YOU CAN READ THE DAILY BLOG OF HAYAL KÖKSAL FROM; www.hayalkoksal.com

“7. INTERNATIONAL ICT SEAGULLS PROJECT”

Dearest Dosts,

2009-2010 Academic Year nearly ends. Since there are many National festival days in April and May, the rush within our schools gains much more importance nowadays. There activities, naturally, affect homes and families. It can be easily observed that all of the students in Türkiye are under a huge burden of “exam stress and anxiety”, and as a result; they neither gain the necessary knowledge, skill or attitude for a fruitful life nor taste the love of life-long learning through joyful curricular and extra-curricular activities. Many of school children and teachers witness psychological problems due to intensive exams and projects. “Schools” and even “process of learning” have become a nightmare for them. I can feel and observe all these negative effects upon them as a 35-year educator. This is highly disturbing when we think of our future days. If the youth consider “learning” as a kind of torture, what kind of a world do you think is waiting for us? This really worries me... and I believe you agree with me.

I have developed a new “PROGRAM” in order to bring some kind of solution to that problem. I started my life as a successful and happy child under the educated and dynamic leadership of my dearest parents and it has been going on as a successful and respected teacher and a loved mother. Combining all the skills and experiences accumulated within 35 years (including teacher training, quality and project leadership, ethical-standards commission membership, human dignity and peace oriented studies and ICT use), I have designed a kind of Leadership Program based upon “Learning by doing and enjoying”:

© FUTURE LEADERSHIP /CONSULTANCY PROGRAM
FOR YOUNG LEARNERS' PARENTS, ADULT STUDENTS & NEWLY GRADS)

That program starts with a detailed interview with parents and a survey focusing on the child. It is tailored for each child and a roadmap is designed to the individual needs of him/her. I know that mothers and fathers rarely behave objectively for their lovelies. The concerns of parents for their children's future start with their birth, for the educational systems are in such confusion for all. One of my friends was trying to analyze how normal the situation was for her two-year grandson who was murmuring classical music. Many parents are so much worried about the future of their children and lose their happy sleeps due to the educational problems of the present time: school types, teacher qualifications, peer problems, physical conditions of classrooms, quality and quantity of knowledge, skill and attitude to be given to their babies...etc. You should make good decisions for them, but how?

For senior students, the future planning gains much more importance, for they start paving way for their future careers: Their needs, wants, expectations, talents and skills, career plans, university entrance exam, overseas opportunities, parents involvement for the career determining process, happy and fruitful university- and then professional- lives... Have they prepared their career portfolio? Do they know which university and faculty best fits into his/her dreams? Finance? Technology? What about good and bad friends? Gender problems? Drug addicting? Politics and terrorism... Many parents even do not want to think all about these issues. All these issues are frightening. Many young people “walk and talk” with big question marks in their minds. They try to find solutions. Who can lead them? Are you informed or ornamented with the answers of these questions?

If you are worried about the future of your child; let's talk all these points together! Let's prepare a serious and well-planned “Career Plan” for your dearest child taking into consideration the big picture of Türkiye and also his/her character. I have tried to put into practice my 35-year accumulated experience not only as an educator but also as a mum. Together with my husband, we tried to lead our only daughter based upon her talents and also wish and she is a successful international actuary now. We made use of both science and art in her education. Since her childhood, she has learned, adored and loved her country visiting each corner through map-reading and improving multi-cultural sensitivity and empathy. In addition to learning how fun reading is, she learned the significance of leading an ethical life and working under the rules of ethics. She has gained many hobbies like; music, art, poetry, foreign languages, ceramics, dance, travelling and international cuisines. We never questioned her way of making friends; we always trusted her and we still do. We know that she is one of those who are good at making affective plans and also making best decisions. We know that all parents are in similar expectations for their children: Well-trained future leaders! Economically free and also happy adults! I have been looking forward to meeting you to create and manage “Change” for them. With love.

1. This year 71 teacher trainees from the Faculty of Education, Boğaziçi University elected my course, titled; “Innovative Teaching”. We had many inspiring and collaborative hours while learning together. I love them a lot and also believe that they will be very good and creative teachers soon.

2. Our International ICT Seagulls Project is in its 7th year. The main theme is: “Training Qualified leaders through arts”. We have both abled and disabled students' teams including Turkish, Indian and South African students. The number of registered teams is 50 and the projects are going to end on 1st June. Let's see how many teams will be able to finalize their projects well. I am aware of the wonderful activities they conduct and I would like to congratulate all the students, parents and teachers who take part in that project (See www.bilisimcimartilar.com ).

3. We participated in the 11th International convention on Students' Quality Circles, held by CMS, in Lucknow , India on 2-5 December 2009 together with Sivas Girls' Vocational High school principal and teachers. Overseas Champions of ICT Seagulls got their awards from the hands of the President of Mauritius. We also wish good luck to those wonderful teams of Little Angels High School and City Montessori School . The 13th ICSQCC will be held in Nepal .

4. The non-profit NGO, which was founded in 2005 by 22 educators and me, The Association for Continuous Improvement (Sü Ge Der) goes on its life-long focused activities and projects. With the support of BUPERC, Kalbe-Mer and the Turkish Center for Schools of Quality, we organized the “15th Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies” at Boğaziçi University on 28-30 April, 2010. 23 well-known experts of human dignity and humiliation studies came to Istanbul to share their experiences. You can read all the details and feedback of it from the web page of HumanDHS: www.humiliationstudies.org . I am grateful to all contributors and also supporters. Thank you.

5. Another issue, concerning Sü Ge Der, was to give support to the local government. As the founding president of Sü Ge Der, I have taken part in Sarıyer City Council's Governing Board as the educational facilitator since October 2009. The aim of that Council is to support, investigate and facilitate the decisions of the local governors as being a non-political expert team. Thus, to carry the voice of public to the local government. After forming the “educational expert group” of Sarıyer, we made a plan for the improvement of educational issues of Sarıyer region. On 29th December we started to give a seminar to the teachers of Sarıyer region about “Project management” and in February a “TQM seminar in education” was provided. We prepared 6 Educational projects and one disabled project within the frame of SKEP. We still wait for their results. With the Cultural Directorate of Sarıyer, we organized 3 personal development seminars for the public. On 17th April, we organized a Panel to celebrate the foundation of Village Institutions. Now, we wait for the final decision of Vice Mayor on the improvement of BİGEVs in Sarıyer. We also plan a “neighborhood development project”, but some procedures concerning the approval of projects ban our way. We hope this will be improved soon!

6. We invite school leaders, who are aware of the importance of “CHANGE” in their schools on the way of being a 21. Century school, to contact us. We can help them to be the leaders of a “ SCHOOL of QUALITY ”. Thus, they can create change with their teachers, parents and students and cause their school people to be healthy, fruitful and happy.

I wish you a good holiday. Lots of love…