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Diwali in Istanbul |
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Kayseri Ministry of Education STEM Team |
Friday we worked at the IBM Turkey office. I must say it felt a lot like “home” with IBM branding and interior offices with Made with IBM throughout. We dug deeply into our interview findings and sorted through key themes and possible recommendations. A key theme that’s emerging is the need for partnerships – a multi-member coalition – to rally business, government, non-governmental organizations, student organizations and their constituents to enable STEM across the school system and in businesses – and to support it over the long-term. We had a follow-up call with the team from Kayseri, a region that has already implemented STEM education, Ömer Bay led the discussion backed up by his knowledgeable team. They provided more detail on how they’ve implemented STEM and what their future plans are – a seven step process where they’ve achieved up to #4: 1. Feasibility study 2. Implementation – selection of schools and teachers 3. Training of teachers 4. Integration into curriculum 5. Integration into all Kayseri schools 6. Integration into all Turkish schools 7. Accreditation and patents. They graciously shared their insights into best practices. Teşekkür ederim !
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Egyptian spice market |
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Fellowship of Turkish Delight |
Saturday was our day to explore Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar.
The vendors amused us with their various enticements into their shops:
“It’s my birthday today – everything is half price.”
“It’s my birthday today – everything is half price.”
“Come in and I’ll sell you
something you don’t need.”
“Can I tell you something?”
“It’s my turn now.”
It’s as entertaining as it is
overwhelming with so many shops, so many colourful items for sale, and so many
people. It was a real challenge to keep the seven of us together, but we
managed to do so and enjoyed a dinner on the Galata Bridge before we
returned to enjoy some fresh Turkish Delight with the newly formed Fellowship
of Turkish Delight!
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Galata Tower |
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"If you really need to shed blood, try ketchup" |
Sunday was equally adventure-filled as
we made our way to Asia. Along the way we saw the Galata Tower and a clever design company called Aponia (see right), and wandered
down some passageways and across the Bosphorus to Eminönü where we caught the
ferry to the Asian side. Great views of the Atatürk Bridge and the Dolmabahçe
Palace, along with the rest of the European side. A great weekend of
exploration and inspiration!
Back to business this evening and
for the rest of the week!
More anon…
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