New Term, New Students...

Dear All,
I have started my 36th year in 'teaching' profession. It seems easy to utter the number in a second; however that "36" has had many memories, experiences and Dosts accumulated in such a time duration. It is just like tomorrow for me.
I still cannot understand the rush of some collagues completing 20-25 years to get the retirement right. If I am healthy, I would like to work for many years. Each year has added a lot into my life richness. As I get older, I understand the value of teaching and being a member of educational family. The contribution of every single student to my learning is greate. They are the sources of my creativity, life energy and also the suns of my learning. They update me. If you notice in your heart that you even learn from a five-year-older; then, a new journey starts in your life. First, you get astonished and then you place a smile on your lips. It is just at that moment that you understand wisdom is not related to age. As the number of young wise people increases, a better, golden world approaches to the humanity.
Today I would like to share my lovely first day of the Spring Term at Boğaziçi University. I was away from my students last term, but this term has started with a magnificent first day there. While expecting 25 registered students, finding 58 candidate students made me very happy. The course is named as; "Nonviolence in Education". There is a page "Şiddetsiz ğitim/Nonviolence in Education" within facebook and also a Blog, called:
http://nonviolenceineducation.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-course-for-peace-nonviolence-in.html
During the course, we will try to analyse the main and root causes of various violence types and develop some strategies and projects to bring solutions.We will start from self and then move to home, school, business world and community. Our target subjects will be children, women, old people and the disabled. Teacher trainees must be aware of these issues before starting their profession as the young pioneers of education. This is what I can do as an expert of quality and peace. Thus, I believe we will contribute to the training of DIGNIFIED YOUNG LEADERS of the future world.
"ICT Seagulls Project" starts a very active term. This year there is a great interest to the project from the university circles. From Turkey, Bilgi University Circle is working on the disabled while Kingston University's "Qualitas Circle" is collaborationg with students for students. You can see their project broshure on the above left corner. Boğaziçi University circles are also drawing road maps to train dignified leaders. I wish "Good luck" to all of them.
My final book is about the school at home. Printing efforts go on while I am searching a financial source to publish it. My next book will be on the articles presented during the 15th Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies. The presented articles will be collected in a Conference Proceedings Book. We are planning to realize this with BUPERC (Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, Peace Education and Research Center)which was one of the partners of the above mentioned Conference on 28-30 April 2010.We believe there is a great need for such a book within the Dignity and Peace Resources.
I wish you good luck for the coming new week. We are all ONE.
Hayal Köksal

Term Holiday Ends...

My Dear Colleagues,
Spring Term is going to start tomorrow at Turkish schools. Universities will also be openning in one or two weeks' time. We will meet our dearest peers and students. If you ask me how I spent those past two weeks, I might say that; "Very fruitful!". I visited UK and gave a seminar at Kingston university to the Kingston ICT Seagulls including some dear colleagues and students. I am grateful to my dear friend Prof.Dr. Richard Ennals for providing me this opportunity. I believe it was fruitful not only for them but also me. Prof.Ennals shared my twp ppt presentation on the web page of his university after my departure.Melissa de Oliveira and SQC Qualitas colleagues gave a presentation to me, which I liked a lot. They have made great progress towards their final submission to ICT Seagulls project which is on the 1st of June. The panel of international judges includes Andrew Powell from the School of Education, Kingston University. I am very happy about it. That collaboration lasts in a very productive and joyful manner. When I read the following lines from Richard's mail to the e-group, I have felt very proudful:

"...Many thanks for attending the presentation by Prof Hayal Koksal on Wednesday... Prof Hayal Koksal has facilitated over 1500 SQCs around the world, at all levels of education, in the last decade. She, Chris Ford and I are board members of the World Council for Total Quality and Excellence in Education. Chris and I have been working together since 2006, and see exciting scope for development....Hayal has agreed to continue to work with us, and I am proposing that she should be appointed as a Visiting Fellow. I have added Hayal's two powerpoint presentations to Study Space..."

After my return I participated in a TEDX Reset conference which I found very interesting and beneficial. Nearly 20 speakers from various fields shared their wonderful experiences with the participants in an interactive and informal style. The program was shared with all the world audience through technology.

I read many books concerning my new course at my university under the title of: "Nonviolence in Education". I am very excited about the profile of the students who are going to elect my course. I am planning to conduct a very interactive and fruitful classroom atmosphere to design new projects and materials in that area.

ICT Seagulls Projects will go on during the Spring Term. 22 Project leaders must have given some part of their own precious time like Qualitas Circle of Kingston university. Now, I must say goodbye to all of you. However, please do not tkink that I stop thinking of you. Lots of love from sunny Istanbul.

Hayal KOKSAL