Jensen 1

JennaJensen
ProfessorDavidCrowe
ENCW
24March2016
HowDoWeCompare?
MyexperienceinNorwayisonethatIwillrememberandreflectonfortherestofmy
life.Ilearnedalotaboutmyselfasaperson,howIinteractwithpeopleofadifferentculture,and
howschoolsinNorwaycomparetoschoolsintheUnitedStates.Thetripincludedmanylaughs,
andamazingmemories.IevenlearnedaboutmyselfasaneducatorinNorway.Thetriptothe
Norwegianschoolwasbyfarthemostinfluentialpartofthetrip.Ilearnedabouttheclassroom
cultureinNorway,aswellaslearnmoreabouthowtheNorwegianeducationsystemworks.The
visittotheUniversityofTromsledtotheconclusionthateducationatahigherlevelinNorway
alsodiffersfromhigherleveleducationintheUnitedStates.
AsIwalkeduptotheschoolourguidewaswaitingforus.Ifeltverywelcomeattheir
school.AssoonasIsteppedintotheschoolIwasblownaway.ThestudentsinNorwayappeared
tobesowellbehaved.Wewereworkingwithagroupof7thgradestudents,thesameagegroup
thatIwanttoworkwith.Ilearnedalotabouthowtoworkwithstudentswhoarelearning
Englishasasecondlanguage.Myvisittotheelementaryschoolwasveryempowering.Ihave
alwaysknownthatIwantedtoteachabroad,butbeingattheschoolinBergenonlysolidifiedmy
desiretoteachabroad.StudentsinNorwaylearnEnglishataveryyoungage.Theybeginto
learnEnglishin2ndgradeaccordingtoourguide.By7thgrademoststudentsareprettyfluentin
thelanguage.IwasgiventheopportunitytotalktoandworkwithNorwegianstudentswhowere

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ina7thgradeEnglishclass.Iwaswithagroupoffourstudents,twoboysandtwogirls.There
Englishwasratherimpressive.Theyspokeclearlyandcorrectlywhenwewerehavinga
conversation.Mostoftheconversationsrevolvedaroundlikes,dislikesandthereadingthey
weredoinginclass.AsIworkedwiththesestudents,Iwasabletocomparemyexperienceof
workingwithstudentswhohaveEnglishasasecondlanguageintheUnitedStates.AtRock
IslandHighSchoolIwasabletoworkwithstudentsinamathclassroomwhohadEnglishasa
secondlanguage.InthisclassIdidalotofdrawingsanddiagramstotryandhavemystudents
understandwhatIwassaying.WhiletalkingwiththestudentsinNorway,therewereseveral
timesthatIhadtofindadditionalwordstodescribewhatIwassaying.Thereweresomewords
thestudentsdidnotknow,inwhichcaseIcameupwithalternativewords.Usingalternative
wordsissomethingthatIwouldliketoemployinmyownclassroom.Itcanbebeneficialnot
justworkingwithstudentswhohaveEnglishasasecondlanguage,buteventogetaconceptto
bebetterunderstoodbyagroup.
TheNorwegianshavetherightideaofteachingstudentsEnglishatayoungage.It
appearsthesooneryougetstartedthebetter.Iwashonestlyamazedathowwelleveryonein
NorwayspokeEnglish.AnotherobservationImadewastheuseofsongstoteachalanguage.In
boththe7thgradeclassroomandthe4thgradeclassroomIsangasong.ThisisanotherstrategyI
wouldliketoemployinmyclassroom.Ienjoyedseeingthestudentsfaceslightupwhenthey
foundouttheyweregoingtobesinging.IwasnotexpectinganEnglishsong,butitwas.Whata
unique,funandengagingwaytoteachalanguage.Musicseemstobesomethingthatthe
studentsattheschoolreallyvalue.Musiccanalsobeagreattooltolearnanyconcept.Icameto
therealizationthatIwanttoincludemusicinmyclassroomtoteachmathskills.Iconsidermath

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tobeadifferentlanguage,andseeinghowthestudentsinNorwaybenefitfromsingingsongsin
English,Iwouldliketohavestudentssingsongsaboutmath.Mystudentswillsingsongsabout
rightangles,adding,multiplyingandtriangles!Yesthatmightsoundcheesyandridiculous,
butIthinkIcanmakeitwork.Itisagreatstrategyfortheclassroom.Iamimpressedathowthe
studentsinNorwayaresoexperiencedwithalanguageotherthenNorwegian.
IntheNorwegianclassroomIwasawareofmanydifferencesincomparisontomy
studentteachingclassroom.Tostartoff,noneofthestudentswearshoeswhentheyareinclass.
Theysimplywearsocks.Iwonderasateacherifthatissomethingforcomfort,orforprotection
ofthefloors.ThestudentsineverclassthatIobservedwereallverywellbehaved.Ithinkthat
anyclassroomcanhavestudentsthatarewellbehaved,howevertherewasasortofrespectfor
theteachersthatIhavenotseenasmuchinAmerica.Theteachersaswetalkedaboutinour
LearningCommunityhavetheirownoffices,whichissomethingthatAmericanschoolsdonot
usuallyhave.MostAmericanschoolteachershaveasmallcubiclesastheirworkspace.The
classroomssizesthatIwentintowererelativelysmall,especiallyforthe4thgradeclass.There
wereabout20kidsorsointhisclass.AnothergreatthingIthinkthatNorwaydoesishaving
multiplerecesses.Itgetsthestudentsbloodpumpingtogetthemreadytolearnmore.Itallows
moresteadybreaksthroughouttheday.Oneexperiencethatledmetounderstandthatevery
educationsystemhasitsupsanddownswasourdiscussionwiththepeoplefromtheEmbassy.
TheyhadsuggestedthatAmericaneducationisbetterinthesensethatteachersaremorewilling
toadaptandaccommodatetheirlessonstotheindividualstudentneeds.Whiletheywereonly
talkingfromoneexperience,Ihavetoagreethatinclusionandaccommodationissomethingthat

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isstressedintheAugustanaEducationDepartmentaswellasinmanyschooldistrictsin
America.
AsIwalkedaroundtheschoolIbegantowonderaboutoneofthethingsIammost
passionateabout,SpecialEducation.IdontrecalllearningmuchaboutSpecialEducationin
Norwayorintheclassesprior.ThisisnotsomethingthatIwasawareofwheninNorway.What
Idorememberfromclasswasthatthegovernmentprovidesaccommodationsthatareneededfor
students.TheonlythingthatIrememberbeingawareofintheschoolwasseeingstudentswith
physicaldisabilitieswalkingthehallway.Thisspikedmyinterestinthistopic.Accordingtoan
articletitledSpecialEducationTodayinNorway,byRuneSarrormaaHausstatterandHarald
Thuen,specialeducationdatesallthewaybacktothe1800s(181).Theycontinuetosaythat,
Norwaysprogramhasbeendevelopedduetothefactthattheyareoneoftherichestcountriesin
theworld.(182183).TheUnitedStatesstarteddevelopingSpecialEducationalmost100years
afterthat.Itgainedmomentumin1961whenPresidentKennedycreatedapanelforMental
Retardation(TheHistoryofSpecialEducationintheUnitedStates).WhileNorwayhadahead
startonthebuildingofspecialeducation,itisimportanttonotethatboththeUnitedStatesand
Norwayareusingintegrationasmuchaspossible.Iknowfrommyexperienceintheclassroom
thatintegrationofstudentswithdisabilitieshasmanybenefitsintheclassroom.Thearticle
touchesonagreatpointandsays,TheNorwegianunderstandingofinclusiveeducationisas
seen,notaboutintegratingstudentsinordinaryeducation,butaboutthetransformationof
teachingsothatitsupportsalllearners.(HaausstatterandThuen199).Asafelloweducatorthat
isadefinitionIwishtosharewithmyfuturecolleaguesandschoolboard.Iadmirethewaythe
Norwegiansviewinclusionintheclassroom.

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AsItalkedwithmygroupofstudentsattheelementaryschoolIlearnedmoreaboutthe
cultureofNorwayfroma7thgradersperspective.WhenIthinkNorwegiancultureIthink
America.EverytimeaquestionwasaskedregardingafavoriteTVshoworafavoriteartist,they
wereallfromAmerica.The7thgradestudentsinNorwaywatchthesameshowsthatIwatch.A
studentandIevenproceededtoraptheentireFreshPrinceofBelAirthemesong.Heknewthe
wordstothesongbetterthenIdid.ThefactthatthestudentsenjoyAmericanculturemight
contributetotheirabilitytolearnEnglish.Theywerealsoveryinterestedinwhatdifferentcities
werelikeinAmerica.TheywerereadinganarticleaboutNewYorkandseemedgenuinely
investedinthereadingandwantedtoknowmoreaboutthestateandwhatitwaslike.Icompare
thattohowIwasexcitedtolearnaboutNorway.However,IdontknowthatIwouldnecessarily
listentotheirmusic,andeattheirfoodallthetime.Iseethatthesestudentshaveatrueinterestin
AmericancultureandappreciateAmericanTV,music,games,andfood.Theyalsoputona
musicalatthehighschoollevel.ThemusicaltheyputonwasoneofthemostAmericanmusicals
Icouldthinkof,Grease.TheirinterpretationofthemusicalwasgreatandIwasveryimpressed
bytheiradaptations.
TherelevanceofAmericanculturedidnotjusttakeplaceintheschool,butalsowhenwe
wereoutandaboutonthetown.EverysongthatwasplayedinourKaraokejointwasan
Americansong.EverysongthattheNorwegianssangwasalsoanAmericansong.Therewerea
fewtimesthatNorwegianmusicwasplayed,butnearly90percentofthetimeitwasAmerican
music.AtourKaraokejointwealsohadinteractionswithotherpeoplethatdemonstratedtheir
loveforAmericanculture.MultiplepeoplewhenfindingoutthatwewerefromAmericaasked
usaboutourpolitics.ThemajoritythatwespoketoseemedtobesupportersofBernieSanders

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anddidnotlikeDonaldTrump.Ifindthistobeaninterestingidea,becauseIknownothing
aboutrulers,presidents,orprimeministersofdifferentcountries,buttheywereveryawareabout
whatisgoingonwithourpresidentialrace.Anotherconversationthatstuckouttomewaswhen
wewerewalkingbacktoourhotelonenight.Aguyhadapproachedusandaskedifwewere
fromMichiganbecausehehasseenModernFamilyWehadtoexplaintohimthatnotallofus
werefromMichiganandneitheristhefamilyinModernFamily.
HighereducationalsoplaysavitalroleinthefutureofNorwegians.Itisnotcommonfor
everyonetoontohighereducation.Studentsgettodecideiftheywanttogowhentheyreachage
16.ThevisittotheUniversityofTromswasveryeyeopening.Iwasabletocomparemyown
educationwiththeeducationinNorwayatahigherlevel.Samistudiesplayedavitalroleinour
presentationthatwasgiven.SamiarethenativesofNorway.TheyarecomparabletotheNative
AmericansinAmerica.TherearestillSamipeoplearound,butitisunknownhowmanythere
are.TheUniversityofTromsoffersaSamiStudiesmajor.Studentscometolearnaboutthe
Samiculture,learntheSamilanguage,andsomeevengotoschooltobeteachersataSami
school.IfindthisinterestingandwonderifotherschoolsinAmericaofferaNativeAmerican
Studiesmajor.Iassumethatlargerschoolswould.Brettmadeavalidpointinthateventhough
heisaScandinavianStudiesmajor,thefirsttimeherheardabouttheSamiwasintheNorway
class.ThatsurprisesmeconsideringhowfarspreadtheSamiwereoverScandia.
StudentsatthecollegelevelinNorwaydonthavenearasmanyactivitiestojoininas
thosedoinAmerica.Theydecidetogotocollegefortheirfuture,whereasAmericans
sometimesgotocollegeforthesocialaspect.IaskedaboutGreeklifeandrememberthatbeing
somethingthatwasnotevenconsideredinNorway.Theygotocollegefortheirfutureandtoget

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aneducationandthatseemstobeit.Studentswhoaregoingintoeducationessentiallyneedthe
equivalentofamastersdegreeintheUnitedStatestobeacertifiedteacher.Theteachersare
requiredtobemoreeducatedinNorwaythentheUnitedStates.ThestudentsinNorwaystudying
tobeteachersalsodonothavecertificationteststhattheyneedtopass,whereasAmericahas
multipleteststhatneedtobepassedbeforecertificationcanbegiven.
Overall,educationinNorwaydiffersgreatlyfromeducationinAmerica.Whichisbetter?
Idontthinkthatissomethingthatwewilleverbeabletofullyanswer.Bothsystemshavetheir
positives,andbothhavetheirnegatives.Norwaywasanamazingexperience.Ilearnedalot
abouttheirculture,educationsystemandwhatitisliketobeastudentinNorway.This
experienceonlyhelpedmetorealizethatmycallingisindeedtoteachabroad.Iwanttocontinue
toexperiencemoreandmorecountriesandlearnmoreabouttheireducationsystemsandculture.

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WorksCited
Hausstatter,runeSarrormaa,andHaraldThuen."SpecialEducationTodayinNorway."Special
EducationInternationalPerspectives:PracticesAcrosstheGloveAdvancesinSpecial
Education28(2014):181207.Web.24Mar.2016.
"TheHistoryofSpecialEducationintheUnitedStates.SpecialEdNews.SpecialEdNews,
n.d.Web.24March2016.