Go boys!

Two crazy men were going to Nykøbing by bike yesterday. What happened them? Nobody knows where they are! Nobody cannot get news about mad bikers. So sorry guys, you are in our heart...

Breaking news about two poor bikers! No my friend, they aren’t poor any more that they could go to Nykøbing as heroes, representatives with their Danish flags and tulips (was stolen from a garden) on the back of the bicycles and they could return Vordingborg safely. Vordingborg’s folk enthusiasticly welcomed them. Presumably they will compate 30th Olympic Games or UCI Road World Championships 2011 in Copenhagen/Rudersdal...

-Actually my friend they won’t.

-Oh of course, because they will compate Sjælland Rundt, right?

-Uh... no!

-Maybe street racing or something f*cking like that?

-No man, any race...

-So what the hell are they doing now?!

-Honestly, they are continuing their lives despite all the boring staff going around. But this bicycle trip was very good for them. They learnt a lot of different things about roads, nature, of course cycling, cities which isn’t big for visiting, met people, had a lot of fun and self-confidence, also encounter some problems as one does in every different experience. But finally, they understood that if they want to do something which isn’t tried by them before, they should just do it! Don’t hesitate any more! You can or not, it is not important than having courage to do it.

Before going to Nykøbing, they went to Næstved. This is their second trip. After every trip, tired but happy at the same level, they were more courageous to cycle to another city. I heard that they want to go to Roskilde or Odense. Hope that it will be a safe trip. “Good luck guys” as your names mean “good luck” in Turkish; Uğur and Uğurcan…

Teaching Experience in Denmark

It was really good experience to join Jesper’s class. I had a lot fun, met smart students and learned a lot about education.

Who is Jesper? He is a good and helpful teacher for fifth grade in Vintersbølle Skole. He helped us during our Teaching Practise, introduced us to his children, interviewed with us, also allowed us to interview with his students, tried to answer all of our questions and served a cup of coffee on a tiring day...

What about Teaching Practice? It was about democracy and citizenship in the primary schools in Denmark. Furthermore we were able to compare our education system to Denmark’s education system, observed their learning styles and met children. It was very important to meet children during their education. We can understand country’s level of education with children’s education. Everything continues to proceed the way it's started.

How was the summary of children’s education? If children can learn by experiential learning, they learn to become permanent. For this reason Danish students learn more easily because they have a chance to learn by their sensoriel organs. Everything is arranged for them to develop their own imagination during the class or in break time. The classrooms are more than a class. Classes are arranged like a home; they take off their shoes before entering the class, they paste wallpaper which their want on the classroom’s wall above all teachers as their father or mother...

Mark Twain

This is one of my favorite quotes by Mark Twain, ’’ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.’’ It means get your head out of the textbooks once in a while and look around you. There are many things that no one can teach you but yourself. Learning by doing, learning from your mistakes, etc. You can see it in Denmark schools. A part of the course, pupils search and write text about whatever they want on internet, in the library, by their friends etc. They are getting their education with life experiences. So their personal knowledge not to be limited to only what is taught in school.

What are the differences between education in Turkey and education in Denmark? In general, education in Denmark is versatile in every respect than Turkey’s. Easy to find education materials, easy to use them, classes as their home, the play garden has not any limits, there is no fence; just trees, a huge grass field, passing a few horses and more freedom and creativity… 

As I mentioned before, the students in Denmark are educated in ’a learning by doing environment’ so that they can use and improve their creativity. They are quite free in the classroom for example in the laboratory, in the library or in the school garden… But the students in Turkey are traditional educated in teacher centered learning environment. They are not active in the class. True this education instead of individuals, you can only create a community in which people are exactly the same.

They start learning their English at very early ages. It is very important that they learn the second language of today at very early ages. This will help them to build the world ’’outside the box’’ after education life. In Turkey, English doesn’t given sufficiently importance to teach. It can not pass go beyond rote education.

Also calling their teachers with him or her first names, eating or drinking something during the class, wearing civilian dress are examples of unusual for Turkey...

What did I learn in this training course? At first I had a chance to observe education in a European country. I compared education of Turkey with education in Denmark. I learned different learning styles during the lesson and most importantly it encouraged me to be a good teacher.

Special thanks to everyone who allowed me to experience this.  

Two weeks ago, it was my birthday.. Nice, we celebrated since last week! The reason might be I hadn’t been satisfied enough, maybe just because I wanted to have more fun...

At last, did I have more fun? Yes, of course! Maybe it wasn’t a different or perfect birthday in my life..But certainly, this was the longest. It may also continue like a festival... My own, first festival! Sounds good huh! And I can celebrate the rest of my life like it’s continuing my birthday...  What am I? ’Pollyanna’ or just a ’party boy’! Funny...

It is good that a person lives of his life as a festival. But it depends on what you perceive. At first you have to understand that you aren’t in The Festival of Alice wonderland. Also you don’t join to Einstein’s Camp. I seem to hear you say that ‘’Oh my God! What the hell are we?’’. You have to see it for yourself.  In my left hand, I have a blue pill. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. A red pill is had in my other hand. You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. If I was saying like that it was very cool huh! But sorry Neo I have not bills to be in control of your life. In any case, you are going to continue to live your life. How it would be, every part of your life as if it were a festival? You can say of this name ‘school’, ‘friends’, ‘grandparents’, ‘streets’, ‘hobbies’ or whatever you live at the moment. No one is focusing on stress rather than happiness at the festival...

Now I am in a festival is called Erasmus. Before this, I was in the festival in Mersin. Later, I will be in a festival, I don’t know what will be its name. It doesn't matter. Regardless of the name, it will be a festival, right? So I’m having fun and improving myself and I will be. And you are in a festival whose name is your life! Come on hurry up, no festival takes long! Just get well and have fun!...

   Knock! Knock! Knock!
   Silent...
   Klick!
   I was hearing someone shouting loudly.. But i didn´t know that i still had slept and this was a dream or not. My eyes were half-spacing. I saw vaguely a woman. She was tall and fair-skinned, i remembered this woman from a place. Suddenly she shouted at me and i understood who she was. She was our International Coordinator Dorte  Palm!
   While i was think why she was in here, everthing suddenly came to mind. ´Trine knocked lightly on the door to Sevgi and Dilan´s room in the morning, she was surprised to saw me in the face. I had to stay their room at night. Because we´ve solved our problems and when it was late, girls said me that i could stay in their room. Trine said that we had Finn´s class that day at 8.30 AM. till 2.00 PM. and he asked why we didn´t come the course..Lesson? We had not know about any lesson at that day. She continued to talk but i had not understood her anymore..Normally, I have difficulty in understanding English.­ ­ Sleepy, nothing! So i said ´yes, yea, ja..´ She thought that i was understanding her. Then she went to the usual smile...´ and i went to sleep in my bed.
   I woked up with my thoughts, while Dorte asked me discomposedly ´´Why are you staying in here?´´
   ´´I...we...slept late so..´´ i was trying to tell.
   ´´What are you doing in here? Why haven´t  you gone lesson?´´
   We were trying to tell while we were trying to understand what happened!
   ´´We haven´t know...problems...lesson...Finn...Peter?``
   ´´Get ready and go to class so fast. Come into my room after, if you repeat this mistake again, i will lodge a complaint about you to your school.``
   Also Say had not gone to the school because of us. We told her that there was no lesson on monday! And Dorte had visited her too. After Dorte went, she came in our room. All of us were sheepish and sleepines..
  ´´Is there anybody  to understand what happened?`` she asked.
   ´´Trine came to us that morning and she said there is lesson today. I think she wanted to say we have to go lesson now but i was sleeping!´´
   The normal time, all the girls will be ready late. But that morning Sai, Dilan and Sevgi got ready fast. Frankly surprised. Then we went to the class, apologized to Finn.
  After the class, we went to the Dorte´s room. She was calm and smile again. A statement we made. We didn´t know the lesson´s times. We also apologized to Dorte. We spook with her and left in her room. 
   Now we pay attention to Fronter.