Computer literacy high at Lahnus School in Espoo
On-line cooperation with neighbouring schools
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By Hannele Tulonen
Schoolchildren in Lahnus in the north of Espoo, have been working with computers since the early grades.
Third graders at the school find it quite natural to do their mathematics homework or practice their English on their home computers.
The kids are also familiar with looking for information for presentations on the Internet. However, Toni Heikkilä warns: "You can’t trust everything that you find on the net".
"If you can find the same information from several sources, it is more reliable", explains Niklas Astala.
The computers that were acquired in 2000 are getting old and slow, says teacher Leena Toukkola. Nevertheless, Mika Halme says that they are still in satisfactory condition.
The computer classroom has seven terminals and many regular classrooms have a separate computer. Often a class will scatter like a flock of sparrows when all of the computers are in use.
The pupils have a common project with the nearby Kalajärvi School, called Paikan Henki ("Spirit of the Place"), in which they search for information about the nature, animals, and history on the Internet.
The pupils also started having discussions on line, once the difficult connections were made to work.
"At a remote school, the Internet lets us go around the world", says one teacher. For instance, it is possible to look at the collections of an art museum on line.
There have been fears that computers would isolate pupils if each of them sits staring at the screen without contact with the others. At the Lahnus School the situation is the opposite. The teacher has sensed a strong sense of community in the class.
"It is great to see how you help each other", she tells the kids. "If someone comes across information in the Internet that his friend needs, they let them know immediately."
The computers help the work of a teacher, who "doesn’t always have to be talking".
She guides the pupils surfing the net one by one. When this happens, the instruction that they get is more personal than in an ordinary classroom situation.
Teachers’ messages to parents get home more easily by e-mail than on a slip of paper, she says.
"And if you’re sick, you can ask a friend by e-mail", notes Mika Halme.
The teacher sometimes gives assignments by e-mail to the older pupils.
Anna-Sofia Sivula checks her e-mail seven times a day. Silja Lehtola has a rule at home: she is allowed to be on the computer for no more than an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
Benjam Hietala does not have the patience to sit at a computer more than ten minutes at a time, and soon after that his mother will call him to help look after of the baby.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 18.5.2005
More on this subject:
 Kids use MSN Messenger service to communicate after school
BACKGROUND: Espoo schools producing electronic absentee record
HANNELE TULONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
hannele.tulonen@hs.fi
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