Beyza Yilmaz

Hi all,
My name is Beyza Yilmaz and I am an English instructor at English Foundation Program at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. I have been involved in ELT for six years both as a teacher and material developer. I am also pursuing a master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). My interest areas are Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), learner autonomy and online teacher education. It's my third EVO and I can definitely say that I learned a great deal from EVO sessions.


I have been using web2.o tools with different level of students in the foundation program for three years. I first started blogging and then explored using wikis with them. What we focus on is usually writing but I sometimes try to involve speaking activities in my class wiki. I am currently conducting a research on the relation between my particular use of pbwiki and motivation of the students in my class and writing an article to be published based on my study.
I keep two reflective blogs. One is for my reflections and experiences in web2.0 and the other is to share my MA reflections . You can find their links below:

http://beyzasfirstblog.blogspot.com

http://beyzasmareflections.blogspot.com



Here is a picture taken with the students I am conducting the research on.The photo was taken after an exam so everybody looks quite relaxed.








Here is another picture of me and my students taken when we were having a strawberry party in class. After reading a text about strawberries, we decided to have a party in the class with the students. Maybe you can notice some of them eating strawberries and grinning at the same time!

I hope to learn more about collaborative writing tools and strategies from all of you.
Best wishes
Beyza Yilmaz