Tag: education

18 July 2012: The Finland Phenomenon


Presented with the support of FilmStudyGroup.org and the kind permission of Dave Compton, Broken Pencil Productions & Two Million Minutes.

At our next session of the Sydney Film Study Group, we will present another documentary from the makers of 2 Million Minutes, entitled The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System.

Date: Wednesday, 18 July 2012

When: 6.30pm (doors open). Session: 7.00pm—9.00pm

Where: 19 Whiting Street, Artarmon, Sydney

RSVP is required to David Prichard by email or SMS 0411 527 612.

The evening will follow the Film Study Group format, with a moderated discussion after the documentary screening.

About the Documentary

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.

Tony Wagner

Attending

Events are open to members and their guests, including guests that the President may sign in at the door. Guests are welcome! The membership fee is $5 to cover the remainder of 2012. Members are not required to attend any minimum number of events. Members and their guests may bring their own food and (strictly non-alcoholic) beverages. Non-members are welcome to attend as a guest of a member for one session only. Members will take responsibility for their guests and all participants must treat the venue and other members with courtesy.

13 June 2012: 2 Million Minutes – A Global Examination of Education

Presented with the support of FilmStudyGroup.org and the kind permission of Dave Compton, Broken Pencil Productions & Two Million Minutes.

At our next session of the Sydney Film Study Group, we will present the the first installment of the celebrated documentary series 2 Million Minutes, entitled A Global Examination, which examines the education systems in China, India and the United States.

Date: Wednesday, 13 June 2012

When: 6.30pm (doors open). Session: 7.00pm—9.00pm

Where: 19 Whiting Street, Artarmon, Sydney

RSVP is required to David Prichard by email or SMS 0415 315 472.

The evening will follow the Film Study Group format, with a moderated discussion after the documentary screening.

About the Documentary

Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes primary school, the clock starts ticking. From that very moment the child has approximately –

… Two Million Minutes until the end of high school

… Two Million Minutes to build an intellectual foundation

… Two Million Minutes to prepare for university and ultimately a career

… Two Million Minutes to transition from a teenager to an adult.

How a student spends their Two Million Minutes – in class, at home studying, playing sport, working, sleeping, socialising or just mucking about — will affect their economic prospects for the rest of their lives.

How do most high school students in the West spend this time? What about students in the rest of the world? How do family, friends and society influence a student’s choices for time allocation? What implications do these choices have on their future and on a country’s economic future?

This film takes a deeper look at how the three superpowers of the 21st Century – China, India and the United States – are preparing their students for the future.

As the filmmakers follow two students – a boy and a girl – from each of these countries, they compose a global snapshot of education, from the viewpoint of kids preparing for their future.

The film’s goal is to tell the broader story of the universal importance of education today, and address what many are calling a crisis for schools in the U.S. (and other Western nations like Australia) regarding chronically low scores in mathematics and science.

Events are open to members and their guests, including guests that the President may sign in at the door. Guests are welcome! The membership fee for calendar 2012 is a nominal $10 to cover the entire calendar year. Members are not required to attend any minimum number of events. Members and their guests may bring their own food and (strictly non-alcoholic) beverages. Non-members are welcome to attend as a guest of a member for one session only. Members will take responsibility for their guests and all participants must treat the venue and other members with courtesy.