The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System

Finland's education system has consistently ranked among the best in the world for more than a decade. The puzzle is, why Finland? Documentary filmmaker, Bob Compton, along with Harvard researcher, Dr. Tony Wagner, decided to find out. The result of their research is captured in a new film, "The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System". In the 60-minute film, Dr. Wagner guides the viewer through an inside look at the world's finest secondary education system. A life-long educator and author of the best-selling book "The Global Achievement Gap," Dr. Wagner is uniquely qualified to explore and explain Finland's success. From within classrooms and through interviews with students, teachers, parents, administrators and government officials, Dr. Wagner reveals the surprising factors accounting for Finland's rank as the #1 education system in the world.

Director: Sean Faust, 2011, 60 mins

***

• Ice breaking
• Screening @ 2 pm
• Talk about the film and related issues

We may go to a nearby eatery to continue conversation.

Get off at the last stop of N/Q train on Ditmars Blvd. The venue is on 31st Street, opposite of Immaculate Conception Church.

***

Some background reading:

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#)

What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success? (http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/)

From Finland, an Intriguing School-Reform Model (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/from-finland-an-intriguing-school-reform-model.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&)

Education in Finland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Finland)

Finland has an education system the US should envy – and learn from (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/us-education-reform-lessons-from-finland)