MADIUN: Special MBE Target School KKG-MGMP

One of the difficulties that teachers encounter in implementing PAKEM is in planning interesting lessons (making lesson plans) that are able to make students active using a variety of activities. Teachers in Madiun have overcome this by conducting a series of teachers working group (KKG and MGMP) meetings.

The first teachers working group meeting was held in October 2005. It lasted about 3 hours and included:

1. General discussion: The activities started with a number of stories of teachers' experiences with PAKEM method learning and the problems they faced. They shared their ideas on how to solve the problems.

2. Mapping of Basic Competencies; Participants were asked to choose one basic competency that they will soon be teaching. They then divided into class groups, grades 3-6 for primary schools and grades 1-3 for junior secondary schools. The basic competency was mapped and teachers thought of learning resources that they could use, and learning experiences for the students.

3. Presentation and Improvements: After the mapping had finished each group gave a presentation and the other groups were asked to respond and to add anything they thought necessary.

The Second Teachers Working Group Meeting

This was a continuation of the first teachers working group meeting. The activity took place in December 2005. The participants were asked to bring their lesson plans from the first teachers working group meeting and also their students' work from the actual lesson. The activities were divided up as follows:

1. Discusson of students' work: The participants were asked to talk about how their lessons went and present their students' work. The problems they faced were also discussed so as to get feedback from the other participants.

2. Mapping another Basic Competency: Participants were asked to choose another Basic Competency that they would be teaching in the near future. The participants discussed what learning resources they would need and what learning experiences the students should be given.

3. Presentation and Improvements: After the mapping had finished each group made a presentation and the other groups were asked to respond and to add anything they thought necessary.

Similar activities will be held again in February 2006. After teachers are used to making lesson plans the activities and topics for the teachers working group will be changed.

BANYUWANGI: A Study Visit from West Kalimantan

Early in the month of December 2005, the MBE target schools in the Banyuwangi sub-district were visited by four districts from West Kalimantan including Kabupaten Sambas and Pontianak and Kota Pontianak and Singkawang. The participants in this study visit included the Head and Deputy Heads of the Education Office, Heads of Sub-district Offices and supervisors and principals of primary and junior secondary schools, in all about 57 people.

The participants looked very enthusiastic when they observed the teaching learning processes using PAKEM. There was also a lot dialog between the participants and the school principals and committee members. In the photo right you can see the principal of the SMPN 1 Banyuwangi school committee, Bpk Kadir illustrating the role of the parents' groups, which have been running very successfully.

The participants were also very interested in the parents' groups that give great support to the implementation of the school program at classroom level. They asked questions directly to the students about their impressions of PAKEM. From these short visits they said that they were very satisfied and wanted to implement PAKEM in their own schools.

Making Ice-cream = A Physics Lesson

Physics lessons are no longer frightening or boring for students. On the contrary they have become enjoyable and challenging. This was evident during a physics lesson at SMPN 1 Banyuwangi. The students showed great enthusiasm and enjoyment during the lesson. They tried to relate the physics lessons to everyday activities.

Ibu Rini, a Science teacher at SMPN 1 Banyuwangi, taught "Transfer of heat, change of form, lowering the melting point of ice, and heat insulation" by making ice cream. During the ice-cream making activity the students saw for themselves that creating heat from movement resulted in a change of shape.

The materials and equipment were relatively cheap, only requiring salt, some ice blocks, syrup, a number of flavors and old biscuit tins. It appears that students understood better and more easily the principles involved by using this method rather just reading about it in their books.