On May 8-9 I attended a small but robust conference in another town in Finland called Lahti. I was surprised to find out that Lahti has a lower population, at about 120,000, compared to Jyväskylä of about 140,000 because the city itself seemed bigger and more active.
The conference, the 12th International Symposium on Creative Education Education Leadership Summit, was hosted by the Council for Creative Education and held at Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT (Lahti campus). The campus building we were in was called Isku – same as the bus stop! I am becoming a whiz with public transport – did you know Google maps gives all transport details including where, times and the names of stops etc.?
The conference followed a 4-day residential training program (which I did not attend) typical it seems in Finland where educators and others interested pay to learn more about ‘Finnish pedagogy’. I am still not sure exactly what this is……
… and all that Jazz?
My presentation on the theme of ‘Leadership’ was titled “Leadership for Online Global Collaborative Learning, and all that Jazz!” Here is the abstract:
Just as jazz combines structure and improvisation, educational leadership in our connected world requires both solid frameworks and the ability to adapt and innovate. This presentation explores how the Global Collaborator Mindset (GCM), with attributes of connection, openness, autonomy and innovation provides the “chord progression” for educational leaders to orchestrate meaningful cross-cultural learning experiences.
Like skilled jazz musicians who work within established structures while creating something new, leaders can develop flexible curriculum approaches that support global citizenship through meaningful cross-border collaborations and knowledge co-creation. These collaborations become powerful instruments for addressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development through education.
The presentation (online), and mocked up in the video above, examines how educational leaders can:
- Harmonize curriculum flexibility with embedded global collaboration
- Orchestrate sustainable cross-cultural partnerships that encourage glocalization
- Improvise with new pedagogical approaches while advancing sustainability goals
- Lead collaborative ensembles that transcend geographical boundaries
Around Lahti
I had a few hours to explore Lahti further. Taking a bus in then opposite direction to the conference I drove past the Lahti harbour and the Sibelius Concert Hall. Unfortunately I did not see anything here, this trip, but what a magnificent venue for music and more! The image on the right below is the city centre, and on the left below is the Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva. Using my ‘Museokortti’ (Museum Card – and I have 11 months left!) I enjoyed the displays many of which were very modern. I loved the posters exhibition, and the image and videos below share how this was a multimedia presentation of posters from Finland through the years.
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