USD School of Education Faculty Inspired by Finnish Education System
In partnership with the Vermillion School District, the School of Education sent Amy Schweinle, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education; Dan Mourlam, Ed.D., chair of Teacher Residency & Education; Jacqueline Wilber, Ed.D., director of the Center for Student & Professional Services; Jing Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of social studies education; and Nicki Carr, residency instructor, to visit public schools in Oulu, Finland. Vermillion School District attendees included Gretchen Burbach, Jennifer Law, Sharla Krell, Amelia Howard, Lenni Billberg and Kamden Dibley.
“The USD School of Education prepares future teachers for our state and many other states, and our students are going to mold the future young minds of our country,” said Williams. “It is vital for us, teacher educators, to learn from other successful education systems and use what we’ve learned in our daily teaching. In this way, the School of Education is staying at the forefront in the field of education so that our future generations are on par with their peers around the rest of the world.”
“The USD faculty that traveled to Finland represent all aspects of our program from pre-teacher education admission courses to methods courses to our yearlong teacher residency program,” said Mourlam. “As a result, we will be able to integrate what we’ve learned from this trip at each phase of our teacher education program in developmentally appropriate ways for our students. This will allow us to more holistically enhance our teacher education program rather than only one or two courses.”
The trip included a visit to primary and secondary public schools that focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education. Additionally, the group toured the Timosenkoski Nature School, which offers students experiential learning opportunities to supplement classroom instruction.
“Collaborative project- and problem-based learning was a common teaching approach used in the schools we visited in Finland,” said Mourlam. “Although collaboration and project- and problem-based learning are topics we have emphasized in our teacher education program for many years, I believe this is an area where our students can benefit from learning more, and with our partnership with the Vermillion School District, students will have opportunities to not only observe these approaches in action, but also to engage in them as a teacher as they support their mentor teachers’ lessons.”
A major takeaway from the experience was the importance of the collaboration between the USD School of Education and the Vermillion School District in preparing the next generation of educators.
“By collaborating, we’re able to bridge theory and practice, ensuring that our insights from Finland’s renowned education model benefit both current and future educators,” said Schweinle. “This joint approach allows us to align teacher preparation with real-world classroom needs. Ultimately, this partnership strengthens our ability to prepare adaptable, innovative teachers who can excel in diverse educational environments, benefiting students across our region for years to come.”
“We have had many longstanding partnerships with USD,” said Damon Alvey, Ed.D. '22, Vermillion School District superintendent. “The School of Education is among the strongest by the nature of our work. It seemed logical as we discussed a second trip back to Finland to engage some of our partners from our work this past year. We value our partnerships with USD and believe we can benefit each other with partnerships like the Finland trip.”
The trip also included a visit to the University of Oulu, where faculty discussed approaches to STEAM education in teacher preparation.
The Division of Teacher Residency & Education (TRE) has a robust STEAM education program with all undergraduate education majors earning a technology endorsement. Additionally, graduate students have the opportunity to earn an M.A. in Elementary Education: STEM Education, an M.A. in Secondary Education: STEM Education, or a graduate certificate in Science, Technology and Math Pedagogy.
USD School of Education faculty members look forward to continuing their partnership with the Vermillion School District in their STEAM initiatives. They aim to return to Finland with USD students, enabling future educators to gain a deeper understanding of the pedagogical strategies that make Finland’s schools so successful.
“The USD School of Education has a long history of innovation, and the driving force behind this innovation is our dedication to engaging in discovery not only through research, but also through our own professional growth as educators,” said Mourlam. “Visiting and learning from other successful education systems, like Finland's, allows us to not only learn new approaches to effective teaching and learning, but also to interrogate our assumptions about effective teaching. Doing so ensures that we have the highest impact on preservice teachers' knowledge and skills as they progress through the USD teacher education program.”
Wilber shared insights from the trip on South Dakota Public Broadcasting Radio in her "Teacher Talk" series. Her reflections on the experience underscored the value of the visit to Finland and its impact on enhancing USD's teacher education programs. Listen to the full episode.
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