HAPPY NEW YEAR...

MAY ALL THE THINGS BE WITH YOU IN THE COMING YEAR.

WITH LOVE AND PEACE...

HAYAL KOKSAL

One More Year Fades Away...

Dear Colleagues,
I could finalize a very busy year with the 25-29 December Training in Erzurum which was a collaborative work of the Ministry of Education and Microsoft Turkey. 33 more teachers and principals had gotten the peer-coaching and leadership seminars for five days. From then on those innovative facilitators will train their colleagues with the support of their principals in their own towns or cities. I wish good luck to all of them. I have been proud of them.

The Turkish Center for Schools of Quality which was founded in 1999 in ıstanbul is moving to its new office on 4th January 2008. This new office is a belonging of QOMER and it will go on publicizing quality and innovative efforts in education and business more effectively from then on. Our new telephone and fax numbers are as follows:

TELEPHONE: +90 212 341 26 01

FAX: +90 212 341 26 02

I wish you a very peaceful and fruitful New Year.
Hayal KÖKSAL

From the Mount Palandöken to the Congress Building

Dear all,

I have been in Erzurum for three days to finalize the 2007 Seminars of the Ministry of Education & Microsoft Turkey's Innovative Teachers Program. We have started with the Peer-Coaching part and today we welcomed the principals of the innovative teachers coming from different cities of Turkey. The seminar will end on Saturday but this afternoon we organized a city tour to learn more about the historical and the cultural sides of the city. We started with the Mount Palandöken and then we visited Aziziye, Double Minaret and the Congress Building. The deep culture and also the hospitality of the city people have influenced us a lot. I hope you also visit this lovely city to see the different faces of our rich culture. Even though the temperature is around minus ten ot twenty, the warm blood of the inhabitants make you feel happy. With love and peace...

Hayal KOKSAL

2010 Istanbul Cultural Capital Project & Peace Center

Dear All,
We witnessed two wonderful events yesterday. The first one was in Vehbi Koç Foundation, Koç Private Primary School related to our 2010 Istanbul Europe Cultural Capital Project: BİGG-İST. The project circle (see the photo above) has already had 19 students, 6 teachers and some parents related to their 2 projects within the BİGG-İST. We shared the İmece (SQCC) Training with them and learned their planned steps of collaboration. We believe they will produce wonderful works. I say: Good luck to all of them.

The second event took place at the Albert Long Hall of Bogaziçi University. For more than one year, we were trying to found a Peace Education and research Center (BUPERC) under the umbrella of Boğaziçi University. At last we realized it. After the approval of the Higher Education Council and its appearance at the Official Gazette on 1st September 2007, we drew the Road Map of the Center and listed the upcoming projects and seminars. Yesterday we had a wonderful Opening Ceremony under the leadership of the rector Prof.Dr.Ayşe Soysal. We hope national and international collaborations will enrich our power on the way of world peace and unity. We thank to "WinPeace" for starting such a movement here. During our visit to CMS, in Lucknow, we had been in the Opening Ceremony of Peace Centre of Kingston Business College with the collaboration of WCTQEE and CMS. One of our founders Nur Martin and I had also been in contact with the founders of that Centre in India. Another collaboration is with Human Dignity and Humiliation studies Network in USA. Their 10th Annual Meeting will be organized in Istanbul in 2010 and I am the convenor of that event. In order to bring our power together for all these events, please keep in touch.
Tomorrow a new educational serial ic is going to start in daily Cumhuriyet. Figen Atalay will share her experiences and feelings about India-educational and social sides of it. I believe you will love it.
Tomorrow is one of our religious festival days: Feast of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı). Although we, as adults, always share our nice, old memories related to those wonderful old days stating that "no more we witness such wonderful days", I believe that it is our main mission to provide lovely Festival days for our youngesters. We should never force our children to share the "bloody" side of it, but we should teach them the noble feelings of our religion such as; sharing, caring, helping the poor and the neighbours, supporting the needed people, and visiting our neighbours, relatives and respected ones. The coming four days, will create a good opportunity for families coming together, sharing love and respect and also resting just before entering a new year.
After the Bayram Holiday, I will go to a snowy region; Erzurum to give the peer-coaching and leadership seminars of Microsoft and Ministry of National Education-Educational Technologies Department. Meanwhile, I will give my final lesson of the term to my students at Boğaziçi University, and say goodbye to them. This is the life, isn't it? Meeting and departing... I send my best regards to all of you. Have a good week.
Hayal KÖKSAL

Dear All,

I am in Çayeli, Rize_ a very green and blue land of Turkey by the Black Sea. Here is just like a paradise hugging the blue sky with the green tea-gardens of the earth. We are staying at the In-Service training Center of the Ministry of National Education to present the second step of the Innovative Teachers Program of Microsoft Turkey. 21 Turkish Innovative Teachers are learning the "leadership" and "peer-coaching skills" of the program. They will be together with their principals after a two-day training to prepare their schools' Professional Development Program. We witness a very strong collaborative work which is called İMECE in Turkish culture. All these efforts are for our dear students. They should feel happy thermselves, for all these things are for them.

Meanwhile, we never ignore our fun. Learning without fun and joy is very dull. Through some trips to Uzungöl and Ayder valley we also refresh our bodies and minds. I will go on sharing our news with you. Have a fruitful and peacerful week.
Hayal KÖKSAL

From India to Turkey with many Projects

Dear Colleagues,

We came back from a dream-like visit to India. We (as a team of eight Turkish experts) participated in the 10th International Convention on Students' Quality control Circles (ICSQCC) which took place in City Montessori School in lucknow. We also saved some time for sightseeing in Delhi. With the special presenters as seen above we tried to share what has been doing in turkey about our fields to improve the quality. Furthermore, as the convenor of the next year's Convention we took over the flag of it. It was a very proudful event for us. Next year we have been looking forward to seeing you here, in Istanbul.
5th December is a very important date, an anniversary for Turkish women. Our great leader Ataturk gave the right of voting and being voted to Turkish women in 1934. Turkey takes place among the first countries in this equal rights matter for men and women. For instance, this was given to french ladies in 1944, to Italian ones in 1945. In Switzerland the date was 1971. We participated in different ceremonies on that special occasion and showed our great respect to him.
Yesterday we were at the Moda Primary School to hold the 3rd meeting of 2010 Istanbul European Cultural Capital Project of us_ "Bigg-İstanbul". Student teams from that school presented us what they have been doing related to the project. We are collaborating with four schools at the moments and we hope to have more partners not only from turkey but also from the other candidate cities Hungary, Germany and Greece.

Today is the great meeting date of ICT Seagulls Project circles of Istanbul. We will come together and finalize the project topics with the participants. This year 50 projects from Turkey and nealy 30 projects from overseas partners will be in this project. Please see the above broshure of the project and write to us to register.

With love and peace...

Hayal Köksal

08%20ICT%20Seagulls%20Broshure.doc

10th International Convention on Students' Quality Control Circles

Dear All,

We, as a team of eight, are going to participate in the 10th International Convention on Students' Quality Control Circles in India. The event will take place at Lucknow City Montessori School (CMS) which is UNESCO 2002 Peace Education Awarded and the biggest school of the world according to the Guinness Records' Book with 33 thousand students. The school also hold the award of the Best user of Technology in Education. We, as the Turkish team, are going there to take over the Convention Flag since Turkey is the hosting country of the 11th Convention. I believe we will have many photos and memories to share with you after our arrival. The photo shows the Ataturk Hall of the school which has 3000 participants' capacity.
One of my web pages http://www.kaliteokullari.com/ cannot be seen due to the problems of the hosting firm. The recent news concerning "2008 QOMER International ICT Seagulls Project" can be obtained from the addresses; http://www.bilisimcimartilar.com/ and http://www.qomer.com/ . If you are interested in my latest book, you can get the necessary info from this web address. On 5th December, at 10.00 o'clock we are mmeting at Moda Promary School concerning our "2010 Istanbul Eurapean Capital City Project: Bigg-İst". On 7th December, all the ICT Seagulls Project circles will be meeting at Microsoft building's Marmara Hall at 5.00 p.m. for the general training of İmece. Please, note into your agenda and register us through e-mails. As you already know, my mails addresses are: hayal@hayalkoksal.com & hayalkoksal@superonline.com .
With our Innovative Teachers and their principals, we are going to start the second step of The Microsoft Innovative Teachers Program. Through a 30-hour training they will finalize their training related to peer-Coaching and Leadership. After the completion of the program, those teachers will be the facilitators of the program for their schools and cities. The first training will be in rize between 11-15 December, and the second one in Erzurum between 25-29 December. In-between we wşll have the Feast of Sacrifice and meanwhile we are supposed to be carrying our house from Istinye to sarıyer. Wow! what a rush!
I hope you have a wonderful week with your family and with your job. Loves and kisses from Istanbul and Lucknow. :)

Hayal KÖKSAL

News of The Last Week

I start my blog by celebrating the Teachers' Day of my colleagues. I hope every single day of the year will be so special and fruitful for them. My another wish is to gain more teacher candidates out of the high school graduates. I hope every year more and more successful young people prefer being a teacher to having being in any other field. Whenever the teaching profession regains its proudful and respectful status when it were during the first years of the Turkish Republic, it is the time that we will not be searching better leaders any more! Our teachers, being the models of the society, should train future leaders.

A very successful Non-Governmental Organization of Turkey: Educational Volunteers (TEGV) has been participating in our ICT Seagulls Project for the third time. Each year more and more circles took part in it. This year 17 circles will be with us. We are very ahppy to be with them. I wish them a very successful project year.
The World Philosophy day was celebrated through a Conference yesterday at the Marmara Hotel. It was admirable to see young philosophers there. On the way of training thoughtful and fruitful new generations, it is essential to guide them to such kind of studies.
The symposium about the "Past, present and Future of Pera / Beyoğlu" took place at the Conference Hall of the Italian consulate. I could participate in the final session only which was directed by Oktay Ekinci. Prof. Dr. Sercan Özgencil Yıldırım and Dr. Doğan Hasol talked about the Future of Beyoğlu. There are many things to be done for the sake of Istanbul. I hope more and more Istanbul-lovers take part in such collaboration from then on.
I wish you a very nice weekend. If you ask me; I will be very busy with the preparations of our journey to India. We are going there as a team of 8 to take over the flag of the coming year's Convention.

Love and peace...

Hayal Koksal

The First Snow of the Season...

Dear Colleagues,

I was at Uludağ (a three-hour away mountain from Istanbul for the skiing-fans) for a two-day holiday and I met the first snow of the session there. Where as our journey to Bursa had started with rain but as we climed up the hill, we witnessed the wonderful view of snow. My photo is from there. I hope it is the sign of a productive winter season.
We feel excited as the days are apprtoaching to go to 10th International Convention on Students' Quality Control Circles in India. Our 8-member team will present 5 papers. I know that wonderyul event will be very beneficial for not only participants but also the organizers. The improtance of this event lies behind the take-over ceremony of the Convention flag by us.
Registration of ICT Seagulls Projects for Turkish teams ended but it is valid until the end of November.
This week there exists a "First Aid" Senminar by BUSOS at Boğaziçi University. On Friday I am going to talk about Village Institutions and Atatürk. This afternoon, we will participate in the Opening Ceremony of Bahçeşehir University's Peace Center. On Mondays, in my course at Boğaziçi University, students' circles present their projects every week. This week, three circles will talk about;
1. Examinations,
2. Memorization and
3. Compulsary education in Turkey.
From the junior classes of Educational Faculty, our students are learning to apply PDCA Mindset. Through this strategy they will created wonders in the near future. I have been proud of them.

Have a good week.
Hayal KÖKSAL

Atatürk and His Reforms

WE LOST HIS BODY ON NOVEMBER 10, 1938. HOWEVER; HE WILL GO ON LIVING WITHIN OUR MINDS AND SOULS WITH HIS REFORMS AND PRINCIPLES FOREVER.

My Final Book: "The Continuous Learner_Me"

Dear Colleagues,
Yesterday I signed my newly published book: The Continuous Learner 'Me' at the Tüyap Book Fair. I would like to appreciate my colleagues and friends who did not leave me alone there, especially Prof.Dr.Seçkin Dindar with whom I collaboratively work for the Association of New Generation Village Insitutioners. I present my deepest gratitude to him for his great support about the printing of it.
The name of the book: The Continuous Learner Me, with the support of the child within me.

Its aim: On the way of training "Quality citizens", to teach some constructivist strategies to children through a language they can easily understand and also to provide a section for the parents who are not well informed about the new curriculum which was prepared for the elementary and secondary schools recently. The Curriculum Academy of QOMER has presented the content of the new curriculum to teachers and administrators for two years but the students and parents seemed to be ignored. I aimed at removing this gap from the educational community.

The income of the first edition will be given to the Association for Continuous Improvement (Sü Ge Der). Its price is 15.00 Turkish Liras. There will be a reduction at the price at collective shopping. The Bank account is provided to those who would like to obtain the book. We are open to proposals about the translation of the book into other languages.

I wish a happy and fruitful week to you. With love and peace...

Dr.Hayal KÖKSAL

Registration for the 5th International ICT Seagulls Projects goes on...

Dear All,
Coming back to our homeland is a wonderful feeling! Although the aim of the trip is sharing and caring, each time we leave our hearts and minds at home.
The photo belongs to the 3rd Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum. In Helsinki we were together with more than teachers and experts who were presenting 70 technology-based teaching-learning. The cold weather could not affect the warm feelings of collaboration. The Turkish innovative teachers Ahmet Saim, from Çorum presented his "Virtual Journey" project while the other innovative teacher_Nilufer from Ağrı_was sharing her "Leading Future Leaders via project-based teaching" project. If you are interested in all these projects, please contact with us.
5. International QOMER ICT Seagulls Project registration is going on for more than 10 days. Please write to us if you want to participate in the project competition. You can either send your application forms through e-mail (hayal@hayalkoksal.com) or fax +90 212 276 51 64. The English Broshure is attached. Have a nice weekend.
Hayal Köksal

08%20ICT%20Seagulls%20Broshure.doc

Loves from Helsinki...

Dear All,

There is a special event at Helsinki: Worldwide Microsoft Innovative Teachers` Award Ceremony. We hope to return to our country nice memories and fruitful partnerships. I believe that we represent our country well here and I will share some important views and news of the ceremony tomorrow. Another sharing of mine will be an article about the educational system and my reflections on it after today's visit to two Finnish schools of the future. As you know, Finland holds the top grades of educational achievement within OECD countries. Tomorrow night I will be in Istanbul. With love from Helsinki...
Hayal KOKSAL

The Turkish Republic

We celebrate the 84th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic by our great leader Ataturk. We will defend and preserve his great work of art forever.
Hayal Koksal

Sad and Sorrow...

As daughters and sons of our great leader Atatürk, we have been very sad recently. Atatürk's motto was: "Peace at Home and Peace in the World", however we have just lost many young souls due to terrorism. We believe and know that all these black clouds will disappear and bright and peaceful days will again come back to our land. For, WE STAND TOGETHER!

www.bigg-ist.com

Dear All,

Yesterday we came together with the partners of 2010 Istanbul Cultural Capital City of Europe. We held the second general meeting of my EU project: an "IT Puzzle: Istanbul, from past to the future". The project will also collaborate with the cities of Essen (Germany) and Pecs (Hungary).

As it is seen from the photos, the contribution rate of the participants was highly high. From then on, we will share the steps and products of the project from our web page: http://www.bigg-ist.com

We invite you to take part in it with us. We hope this project will be very beneficial for all the participants and for the next generations of the world on the way of peace and harmony.

With love and peace...

Hayal KÖKSAL

My Love; Istanbul

Dear All,

I believe you feel the same; it is difficult to realize how fast time passes... I started writing this blog to share my thoughts and feelings at a regular basis_I mean everyday_, but I notice that I rarely find time to write even to rest. I believe for my life quality, I should stay for a while without doing anything and I should wait for my spirit as many African tribe members do. :)

Last saturday after the organization of Microsoft Turkey's Innovative Teachers Forum, we started our preparations for the Worldwide Forum of Microsoft which will take place in Helsinki, Finland on 28th October.

Another upcoming event is the 10th ınternational convention on Students' Quality Control Circles which will be held in City Montessori School, Lucknow, Delhi (http://www.cmseducation.org/). We will go there as a team of 11 to share our quality efforts in Turkey and to get the flag of the next year's convention as the host country of that remarkable event.

Qomer ICT Seagulls Project is going to start its 5th year. Last year 93 national and international circles were in it. this year we hope more teams will participate in. In order to register, please write to us.

A European Union Project_2010 Istanbul European Cultural Capital City is going to start soon. Our project: Bigg-İstanbul will include Hungarian, German and Greek teams as well. ıt is related to the preservation of historical monuments through creating awareness among the school partners, municipalities, NGOs...

My course at the Educational faculty of Boğaziçi Üniversity started 2 weeks ago. I am aiming at training constructivist and quality projects-focused teacher trainees. This year I have had 74 students.

The Peace Education and Research Center of Boğaziçi University was founded. As one of the founders of the Center, I believe it will be very beneficial for the whole community to create a peaceful understanding.

My Village Institutions Project still goes on with the teacher trainees. On the 22nd of October, through a panel my new students will learn more about the philosophy of that Enlightenment Period's schools. Furthermore during the Book fair, those award winner students of mine will share their projects with the public.

With the first days of 2008, we will launch a new Benchmarking Study at Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul. The first seminar will be related to Hospitals and Healthcare. If you are interested in the topic, please call us.

I wish you a very fruitful week and I celebrate the Feast of Ramadan of my Muslim friends.

Hayal KÖKSAL

Innovative ideas in Education and Innovativeness

Dear All,

We witnessed a very nice "Sharing & Caring Day" at Marriott Hotel on Saturday. The Microsoft Innovative Teachers Program which has been conducted with the collaboration of Educational Technologies General Directorate of the Ministry of National Education since the beginning of the year 2007 gave its first fruit. As the advisor of the program I had trained 96 teachers about the Innovative teaching on the new Curriculum during the spring months of 2007. 43 innovative ideas were developed as innovative projects of Turkey by those teachers and their poster and powerpoint presentations were shared on Saturday. 10 projects were determined as the best ones by the jury which wwas formed by the experts of the Ministry and Microsoft Turkey guided by the Educational Projects Director of Microsoft Turkey_Ms Şeniz Ciritçi.

All the projects were very impressive although they were designed and put into practice in a very limited time. The award winners got their momentums at an Award Ceremony at Domalis Restaurant at the same night by the Bosphorus. According to the philosophy of the Microsoft Innovative Program; technology is a vehicle on the way of demonstrating "innovative mind" as a key factor within the new curriculum. Innovations come to an end but innovativeness never... The second step of this program_Peer Coaching and Leadership skills_ will go on duing the Fall months of this year. We wish good luck to our teachers on the way of sustaining an innovative approach. In order to see another photo from the Ceremony, please look into the Turkish version of this Blog. Thanks.

Hayal KÖKSAL

ICT Seagulls Project will start soon!

Dear All,

I have had the great excitement of starting a new academic term again. Tomorrow, Bogaziçi University will start its new academiz year and my Ed 101 Course will start again with 60 students. This is one of the most important reasons of why I like the month September: It takes you to the hogs of your lovers_ who are the students for me. However, we must not forget the departing side of it. Most of our students leaft their families and came to the hostels of the schools. This must be somehow difficult for them. Young or old- I wish good luck to all of the students.
ICT Seagulls Project is going to start its 5th year. With a great joy, we feel proudful of having a greater family after each year's award ceremony. Almost every city of Turkey and in three big countries (India, USA, South Africa) we fly. As usual there are some main differences within the format of the Project. They are as follows:

- We have added three more main issues to the theme: Let's own our mother tongue, Ethics in media and Woman Rights.
- In the assessment process, 50% belongs to peers.
- Award ceremonies will be held at the schools at the beginning of the coming year. However, this year we have had a surprise for you: The successful teams will have the right of participating in the "11th International Convention on students' Quality Control Circles" which will be held in Turkey in 2008.
- All the circles from primary school to university will design web pages.
- Drama, Poster and Slogan Preparation, Collage issues will also be included in webs.

- The prerequisite of participating in the project is being a member of QOMER.
Registration will be realized between 1 October-1 November 2007.

My next blog will be about our Project 2010 Istanbul Europe Cultural Capital City: Bigg_İst. I hope you follow me. With peace and love...
Hayal KÖKSAL

Returning Home

Dear All,
After a short holiday at Olimpos/Antalya we returned home. I have lots of things to do: Seminars, book printings, conferences and a new course with 60 students at Bogazici University. Although resting is nice, it is more joyful to work hard to help humanity and also to learn new things. I believe all the students and teachers also share the same feelings just at the beginning of a new academic year.
I WISH A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FRUITFUL ACADEMIC YEAR TO ALL STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS.
Sincerely yours,

Hayal KÖKSAL

My Agenda?

Dear All,

Time is flowing just a water stream. In order to be a "Whole person" we should give time equally for Body, Mind and Spirit. In order to improve all these sides of an individual, one should;- read, study and investigate to feed his/her mind,- take exercise regularly, learn how to breathe and do meditation, and- have some hobbies like music, art and literature...

In Turkey we call the above mentioned aspects as 3 Ks:

1. K: Kafa (Mind)

2. K: Kol (Muscle i.e. body)

3. K: Kalp (Heart i.e. spirit)

Have you ever thought about all these three sides of the life? How many of you have taken into consideration all of them in order to feel better? I hope from then on, all of us focus on these and wear "personal quality glasses" for our benefits.

Days are getting busier for me. We attended to the Governor's EU Center Certificate Cocktail to celebrate the new trainees at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum last week. We felt the same excitement within us. We listened to the EU Chorus.

On Monday the members of the Istanbul Branch of the Association for New Generation Village Institutioners gathered in our Center under the leadership of Prof.Dr.Seckin Dindar and our newly arrived ex-General President Prof.Dr.Oğuz Makal. We welcome him. You can see the members on the above photo. We will start our traditional Monday meetings. Please participate in them.

On Tuesday we attended a commemoration day at Beykoz Red Waterside Residence. Most of the participants were NGO leaders. It was a great opportunity for us to make new friends.

For two days, we have been busy with the organization of the 2008 11.International Convention on Students' Quality Control Circles which will be held in ıstanbul. If you want to be one of the sponsors and take place in our poster, please call us. I also try to organize the participants of India 2007 event which will take place at City Montessori School, Lucknow on 28 Nov.-2 Dec.. 2008 QOMER International ICT Seagulls Project and 2010 Istanbul Europe Cultural Capital City Project are going to start. In order to be in those projects, the only prerequisite is to be our member and keep in touch regularly through e-mails. If you want to participate in them, please write to us and also visit the English version of http://www.kaliteokullari.com/ .

Among all these busy days, I am terribly in need of having a good rest for a few days. So, I am flying to Antalya-Olimpos tomorrow for 3 days. When I come back, I will share the photos of that lovely site with you.Life is short and you should add your inner value to it. Please do this. With love and peace.

Hayal KÖKSAL

One More Year in My Life...

Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday was my birthday. As you all know it is not easy for ladies to admit the age, especially after some certain ages like 50. However, it is not possible to run away from the reality of life. It is neither wise nor right to ignore the great value of the years which has been added to the lives of human beings. Yes, I have entered my 52nd age yesterday. We organized a very sincere and joyful party for our friends. Even though it was a small group, its impression on me and on the guests were very good. I believe I will have a fruitful and also cheerful year, along with my family members and my dosts.
This week is an important one for the Turkish schools. The buildings will re-gain a different meaning with the footprints and voices of the teachers and administrators. After the quiet days of the summer months, they must have missed those busy times. In three weeks' time, students will rush into the classrooms and the school buildings will taste again the joy of that known learning-teaching environment. My dear colleagues, never forget about the truth that you are going to touch and shape the future leaders of the world. These feelings should create a great amount of motivation in you to ornament yourselves with the recent and contemporary techniques. Instead of creating "fear" in your classrooms, you should seed "love, peace and respect"; you should create a deep understanding and communication among the teachers and parents; and also you should improve yourseld personally and professionally. I believe you will follow all the above features and you will ahve a very fruitful journey in life.

This Fall Term, I am going to instruct "Introduction to Education" Course with 60 freshmen students of Educational faculty of Boğaziçi University. Each new term brings some modifications to my courses. For instance; my methodology improves because of the changes in educational system and the needs of teacher trainees, the content of the course is updated according to the web page changes of the Ministry of National Education ( http://www.meb.gov.tr/ ) and some new games and projects are added to make the course interesting, challenging and fun for my students. This year, the same procedure will be followed. When my new students ask about my course to my ex-students, the answers will be different. We _ as educators- are the change managers. In order to adapt ourselves to the changes, we should follow the game which is called "Flexibility and Harmony" by Bonstingl (1998). Of course, without putting our principles aside...
My dear friends, we will be busy with the Turkish Innovative Teachers Program and its final event; Turkish Forum. the most innovative teachers will be determined according to their projects and then, they will represent Turkey at the Worldwide Innovative Teachers forum. After the September 29th Forum, "Peer-Coaching and Leadership" Seminars will go on with the collaboration of Microsoft Turkey and the Ministry of National Education.
Another project is related to "QOMER International ICT Seagulls Program". New participants and the previous years' circle leaders should keep in touch with us.
2010 İstanbul Europe Culturel Capital Project: Bigg-İSTANBUL is going to start. The school principals from Istanbul, Pecs (Hungary), Essen (Germany) and Selaniko (Greece) are expected to call me related to the project.
These three projects and one course will change my term into a very busy paradise. How lovely it is! To work and try to be helpful for my country and also for the whole world makes me very happy. I hope for long years, I have the needed health and power to be able to follow the same route. Your support and motivation is needful for this. I wish you haver a very good week. I am grateful to my dearest friends who celebrated my birthday through their e-cards and mails. I am thankful to God that you are with me and you are my Dosts...
Hayal KÖKSAL

Loves from Oylat

Dear All,
Today is the last day of the last month of the summer months. According to the weather forecasting reports we have got, highly expected rainy days are coming after the hot days in front of us. After the summer season, I wanted to finalize these warm days at a hotsprings/SPA, namely Oylat. It is a small mountain village, 17 km away from the nice town of İnegol, Bursa. It is famous fot its SPA, Waterfall, cave (Turcave) and local food. I must admit that after 7 years,I visited for the first time, I was expecting a more developed SPA Center. I hope next time, I will feel satisfied with the quality of the hotels and the town.
I feel happier and healthier here with the new friends I obtained at the resting place of the Güven Hotel which is called "Çardakaltı". Reading and writing here, accompanied with the cheerful voice of the birds, is very relaxing. Nowadays, I have been reading two books. One is related to education: "New educational System in school", written by Tınaz titiz. I want to share some interesting sentences and phrases with you:
"...Training classes and teacher training have not been talked and discuıssed on for many years....", "... Mind/Wisdom Deletion...", "...Education is the process of being aware of oneself...", "Those who cannot find any answer to their needs cannot learn anything...", "Learning is one of the main duties/responsibilities of individuals...".
I appreciate Prof.Titiz's efforts on education and I recommend the book to all educational partners.
Have healthy and peaceful days....

Hayal KOKSAL

VICTORY DAY

TURKEY CELEBRATES THE 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORY DAY...

We all grateful to our ancestors who fought for the independence of Turkish people and lost their lives 85 years ago. We all owe this contemporary and secular country to our great leader Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK.

We will never forget him and we will always follow his principles and his way of thinking on the way of being a modern country.

Hayal KÖKSAL

Farewell to Our President...

Dear All,

Our 10th President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is going to hand over his post today. We are sad. We will miss him and his lovely family a lot. I would like to present my deepest gratitude to President Sezer and his wife, our First lady Semra sezer.

He demonstarated a very good leadership model at a very problem era of the world. He followed the rules and revolutionary mind of Atatürk with a great honour. He defended the justice, uniqueness of laws, he combatted for a secular and contemporary Türkiye. He and his wife represented Atatürk and his ideas well at Çankaya.
As an educator First Lady, Semra Sezer has become one of the leaders of educational and women issues. She has launched many educational campaigns and guided them. As a modest, secular and sensitive Turkish Family, they never showed off. They were very respectful towards the human rights and they never made use of their position on the way of disturbing their citizens. I am presenting my deepest feelings to my President and to my First Lady once more. I wish them a halthy and happy long life. We believe that their great support for Turkish Youth and for Turkish Justice will go on forever...
Hayal KÖKSAL

New Trends in Education and a Newly-Printed Book

Dear Colleagues,

A new academic year is going to start. This will activate the the work of administrators, teacehrs and parents. Viewing the recent changes in the programs, school rules and regulations, preparing the school building for the coming busy days, hygenic measures related to the global warming and water restrictions, and preparing the conditions for students to provide a more qualified and also peaceful education should be main responsibilities of the educators. Yesterday the working places and schools of the newly graduated teachers were determined by the Ministry of National Education. I wish them very energetic and fruitful years in this profession. Every term I make the same, following talk to my teacher trainee students: Teaching is such a profession that you have not financial but spiritual richness. However it is a very sacred one. If you want to be a teacher, you must not carry financial wealth through your salary, you must not hope that you will have much spare time for yourself and for other works, and you must not dream that it is a safe and secure job and you won'y have many unexpected events in it. If you start teaching with a great love in your heart, you must believe to me that this love will increase when you see the light in your students' eyes. Classrooms lead among the others the first place where sharing and caring and also two-way communication take place. The passion of mine for teaching started 32 years ago and it will not end until my death. I have been very happy for being a teacher and those feelings never leave my mind throughout the years. :)
Today I would like to introduce an ASCD Publication to you. It was written by Judy Willis and called as; "Brain-Friendly Strategies". It has 225 pages. It aims at helping the educators who have to teach students with learning disabilities.In the book, neurologist and classroom teacher author, Judy, explains that we can best help students by putting in place strategies, accomodations, and interventions that provide developmentally and academically appropriate challenges to suit the needs, gifts and goals of each student. It will help teachers implement strategies that are compatible with students' individual learning styles and honor their multiple intelligences.
While reading the book, I recalled some of my early memories related to my primary school in Manisa in 1963. In our school there was a specially designed classroom for disabled students and they were trained well and every week they used to present what they had learned throughout the week to us, visiting every classroom of the school. Thus, we had learned to share life with them, feel empathy for them and to learn how to care each other. I think we were very improved from the point of sentimental intelligence, don't we?
Have a happy and healthy day. With love and peace...
Hayal Köksal

Losing A Brother...

Dear All,

Today is a sad one for me. I have lost a very close friend of us, I have lost my big brother.

I have met Akbulut family in 1976. They were our first neighbours in Istanbul. We had been newly married and as a young teacher I was trying to adopt myself to this huge metropolitan city_Istanbul_ after the peaceful atmosphere of Izmir. I had just started teaching in Tuzla High School and the cheerful voices of the children of my neighbours were just a stress treatment for us after our tiring days. As a sensitive family they were not calling in, for we were newly married. According to Turkish culture, it was rude to disturb the young. Then, one night an earthquake made us meet closely. I had rushed out my flat to see the results of the earthquake and I met five wonderful people.

Later... I feel like sisters and brothers with them, even closer! My brother Lutfu, sister Saadet and their two daughters and one son. From the birth of my daughter to the retirement of us we were all together. They had taught us the keys and golden rules of a "Happy Marriage". They were defining themselves as each half of a big apple. They have led a very peaceful life from their relationship with their children to their neighbours, as well.

My dear brother Lütfü Akbulut had been ill for some time. Yesterday when I learned his death, I have become upset. My sister was crying after her husband saying; "I have lost my half, Hayal!". I could not utter even one word. This was the essence of life. Birth and death! Today, there is the funeral ceremony of him. We will hide him to the earth (Aegean people say like this) this afternoon. I am so sorry for informing my all friends about this. I wish healthy and long lives to the remaining of the Akbulut Family.

Hayal KÖKSAL

University Entrance Exam Results and the Future

Dear Colleagues,
2007 University Entrance Exam results were announced in Turkey yesterday. You can see and also download the list of the most popular universities that were preferred by the most successful 500 students of Turkey and also they were accepted to them. I would like to thank Prof.Dr.C.Behar from Boğaziçi University, for sharing the list with us.
It is obvious that there is a problem within the University Entrance System. Most of the best (Honorary) students could not enter the universities and most of the High School graduates got very low grades from the exam. Everyone accepts that the system should be re-engineered but I think that the only problem is not the "exam system":

.... Just like a chain; all the related sub-systems and processes should be dealt with. From the pre-school education system to higher education; from the university to recruitment of graduates to the business world and even from the retirement to the "life-long learning" systems are the components and they should be linked harmoniously. Seeing the "BIG PICTURE" is essential for training a "QUALITY & HAPPY COMMUNITY"....

I hope everything will be done by the authorities soon on the way of a well-trained human resource.

Have a happy weekend. With love...

Hayal KÖKSAL
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My holiday ends...

Dear all,
My holiday has ended and after so many years I have had 18 days in a dreamy area of Turkey. We were on the upper-western coast of Turkey with my family. If you are a workhaolic, it is always difficult for you to leave your lovely office and start a new life-even though it is for resting and will last only 18 days. On Tuesday, I will be answering all my calls at last! I send my good wishes to you...

Hayal Köksal

HOLIDAY, FAMILY AND US...

Dear Colleagues,
Our Altınoluk days still go on. I have been spending very happy and calmful days with my mum. After my graduation from Izmir Teachers' Training College in 1976, I got married and being a very busy lady I could have only saved some limited days to my parents. It is easy to say but live: 31 long years! My courses, business, travels, and many responsibilities... I had spent only very short days for my rest. I always prefer working to resting. However, newly appeared conditions and some health problems tell us that from then on we will not have much time with our oldies. As a result of this; we have decided to spend a different type of summer holiday. We are happy with this decision of us. We are here in Altınoluk at an apart hotel. We spend our days with mum; walking around, eating fresh food, swimming, reading, resting and visiting friends. I will be here some more time and save energy for my busy future days. Then, I will go back to İstanbul for a long and busy work period.
I am grateful to my web masters who redesigned my web pages during the hot days of the summer. Thanks to God they are with me and they are so creative...
I wish you a peaceful and fruitful sumemrtime.
Hayal Köksal

Ören

Dear Friends,

Today I would like to share a wonderful corner of my country with you which is namely; Ören. I had not visited there for a long time even though I spent my summers mostly when I was a child with my parents. How fascinating it is! I have missed Ören a lot. While eating the delicious food of Selina, I took a photo of the view. This summer noticing the importance of a good rest upon a healthy body, I have made a different type of holiday plan for myself. I will spend more time with my family, my friends and also for me.While doing these, I willr ead a lot and will start writing a new book.

I will share the photos of Edremit Bay and some memories with you through my blog. I wish you have whatever you dream.

Hayal KOKSAL