Committee on Architecture for Education

A tremendous step forward would be to familiarize yourself with the recently published Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg.  Finland, a country of just over 5 million has one of the highest literacy rates, plus being multi-lingual.  Their teachers are taken from the cream of the crop of university graduates and require a minimum of a master's degree (U.S. teachers are typically from the lower 1/3 of university graduates).  And, they don't work to "standardized" tests.  Then look at Finnish educational architecturee.  It's about the students.  It would be good if the CAE could bring Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect of the Finnish National Board of Education to the States for a series of conferences (East Coast, Midwest and West Coast) to delve into the design theories of Finnish educational architecture.   You could consider also bringing Juhanni Pallasma, a leading figure in Finnish design thought.

for further contact:

Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect
Finnish National Board of Education
PO Box 380
FIN-00531 Helsinki
Finland
E-mail: reino.tapaninen@oph.fi 

Juhanni Pallasmaa / Architect
Arkkitehtitoimisto Juhani Pallasmaa KY
Tehtaankatu 13 B 29
FIN-00140 Helsinki
FINLAND
E-mail juhanni.pallasma@pallasmaa.fi
-------------------------------------------
Brian A. Spencer AIA
Principal
Brian A. Spencer Architects
Carefree AZ
-------------------------------------------

Thanks Brian.  We certainly have lots to learn from the Finns.

Stanford will host Pasi Sahlberg (and their own Linda Darling Hammond) next week
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=38f4a02548d39cd320bacb86f&id=1a2b430926&e=075cf89b91

The New York Times wrote about him and his book:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/from-finland-an-intriguing-school-reform-model.html

And Dan Rather will feature Finnish education next week as well:

http://www.hd.net/programs/danrather/?utm_source=SRN&utm_campaign=1a2b430926-Pasi_Lecture&utm_medium=email#schedule

-------------------------------------------
Victoria Bergsagel
President
Architects for Achievement
Mercer Island WA
www.archachieve.net

-------------------------------------------





Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2012 12:04
From: Brian A. Spencer
Subject: architecture for education

A tremendous step forward would be to familiarize yourself with the recently published Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg.  Finland, a country of just over 5 million has one of the highest literacy rates, plus being multi-lingual.  Their teachers are taken from the cream of the crop of university graduates and require a minimum of a master's degree (U.S. teachers are typically from the lower 1/3 of university graduates).  And, they don't work to "standardized" tests.  Then look at Finnish educational architecturee.  It's about the students.  It would be good if the CAE could bring Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect of the Finnish National Board of Education to the States for a series of conferences (East Coast, Midwest and West Coast) to delve into the design theories of Finnish educational architecture.   You could consider also bringing Juhanni Pallasma, a leading figure in Finnish design thought.

for further contact:

Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect
Finnish National Board of Education
PO Box 380
FIN-00531 Helsinki
Finland
E-mail: reino.tapaninen@oph.fi 

Juhanni Pallasmaa / Architect
Arkkitehtitoimisto Juhani Pallasmaa KY
Tehtaankatu 13 B 29
FIN-00140 Helsinki
FINLAND
E-mail juhanni.pallasma@pallasmaa.fi
-------------------------------------------
Brian A. Spencer AIA
Principal
Brian A. Spencer Architects
Carefree AZ
-------------------------------------------

Here's an article by Pasi Sahlberg that was published by Ed Week today.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/01/12/16sahlberg.h31.html?tkn=NLMFTBe%2Fi0rseUxji9ZaPNWonr0acbdPaXob&intc=EW-QC12-EM

And I agree.  CAE, let's bring Reino back to the US!

-------------------------------------------
Victoria Bergsagel
President
Architects for Achievement
Mercer Island WA
www.archachieve.net
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2012 20:20
From: Victoria Bergsagel
Subject: architecture for education

Thanks Brian.  We certainly have lots to learn from the Finns.

Stanford will host Pasi Sahlberg (and their own Linda Darling Hammond) next week
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=38f4a02548d39cd320bacb86f&id=1a2b430926&e=075cf89b91

The New York Times wrote about him and his book:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/from-finland-an-intriguing-school-reform-model.html

And Dan Rather will feature Finnish education next week as well:

http://www.hd.net/programs/danrather/?utm_source=SRN&utm_campaign=1a2b430926-Pasi_Lecture&utm_medium=email#schedule

-------------------------------------------
Victoria Bergsagel
President
Architects for Achievement
Mercer Island WA
www.archachieve.net

-------------------------------------------





Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2012 12:04
From: Brian A. Spencer
Subject: architecture for education

A tremendous step forward would be to familiarize yourself with the recently published Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg.  Finland, a country of just over 5 million has one of the highest literacy rates, plus being multi-lingual.  Their teachers are taken from the cream of the crop of university graduates and require a minimum of a master's degree (U.S. teachers are typically from the lower 1/3 of university graduates).  And, they don't work to "standardized" tests.  Then look at Finnish educational architecturee.  It's about the students.  It would be good if the CAE could bring Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect of the Finnish National Board of Education to the States for a series of conferences (East Coast, Midwest and West Coast) to delve into the design theories of Finnish educational architecture.   You could consider also bringing Juhanni Pallasma, a leading figure in Finnish design thought.

for further contact:

Reino Tapaninen, Chief Architect
Finnish National Board of Education
PO Box 380
FIN-00531 Helsinki
Finland
E-mail: reino.tapaninen@oph.fi 

Juhanni Pallasmaa / Architect
Arkkitehtitoimisto Juhani Pallasmaa KY
Tehtaankatu 13 B 29
FIN-00140 Helsinki
FINLAND
E-mail juhanni.pallasma@pallasmaa.fi
-------------------------------------------
Brian A. Spencer AIA
Principal
Brian A. Spencer Architects
Carefree AZ
-------------------------------------------