The 5th Training Technologies Conference was organized by the Turkey Private Schools Association and our University. More than 2 thousand educators from 400 schools attended the conference.

“It is Very Important to Offer Technologies that will Improve the Performance of Education”

Speaking at the conference, Rector. Prof. Dr. Erhan Güzel stated that education and technology are the key concepts that will change the future. Pointing out that the Z Generation is defined as the power that can change the world and that they are qualified to achieve this, Güzel said:  

“They are growing up in a time that is both advantages and disadvantages for them. At this point, it is now more important to offer and use the technologies that will improve the performance of education. We need to equip our students so that they can incorporate informatics and innovation into life within the context of technology and with respect to ethical social benefits and nature. Because the studies in areas such as coding techniques, internet of things, robotics and material technologies, synthetic biology, blockchain, big data, and artificial intelligence are progressing at a great pace.”     

Underlining that everyone is a student in parallel with the development of technology, Güzel said that they were gathered together for the future of education and the education of future. 

İstanbul Provincial Director of National Education Ömer Faruk Yelkenci said that technology that started to be discussed with the industrial revolution, is always on the agenda in terms of educational technologies and technology education. 

Stating that there will always be learners and teachers within the educational system, Provincial Director of National Education said, “But the roles of these learners and teachers will change from time to time. In particular, we have observed that teachers of younger generations have interchanged their teaching roles with their students with the effect of technology. This gives us an important perspective about the future.” Pointing out that technology in education has an impact on the processes in terms of technology education and educational technology, Yelkenci said, “It can change the position and probably the name of teaching in the future. There will always be learners and teachers within the educational system, but the roles of these learners and teachers will change from time to time.”

“Education Must Train Generations that Utilize Technology Usefully”  

Pointing out that the social dimension of technology should be addressed, Yelkenci said:

“I think it is very important for technology to be useful to people, nature conscious and legal. In addition, the ethical dimension of technology has also been emphasized, which would be impossible to forget. Because if something useful to people is being established as nature conscious and legally then ethics are already a part of it. In this sense, Japan is a very good example. Japan came out with the Society 5.0 as an opposition to the Industry 4.0 debate. Japan presented Society 5.0 as a mind that considers the social implications of technology and focuses on the human. This idea should have been created here in Turkey.”

Emphasizing that we should be producing and directing technology as well as using it, Yelkenci stated that raising generations that can utilize technology in a useful way is the job of education.

“Technology is a Means Rather Than an End in Education” 

The Turkey Private Schools Association President Nurullah Dal stated that the teachers were at the forefront of the 5th Educational Technology Conference organized this year. Pointing out the importance of technology in education as in every sector, Dal said, “Technology is a means rather than an end in education. If you have teachers who use technology as a tool in education, courses, classroom, school, subject, etc., this is really the right use. Only our valuable teachers can do this. You cannot progress with a lot of technology. You can only progress with the teacher. If our teachers are productive, they will use technology. They will create something out of it. To me, you are the people who produce technology.”

Following the opening speeches, Nurullah Dal presented plaques to Ömer Faruk Yelkenci and Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan Güzel.