Panel Title
“CREATING COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE”
Abstract
“Creating Communities of Practice” both in national and international context serves as one of the most effective means in the professional development of teachers. Bahcesehir University and Wheelock College has been working on the ways in which international communities could be created in teacher education with the vision of “making a change in the lives of children and families”. The panel reveals the systematic efforts between two institutions with the realm of creating a common set of scholarly lenses in teacher education. The panel will be focusing on the following sub topics: 1) Main Pillars of Communities of Practice between BAU and Wheelock College, 2) Engagement of In service Practitioners and Other Communities Across Boston and Istanbul 3) BAU University within the School Model.
Panel Speakers:
Prof. Hasan ŞİMŞEK
Prof. Mustafa ÖZCAN
Assoc. Prof. Özge HACIFAZLIOĞLU
Assist. Prof. Sinem VATANARTTIRAN
Hasan ŞİMŞEK
Hasan Şimşek is a professor of educational administration and leadership. He is currently the vice president and provost at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. He has extensively published in national and international journals and book chapters in higher education, educational leadership, organizational change, planning and qualitative research. He is the author of several books such as "The War of Paradigms at the Edge of the 21st Century and Turkey in Chaos", "Total Quality Management: Theory, Principles, and Applications", and the co-author of "Qualitative Research Methods in Social Sciences" (the only textbook on this title in Turkish). He was invited to deliver keynote addresses at the JTET Conference (2008), the 18th and 19th Educational Sciences Conferences (2009 and 2010; the largest educational event in Turkey), ENIRDELM Conference (2012).
Özge HACIFAZLIOĞLU
Özge Hacıfazlıoğlu, is currently an Associate Professor at Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey. She holds a doctorate in Educational Administration and recently completed a one-year sabbatical at Arizona State University. A widely published researcher, scholar, and teacher educator; her areas of expertise include; “reflective practice, mentoring, educational leadership and academic leadership”. She is the national representative of International Study Association of Teachers and Teaching (ISATT) since 2006. She is the co author of book chapters such as; “Totems And Taboos: Risk and Relevance in Research on Teachers and Teaching”, “Globalization and Standards : Teacher Education in Times of Change” and “Advancement in Online Education: International Perspectives and Practices”. She was rewarded as “International Presidential Visiting Scholar” by Wheelock College in 2013.
Sinem VATANARTIRAN
Sinem Vatanartıran, is currently an Assistant Professor at Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey. She holds a doctorate in Educational Administration. While doing her masters and doctorate degrees, she was actively involved in school settings holding different positions. She was the Head of the Curriculum and Assessment for Law and Engineering English Programs at Başkent University, Ankara. She became a teacher trainer for English language teachers after completing a course at St John and St Marks College with British Council scholarship at the same university. In 2000, she became the Head of Professional Development Office at Bahçeşehir University, where she trained teachers, provided professional feedback sessions upon lesson observations, and organized conferences. In 2002, she became the Director of Uğur Career Services Center and led the project of adapting Career Interest Inventory developed by John Holland into Turkish. She offered countless teacher training seminars all around Turkey for school counsellors, teachers and administrators. In 2005, she became the school principal of Bahçeşehir College’s High School and then established the first Science and Technology High School in Turkey in 2006. She became the general manager of Bahçeşehir Colleges in 2009. She designed and offered professional development sessions for teachers and school managers. She had a weekly column at a national paper, Vatan, on educational issues for a year in 2012. She has been a faculty member of Bahçeçehir Universiy since 2012.
Mustafa ÖZCAN
Dr. Özcan is currently a faculty member at Rhodeisland College as well as serving as a consultant for the President of Bahcesehir University. He holds a PhD in Educational Sociology. Dr. Ozcan, began his professional life as an elementary school teacher and taught bilingual students for four years. He continued his education, became certified for secondary school teaching and completed his Master’s degree in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Ankara, College of Educational Sciences in 1981. Dr. Ozcan worked as a high school teacher and administrator, and also as an assistant superintendent in different parts of Turkey. He is a researcher, scholar, and teacher educator and his areas of expertise include; “teacher education, new perspectives in teacher education and university within the school model”. He is the author of the book “Teacher Education and Teacher Qualifications in the Knowledge Age: A Reform Suggestion”.
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