Job Discussion Forums

[almuze]

Has anyone ever heard of a kindergarden named "Sihirli Can" , in english it would be "magic bell". This school has been held up to me as an excellent example to follow, so any information about it in anyway would be really helpful.

Also, are there any foreign HOD's of english dept. in primary schools? or are most of the heads of english native turks?

And, last but not least, can anyone explain why turkish teachers tend to think that children should not be taught anything in advance of the year they "should" learn it in? For example, I have been asked not to teach letter recognition to kindergardeners because if they learn it now, when they get to first grade they will be bored. This goes against all "school readiness" ideas I have ever heard, but maybe someone else knows the logic behind it?

[gelin]

Koc has a British coordinator of the elementary English program. I used to be the Middle School coordinator and I'm American.

I have heard about Turkish teachers not wanting to teach letters or reading in English before they learn Turkish because they would get confused. Don't really know about that, but can see why they might get confused.

[almuze]

Hmmm, the other day I thought I posted a reply but now I look and see it is not there.

It looks like no one has heard of this "magic bell" kindergarden? how strange, my employer has been telling me the are very well known and respected. But anyway.

My other big question remains, there seems to be a huge differnce between turkish educational theory and what I learned at home. For example, I learned that any student, but lets say children, will learn better and faster if they have been previously introduced to the material. Thus things like "school readiness" and "pre-introduction" are big things for small learners in the states (but I think this is true for adults too, previous knowledge of topic is a good thing) Anyway, in turkey the education theory seems to be that "pre introduction" will make them "bored" when the time comes for real school.

For example, I was talking to the turkish teacher about teaching them thier letters in turkish and she said this was "yasak" because then they would be bored in first grade.

I am having some trouble understanding this thinking, and if anyone knows the education theory behind it I would be happy to hear it. Why don't kids in the states get "bored" in such epidemic porportions?