Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Education hosted İbrahim Yıldırım within the scope of “6th International Career Week” events organized by the EMU Alumni Communication and Career Research Directorate, precious academicians and experts.
İbrahim Yıldırım who has been teaching in Yeşilyurt village from Tokat province in Turkey is known with his project on transforming mathematics from abstract to concrete concepts. Being deemed worthy of the “Innovativeness in Education” award in 2013, İbrahim Yıldırım created a learning environment where students are able to create, touch or experience abstract concepts of mathematics by using materials made from wood, foam and plastic. Yıldırım shared his own experiences with the teacher candidates who are currently studying in EMU.
İbrahim Yıldırım commenced his speech by touching on one of the basic responsibilities of teaching profession, the importance of finding and interpreting the information rather than presenting it. Although the significant impact of social media in our daily lives and the effective use of social media by teachers, Yıldırım shared his observation on smart boards in which the teachers struggle, on the other hand students managed to cope with such boards with ease. Yıldırım stated that even though the teachers do not read books due to the great interest created by the social media, they are constantly making an effort to encourage the students to read. Moreover, Yıldırım mentioned that in today’s circumstances, it is very difficult to control whether the students are reading the assigned books or not. According to Yıldırım, the issue should be discussed in detail.
By stating that transferring mathematical operations into a concrete concept is the most meaningful and memorable way of learning, İbrahim Yıldırım mentioned that students are learning in a more effective and a fast way with the concrete concepts by touching and playing games. Yıldırım shared on his own experiences with the audience and stated that the Turkish War of Independence period which normally takes up to 6 hours when it is taught, is now can be taught within an hour by dramatizations and plays. On the other hand, Yıldırım said that, with the Math Playground, they are able to teach mathematics to children without putting stress on them.
According to Yıldırım, having a way of thinking similar to the students plays an important role. By showing total of 50 toys created by the children, Yıldırım stated that students can achieve everything with appropriate guidance.
İbrahim Yıldırım answered the questions of the teacher candidates at the end of his speech. The sessions ended with the presentation of a thank you plaque to İbrahim Yıldırım by Eastern Mediterranean University Education Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Ülker Vancı Osam.
