Yrd. Doç. Dr. Deniz Gökçora

Atilim University, Ankara, TÜRKIYE

This is a Power Point presentation designed to be put in the Internet to teach individuals the

history and the significance of Istanbul. This presentation could facilitate the acquisition of

knowledge to promote understanding among different cultures in the world. The presentation starts with a song on Istanbul. A brief history of the city is provided and then followed by the presentation of picutures depicting different life styles from different life styles from different eras of the city's history to establish a sense of understanding and gain awareness of the broader human experience. The individuals are expected to take notes and interact with the information provided at certain times during viewing. Visual realia will provide an opportunity for everyone to establish an understanding of multiculturalism and of universalities among cities in the world.

Keywords: PowerPoint presentation, İstanbul, acquisition of knoweldge, promote understanding, awareness, culture, multiculturalism.

HUMANITIES IN THE INTERNET: FROM BYZANTION TO ISTANBUL

Yrd. Doç. Dr. Deniz Gökçora

Atilim University, Ankara, TÜRKIYE

The main purpose of this presentation is to get anyone who is interested in Istanbul to know the cultural history of the city through the Internet and at the same time promote understanding of human experience and to show universalities among cities in the world by showing Istanbul as one of the world cities.

It is fashionable these days to characterize one's work as being dedicated to universality of human understanding and multiculturalism, however, making science and technology interact with humanities for cultural enrichment is a new endevour. In many countries, distance education has been used to facilitate learning adn interaction for globalization (Tapscott, 1996; Knight, 1994) For example, in Australia programmes like EXCHANGE provide opportunities for non-native English speakers to express themselves through theuse of English (Walker, 1998). Similarly, in this presentation the history of Istanbul is chosen and a presentation program is used to design materials especially for American college students to make them asware of other cultures and take an active role in their education. This is involved with the notion of student empowerment as well. They take an active role and involve meaningfully with the topic of human settlement.

From familiar to unfamiliar: The learners are asked to think about the significance of settling by water. They need to think of other cities in the owrld or their own cities where there is a river or sea nearby. World maps are used for students to think of this question.

Why do people settle near where there is water? Other cities in the world by a river or the sea are:

-1-

1.

2.

3.

4.

..........

Then the old maps of Istanbul from he Byzantion time is shown to see how little the settlement was compared to today's expanding population areas. The topic is continued by a brief chart summarizing the history of the city until it became to be called Istanbul.

The meaning of Istanbul is explained as the following:

IS TIN POLIS-------------------> TO THE CITY

For the historical background of the city the following chart is given.

Byzantion, Constantinople, Istanbul

Time Line

B.C.

Early Byzantion

Byzas found Byzantion ----------------660

(Megaran colony)

Darius, Persian, Spartans-------------405

attack Byzantion

Roman emperor, Septimius----------196

Severus gets Byzantion

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Rich Sea-port city 2nd Cent. Constantine

326-------------St. Sophia Church

begun by Constantine

330------------ Constantine the Great

capital of Roman Empire

Constantinople

395------------ Roman emperor

Theodosius divides empire into

East and West

Justinian I period----------------------527-565

Rebuilds St. Sophia-----------------532-537

after the Nika Revolt

1204---------4th Crusades invide

1261 Byzantines regain control of

Constantinople

Ottomans ( Sultan Mehmet II)----- 1453

conquers Constaninople & it

becomes the capital of Ottomans.

Istanbul

Learners understand that Istanbul was a small Greek colony and became a major city of the Ottomans in the 15th century.

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Ottoman period: There are many pictures depicting life styles of the Ottomans, for example, scenes from shopping, palaces,mosques, St. Sophia, now a museum but used to be a Byzantion Church. The portrait of an Ottoman Sultan is discussed in terms of its significance in remodeling the city after the conquest of it in 1453. A sum of 47 picture inthe presentation are discussed as a reference tool to complete research projects and assignemtns.

The future of Istanbul. This section shows maps of expanding population areas in Istanbuland nespaper caroons showing immigration flow to the city from other cities in the country. Learners are invited to think about the questions posed at the end of the presentations and they are aske dto think of similar situations in the world.

At the end of the program there is a matching exercise where studetns are asked to match the dates and phrases wht the given explanations.

Match the words and dates wit the explanations.

1.

St. Sofia

2.

1453

3.

Megaran Greeks

4.

Septimius Severus

5.

Tugra

6.

to the city

7.

Janissaries

-4- 8.

The Grand Bazaar

9.

The Bosphrorus Bridge

10.

Pera (Galata)

---------- Members of the Sultan,s elite miltary guard who were originally Christians and who were converted to Islam after being recruited into the Ottoman army.

--------- The European quarters of Istanbul is famous for its tower.

--------- The Egyptian bazaar of Istanbul.

-------- The Roman emperor who conquers Byzantion in the 2nd century.

-------- The signature of the Ottoman Sultans.

-------- Built in 1973, the bridge that connects Asia to Europe in Istanbul

-------- A church built in Istanbul in the 4th century by the Byzantions.

-------- The year Mehmet II conquered Istanbul

-------- A Greek colony following an oracle,s advice founded Byzantion in 660 B.C.

--------- The meaning of is thin polis (Istanbul) in Greek

--------- A big shopping complex built during the reign of Mehmet II in Istanbul.

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Empowering studetns to accept responsibility for their own learning is a critical factor in the student's intellectual development. Learners get more information about how to use computers and they need to have a critical perspective to use the media .While viewing pictures of Istanbul from the Ottoman period students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills. They can be asked to think on questions provided for them in the program. The Internet allows these questions and ciritical inquiry to happen at a self-directed mannerç the rpesentation becoms an on-line classroom for them (Walker, 1998). Athough they can be miles away from Istanbul, the distance between where they live and Istanbul is reduced tremendously Students become effective learners by interacting with the computer. They learn how to pose questions and how to construct their own interpretations and ideas. They way presentatons are organized in the Internet aslo enhances student,s ability to clarify and elaborate upon the ideas of others to acquire the understanding that can serve as the foundation for alifetime of learning (Walker, 1998).

References:

Knnight, P.T. (1994). Education for all through electronic distance education. URL: http: www.worldbank.org/html/emc/documents/edu2.html.

Tapcott, D, (1996). The digital economy: Promise and peril in the age of networked intelliegence. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Walker,R. (1998). The globalization of knowledge. URL: http:www.walkerr.edfac.usyd.edu.au/henreb2/IT & Learning/WG26/Global2.html.