improve my skills. I really appreciated the techniques for group formation. I did not know it was a so active topic for research. It was also valuable to observe the way Vesa conducted the online classes, with an welcoming atmosphere from the beginning of the class and setting the environment ready for learning.
