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During the teaching and learning processes the teacher explained all about volcanoes, how they occur, what they are made of, their activity and the theories about them.
At SDN Pucangan 4, Kartasura the students used a model of a volcano to understand how it works. Models were made by groups of students, using materials available around the school, such as earth, leaves, chalk and coloring that was bought cheaply from stalls around the school.
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Learning English at MTsN Nganjuk with MBE and "Radio Station Suara Ulul Albab"
"Speak English First"
What is "Speak English First"? It is an English program on the radio. The program is broadcast by Suara Ulul Albab, a radio station located in the area of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri Nganjuk. Suara Ulul Albab is a Community Radio, so most of the listeners are from the families of MTsN Nganjuk.
Speak English First is programmed in order to develop students' competence in listening to and speaking English. It aims to help English Learners of any background to improve their English ability. Listeners can relax while listening to English songs and music, English tips, English interviews and discussing MTsN Nganjuk. Sometimes they invite other students or teachers to be their guests.
MBE and English teaching at MTsN Nganjuk
The presence of MBE with its or CTL program in Nganjuk and at MTsN Nganjuk encourages English teachers to develop their overall competence in teaching English in interesting ways. English classes at MTsN Nganjuk try not to be frightening. Learning English at MTsN Nganjuk is expected to be fun. MBE supports this.
By devising a variety of ways to practice English, students are motivated to develop their skills. A wide variety of listening practice presented using audio and audio visual cassettes has become part of English activities.
This is supplemented by writing activities using modules and projects which are displayed on a special board as a source of learning. What about games, songs, and learning outdoors? Right, they sometimes follow English class activities. They make English class more fun. Thanks MBE
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Above: The students practice speaking and listening interactively through Radio Station Ulul Albab (English Program on The Radio)
Side: The crew of Suara Ulul Albab with Ibu Am (Wakasek MTsN Nganjuk) and Pak Bambang (District Facilitator)
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By MA Rosyid, English Teacher at MTsN Nganjuk
This article was written and printed in English (after editing) in the Indonesian version of Suara MBE.
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Developing a Reading Culture in America
Here is a story based on an interesting experience in the USA, when we MBE facilitators (Bambang, Irma, Kun WZ, dan Supriyanto) were invited by the US State Department as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. It concerns the organization and use of libraries. In the picture below you can see a school library complete with computers.
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One way of using the library seen in this schools was as follows:
Books were numbered according to their classification;
A list of questions was made about each of the books according to its number.
When a student borrows a book and reads it, he or she is asked to go to the computer and opens the program with the questions according to the number of the book.
The students have to answer the questions in the program.
From the answers the computer is able to measure the reading ability of the student.
In another program run from time to time in order to create a reading culture, the regional library runs a reading program for schools and also gives books to schools free of charge. During the school holidays the library also runs activities such as Wild Reading and Summer Reading.
These activities have the effect of creating a reading culture, just as in the picture at the top of the page, where an assistant teacher is sitting reading silently in class.
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Based on our brief experiences we think that this is an idea which could be developed here in Indonesia. We have been inspired to organize our school library better, even though it is not as good as the one shown above.
Written by Supriyanto, District Facilitator in Pati
Bpk Supriyanto visited the USA by invitation of the US government in May and June 2006.
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