Tracy Tasso

Prof. Sonia Apgar Begert

English 102

25 May 2015

Literature Review

U.S. school performance is always a concern for parents, educators, and those who wish for intelligent adults able to succeed in today’s world.  It has been shown for many years that America’s schools are not succeeding in accomplishing this task.  The country of Finland has repeatedly shown extraordinarily outstanding results in quality education.  It consistently ranks among the best educational systems in the world. This project will compare the United States school system with that of Finland, with the topic of school reform in mind.  The research for this project led to sources from five topic areas: School Reform, Differences between the American and Finnish school systems, Finnish teacher training, and Finnish curriculum.

There is a huge amount of material on the subject of school reform.  Some focus on the financial aspect of school reform.  Richard Rothstein and Adam Schaeffer each wrote articles entitled “Has Spending on Public Schools Risen Too High?” Rothstein’s article was a ‘no’ answer to the question, while Schaeffer said ‘yes’.  Scott Ellison takes a different view on school reform.  His article, “Hard-Wired For Innovation? Comparing Two Policy Paths toward Innovative Schooling”, talks of the market-driven approach to school reform, and then compares it to a results-driven approach.  Ellison points out that schools do not have a monetary ‘return on investment’, and should not be analyzed in such a manner.  David Granger, in “No Child Left Behind and the Spectacle of Failing Schools: The Mythology of Contemporary School”, is very harsh in his criticism of ‘No Child Left Behind’ and the forced spectacle of fighting a war against poor education.  “School Reform”, by Marcia Clemmitt is another very harsh critic of No Child Left Behind, and has a section on the Finnish school system and some of its methods.

Looking at school reform from a different angle is the documentary “The Lottery”, Directed by Madeleine Sackler in 2010. This film follows four families that have entered into the entrance lottery for a charter school in New York City because their zoned public schools have failed their kids.  Then there is the article “Beating the Odds: How Single Black Mothers Influence the Educational Success of their Sons Enrolled in Failing Schools”, by Quintin Robinson and Jacob Werblow.  The authors of this piece picked the mothers of four black males that were high achievers in school and interviewed their mothers in order to learn how they helped their sons’ successes.  Another documentary looking at the educational system from a different viewpoint is “The First Year”, directed by Davis Guggenheim in 2004.  Guggenheim followed five teachers during their first year of teaching.  Each teacher tried extremely hard in their jobs.  Four met with varying frustrations, difficulties, and failures.  The fifth did achieve a success with her students in lobbying to have their ESL class continued and not shut down.  One teacher-librarian who did have success was Laura Gross-Warren, who wrote “How Does a Failing School Stop Failing?”  Gross-Warren worked in a poor, urban school district with an ethnic minority-majority student body. In order to increase reading skills and levels she created a book list tailored to minorities and had all the books placed in every classroom so that they were readily available to all the students.  The reading levels and skills improved.  The final documentary that I viewed was “Waiting for ‘Superman’”, also directed by Davis Guggenheim, in 2010. This documentary also discusses failing schools, charter schools, and mentions methods of the Finnish school system.  Another work that talks of Finnish schools and emphasizes experiential schooling is “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv.

It seems that some of the methods that the Finnish educators use were picked up from the United States. Valerie Strauss writes of this and lists the changes that were adopted in her article, “Five U.S. Innovations that Helped Finland’s Schools Improve but that American Reformers Now Ignore.”  A piece that contrasts the differences between the American and Finnish national school systems and the aspects of the Finnish system.   One writer, LynNell Hancock, toured some Finnish schools and interviewed the teacher and quotes them in her article, “Educating Americans for the 21^st Century.”  Pasi Stahlberg is a top Finnish education developer.  Anja Franko, in “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?” reviews Stahlberg’s book by the same name.

Turning to focus on teachers in Finland and their practices are David Loertscher and Carol Koechlin in “Finland, Collarboration, and Co-teaching.”  This work discusses the freedom that the instructors had in deciding to partially join their classes for some subjects and work together.  Furthering the research into Finnish teacher training and its success is Marja-Terttu Tryggvason with “Why is Finnish Teacher Education Successful?  Some Goals Finnish Teacher Educators Have for Their Teaching.”  This article discusses mandatory Finnish teacher training and the requirements to be a teacher in a very detailed and useful manner.  Two more excellent articles on Finnish teacher training that will support my argument about school reform in the United States are, “Steady Work: Finland Builds a Strong Teaching and Learning System”, by Linda Darling-Hammond and  “Teacher Education in Finland” by Olli-Pekka Malinen, P. Väsänen, and H. Savolainen.   

The subject of Finnish teacher education led to the topic of the Finnish school curriculum.  The article, “Towards Community Orientated Curriculum in Finnish Literacy Education” by Marita Mäkinen, discusses how the Finnish curriculum developed over time. A final article discusses Finnish literacy: “Finnish Education Reaching High Quality and Promoting Equity” by Pirjo Linnakylä.

Canine-assisted Research

Annotated Bibliograph

Ugh. Here it is.

Annotated Bibliography

         Clemmitt, Marcia. “School Reform.” CQ Researcher. CQ Press. 21.17 (2011) 385-408. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. Database article

This literature will be reviewed on 5/19/15.

Darling-Hammond, Linda. “Steady Work: Finland Builds a Strong Teaching and Learning System.”       Rethinking Schools. 24.4 (2010) Web. 23 Apr. 2015 Database article

This is an article on Finnish teacher training written by a professor who “is the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of           Education at Stanford University”.  The training of Finnish teachers makes a big impact on their school system.  The article is five years old, but still is pertinent and the argument is well supported and documented.  Great information on teacher training is needed to support my argument about school reform in the United States.

         D’Orio, Wayne. “Finland is #1” Administrator Magazine: Curriculum. Scholastic Inc. Web. 23 Apr. 2015   Database article

This is an article written for school administrators and the author quotes his sources, so it is trustworthy.  It contrasts the differences between the American and Finnish national school systems and the good aspects of the Finnish system.  There are huge differences in the amount of extra-curricular activities in schools.  This is a recent article, and I will use it to discuss the absence of band and sports in Finnish schools to show that students study and that the schools do not have to fund those programs.

Ellison, Scott. “Hard-Wired For Innovation? Comparing Two Policy Paths toward Innovative Schooling.” International Education. 39.1 (Fall 2009) 30-48. Print.   Database article

This talks about how schools reform for better school performance.  The article was written in 2009, not too old, but dated.  The author has a doctorate and teaches at a college.  His argument is sound and well supported, but I probably will not use this source.

First Year, The. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Docurama, 2004. DVD.

This DVD will be viewed 5/22/15.

Franko, Anja. “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?” CEPS Journal: Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal. 1.3 (2011) 167-170. Print.   Database article

This piece was written for an academic journal from a European university.  It is a 2011 book review of a work by Pasi Stahlberg, one of the leaders of Finnish education.  Since this is merely a book review, there is no real argument, but I can use this as a source to vet ideas from Pasi Stahlberg from other sources.

Galey, Sarah. “Education Politics and Policy: Emerging Institutions, Interests, and Ideas.” Policy Studies Journal. Wiley Periodicals Inc. 43.1 (2015) 12-33.  Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

This literature will be reviewed 5/19/15.

Granger, David A. “No Child Left Behind and the Spectacle of Failing Schools: The Mythology of Contemporary School Reform.” Educational Studies. American Educational Studies Association. 43 (2008) 206—228. Web. 17 May 2015. Database article

Hancock, LynNell. “Educating Americans for the 21^st Century.” Smithsonian. 1 Sep. 2011. Print.   Database article

This is an article from a 2011 Smithsonian magazine, a trustworthy source written for lay people.  The author went to Finland and toured the schools.  She interviewed Finnish school teachers and quotes them in her article.  I can use these quotes to support and add color to my paper.

Linnakylae, Pirjo. “Finnish Education Reaching High Quality and Promoting Equity.” Education Review. 17.2 (2002) 35-41 Print. Database article

This is an older article by a Finnish university professor that discusses Finnish literacy.  I think that the argument is faulty and many reports discount it.  I know that the parts about immigration, population, and language are wrong or not up to date.  I probably will not use this source.

Loertscher, David, and Carol Koechlin. “Finland, Collaboration, and Co-teaching.” TeacherLibrarian RSS. El Kurdyla LLC, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015 http:www.teacherlibrarian.com  Website

Lottery, The. Dir. Madeleine Sackler.  Warner Bros, 2010. Amazon Streaming Video. Web. 18 May 2015.

This video will be viewed 5/19/15.

MaeKinen, Marita. “Towards Community Orientated Curriculum in Finnish Literacy Education.” European Journal of Teacher Education. Routledge. 36.1 97-112. (2013) Print. Database article

This piece was written by a research director in the School of Education, University of Tampere.  It is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that is very comprehensive, sound, and well supported.  The article discusses how the Finnish curriculum developed over time but does not quite pertain to my topic.  I will not use this source.

Malinen, Olli-Pekka, Vaesaenen, P., Savolainen, H. “Teacher Education in Finland: A Review of a National Effort for Preparing Teachers for the Future.” The Curriculum Journal. 23.4 (Dec 2012) 567-584. Database article

This literature will be reviewed 5/21/15.

Robinson, Quintin L., Werblow, Jacob. “Beating the Odds: How Single Black Mothers Influence the Educational Success of Their Sons Enrolled in Failing Schools.” American Secondary Education. American Secondary Education. 40.2 (2012) 52-66. Web. 17 May 2015 Database article

Rothstein, Richard. “Has Spending on Public Schools Risen Too High?” CQ Researcher. CQ Press. 21.17 (2011) 401. Web. 23 Apr. 2015 Database article

This is the ‘no’ opinion statement to the title’s question.  The author makes good points about how spending should be emphasized on certain programs more than others, and where money is more needed.  I am not sure of where his numbers are from, but I may use his ideas on emphasizing certain programs in certain areas because different states and areas have different needs.

Schaeffer, Adam B. “Has Spending on Public Schools Risen Too High?” CQ Researcher. CQ Press. 21.17 (2011) 401. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. Database article

This is a ‘yes’ opinion statement to the title’s question.  He argues at the invested dollars in education.  If I use this, it will be to argue that school reform is not a company or stock market with ROI, and should not be viewed or treated as such.

Strauss, Valerie. “Five U.S. Innovations that Helped Finland’s Schools Improve but that American Reformers Now Ignore.” The Washington Post. The Washington Post. 25 July 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. Database article

This literature will be reviewed 5/21/15.

Tryggvason, Marja-Terttu. “Why is Finnish Teacher Education Successful? Some Goals Finnish Teacher Educators Have for Their Teaching.” European Journal of Teacher Education. Routledge. 32.4 (Nov 2009) 369-382 Print. Database article

This is a scholarly journal written by a PhD who is a senior lecturer and the Academy of Education, Culture, and Communications at the Maelardalen University in Sweden.  This article discusses mandatory Finnish teacher training and the requirements to be a teacher in a very detailed and useful manner.  I will use it to discuss how American teachers should be trained and educated.

Waiting for “Superman”. Dir. Davis Guggenheim.  Walden Media, 2010. Netflix. Web. 17 May 2015.

This documentary is not fully vetted, but I can use the direct quotes from school administrators and the parents’ points of view for my paper.

Warren-Gross, Laura. “How Does a Failing School Stop Failing?” Knowledge Quest/Professional Practice. American Library Association. 38.2 (2009) 40-43. Web. 17 May 2015. Database article

This literature will be reviewed 5/19/15.

Chapter 16 Writing with Style

Chapter 16 of the Bedford Researcher is title "Writing With Style".  This is a short chapter, but it is about polishing up the writing in a paper.  The first part of the chapter is on writing concisely.  It gives many examples of stock phrases that are over-used, and offers alternatives.  Then the chapter also discusses passive voice versus active voice.  This topic segues into using formality, specialized language, and variety.    Other points made in the chapter are: introducing other authors effectively, avoiding sexist language - and to this I would also say that a point can be made forcefully WITHOUT being rude or hateful, that's a pet peeve of mine, anyway - and read widely.

I love to read, and occasionally write, so the last point meant a lot to me.  Every read can be a source for a style of writing.  TMI, I have been driven to read a shampoo bottle while stuck in a bathroom.  Effective marketing phrases, plus instructions, plus ingredients, all on one bottle.  ANYWAY, I also liked the chapter section on transitional phrases and alternative phrases and word choice. Concise writing is also a good rule to remember.

Chapter 15 Using Sources Effectively

Chapter 15 of The Bedford Researcher is titled "Using Sources Effectively".  The first part of the chapter talks about how to effectively use sources - and quotes - to improve papers. Various ways are to introduce an idea or argument, contrast ideas, support an argument, clarify an idea, as well as others.   The chapter then talks about identifying sources, a rule that needs to be stressed.  Then  the book provided many examples of transition words and phrases to utilize when including sources. The chapter concludes by showing examples of different forms of quotations.

The big thing in this chapter for me was the various types of transition words and phrases.  Picking up knew ways to write or say something is helpful in any field.  One example can be: trying to explain something while training a co-worker.  Your co-worker doesn't quite get it, but if you are able to say it in a different way, that may be what works.  The other big help for me was the section on how to punctuate quotations correctly.  I have never had a lesson on this before, so I am actually really thankful.  Dating myself, internet wasn't a thing when I was in high school, so I've never used audio, video, and animations within a paper. That is also something I need to learn.

Research Proposal

Here is the my completed Research Proposal.  Yay!
Trace

Tracy Tasso

Prof. Sonia Apgar Begert

English 102

05 May 2015

Introduction

U.S. school performance is always a concern for parents, educators, and those who wish for intelligent adults able to succeed in today’s world.  It has been shown for many years that America’s schools are not succeeding in accomplishing this task.  The country of Finland has repeatedly shown extraordinarily outstanding results in quality education.  It consistently ranks among the best educational systems in the world. This project will compare the United States school system with that of Finland, with the topic of school reform in mind.  Should America’s schools incorporate Finnish teaching techniques?  Should the school structure, (public schools, charter schools, etc.), be changed to one that is more like Finland’s?  Does the United States have to change more than just its schools in order to succeed at raising children prepared for the world? It may be that it is not only Finland’s schools that better serve to educate children, but rather its entire social contract.

Review of Literature

Sources reviewed include “What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform” by Linda Darling-Hammond from a 2010 issue of Rethinking Schools.  Its author describes the historical timeline of Finnish school reforms that has resulted in one of the top school systems in the world.  Another article, “Finland is #1!” by Wayne D’Orio from the Administrator Magazine website, describes the differences in Finnish society that has contributed to its success in education.  LynNell Hancock wrote “Educating Americans for the 21^st Century” for Smithsonian in 2011 and this article has excellent interview quotes from Finnish teachers and educators. Another good article that spoke directly with Finnish instructors was “Finland, Collaboration, and Co-teaching” by David Loertscher and Carol Koechlin from Teacher Librarian, 2015.  In this small article the two educators describe the flexibility of teachers deciding for themselves to teach their respective classes together. “Teacher Education in Finland: A Review of a National Effort for Preparing Teachers for the Future” by Olli-Pekka Malinen and others in The Curriculum Journal, 2012, is an excellent description of teacher training and requirements in Finland. It will be used to contrast American teacher education. “Why is Finnish Teacher Education Successful? Some Goals Finnish Teacher Educators Have for Their Teaching” by Marja-Terttu Tryggvason in European Journal of Teacher Education”, 2009 further discusses teacher education in Finland and how it is designed. “Hard-wired for Innovation? Comparing Two Policy Paths Toward Innovative Schooling” by Scott Ellison is from a 2009 issue of International Education and discusses the different policies of Finland and the United States in regards to school reform, focusing on how the United States leans towards a marketplace approach.  One source that was reviewed but most likely will not be used in the final paper is “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?” by Anja Franko from a 2011 issue of CEPS Journal: Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal.  This article was in reality merely a review of the book “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?” by Pasi Sahlberg, Another source that likely will not be used is “Finnish Education – Reaching High Quality and Promoting Equity”  by Pirjo Linnakylae from an issue of Education Review.  I do not have the exact print year, but as the article says that the Finnish population was relatively homogenous, I believe it is too old for my purposes.  “Towards Community Oriented Curriculum in Finnish Literacy Education” by Marita Maekinen in 2013’s European Journal of Teacher Education is a dense report on national literacy in Finland, and how it has developed.

Plan to Collect Information

I plan to find around three other peer-reviewed articles on the American school system.  I need this information to balance out with all of the information that I have off the Finnish educational system.  I also plan to watch the documentary “Waiting for Superman” about school reform in America.  The same director/producer of that documentary also, previously, did a documentary on American teachers.  I plan to view it, as well. Finally, I plan to find visuals – charts, tables, etc. – to include in my paper in order to enhance my information.

Project Timeline

I plan to finish finding my research sources this week.  Following that I will spend the next two weeks reviewing all of my collected data.  The final week of May I will complete my paper’s outline, rationale, and abstract.  The first two weeks of June I plan to write drafts of the paper and have them edited, reviewed, and commented on by various peers.  On June 15^th I will have the final paper.

Working Bibliography

Darling-Hammond, Linda. “Steady Work: Finland Builds a Strong Teaching and Learning System.” Rethinking Schools. 2010 Vol. 24 No. 4. Print.

D’Orio, Wayne. “Finland is #1” Administrator Magazine: Curriculum. Web. 23 Apr. 2015

Ellison, Scott. “Hard-Wired For Innovation? Comparing Two Policy Paths toward Innovative Schooling.” International Education. 39.1 (Fall 2009) 30-48. Print.

Franko, Anja. “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?” CEPS Journal: Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal. 167-170. Print.

Hancock, LynNell. “Educating Americans for the 21^st Century.” Smithsonian. 1 Sep. 2011. Print.

Linnakylae, Pirjo. “Finnish Education Reaching High Quality and Promoting Equity.” Education Review. 17.2 Print.

Loertscher, David, and Carol Koechlin. “Finland, Collaboration, and Co-teaching.” TeacherLibrarian RSS. El Kurdyla LLC, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015 http:www.teacherlibrarian.com

MaeKinen, Marita. “Towards Community Orientated Curriculum in Finnish Literacy Education.” European Journal of Teacher Education. Routledge. Vol. 36, No. 1 97-112. 2013. Print.

Malinen, Olli-Pekka, Vaesaenen, P., Savolainen, H. “Teacher Education in Finland: A review of a national effort for preparing teachers for the future.” The Curriculum Journal. Vol. 23 No. 4 Dec 2012 567-584.

Tryggvason, Marja-Terttu. “Why is Finnish Teacher Education Successful? Some goals Finnish teacher educators have for their teaching.” European Journal of Teacher Education. Vol. 32 No. 4 Nov 2009 369-382 Routledge. Print.

Chapter 6 Review

I'm catching up on my reading here:  Chapter Six of the Bedford Researcher is on Managing Information and Taking Notes.  It begins with ideas on maintaining print research in a manageable way, be it in folders, binders, or folio's.  That way an unorganized stack of papers is not lost or slow.  The the book talked about electronic folders and folders within folders to manage research with any form of media.  Then the chapter transitioned to note taking.  The book emphasized using quotation marks in notes so that the researcher is conscious of sources and does not accidentally use plagiarism.  From notes the chapter moved to bibliographies: working bibliographies and annotated bibliographies.

Personally, I need to organize my print sources.  I plan to use separated sections of a binder for my things.  I will create the working bibliography and annotated bibliography on my computer.    This will help me create organized notes online and ready for use in my drafts.    Prior to this I did not know the difference between the two types of bibliographies, but they are a good thing to know.  Also, I was not aware of the actually meaning behind 'sic'.  This helps my comprehension greatly, and knowing when to correctly use parenthesis and brackets will greatly improve my writing.