DC- Democracy and Curriculum (Part I)

      Last week at the end of lesson we talked about curriculum in Turkey with national group. when we look the ministry of education curriculum, we see there is only one lesson like our democratic citizenship lesson. Its name is "Vatadaşlık" (Citizenship). This lesson is given to 8th class students. It is just about fundamental knowledge about citizenship. In this lesson we can teach students responsibility and liberty.

    There are also some festivals that includes in curriculum. For examples, "19th of May Youth and Sport Festival" and "23th of April National Sovereignty and Children's Day". These days have to be mentioned by teachers according to the curriculum. Whatever lesson is , like English, Turkish and Social Knowledge, teachers have to mention. These days teach students more things about EDC/HRE. Especially their responsibility and liberty.

     If we look at English Language Teaching's curriculum, we can realize some teaching about democracy. For example, when students try to explain others appearance, they can see diversity. 

     Actually in Turkey, there is no special lessons like democratic citizenship. It is up to teachers. In the future when I will get a teacher, I will teach not only knowledge about English Language, but also I will teach my students democracy, equality, liberty and EDC/HRE. I think they have to learn about them before the knowledge about lessons.

     As a teacher, how can I teach democracy in lesson to my students? 

      Students have rights, so they can determine their own rules and laws. How? First lesson, when you go to class, after meeting your students, you can want from them 'Let's determine rules of class!' So every student say a rule, then they write the rule on a big cartoon. Teaching methods are responsibility of teachers, not curriculum. So I can teach them with films, liberty in speaking and listening lessons. It is also in curriculum. 

      At the end of my blog, I want say, curriculum is important, if you connect it truly democracy.

ES- Social Technology

ATTENTION!!!

 

   You must be quick, or else the alarm will begin and you have to pay money to the police. Be attention! While you want to do something innocently, you will be guilty!

   We can see from the picture that technology can change our behaviorism. It is a kind of power when we use it properly. If we misuse it then it will be nonsense. So, power is in your hands!

ES- Geo Challange (Goal Description)

          Our aim with this game to teach students countries. Bur not only countries but also cities. If the class has got intercultural students, they can learn each others country and their city. So they can learn more about the world map. And also they improve themselves. Our game make students also some kind of competition and after this we can evaluate them as they learn something from the subject or not. So they also can evaluate themselves. It is beneficence game for students to learn abroad and the countries.  

DC- Reflection of Lesson

Today, the lesson is amusing. Two friends of us, they are Lidia and Esther were done some activities. First we drove a caricature. It’s about “how we see ourselves” and we drove ourselves. After this activity, they separate us groups and then they said us “ Now drive “successful person” and “unsuccessful person”  And another page you have to write your caricature characteristic.” After we drove and wrote, then we try to guess which caricature has which characters. End of the activities, we see what kind of stereotypes we have. And also we discussed reason for exclusion and discrimination: 

• No goal in life (personal) 
• No social relationships (personal)
• No self-confidence (personal)
• Money(poor-rich ) (ıf you have money you have more opportunities...)
• Cultural background
• Education ( being well-educated or illiterate )
• Prejudices
• Social view
• Classification (stereotypes)
• Feeling superior than other people   

       P.S : Equality is an illusion or else why we have stereotypes.  
   

DC- Democracy in Turkey

   What is the meaning of democracy? Does the meaning of democracy change through countries? In general meaning of democracy is form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. It encompasses social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination. So the countries which are ruling with democracy, have 'real democracy' ?

    Democratic system in Turkey is quite different from other countries. In my country democracy is a kind of illusion. You know somewhere in there must be democracy, but in fact there is no democracy, not only government, but also schools and public places. In democracy, human rights play big role. With human rights, people can be aware of their fundamental freedoms. In Turkey, human rights change through the benefits of government, not through humans. Government always right! People are just a pawn. But when we look, how the government is chosen, of course citizenship's votes. Is it democracy? Yes, it is. After election, what is the change?

    When we look at the democracy in school, in Turkey. It is same as the Czech Republic, what i learned from my classmates. Teacher always right, teacher is an authority. Students must not do anything without teacher's permission. If a student want to say different thing from what teacher says, then he/she is pronounced as a rebel. But actually, this situation does not include all teachers. Nowadays, teacher center learning education is beginning to change. Schools change their rules through student's necessities. So, I hope real democracy will be come.

        As a conclusion, democracy in government and schools resemble each other. When we compare the theory of democracy in articles and the democracy in Turkey is quite different. I hope in the future Turkey will rule with real democracy.

ES- Gamification Explanation and Video (Group 3)

   This week, we talked about gamification. Learning with game is useful for children, if they play with educational games. With gamification, children's motivation is rising. So they can learn more easily then other learning methods. And also we indicate from articles that passion effects learning. With games, children learn not only seeing but also doing, hearing... Because gamification is multi-sense.

    After watching videos we try to do create a video, based on pros and cons of gamification in education.

     
      Pros: 

• Fun - motivation - learning
• Focusing on the task
• Attention span develop competencies
• Want to master

    Cons:

• No social relations
• Not every child has a learning style 
• Concern with jobs later
• Computer maybe harmful for healthy 

           Now, you can watch our gamification video, enjoy :)

         

     

 End of the lesson, we watched all groups videos. I think, they are very good. But this lesson was boring for me. Because games are not field of my interests. But before this lesson I thought that gamification is harmful for children, now my consideration about games change.

EAL- Our First Prezi!

http://prezi.com/2n-rzedblwwv/activity/

First we met with Prezi, it was very difficult to use and understand it. But after 3rd trying, we challenged it. It is very enjoyable and  it is pleasing to the eyes. It is more useful.

EAL- Intercultural Competence

     There are lots of meaning about competence, but we try to understand linguistic and communicative competence. According to the google I found that the competence is: "The ability to speak and understand language." We try to understand what is the intercultural? Intercultural is representing different cultures. Now we trying to explain intercultural competence is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures. First of all you have knowledge about your own country. When you well know your culture, you will be able to interact others' culture. For example, now we are all erasmus students, and with same language we are able to interact each other. We can share our own culture and we can learn the others' culture.

       Intercultural competence requires no prejudgment. So we can understand each others more easily. Not only with verbal communication but also we can understand each other according to our body language. Because our speaking and attitudes reflect our whole culture. If I compare with Japanese people and Turkish people, they are completely different each other. Japanese people can hide their anger, but Turkish people can not hide. We can understand it their non-verbal actions.

           Now we are in a different country and also we have lots of friends from different countries. We have chance to learn our cultures very well. It is also a chance to learn more about to world and expand our horizons.     

   

         

                                            Intercultural Competence is the key of the world.

Educational Studies 12.09.2013

  We studied about learning techniques.
    The Cognitive Approach
    Costructivisim
    Behaviorism

  We see from the methods how can we learn knowledge easily looking at these methods. They are all have good sides and bad sides.
  Bubble.us is very efficient to learn the knowledge. When you use it, you can easily remember the points. It will be permanent. When we look it later, we can easily recall the information.
  With i pads, we installed games through these techniques and we discuss which games are related the techniques. It is very useful to understand. 

Constructivism Learning Theory-Educational Studies

                                                   

My first impression

        Firstly I was late for my lessons and it effected me. It was about 10 days, I came later then my friends. And I also attended lessons later. I lost at least 2 lessons for every subjects because of my visa process. 

         Before I came here, I was very anxious because I didn't know anything. When I came Copenhagen, I was relaxed. In Denmark, people were very kind to me. Whoever I asked about train, they tried to explain me. And also I wondered about my college, dorm. After I came here everything going to be alright. Although different cultures, we understand each others. I like this place and its people.