The 22nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a 3 hour long film that finally shows the defeat of the Titan, Thanos. In my opinion the movie was amazing and it was nice to see everyone that got ‘snapped’ come back. Anyways it was sad throughout the film to see some of the most iconic characters die. Such as beloved Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff. I thought that the movie had many sad moments, but the directors also managed quite a few jokes and funny moments. All in all it was a good final ending for the the Avengers…for now. It is a must see for anyone from a huge fan to someone who has never seen a Marvel film. Another warning: Some may cry as it is a very rough movie as superhero films go.
On another note me and my family went to Tampere this week. My mom had a conference so we got to explore the city. We walked to this building that had many different museums in it which was a lot of fun. I also went and had a picnic near the river. There was a museum building near us where they had a video game museum, a dracula one and a natural history wing.
The video game room was a lot of fun they had a bunch of retro games such as space invaders and pacman. We stayed in there for about 30 minutes then we made our way to the dracula exhibit. I learned where the person dracula was based on lived and the Western Europe’s ideas about Eastern Europe. The whole trip to Tampere was a lot of fun and it was a nice change of scenery.
This past weekend we went to Tempere, and while the real reason as to why we went was so mom could take-part in conferences; of course, the rest of us turned it into a bit of a vacation.
We discovered right when we arrived that we had two choices for what we should do for dinner. We could go to a nice sunny restaurant by the water, or we could go walk a few minutes to a grocery store, pick out a couple of foods, and go find a patch of grass to sit on right above the river. If you have ever met my family or have even read any of our blogs, you would already have guessed that we chose the latter. And it isn’t just because we travel cheap- we’ve just come to understand that having a humble little picnic is much more our speed than being catered to in a fancy restaurant. Which isn’t to say that we don’t love the occasional night out- but when it comes to choosing between the two turning dinner into an adventure is much more memorable.
The next day, the three of us went for a walk hike up what we thought was going to be a mountain. Last time we went to Tampere, the weather was very severe with howling wind and driving snow- so when we visited the park on the hill it looked like some huge treacherous mountain. It turns out that when there’s no howling wind and shin-deep snow, it only takes a few minutes to reach the top. Since the weather turned out to be so mild, it was a great opportunity to take some photos of the wildlife that was making its first appearance in months.
Taking photos while you’re wandering through a new city is such a great way to remember the details. Not to mention it’s super fun!
For someone who once dreamed of being on stage performing for large audiences, you’d think I’d relish the chance to be in front of the camera. Though I’m certain my theatrical training had some impact regarding pronunciation and delivery, it didn’t squash the nerves that were certainly bubbling over in preparation for the upcoming videos to be recorded. In collaboration with the Open University and my host professor at JYU, we decided upon a four-part lecture series. Our outline allowed for both separate lectures that can be connected for continuity or utilized as individual lessons. The intent of the lectures is to use them for undergraduate and graduate teacher training programs, professional development, and for research projects being conducted throughout Finland. Each topic taught was based on the foundations of inclusive practices in special education. This cross cultural exchange of sharing best practices to meet the needs of all of our educators in Finland and the US is evidence of how incredible global collaboration can be.
Lecture one emphasized Universal Design for Learning which led to the second lecture of Inclusion, answering the question of where one conducts UDL. Lecture three dives into pedagogical strategies implemented during inclusive settings leading us to the use of evidence based practice. One such Evidence Based Practice is Social Skills Training, which was the 4th lecture.
The university had reserved a recording studio complete with cameraman and tech support. After a few test runs to ensure my vocal volume was satisfactory (us Americans are known to be far too loud for these sessions) and that my slides were up and working we were good to go. Keep in mind that the entire time, I am lecturing to an audience of none! (Well actually the lovely cameraman, but I don’t think he was my target audience.) I had become somewhat accustomed to a quieter lecture environment as many of the other presentations recently given at the university have been to Finnish graduate students who culturally don’t interact during class time the same way we do at home, so I had been prepared for the silences. Yet talking straight into the camera for a period of time with no interaction was definitely a bit odd. I had been working on these lectures and slides extensively for weeks making adjustments to ensure both my Finnish colleagues and educators back home would be able to connect. Considering simple changes in words such as recess to breaks, paraprofessionals to assistants. Even removing specific grade levels, opting to use age groups instead to ensure that both cultures would be able to benefit from what was being shared.
I value the collaboration across thousands of miles to pinpoint the same areas of need to improve the quality of supports that are provided for our students who require special education services. Grateful for having this opportunity and who knows maybe the next time you google special education, these videos will pop up.
When Meggie was little she loved the movie, Finding Nemo and would watch it repeatedly on our dated portable DVD player. “Just keep swimming” soon became a common phrase not just in our home, but everywhere. At some point we all face a difficult situation. We may feel overwhelmed and we may want to give up. But then a friend says, “Just keep swimming,” and it gives us the hope we need to reach our goal – to finish strong. This movement to continue to propel forward or to just keep going in your life is critical even during the greatest of gifts and adventures. I have recently embraced the idea that these moments of discomfort and being pushed out of your comfort zone absolutely makes you stronger.
Currently, I am going through a very intense and concentrated version of pushing myself further and harder than during the norm back home. And the cycle is really noticeable: Should I do it? Yes, I should; OK, I’m signed up to do it; Oh shoot, now what did I sign up for? Oh no-I don’t want to do this; OK-I guess I am doing this; I did it! Oh wow, look at what I just learned! Sweet, that was a cool experience…and so on to the next challenge.
This cycle is experienced on a daily basis from being brave enough to cook something new like squeaky cheese, to diving into contacting a well respected researcher from yet another country about their work, or even agreeing to have lectures recorded by the University.
Fulbright has given me this chance to push myself whether I want to or not. So as soon as the next cycle hits, my family reminds me to just keep swimming…
Sunday was so warm that I again put away the jacket and was enjoying the day in shirtsleeves thinking that Spring was truly underway and Summer must surely be close behind. Psych! Within a few hours we had rain which turned to a snowfall that has continued for nearly 24 hours. This is predicted to continue for at least the same amount of time for the near future. We already have a foot of fluffy new snow!
So glad we hadn’t donated our snow gear yet…I’m wondering if this is actually the first snowfall of Summer 😉
Our library is much more that just a place to read and find books. It has a cafe and also three little music practice areas which are what I enjoy the most. They are soundproof and come equipped with a piano and a guitar. I have started learning the guitar and so I have been going there and playing them. I went just this last Friday, actually. I’ve also had fun with the melting snow and ice by throwing rocks through the ice on the lake.
Also, this Friday our family went to the local craft museum, but not to look around- they have free entry to a craft room which has a lot of different tools and projects to do. I have had a lot of matchstick heads which are highly combustible, so at the craft place I carved a piece of wood into a rocket shape then drilled a hole in the bottom. On Saturday me and my dad packed it like a civil war cannon and then lit it. Unfortunately, it just flared up pretty far and did not shoot up into the air like I hoped. Back to the old drawing board!
Only those who live in Finland would know what I mean when I say, “The benches keep popping up”. The city of Jyvaskyla is melting. Snow that once covered every square inch of Finland has seemed to have disappeared in a matter of days. The part of town that has underground heating and that my family calls “spring street” (because it looked like that street was in Spring while the rest of Jyvaskyla was in the dead of Winter), isn’t the only street lacking snow now.
And what I meant by “the benches keep popping up”, is that the snow here was piled so high that it covered everything, which meant tons of benches were completely submerged. Now when my family and I go for a walk, we notice all the benches that line the sidewalks, or are on the small hills, and also by the lakes, etc.
I’ve been taking advantage of the ground not being icy by going for long runs and also what I like to call photography walks. I brought my really nice heavy duty camera, but until now it’s either been too snowy or too slippery to take it out on a long walk looking for likely picture material. It’s already starting to become the beautiful, lush, and vibrantly colored place that Finland is known to be. During one of our long walks today, we saw our first flower buds peeking out of the earth. I am so excited for spring.
Today is the first day in over 3 months that I have sat outside on a bench with the sun on my face. And oh man it feels so freaking good! Listening to music and reflecting on this journey. I have been craving this sun. It has shown its face this winter, but I have literally had to run to its small little patch of light and look up to absorb its glow like a lizard until I was numb with cold and I’d have to run back inside for warmth. But today the weather is just right.
Spring and sunshine in the air. A time for recharging and rebirth which at this stage of my life means reflection. What a gift to reflect with my family by my side and being away to gain the necessary perspectives of our life back home.
Like a flower bud slowly coming into bloom, Jyväskylä’s receding snow is revealing new things everyday. From garden beds and landscape art that incorporate ornate paving, statues, and small trees; to beaches at the lakes; and benches everywhere; things are seemingly appearing out of the blue everyday. In fact, there’s even a miniature golf park nearby that we didn’t even know was there. Areas that were uniformly flat under a blanket of snow now present a green and varied topography and even paths and roads that continually surprise. I’m not sure why I’m so taken aback as we are in April after all. Perhaps it’s the suddenness of the change from a white world that appeared as stationary as the last ice age!
As the evenings rapidly change from early darkness to late evening sunshine, and the coats of the local hares and foxes darken from their winter white to summer brown, so do the attitudes and behavior of the people appear to adjust. People sit at benches and bask in the warm sun, restaurants all over town are putting tables and chairs outside for their patrons, and pots containing small daffodils provide a splash of color outside many stores. Shutters are coming off small cafes by the lake and skateboards and bikes are replacing ice skates. Gone are the six-foot tall mountains of plowed snow creating narrow pathways. There is an energy in the air that must, I sincerely hope, be spring even if it is far too early for flowers to bloom out in the soil.
The change from winter to spring is both a symbolic and physical one that naturally prompts a person to look ahead to new experiences and fresh new ideas and mindset. We felt like hunkering down and regrouping during the winter; taking a pause and reflecting on what had been. For us visitors in Finland, the dark and cold slowed us down so that we enjoyed one or two things a day. Activities took planning and extra effort to prepare for and recover from. If winter is a quiet introvert, then spring and summer are boisterous extroverts ready for the next exciting adventure. Suddenly, the landscape is opening up as is our desire and ability to range farther out into it. What a pleasure to enjoy the changing of the seasons in a place where it occurs so dramatically.
There is this new role in my development as a professional, one where I am forcing myself to take advantage of every possible opportunity that comes my way. I find that I say yes to each request to conduct a lecture or presentation and then a minute later I regret that I had agreed because there is a part of me that is too timid to follow through. Yet, there is this strong sense of purpose when sharing critical information about inclusive education and yes, a little bit of pride for being brave by putting myself out there. The nerves, the worry, the effort to make it just right, the desire to impress, the effort to prepare, and concern to not wanting to waste anyone’s time, are all reasons to not complete the task. In the end, I am glad I pushed through. It’s hard – even with having a theater background, I still have self doubt about why would they want to hear this information from me. But I’m glad I put myself out there, and at the end of each experience I reflect that I have in turn learned from the task and participants. Inevitably it becomes this beautiful collaborative, global, professional exchange.
The passion I have when sharing this platform of inclusive education is my greatest asset and though I am becoming more confident with owning my areas of expertise, I love what each experience has brought. From meeting intelligent educators from around the world, to the fascinating questions I had yet to think they would ask, from the laughter that only like-minded special education teachers share even across cultures, it all becomes an awesome global exchange.
