The 5th Reflection of TLL

To teach thinking skill through technology is quite hard because it deals with student’s ability in using the target language and their thinking abilities. Sometimes, the students cannot achieve the target language and the thinking abilities in solving problems. Thus, by using technology can enhance their thinking skill. The language learners should be given chances to use high-level-thinking and inquiry-based learning. The inquiry-based learning is bound with the cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA) in terms of language for supporting language and content learning (Chamot & O’Malley, 1994). Both inquiry-based learning and CALLA has aimed to make the students as a co-constructor of deepened content learning aided by the development of cognitive strategies.

            There are a lot of requirements to use the technology to support thinking. The teachers should give attention in students’ cognitive process because it must be involved in the learning activities. The teachers need to provide the technology tools to support a wide range of thinking and problem-solving opportunities. The teachers should use the tools within the learning approach based on the understanding of inquiry, problem-based learning, and language learning. In the other side, the students need to perform a whole, meaningful task, not sub skill. The tool could bring the burden to students because it scaffolds the elements of the task, so the students cannot finish it alone. The tools bring complex versions of the task for the students.

            Beside of that, the students need to have willingness to understand the engagement of technology in developing their thinking skill. There are three instruction models in designing inquiry-based learning activities. The first one is Bloom’s Taxonomy of the cognitive domain that provides further Web-based information for the example three domains of educational activities – Bloom’s Taxonomy. The second model is Hunter’s Model – Seven step lesson plan which also provide further Web-based information like Hunter Model lesson Plan. The last one is constructivism and social constructivism which provide Web-based information like constructivism and Technology. There is also Webquest which is designed to support thinking and problem solving on the web.

            I just hope by having those kinds of technologies can make us easier to teach thinking skill of the students. It is the advantageous for us as the next generation of educators.

The Micro-teaching Experience

The awesome things happened in the previous meeting of PETA course. One group presented their lesson plan in front of class by using role play. They were a lucky group because they were chosen by lottery. They were great in presenting their lesson plan. I could learn so many things from them to teach my students someday. To be an effective teacher is not as easy as reversing the palm of hand. We need to conduct the effective teaching in the class room. How could I do that in my class? That is the question which comes up in my mind.

After that, Miss Iné spreads some articles about some models of teaching methods to every group. Every member in a group got the different articles. We were given time to read that articles. It was a little bit hard to understand the point of the articles. So, that is way we were asked to discuss the articles with the one who got the same articles. By doing that, we could get the deeper understanding about the articles.

By the way, the articles were about some models of methods in teaching. Thus, by learning those methods we were expected to be able to implement the effective teaching in the class room. After having a discussion with my group, I got four models of teaching methods. Those are Direct Instruction Model, Lecture –discussion Model, Group Interaction Model, and Guided Discovery.

The review in the end of lesson was found in those models. In Guided Discovery Model, the teachers help “scaffolding students”. The teachers guide the students to achieve the objectives. In Lecture-discussion Model, the control is on the teacher when this model was implemented. While, in Direct Instruction Model there is independent learning in the end of lesson.

Resource: The picture was taken from http://www.google.co.id/imgres?q=micro+teaching (November, 17th 2011)

Between Easy and Hard

The second meeting of PETA was very awesome. The lecturer gave us opportunity to watch movie about thematic learning that was implemented in elementary school. I and my team were ordered to find some interesting parts in the movie and find some characteristics of effective teaching and ineffective teaching. This kind of thing was like our practice to assess the learning process in the class. We needed to explain and give prove if we found effective teaching in the class or ineffective teaching.

There were some interesting parts that I remembered.  The first interesting part is the opening, the elementary students just remained me when I was an elementary student too. The way they prayed together was like my praying condition in my elementary school. They had a lot of spirit to learn, their voice is so cohesive, and they looked so ready to study in the class. Then, there was the observation activity outside the class. They felt so happy to observe the rambutan tree together. That is the point, we as the next generation of teacher should create the good atmosphere to our students so they could feel so comfort in our class.

In our previous meeting, we were refreshed again about the Bloom’s Taxonomy. Regarding with that, I memorized the six items of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The first until the third were remembering, understanding, and applying. It was known by LOTS (Low Order Thinking Skills) and the three last items were analyzing, evaluating, and creating that was known by HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills). The Bloom’s Taxonomy was about the six cognitive processes varying in the level of complexity.

The next activity in my previous meeting was my lecturer told us about the twin sins of curriculum. The first is Activity-focused: Hands-on without minds-on that means the teacher only gives the students games or fun activity but no cognitive of students involved. The second is Coverage approach: teach, test, and hope for the best that means the teacher do the monotonous learning process. The teacher only teach the students commonly, then give the test and only hope for the best result of students without doing the best.

In the end of meeting, we needed to make lesson plan about certain subject. This activity trained us as a teacher to analyze the objectives to students, whether the objectives are appropriate or not? We had to think hard because it was not easy. We had to decide it carefully because the making process of basic competence (KD) and competence standard (SK) should think about the students need. We also needed to integrate it with match activity and relate the compatibility and the objectives.

That was great meeting because I can dig deeper to find the principal of effective teaching and assessment. Every meeting could create me to be the effective teacher. It was my expectation.

Resource: The picture was taken from http://www.google.co.id/imgres?q=thematic+learning (November, 17th 2011)

The Shocking Footprint

I joined Environmental Education course in the third semester. I am interested in this elective course because I want to respect the environment because our environment is getting worse. I also want to do the real action to keep our environment better. I want to change my habitual action which is bad because by joining Environmental Education I can learn more about the eco-friendly life. In the previous meetings, I experienced the journey as a human that destroy our earth a lot because so far I have not realized yet that actually I also gave the contribution to make this earth worse.

I want to be the green teacher so I can spread to my students to keep this earth better. This is the link of my footprint http://myfootprint.org/en/your_results/?id=1612262 . By opening that link, you can see my contribution to make this earth worse. Thus, start from now on, I will try to implement eco-friendly life. I do not want to destroy the earth anymore because I still want to see the bright future of the next generation. So, by knowing our footprint we can start to decrease it to keep our environment better.

I can take the advantages by joining this course. I realized that we as human need to do the real action because so far we destroyed our earth until the threat came to us. The natural disaster happened because of the human’s action. The big current issue about global warming made all people in the world should think about the effect in the future. Unfortunately, there are only some people who gave their attention about this issue. We need to make other people aware about this case so it will be much better if many people know about it. If there are many people know about it and they can do the real action to keep our earth so our earth will be better. Then, they can invite their relatives and friends to do the same. As the next generation of teacher, I am going to spread this to my students so I can invite them all to do the real action.

Resource: The picture was taken from http://www.google.co.id/imgres?q=footprint (November, 17th 2011)

The 4th Reflective Journal of TLL

According to me, writing is one of the hardest skills even more in English. If we want to have good writing skill, we have to practice it a lot. We cannot have good writing skill instantly. We need to conduct our idea and English which is very hard. We should master English first then, it can help us in conducting our idea in writing. The problem is sometime we are strong in speaking but weak in writing, so it is about talent or interest. Nowadays, we have technology which could help us a lot in improving our writing skill. Step by step, we can sharpen our writing skill by learning the process of writing itself.

Based on Raimes (1991) the focus of second language writing has changed but it can still give effect on today’s writing skill. in 1960s writing was viewed as a means of reinforcing speech patterns but in 1980s till present as a text understood by the reader. There are also some approaches that can be used to L2 writing instruction. One of them is Form-focused approach, this approach includes two types. Those are Grammar-based and Discourse structure-based instruction. This emphasize on accuracy. I am going to relate this approach with myself. I am in progress in acquiring English and this approach demands the correct grammatical sentences. Sometimes, I made mistakes in grammar so that is why I am a little bit afraid of writing.

Once more, I am glad to know that there are so many websites which can provide us easier way to learn writing. In Grammar-based instruction, we can open ESL Blues, Guide to grammar and Writing, and also Grammar Safari. There is Reader/audience-dominated Approach that gives better attention to the reader and reader expectations. In this approach there is Computer-mediated communication (CMC). It is online discussion forums and email exchange projects, we can discuss something based on our interest. The examples are Dave’s ESL Cafe and Englishforums.com.

As the next generation of teachers, I can reflect it based on the perspective from the students. I am a student ,now and I know that writing is hard. I can try to teach them appropriately because writing skill is one of the hardest skills.