RESEARCHERS' NIGHT – European Science and Fun Day
European Science and Fun Day is an event that aims to bring science together with different segments of society and contribute to the wider dissemination of a culture of science. Through activities ranging from scientific experiments to concerts, exhibitions, shows, panel discussions and games, science and entertainment are brought together.
Hosted by Istanbul Aydın University, "European Science and Fun Day, Istanbul 2014" was held at the Florya Campus on 26 September 2014. Experimental workshops, simulator activities, exhibitions, scientific talks and various entertaining events were organized. With the support of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, the event aimed to bring a broad audience, mostly children and young people, together with scientific activities.
Our Children's University contributed to the project in the areas of organization and education by conducting film screenings about the lives of scientists and inventors, workshops in electricity, electronics and robotics, astronomy observations, internet-based astronomy activities, molecular biology experiments, mind games and fun science activities.
ISTANBUL AYDIN UNIVERSITY CHILDREN'S UNIVERSITY – UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL "WHAT WE RECOMMEND" PROJECT
Throughout May 2015, "What We Recommend" workshops were held with students aged 12–15 at Istanbul Aydın University Children's University. The workshops were organized as an activity of the SiS Catalyst project coordinated by the University of Liverpool.
In the first stage of the activities, children discussed the importance of knowledge in everyday life and education, the factors that positively or negatively affect educational processes, and the barriers to learning. In the second stage, students shared their views on how barriers to access to education could be overcome.
At the end of the workshops, students were asked to develop recommendations for increasing access to educational opportunities and the number of people continuing into higher education. Their recommendations were recorded on video and shared via YouTube.
SiS Catalyst is an international initiative that aims to make scientific activities accessible and widespread for children, support children's participation in social processes, and increase awareness of higher education.
Three main themes stand out in SiS Catalyst activities:
1. Listening to children,
2. Recognizing the importance of dialogue between children and policy makers,
3. Supporting this dialogue so that children's voices can reach the media and policy makers.
ENRICHED SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAM PROJECT FOR DISADVANTAGED GIFTED CHILDREN
Supported by the Istanbul Development Agency, the project was designed to meet the educational needs of children who were socioeconomically disadvantaged and identified as gifted. Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Education and the Child Education Application and Research Center developed an educational program that aimed to support students' psychological, social and cognitive development and integrated thinking skills into different subjects.
The project aimed to screen approximately 3,000 students in grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the districts of Esenler, Bayrampaşa, Güngören and Küçükçekmece and to include 300 students identified as gifted in the enriched education program.
The eight-week program included Thinking Skills, Fun Science, Astronomy, English, Graphic and Web Design and Music. As part of the "Talent Meetings," students also met experts in entrepreneurship, leadership and personal development.
Another dimension of the project consisted of training activities for students' families and teachers. Training for families was planned on topics such as the characteristics of gifted children, parental attitudes, discipline and boundaries, effective communication, perfectionism and asynchronous development.
The project aimed to reflect not only horizontal enrichment, based on adding different subjects and topics to the program, but also vertical enrichment designed to develop students' thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills.
IMPROVING E-LEARNING TRAINING COMPETENCIES OF ADULT EDUCATION TEACHERS – Development of Distance Education Competencies of Adult Educators
The "Improving E-Learning Training Competencies of Adult Education Teachers" project was carried out to develop adult educators' knowledge and skills in distance education.
The project was implemented through the collaboration of Istanbul Aydın University, the Governorship of Istanbul, Istanbul Technical University, the Global Education, Culture and Communication Association, and AKETH, which carried out the training activities in Greece. Researchers from the Children's University were among those conducting the project on behalf of Istanbul Aydın University.
Within the scope of the project, participants organized six workshops on distance education in their own countries, and the presentations used in the workshops were shared online. Participants then attended a distance education training program organized by AKETH in Trikala, Greece, between 5 and 13 November 2016 and qualified for certification.
During the training process, participants learned to use the Moodle learning management system and shared the knowledge and experience they gained with teachers and students as part of dissemination activities.
MY SCHOOL UNDERSTANDS ME AND SUPPORTS MY TALENT THROUGH A SUPPORT EDUCATION ROOM
Supported by the Istanbul Development Agency, the project covers the establishment of support education rooms for gifted children in cooperation with Istanbul Aydın University and the districts of Küçükçekmece, Güngören, Esenler, Bayrampaşa and Kadıköy, the provision of educational materials for these rooms, and training for teachers and families.
The project planned to establish a total of 12 support education rooms; provide seminars titled "Our Differences Are Our Richness" for approximately 3,000 students and 3,000 parents; and include selected gifted students in a 60-hour support education room program and their families in a 24-hour training program.
TÜBİTAK 4004 "I DO SCIENCE IN NATURE" PROJECT
Within the scope of the TÜBİTAK 4004 Nature Education and Science Schools Support Program, the "I Do Science in Nature!" project was carried out through the collaboration of Istanbul Aydın University and the Eastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration (DAP) for middle school students living in children's homes in the DAP Region.
The project, conducted by Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Education, was held in the Arapgir district of Malatya between 18 and 22 June 2018 with 40 students in grades 6 and 7 from children's homes in Bitlis and Muş.
During the five-day project, students were encouraged to observe nature from a scientific perspective; develop skills in examination, recording, inquiry and scientific processes; and develop curiosity and positive attitudes toward science. The activities included scientific studies, interactive games and argumentation-based learning practices.
Our Children's University supported the project in the areas of organization, education and content development.
TÜBİTAK 4007 "LET'S BE ENLIGHTENED BY SCIENCE" PROJECT
The "Let's Be Enlightened by Science" project, carried out within the TÜBİTAK 4007 Science Festivals Support Program, aimed to bring scientists together with different segments of society, communicate scientific knowledge to the public through interactive activities, and promote positive attitudes toward science.
The project was held at Istanbul Aydın University Florya Campus on 5–6 October 2018 and included 79 workshops and interactive activities in fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, engineering, STEM, robotics, coding, technology, astronomy, medicine and education. Talks by scientists from different fields and various stage activities were also organized.
Our Children's University contributed to the project in the areas of organization and education by conducting film screenings about the lives of scientists and inventors, workshops in electricity, electronics and robotics, astronomy observations, molecular biology experiments, mind games and fun science activities.
TÜBİTAK 4007 "WORLD STEM FESTIVAL" PROJECT
The primary aim of the World STEM Festival was to increase children's interest in STEM fields, help them become familiar with related careers, foster an appreciation of science and scientists, and support understanding of the interaction among science, technology, society, the environment and the individual.
The festival was held as a public event at Istanbul Aydın University in September 2018. Its target audience included students from preschool through university level, teachers and families.
Activities were organized in areas such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, robotics, coding, programming and fun science. In addition to integrated STEM education, the program included sky observations, programming with robotic devices, coding, maker and engineering activities, science shows and scientific talks.
Our Children's University supported the project in the areas of organization and education.
TÜBİTAK 4005 "ARGUMENTATION-BASED VIRTUAL LABORATORY APPLICATIONS" PROJECT
The project aimed to develop science and technology teachers' knowledge and skills related to argumentation-based teaching and virtual laboratory applications. Following the training, teachers were expected to develop argumentation-based experimental activities and implement them with their students in virtual laboratory environments.
Virtual laboratory activities created using computer simulations aimed to introduce teachers to different teaching environments and provide students with opportunities to conduct scientific inquiry at their own pace, independent of time and place.
The second implementation of the project was carried out as a pilot study with Children's University instructors and mentors.
ISTKA "EMBRACE LIFE" PROJECT
The "Embrace Life" project focused on how education designed to develop life skills in children and young people could be implemented. The aim was to develop life skills not only at the level of knowledge but also at the levels of skills, competencies and behavior.
Academic support for the trainer-training project, coordinated by the Governorship of Istanbul and supported by the Istanbul Development Agency across 22 districts, was provided by Istanbul Aydın University.
Within the scope of the project, Children's University trainers completed their training and implemented life-skills activities with students based on the knowledge and experience they gained.
UNESCO "STEM SCHOOL FOR GIRLS" PROJECT
The "STEM School for Girls" project, carried out in cooperation with the Gender Equality Specialized Committee of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and Istanbul Aydın University, aimed to support girls' interest in and participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Within the scope of the project, training activities were conducted for approximately 700 students in Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Kocaeli, including Syrian students, and participants received certificates.
ISTKA "NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY" PROJECT
The Neighborhood Academy project aimed to equip children and young people with creative thinking and adaptability skills suited to the needs of a rapidly changing world. Neighborhood Academy was designed as an interactive education center that enables students to learn through discovery and collaboration.
The academic coordination of the project, carried out jointly with the Governorship of Istanbul, Başakşehir District Governorship and Başakşehir District Directorate of National Education, was undertaken by Istanbul Aydın University.
The "Neighborhood Academy Maker Faire," which was planned within the scope of the project, could not be held because of the COVID-19 pandemic; instead, a digital project exhibition was prepared.
ISTKA COVID-19 COMBATING AND RESILIENCE PROGRAM – "PSYCHOLOGICAL, COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE MOODLE SYSTEM" PROJECT
The project, prepared within the COVID-19 Combating and Resilience Program, aimed to identify the guidance needs of families of children with learning difficulties and to support children and their families psychologically, cognitively and socially through the Moodle system.
An application was submitted for the project; however, it was not implemented because it did not qualify for support during the evaluation process.
TEKNOFEST AEROSPACE AND TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL – 2019
Within the TEKNOFEST 2019 Technology for Humanity Competition, 10 students attending the Istanbul Aydın University Children's University project class and their advisor Aydın Özmen developed three projects in the "Environment," "Transportation" and "Disaster Management" categories.
The projects passed all elimination stages and qualified to be exhibited and to compete at the festival.
TEKNOFEST AEROSPACE AND TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL – 2020
Within the TEKNOFEST 2020 Technology for Humanity Competition, six students attending the Istanbul Aydın University Children's University project class and their advisor Lecturer Pınar Karadayı Ataş prepared a project in the "Health and First Aid" category.
The project passed the preliminary selection stage and proceeded to detailed project report evaluation.
FUTURE CLASSROOMS, FUTURE TEACHERS
Within the "Future Classrooms, Future Teachers" project, four "Future Classrooms" (FCL) were established in the districts of Küçükçekmece, Üsküdar and Beşiktaş and at Istanbul Aydın University.
The project aimed to provide students with innovative learning environments, help teachers learn teaching methods suitable for future classrooms, and support families in adapting to new educational processes. The target groups included 500 primary school students in Küçükçekmece and Üsküdar, 50 gifted students at the Science and Art Center in Beşiktaş, 100 pre-service teachers at Istanbul Aydın University, and 1,000 primary school teachers across Istanbul.
Training programs were organized for teachers who would work in the future classrooms established at four different locations. Activities focused on enabling teachers to use technology and innovative teaching methods effectively in the classroom, while students participated in applied learning activities across different disciplines. Teachers prepared learning scenarios suited to students' individual characteristics and implemented them in the classroom.
Training programs for families aimed to raise awareness of technology use and active learning environments.
A technological learning laboratory course was created for pre-service teachers at Istanbul Aydın University, enabling them to experience innovative practices used in future classrooms and supporting their professional development. Based on the data obtained from the project, national and international scientific publications were prepared with the aim of disseminating the practices and methods developed in the project to wider audiences.
