An Innovative Best Practice in Language Education from Terakki: “Play It Forward”

Our English teacher in the Foreign Languages ​​Department Baylee Wilcox represented our school at the “II. English Language Teachers’ Conference: Innovation and Technology in English Language Education” held in Bursa on September 23–24. Baylee, from our Tepeören campus High School, was one of 36 educators selected from across Turkey to take part in the conference, where she presented “Play It Forward,” a game-design initiative developed at Terakki, as an example of “best practices” in education.

Organized by the Ministry of National Education’s General Directorate of Innovation and Educational Technologies (YEĞİTEK), in collaboration with the British Council in Turkiye and the Sabancı Foundation, the conference brought together educators to focus on innovation and technology in English language teaching. Key topics discussed at the conference included the evolving role of artificial intelligence in education, technology-enhanced learning design, making students’ thinking processes visible, and innovative classroom practices.

Leading themes at the conference included transcending the instrumental limitations of technology, reimagining learning experiences, and adopting a design-oriented approach to education. It was emphasized that artificial intelligence should not be used as a tool that “thinks” on behalf of the student, but rather as a means to support inquiry and creation—making the student’s own thinking process visible. Another notable focus of the conference was the creation of learning experiences in which students connect with real-life contexts and utilize technology for the purpose of creative production.

In this context, Baylee Wilcox shared with the participants a game design initiative developed at Terakki called “Play It Forward.” Through this program, students conduct research on real-world issues—ranging from regional geopolitical topics to social challenges specific to Istanbul—and transform the knowledge they have gained, along with various perspectives, into narrative-based games, interactive scenarios, and prototypes for innovative technological applications.

Starting as a single in-class simulation, “Play It Forard” has evolved over time into a more comprehensive learning experience that integrates students’ research, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills, as well as their English communication abilities. While student work is shared through the “Terakki Connects” platform, the projects are also submitted to the international “Games for Change Student Challenge.”

The conference facilitated the shring of experiences and best practices among educators from various schools, while also fostering new connections for joint digital projects, initiatives that allow students to engage with a real-world audience, and collaborations between schools.