PRESS RELEASE
Taner ÖZBEY
Prof.Dr.Ümit SERDAROĞLU
The 15. Year results of the International ICT Seagulls Project, which is an ICT project based upon collaborative students’ quality circles and problem-solving skills, was announced by the designer and the general coordinator of it. The project has also been open to university teams under the brand name of Leading Seagulls for the last five years, and to the community members since last year. The project has been going on to attract the attention of international teams as well since 2006.
The project has been supported by the World Council for Total Quality and Excellence in Education (WCTQEE)”, which was located at the City Montessori school in Lucknow, India, “Nepal QUEST”, “Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Network” and “The Association for Innovative Collaboration (YİMEDER). The main goal of the project is to teach team spirit, effective use of technology and communication skills, and problem solving skills to new generations by means of using quality tools. Democratic approaches, time management, conflict management and awareness gaining also form the goals of the project. It is a student project. Students and/or participating teams hold all the authority in their hands. They learn how to use technology and communication skills at a certain level. It start in October and ends in June (Please visit: www.bilisimcimartilar.com/en).
The project started in 2003 and was supported by Microsoft Türkiye between the years of 2003 and 2009. In 2006, overseas teams started to register like schools from California-USA, UK, India, Nepal, South Africa and Sri Lanka in addition to Turkish ones. In 2007, the Ministry of National Education supported Dr Köksal to train 145 Turkish teachers from various levels as the coordinators of ICT Seagulls Project. Thus, all the schools were invited to take part in it. In 2009 and 2010 two local governors organized the international Seagulls Award ceremonies in Muğla and İstanbul. Then, City Montessori School in Lucknow started to host the ceremony every two years. Project has three different assessment systems: Initial assessment by the coordinator, peer-assessment by the teams and jury assessment by the national and international judges
This year five teams could finalize the projects and got the privilege of obtaining “Achievement Certificates” and momentos. Two of them are Turkish University teams and three are international ones. They are as follows:
- City Montessori School, Kanpur Road, Lucknow, India: “SQC Go Green”, How to Manage Environmental Pollution, (8th graders)–> International Champion Seagulls Award & The Global Leader Award of Seagulls Projects to Dr. Jagdish Gandhi.
- R/Nivi/Kiranodagama Vidyalaya, Demuwatha, Rakwana, Sri Lanka: “SQC Dew Drops”, Enhancing the knowledge of English language in School and in the Community. (8-11th graders and Community)–> The Champion Seagulls Award for School-Community Collaboration & Taner Özbey Leading Teacher Special Award to Judith Perera.
- Puttalam Zahira College, Sri Lanka: “SQC Hawk Eyes Halkası”, Acting as an Enviore-lover (High School students) –> The Best Environmental Project Award & Special Student Leadership Award to Risdha Farwin.
Leading Seagulls award are given to university students and this year Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Higher School of Foreign Languages entered the project under the active leadership of Prof. Dr. Eda Üstünel. The lecturer Demet Özcan Bayram applied the İmece Circles (SQC) methodology in her lessons and two student teams/circles registered in the ICT Leading Seagulls Project:
- “SQC Stray Angels”, Animal Cruelty –> The Best Leading Seagulls Award & Prof.Dr. Ümit Serdaroğlu Leadersip Special Award to the leaders Prof.Dr.Eda Üstünel and Demet Özcan Bayram.
- “SQC Self-Cointed”, Hollywood Heroes and their effects on people –> The Most Interesting Leading Seagulls Award.
We congratulate all the members of five teams and we also thank all the contributors and leaders and supporting bodies. We hope in 2019 ICT Seagulls projects, we will have more participation.
Dr. Hayal KÖKSAL
Project Designer and Coordinator