Applied science workshop events titled “I have an idea too” were organized by Üsküdar University Young Brains Academy Director Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar within the scope of TÜBİTAK science talks. The science workshop, with its main theme of games and gamification, was held at Büyükada Şehit Murat Yüksel Primary School and Heybeliada Primary School, affiliated with the Adalar District National Education Directorate.
In the event first held at Büyükada Şehit Murat Yüksel Primary School, 60 students aged 9-10, attending 4th grade, participated in the talk event.
Recep Kızılırmak, the principal of Büyükada Şehit Murat Yüksel Primary School, which hosted the science talks, along with school teachers Ercan Yalçın and Ebru Çiftçi, guided students in the applied workshop to bring forth solutions to pre-determined social problems.
Mindfulness techniques applied by Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar
Within the scope of the event, problems were identified and presented to the students in envelopes designed by themselves. Subsequently, students selected by the committee, determined under the coordination of Canan Pehlivan, TÜBİTAK Coordinator for Adalar District National Education Directorate, shared their solution proposals in front of their friends and teachers. Following the event, mindfulness techniques were applied by Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar.
Students developed solution proposals for social problems
Among the students' post-event suggestions were: happy traffic, an obesity hour, chairs that can rise as high as desired for individuals with disabilities, widespread use of electric vehicles for everyone regarding the climate crisis, transforming traffic rules into children's games to find solutions for traffic problems, motion-sensor clothing for visually impaired children, a chair providing exercise movements for strengthening muscles for paralyzed individuals, a rainbow children's game, invented by the student, that strengthens communication, sign designs for every place with water for water conservation, an educational digital game idea (a game design where a rectangular-shaped button changes text, and touching unread words or sentences makes the game speak that sentence), the idea of a safe area in every home for disaster management, an earthquake robot for people who cannot provide an earthquake kit (which would give earthquake kits from its compartment to those without one, thanks to its antennas), and robotic arms that can move children with paralyzed arms or legs who cannot walk.
In response to the question ‘What would you like to tell children your age in 2033?’, a student replied: “They should allocate time for everything, they should research. Since they are 9 years old, they should learn English before they turn 12. They should spend two hours resting, two hours working, ten hours sleeping, thirty minutes having breakfast, thirty minutes having lunch, thirty minutes resting in the evening, and two hours with their friends in the evenings.”
The second event was held at Heybeliada Primary School
The second “I have an idea too” applied science workshop, with its main theme of games and gamification, was held at Heybeliada Primary School. 33 students aged 9-10, attending 4th grade, participated in the talk event.
İsmail Yurtsever, the principal of Heybeliada Primary School, which hosted the science talks, along with school teachers Derya Doğan and Nursevin Anatuna, guided students in the applied workshop to bring forth solutions to pre-determined social problems.
Among the students' post-event suggestions were: drawing attention to electricity saving by writing 'turn off if unnecessary', 'if children hear me in 2033, close zoos, free animals, stop selling cigarettes, cola, and beer, be polite to your mothers, I would like to make as many innovations as Atatürk', converting waste into compost, mediation to ensure peace, doing what scientists say for the climate crisis, designing a math game by doing multiplication, division equals rounding, sending quilts, pillows, water, food, and game bags to disaster victims, 'don't make school rules too difficult so everyone can comply', writing letters to country leaders for a peaceful world, using as much water as needed for water conservation, 'everyone should plant saplings for a green world', 'if we play with artificial intelligence, we cannot socialize', training better architects to prevent earthquakes, opening a club for the visually impaired and providing education to children there, making a traffic robot, giving way to animals in traffic, and suggestions such as wanting all of Turkey to go to Anıtkabir and recite the National Anthem on the 100th anniversary of the Republic.
TÜBİTAK Science Talks participation certificate and commemorative plaque presented
At the end of both programs, Adalar District National Education Director Neşe Vural presented Asst. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar with a TÜBİTAK Science Talks participation certificate and a commemorative plaque for her knowledge and contributions.
