New report: what did we learn during the COVID-19 lockdown?
The unprecedented shift to remote schooling gave us the opportunity to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of remote schooling, but also to reflect on how education is being provided in general. The authors of the new European Commission report “What did we learn from schooling practices during the COVID-19 lockdown?” have interviewed in total around […]
Educational innovation in Estonia — getting ready for the future
“What are the reasons behind Estonia’s education system success? What part does technology play in it?” asks Victoria Klimova in her blog post about the Winter School at Tallinn University. Last January, before the pandemic crisis shifted everything online, I attended a winter school at Tallinn University School of Educational Sciences. The program included various […]
Using space to support STEM education in school
On 3 March 2021 the ESERO Estonia was officially launched to support STEM education. The goal of the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) is to support STEM studies in primary and secondary schools by using space as a context. ESERO Estonia, hosted by the University of Tartu and led by the Tartu Observatory, joins European […]
Move Lab aims to increase the share of outdoor learning
This year, 38 new schools from all across Estonia joined the education programme Schools in Motion. To balance the negative impact of the corona pandemic on pupils’ mental and physical health, the programme focuses on diversifying distance learning and integrating outdoor learning in school life. The education programme started five years ago and by now, […]
Estonia’s education ambassador is Birgit Lao
Birgit Lao is appointed as the first Estonia’s diplomatic representative for education. The main objectives of the representative are promoting Estonia’s successful education solutions in the world, representing Estonia in education matters internationally, supporting the export of educational technology companies and attract investments to Estonia. “Estonia’s education is a fine example, our success stories are […]
Crisis brings focus on home-school communication
With the extensive use of distance learning in 2020, patterns of communication and cooperation between the home and school have changed, a study led by University of Tartu researchers reveals. The importance of informal communication has grown. Schoolchildren and their families need more advice and information to adapt to new routines and new learning environments. […]
Three ways public-private partnerships are transforming education. Insights from Estonia
For a long time, it has been a common understanding in many countries that governments are solely responsible for the provision of education. However, Estonia proves that cooperation between the state and the private sector helps to study in a smarter way. From EdTech start-ups to entrepreneurs, the Estonian education system shows that private-public partnership […]
ProgeTiger – Estonian way to create interest in technology
In 2012 Estonia launched the ProgeTiger programme to create interest in technology and improve technological literacy and digital competence of teachers and students. Various courses and training have been undertaken to this end, including programming, robotics and 3D technology, which have proved to be very popular. The goal of the program is to provide children […]
What are Estonian schools doing differently during the second wave?
The digital solutions became a lifeline, which helped Estonia continue learning and teaching in the corona spring. And Estonia did well. The survey showed that in comparison with neighbouring countries, students in Estonia were more satisfied with distance learning. (Telia Survey, Spring, 2020). However, in the new school year, Estonia has avoided full distance learning. […]
Encouraging teachers to use STEAM tools
In order to encourage teachers to use more different STEAM tools in their practice, researchers from Tallinn University produced a selection of teaching materials for students of teacher training. The materials help to teach environmental topics like soil, ocean, biodiversity, water and climate by using robotics, VR etc. According to the recent Digital Compass 2019 […]
