Sepenggal Perjalanan

LIFE is FULL of TRAPS

2010-05-10T16:00:00.004+07:00

Some feel that problems exist only in childhood or at early stage of life like this

Some feel that problems exits only when we disturb someone like this

Some feel that problems exist only when we are ready to take anything like this

Some feel that problems exist only when we do things blindly like this

Some feel that problems exist only when we dare to enter a trap like this

Some feel that problems exist only when we are in love with someone like this

Some feel that problems exist only when we try to aim at very huge things like this

12 Ways to Know That You Love Someone

2010-04-27T20:31:00.003+07:00

TWELVE:

You talk with him/her late at night and when you go to bed you still think of him/her.

ELEVEN:

You walk really slowly when you are with him/her.

TEN:

You don't feel Ok when he/she is far away.

NINE:

You smile when you hear his/her voice.

EIGHT:

When you look at him/her, you do not see other people around you. You see only him/her.

SIX:

He /She is everything you want to think.

FIVE:

You realize that you smile every time you look at him/her.

FOUR:

You would do anything to see him/her.

THREE:

While you have been reading this, there was a person in your mind all the time.

TWO:

You've been so busy thinking of that person that you didn't notice that number 7 is missing :)

ONE:

You are going to check above if that's true and now you are silently laughing to yourself.

NOW, MAKE A WISH!

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT THE MOST.......

Senyum-KU Senyum-MU

2010-04-13T21:32:00.005+07:00

Mana SENYUM yang PALING MIRIP

dengan SENYUMMU?

ih... masak cuma ngintip... :)

How MEN Change

2010-03-12T15:22:00.002+07:00

The Love Word:
After 6 weeks: I looo-ve you, I love you, I love you!
After 6 months: Of course, I love you.
After 6 years: GOD, if I didn't love you, then why did I marry you?

Back from Work:
After 6 weeks: Honey, I'm home!
After 6 months: I'm BACK!!
After 6 years: Have you cooked yet?

Phone Ringing:
After 6 weeks: Baby, somebody wants you on the phone.
After 6 months: Here, it's for you.
After 6 years: ANSWER THE PHONE DAM*T!!

Cooking:
After 6 weeks: I never knew food could taste so good!
After 6 months: What are we having for dinner tonight?
After 6 years: DUMPLING AGAIN??

New Dress:
After 6 weeks: Wow, you look like an angel in that dress.
After 6 months: You bought a new dress again?
After 6 years: How much did THAT cost me?

TV:
After 6 weeks: Baby, what would you like us to watch tonight?
After 6 months: I like this movie.
After 6 years: I'm going to watch PIRATES play, if you're not in the mood, go to bed, I can stay up by myself!

Making Love: Ops... 18 + +
After 6 weeks: Baby, I want you tonight?
After 6 months: Lets make another baby, my mother just called!!!
After 6 years: Please MOVE over to your side, I'm suffocating here!!!!

Facebook Note

Angel Smiling On You

2010-02-24T01:07:00.000+07:00

Tears streamed down my face as I sat at my grandmother's funeral. My grandmother lived a very full life, and was full of energy, love, and wisdom. She always said the right thing for the situation. And, whenever we had a problem, we knew we could talk with Grandma.

As a teenager, I can remember many conversations where Grandmother would give us her worldly wisdom and she would always end up saying you have an angel smiling on you dear I know you will do the right thing. Now, here we were at her funeral, and I could almost hear her saying, the angels are smiling on us. Now, I really knew I had an angel smiling on me as I am sure Grandma was in heaven smiling down and watching out for us.

I offered to help my Mum sort through Grandma's apartment. The next few days were filled with memories, and filled with laughter, and filled with tears. As we sorted through Grandma's stuff, it brought back some wonderful memories. I was packing the last of the dishes when my mum called to me. I went into Grandma's bedroom, and my mum handed me a package with my name written on it. I opened the box and read the poem:

May this little Angel shine upon your home

Filling your days with cheer

Know that She stands on guard for you

To help you smile all year.

And Grandma had handwritten, "hang this stained glass angel in your window to remind you of your angel Kate! Love Grandma"

To this day, I have the stained glass angel hanging in my bedroom window. And, every time I look at it I can hear Grandma saying:

"You have an angel smiling on you dear, I know you will do the right thing."

Heart of Gratitude

2010-02-18T16:12:00.003+07:00

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Where you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."

I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show lefe that you have 1000 reasons to smile face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.

The most beautiful is to see a person smiling, and even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!

Enjoy your day with a heart of gratitude.!

I got the answer

2010-02-16T23:32:00.001+07:00

I always wondered "why the hell did I start felling sleepy the very moment I reach office...???"

Finally I got the answer.... Mystery resolved

God thinks your're wonderful!

2010-02-03T20:20:00.002+07:00

God is fond of you

if he had a wallet
your photo would be in it
if he had a refrigerator
your picture would be on it

He sands you flowers every spring
and sunrise every morning

Whenever you want to talk,
he'll listen

He can live anywhere
in the universe
and he chose
your heart

Face it, friend
He's crazy about you

Btw, it may be difficult for you to believe that
God knows your name...
but he does written on his hand
spoken by his mouth
whispered by his lips
your name
"I have written your name on my hand" (Isaiah 49:16)

our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings
that God wants to give

so try this
the next time a sunrise steals your breath....
or a meadow of flowers
leaves you speechless...
remain that way

say nothing and listen as heaven whispers
"Do you like it?
I did it just for you"

if we gave gifts to show our love
how much more would he?

He could have left the world, flat and gray...
but he didn't

He splashed orange in the sunrise...
and cast the sky in blue
And if you love to see geese as they gather
chances are you'll see that too

Did he have to make the squirrel's tail furry?
Was he obliged to make the birds sing?
and the funny way that chickens scurry...
or the majesty of thunder when it rings?
why give a flower fragrance?
Why give food its taste?
Could it be he loves to see that look upon your face?

So promise me
you'll never forget that you aren't an accident...
or an accident... you are a gift to the world
a divine work of art signed by God

"You knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13)

you were knit together
you weren't mass-produced
you aren't an assembly-line product
you were deliberately planned
specifically gifted
and lovingly positioned
on this earth....
by the Master Crafts-Man

He thinks you are the best thing
to come down the pike in quite a while
Tern to the sidelines;
that God cheering your run
Look past the finish line;
that God applauding your steps

God is for you
Had he a calendar
your birthday would be circled
if he drove a car
your name would be on his bumper
if there's a tree in heaven
he's carved your name in the bark

Maybe you don't want to trouble God with your hurts
But... he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7)
He is waiting for you
to embrace you
whether you succeed or fail

Your heavenly Father is very fond of you
as only wants to share his love with you

Blessed be the LORD you God who has delighted in you (1 Kings 10:9

Untethered by time God sees us all
Vagabonds and ragamuffins all
he saw us before we were born
and he loves what he sees

Flooded by emotion
overcome by pride
the Starmaker turns to us
one by one, and says
"You are my child
I love you dearly
I'm aware that someday
you'll turn from me and walk away
But I want you to know
I've already provided a way back"

You have captured the heart of God
He cannot bear to live without you
God's dream is to make you right with him
And the path to the cross
tell us exactly how far
God will go to call us back

it is not our love for God
it is God's love for us
in sending his Son
to be the way
to take away our sins (1 John 4:10)

"Can anything make me stop loving you?" God asks

"You wonder how long my love will last?
Watch me speak your language
sleep on your earth
and feel your hurts
Find your answer
on a splintered cross
on a craggy hill
That's how much I love you"

God does more than forgive our mistakes;
he removes them!
we simply have
to take them to him.
You can talk to God
because God listens

Let a tear appear on your cheek
and he is there to wipe it
He has sent his angels to care for you
his Holy spirit to dwell in you....
his church to encourage you
and his word to guide you
as much as you want to see him
he wants to see you more

If you want to touch God's heart
us the name he loves to hear
call him "Father"
He thinks you're wonderful!

(Max Lucado)

Family Values

2010-02-03T20:13:00.002+07:00

Top 10 Essential Family Values

How do you define family values? In our home family values are rules or ideals that, as a family, we agree to live by and stay true to. The list of essential family values would be a mile long no doubt and the top 10 lists for each family would be as unique as the one that came up with it.

Having strong well defined family values helps solidify the foundation for a strong, tight knit family. When cultivated long enough this closeness provides a soft place to fall when life doesn’t go according to plan. Strong and consistent family values are important in building trust and confidence in each family member.

Here are my top 10 essential family values.

1. Belonging

It is important that each member of my family feel that they are loved, that they belong and that they matter. Being a cohesive family could mean that you spend every spare minute together doing family activities but keep in mind that everyone is different. Creating a strong family unit is great but each person should be allowed the space and freedom to explore the activities they think they may enjoy. People are more courageous and more willing to take chances if they know they have a safe place to come back to when things don’t quite work out. Coming together for special occasions and holidays and just spending time together as a family is what helps build that sense of belonging.

2. Flexibility

I’m all for order, schedules and structure in my family to help maintain some level of sanity. But too much structure and the unwillingness to give a little can result in a lot of unhappiness and resentment. The more flexibility you have in decision making, for example, the happier your family will be for it. Imagine one member of the family always thinking they are right and enforcing their way of doing things. This certainly wouldn’t lead to much happiness within the family unit.

3. Respect

This is a bit more difficult to define. For my family, to respect each other is to take feelings, thoughts, needs, and preferences in to account when making decisions. It also means acknowledging and valuing everyone’s thoughts, feelings and contributions to the family as a whole.

Respect is indeed earned and there is a very fine line between it and fear. The only way to earn and keep someone’s respect is to first show them respect yourself. Respect as an important family value will extend out of the home and into school, work or other social settings.

4. Honesty

This is the foundation of any relationships that are meant to last. Mother-daughter, husband-wife, sister-brother. Without honesty a deeper connection will not form and certainly won’t last. Encourage honesty by practicing understanding and respect when someone tells you of their wrong doings. If we lose it and get angry when we’re told what has happened the other person will be more likely to hide it from you next time simply to avoid the disrespect.

5. Forgiveness

Forgiving people who have wronged you is an important choice to make. Yes, forgiveness is a choice. It is not some feeling that randomly washes over you when you feel the other person has “suffered” enough. This can be tough since a lot of us tend to equate forgiveness with saying what you did was okay. They are not the same thing. Holding a grudge, is not conducive to a close family with mutual respect.

Keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes, we all occasionally say things we wish we hadn’t and non of us are perfect. Refer to value 3 communication. Get issues out in the open, gain some understanding and move on. Life is too short.

6. Generosity

Giving without thinking “what’s in it for me” is an important value for anyone wanting to be a responsible, contributing member to society. Through generosity we build empathy since we tend to think more about what people want or need. Being generous doesn’t mean simply handing over money to someone in need. It can also include giving your time, love, attention or even some of your possessions.

7. Curiosity

Children have a natural curiosity. If you’ve ever watched a toddler even for a couple of minutes you’d see that quality shine through. For some that curiosity wanes. I think it’s important to encourage and push our kids and even ourselves to be curious about things. Rarely should we ever just take someone’s word for it. How do we spark our curiosity? Ask questions. Lots of them. Read about a topic you know very little about and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. Critical thinking is an important skill that can be learned and developed through exploring your own curiosity.

8. Communication

Communication is as much an art as it is a science. A failure to communicate will likely lead to unhappiness and misunderstandings. Small issues grow into larger ones and when they eventually boil to the surface it’s unlikely they will be resolved calmly. Communication is a lot more than simply speaking your mind. In addition to spoken words, communication also extends to tone, volume, expression, eye contact, body language and effective listening.

I would argue that this is the most important value for families to have. When people feel they can talk openly about anything – hopes, dreams, fears, successes or failures – all without judgment, it’s encouraging and strengthens the bond.

9. Responsibility

We’d all like to be considered responsible people. Some of us are and some of us are decidedly less so. Responsibility is something that is learned. As a child you may have been shown how to put your toys away after playing, how to tidy your room or how and when to feed the dog. This sense of responsibility extends well into adulthood. An adult who has an intrinsic sense of responsibility doesn’t require a lot of prodding to show up to work on time, return phone calls or meet deadlines. Setting out individual responsibilities for family members works to instill this quality in everyone.

10. Traditions

This is by far the most fun for me. I think traditions are what make a family unique, they draw people together and create a sense of belonging for everyone. Traditions don’t need to be expensive, elaborate or a lot of work. It can be something as simple as a lazy Saturday morning sipping coffee and chatting or an annual fondue dinner to ring in the new year. If you don’t currently have traditions in your family, create them! All traditions started with one person why not let your family traditions start with you? Get creative and have fun.

So those are my top 10 family values. Of course there are others I’ll be incorporating but these are the most important to me.

Do we have many in common? What is in your top 10?

Life is Excellent

2008-12-15T08:58:00.001+07:00

Life is indeed the most excellent of all virtues. If we were to even for a single moment reflect upon Life and its trajectories, all we could be able to perceive is that Life is encompassed and has bestowed each and every one of us with excellence in each sphere and facet of this most adventurous journey called, Life.

Life has always provided each and every one of us with the very best, all times, all instances, always in all ways. We should always appreciate with immense gratitude this precious gift, "Life", that we have been awarded fortunately.

To Live each and every moment with Awareness, Gratitude, Responsibility and Appreciation is an Excellence by itself. We live once. Let us Live excellently, with thanks.

Wish the very best for all, appreciate every moment, hope for the very best with an enthusiastic perspective whilst attending to the concerned assignments with due diligence, prudent acumen, a calibrated approach and a staunch belief that Life is Excellent, for it is truly Excellent.

--- Written in 2005 by Vashi Ramchand Chandiramani
Best wishes and kind regards to one and all. Wishing each and every person the very best, good luck and success in your endeavors, at all times and instances. May there be always be; peace, love, harmony, prosperity, greater understanding between people and bountiful happiness all across this beautiful universe, to one and all. Remember that life is excellent; there could never be a more precious gift than this. Think and appreciate, visualize and venture ahead with care & responsibility, as well as adopting, adhering, integrating and implementing relevance to the various corresponding facets of life diligently. Take care & all the best!
cited from: http://www.motivateus.com/stories/lifeisx.htm

Children of His Majesty

2008-12-12T09:06:00.000+07:00

Yamaoka Tesshu was a tutor of the emperor. He was also a master of fencing and a profound student of Zen.

His home was the abode of vagabonds. He has but one suit of clothes, for they kept him always poor.

The emperor, observing how worn his garments were, gave Yamaoka some money to buy new ones. The next time Yamaoka appeared he wore the same old outfit.

"What became of the new clothes, Yamaoka?" asked the emperor.

"I provided clothes for the children of Your Majesty," explained Yamaoka.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-10T15:16:00.000+07:00

Remember that a gift should be treasured; not only the ones that are wrapped but ones that are bestowed upon you.

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together, they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

One year, as winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season that he and his son had looked forward to would visit his house no longer.

On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hands.

He introduced himself to the old man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."

As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his, not to mention his father's, love of fine art. "I am no artist," said the soldier, "but I want to give you this."

As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task. True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars worth of art. His task completed, the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.

During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that, even though is son was no longer with him, the boy would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stifled his caring heart.

As the stories of his son's gallantry contined to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease his grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.

The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation that the collector's passing and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at auction. According to the will of the old man, all art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received the greatest gift.

The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim, "I have the greatest collection."

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list. It was the painting of the man's son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent. "Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Minutes passed, and no one spoke. From the back of the room came a voice, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son." "Let's forget about it and move on to the good stuff," more voices echoed in agreement.

"No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer. "Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a neighbor of the old man spoke. "Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That's all I have. I knew the boy; so I would like to have it.

"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" asked the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice, gone." The gavel fell.

Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on the real treasures!" The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced that the auction was over.

Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean, it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son. What about all these paintings? There are millions of dollars worth of art here! I demand that you explain what is going on!"

The auctioneer replied, "it's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son...gets it all."

Puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Just as those art collectors discovered on Christmas Day, the message is still the same: the love of a father, whose greatest joy came from his son who went away and gave his life rescuing others; and because of that father's love, whoever takes the Son gets it all.

In life, many things will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart.

--- Author Unknown ---

Midnight Excursion

2008-12-07T09:08:00.000+07:00

Many pupils were studying meditation under the Zen master Sengai. One of them used to arise at night, climb over the temple wall, and go to town on a pleasure jaunt.

Sengai, inspecting the dormitory quarters, found this pupil missing one night and also discovered the high stool he had used to scale the wall. Sengai removed the stool and stood there in its place.

When the wanderer returned, not knowing that Sengai was the stool, he put his feet on the master's head and jumped down into the grounds. Discovering what he had done, he was aghast.

Sengai said: "It is very chilly in the early morning. Do be careful not to catch cold yourself."

The pupil never went out at night again.

When Tired

2008-12-05T15:15:00.000+07:00

A student once asked his teacher, "Master, what is enlightenment?"

The master replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

(In other versions of this story, one disciple is bragging about his master to the disciple of another master. He claims that his teacher is capable of all sorts of magical acts, like writing in the air with a brush, and having the characters appear on a piece of paper hundreds of feet away. "And what can YOUR master do?" he asks the other disciple. "My master can also perform amazing feats," the other student replies. "When he's tired, he sleeps. When hungry, he eats"........... or simply, "When he sleeps, he sleeps. When he eats, he eats.")

What If?

2008-11-30T15:13:00.000+07:00

What if, GOD couldn't take the time to bless us today because
we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?

What if, GOD decided to stop leading us tomorrow because
we didn't follow Him today?

What if, we never saw another flower bloom because
we grumbled when GOD sent the rain.

What if, GOD didn't walk with us today because
we failed to recognize it as His day?

What if, GOD took away the Bible tomorrow because
we would not read it today?

What if, GOD took away His message because
we failed to listen to the messenger?

What if, GOD didn't send His only begotten Son because
He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin.

What if, the door of the church was closed because
we did not open the door of our heart?

What if, GOD stopped loving and caring for us because
we failed to love and care for others?

What if, GOD would not hear us today because
we would not listen to Him yesterday?

What if, GOD answered our prayers
the way we answer His call to service?

What if, GOD met our needs
the way we give Him our lives???

--- Author Unknown ---

Deciding

2008-11-25T15:10:00.000+07:00

Outside my window, a new day I see,
And only I can determine
What kind of day it will be.
It can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay,
Or boring and cold, unhappy and gray.

My own state of mind is the determining key,
For I am only the person I let myself be.

I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help,
Or be selfish and think just of myself.
I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun,
Or gripe and complain and make it hard on someone.

I can be patient with those who may not understand
Or belittle and hurt them as much as I can.

But I have faith in myself,
And believe what I say
And I personally intend to make the most of each day.

--- Anonymous --- Submitted by Pat Carley --- Florida

Successor

2008-11-20T15:08:00.000+07:00

The old Zen master's health was fading. Knowing his death was near, he announced to all the monks that he soon would be passing down his robe and rice bowl to appoint the next master of the monastery.

His choice, he said, would be based on a contest. Anyone seeking the appointment was required to demonstrate his spiritual wisdom by submitting a poem. The head monk, the most obvious successor, presented a poem that was well composed and insightful. All the monks anticipated his selection as their new leader.

However, the next morning another poem appeared on the wall in the hallway, apparently written during the dark hours of the night. It stunned everyone with it's elegance and profundity but no one knew who the author was.

Determined to find this person, the old master began questioning all the monks. To his surprise, the investigation led to the rather quiet kitchen worker who pounded rice for the meals. Upon hearing the news, the jealous head monk and his comrades plotted to kill their rival. In secret, the old master passed down his robe and bowl to the rice pounder, who quickly fled from the monastery, later to become a widely renowned Zen teacher.

Purpose In Life

2008-11-15T15:05:00.000+07:00

One clear autumn morning a single mother of two, peers out the window of her bedroom admiring the clear day and watching as the wind blows through the tree in her yard.

The woman named Samantha sits wondering what purpose in life has God in store for her. She realizes is she thirty years old and a single mother of two. Any other day she would not feel the pressures of life except for this day is the day before an operation that will forever change her. She wonders how people will see her and react to her once the operation is complete. More importantly she begins to worry about how she will see herself.

Samantha was suddenly startled by both of her children rushing into her bedroom with smiles upon their innocent faces wanting what they expect every morning, a hug and kiss from their Mom.

She is distracted long enough to give her children the hugs and kisses they so very much desire. A few moments are spent making small talk and casual play until the children run off to fix themselves some cereal. As she hears her children laughing and occasionally arguing, her mind begins to wonder into her past.

Starting with her childhood, she recalls growing up in a family she can’t help but love today, but questions her love and understanding while growing up in her family.

Her father; being a hard man whom stubbornly held to his convictions in life without hesitation. Her mother, a teacher of the word of God always ensured they knew the Gospel. Her four bothers and sisters wrapped up in their own world and not understanding her. All of this was racing through Samantha’s mind.

Her attention was again diverted when she heard the dreaded words from her son, "UH OH." Samantha went into the kitchen where she found that her son had an accident with the milk as he was pouring it into the cereal bowls. She patiently wipes up the milk and fixes their cereal before she retreats back to her room to take her shower.

Sitting on the end of her bed wondering what she will wear today, she again begins to think of the experiences in her life. She recalls a traumatic event whereupon she was attacked as a child. She vividly recalls the events of that day and begins to weep. She recalls how she refused to tell anyone, for fear of upsetting her family.

Her mind then drifted to how her now divorced husband helped her through this terrible time, when it was triggered later in her life. She pauses for a few moments and recalls how her relationship with God became so much more fulfilling during this time in her life.

All of a sudden Samantha is overcome with laughter as she sees her daughter standing before her wearing her clothes backward in an attempt to dress herself for the day. As Samantha helps her daughter get dressed she wonders if she is doing the best she can in raising her children.

As she finishes helping her daughter the phone rings. It’s Christopher, a new found friend she met only a few months ago. They say hello’s and talk about the coming day and each other’s plans. A few minutes later she gangs up the phone and steps into the shower.

While in the shower, she again thinks of how she’ll be after the operation. She thinks to herself that she’s not getting any younger, and if she’ll be appealing enough for any man to ever want her again. She abruptly puts the thought out of her head and begins to think of her friends. She can’t help but think at first if they will treat her any differently than they do now, especially her boyfriend, William.

As she gets out of the shower and feeling somewhat refreshed, she realizes how fortunate she really is to have the types of friends she has. She tells herself that she has always tried to be there when they needed her and how good she felt when they called upon her in times of need. Samantha gets dressed and begins to face another day, putting the previous thoughts out of her head for now.

The day goes by uneventful, as any other Saturday would. She enjoyed her times with friends and her children throughout the day. Now the day is over and the children are asleep for the night. Unfortunately, Samantha can’t seem to get to sleep.

While lying in her bed she drifts back to what she was thinking about earlier in the day, still having the nagging feeling of wondering what her purpose in life is. Chris pops into her head and she begins to think of him and what kind of troubles he’s going through in his life right now and how she’s tried to help him through them by helping him trust in God.

She also recalls how he has offered his shoulder to cry on and a compassionate ear whenever she has needed one. Her other friend, Donald, comes to mind. She again thinks of how he’s troubled in life and how she has tried to pull him through his times of need, and then William, and Vicky. She starts to realize that she has been there for all of them. She wonders if this is it, "is this why I’m here?"

Samantha gets out of bed and gets on her knees and begins to pray. She prays for those in her life: first her children, then William, Chris, Donald and Vicky. She then prays for herself. "Dear Lord, help me understand the things that have happened to me and show me my purpose in life."

She remained on her knees for a few minutes, completely silent, hoping for something, anything. Then she heard it, the most calming and compassionate voice she had ever heard. The voice filled her soul with warmth and peace as she heard it proclaim:

"Samantha, your hurt and sorrow is not punishment, but a precious gift. I have provided you with the experiences in life to give you the knowledge and wisdom to help others. You have fulfilled and will continue to fulfill what I have in store for you. For what you seek, you have become. A healer of souls and a guide to my door step for those who have strayed or forsaken me. You cannot begin to replenish or heal lost souls without feeling their past experiences. You question that which is your purpose. You will understand that which is your body is only but a shell and what is inside you will shine brighter than the stars themselves, and you will be better prepared for your task at hand. You will be rewarded in your mortal life and in your everlasting life. Keep your faith and trust in me, for my hand is always upon you. Rise up and accept my gift and continue to help those in need."

Samantha wept for a period of time and realized again, how fulfilled she was to know the Lord. From this day forward she will continue to go to the aid of those in need and trust in the Lord.

Samantha then went into her children’s rooms and hugged and kissed each them again for the night. Samantha finally went to sleep with anticipation of a new day dawning tomorrow.

--- Robert Vickers --- California

Obsessed

2008-11-10T15:06:00.000+07:00

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."

(some versions of this story describe the monk as carrying the woman across a mud puddle )

Strength from Adversity

2008-11-05T15:03:00.000+07:00

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Tom Allred --- Wyoming

Classroom Climate

2008-11-03T08:10:00.000+07:00

Creating a positive classroom climate for learning

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or deescalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.

Haim Ginot, Professor of Psychology

If we were to recall a teacher who we felt had a positive influence on us during our student days, we are most likely to think of a teacher who had made us feel comfortable and through the teacher’s ability to make us feel comfortable, we are able to learn what we have been given to learn. Modern cognitive research also shows that the brain cells would shrink in the face of a hostile environment as for example when we feel fear or unsafe. On the other hand, the same brain cell would grow and develop if the environment is safe and comfortable. A teacher, therefore, ought to be aware that the classroom climate is the most important condition for learning to take place. The teacher must cultivate positive attitudes and perceptions about learning among the students.

The creation of safe, non-threatening and conducive environment to learning is a pre-requisite to good teaching. A teacher must make the effort to create such an environment. The teacher would have to ask several questions to achieve this goal. For example, the teacher must ask what makes the students feel accepted in the class. Acceptance here, refers to acceptance not only by all the teachers teaching that class but also the student’s peers.

The teacher must also ask what makes the student comfortable. Is there order in the class? Do students know where to look for things? Do they know the classroom procedures? Do they know what is expected of them when they come into the classroom and when tasks are given? A well-run classroom will give the student that feeling of stability and focus.

There are also many things that the teacher can do to make the classroom a less threatening and intimidating place. A classroom should be a safe place for learning. The student must be free from not only physical hurt but also, and perhaps, more importantly, hurt from the words of their peers and teachers. I believe all of us know that words can harm the confidence and motivational level of students more than perhaps physical threats. Unfortunately, threats and intimidation are quite often the norm in classrooms all over the world.

The teacher also must seriously attempt to make the learning as suitable as possible for the learner. Students like to see relevance. Teachers must make the extra effort to connect for the students what they are learning to their own lives. If the students’ perceptions of the learning is that it has little relevant to them, they are less likely to be interested or motivated to learn. Furthermore, as I have mentioned in a previous posting, making the connection for students is actually teaching for transfer.

The teacher must also ensure that the learning is not too difficult for the student. The teacher should stretch the student but the stretching must not be done at the expense of learning being done in progressive and logical steps. The teacher must make sure that bridges are made during lessons so that the student can understand easier the new content. Scaffolding becomes important in the teaching and learning. The student should feel that the learning is manageable and that it does not require a quantum leap in the mental processes.

Teachers who are mindful of their students’ perceptions and attitudes towards learning will find that their students will be more enthusiastic and motivated to do well in class. Teachers can make or break students. That is how pwerful a teacher can be. As insinuated by the quotation that I began this post with, that power demands greater responsibility on our part in how we treat our students.

Judy Rex's Classroom

2008-11-02T15:24:00.004+07:00

A Visit to Judy Rex’s Classroom via Video
By Agepe

“How can I ensure that every student in my very diverse classroom will demonstrate growth and reach a measure of success?” It is Judy Rex’s question at the opening of video A Visit to a Differentiated Classroom. The utterance above is a both question and statement at the same time exhibits the efforts done by her to reach classroom’s learning climate. It is not only a classroom learning climate for the 25 students in the class, but, it is rather a differentiated learning climate for every individual in the class. A differentiated classroom is one in which a teacher actively plans and teaches to address the varied learning needs of students in the class.

It is hard to imagine how a teacher teaches 25 students, age 8-11 years old, based on each student characteristic or background. In the video Judy said that two of her students have Individual Educational Plan for special education. Another three might be in the student study team process for possible identification for emotional or learning difficulties. Three students will be identified as gifted. Two of her students are generally second-language learners (ESL). Several others take medication for attention or hyperactivity disorders, or both (ADD). Indeed, in 60 minutes watching, I was amazed to see the hard-working Judy Rex in her classroom of 3rd and 4th graders in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I am going to describe my analysis results on the video. I focus my analysis on three things: (1) Classroom Management, (2) Learning Climate, and (3) Student Engagement.

1. Classroom Management

The most obvious thing when we talked about classroom management is that Judy was aware of all activities in classroom. The morning meeting activities, language arts, portfolio meeting, and social studies were all well-organized. It seemed that the class had much freedom, but it was clearly structured as well. Judy trusted her kids. She was certain that the students’ activities all worked smoothly. Of course, the activities worked well because of a clear and consistent rule of behavior. Though it was seen in a glance, on the blackboard there was classroom agreement.

The ring of the bell, hand clapping, and the 1 to 10 counting for students to prepare the next class activity are merely upon-agreed tools to maintain the class dynamics. The use of the bell or other verbal tools such as hand clapping shows there was a consistent schedule and maintenance of procedures and routine.

Morning session: reading message, for me, is a meaningful activity. The reading activity is a good means to build a community, to develop togetherness, to remind activity of the day, to measure language skills, to review the last lesson. Through the reading activity, there is a chance for the teacher to deliver message, to advice wisely or without insisting. What a wonderful classroom management! In short, the morning session was meaningful.

The seat arrangement was flexible so that the students could possibly learn in groups, to use the reference books, dictionaries, or internet/computer sets, to record their works and so on. It was clear that the students learnt happily. At the same time, Judy was moving freely among the students. Everything was well-organized. She established routines for all daily tasks and needs. The cleaning up classroom activity at the end of the video supported the idea of establishing the class routines.

2. Learning Climate

As I said earlier, the classroom learning climate was well-organized. In the video, it seems clearly that Judy created supportive and warm classroom climate. The supporting incentives such as-be productive, good job, great job-motivate the students to learn and work in a more optimal way.

It is seen clearly also from the video that Judy helped the students warmly in their learning. The utterance “…I see myself as a guide, a facilitator, maybe even a conductor of sorts. A lot of what we do is driven by the students, and I am there to help them along the way. In our classroom, we say there are 25 children, but there are 26 learners and there are 26 teachers. I learn from them. They learn from me. We learn from each other, and we teach each other also...” is her low-profile classroom management or her humble attitude which deems that her kids are also her teachers. It shows a really good partnership between teacher and students.

Though it is described in a glance, the portfolio meeting gives me insight that there were efforts to create situations for all students to succeed. A portfolio is a useful tool for looking at children's growth over time. Portfolios are also used to communicate to parents in parent conferences.

3. Student Engagement

Giving the students responsibility is a direct impression when we talk student engagement. Every student was responsible for his or her personal tasks. Judy had her own strategy to check whether each of her students is working. Clueing one finger, two fingers, clapping, snapping the finger, pointing thumb-pinky finger were clues used spontaneously to evaluate students’ work.

Judy also explored students understanding. In a social science session, the students defined questions on a piece of paper and then attached it in front of the class. In the discussion session on what students had learnt, she provided chances for students to ask. This activity stresses student responsibility and accountability.

The next interesting thing is that Judy formulates a habit for students to make reflection. Through the video, we can see students filled the classroom cues rubric with certain symbols that represented their learning intensity and passion. The students’ activity to fill the reflection rubric exhibits her good will to invite the students to learn how to measure and value them selves. In other words, the activity teaches the students to be honest to them selves. The reflection on the port-folio can be viewed as students deep-understanding.

What a wonderful class! I truly mention it at the end of my analysis. I am really astonished by what she did. I salute for her dedication as a teacher, a friend, and educator to her students. I am amazed by her deeds in exploration to accompany her differentiated students. I am jealous, too, for her idealism and efforts to explore and dig more. I am jealous to see that her students, age 8-11, have already understood to self-directed learning, to use dictionaries, to browse internet, and to speak about ‘government.’ While in Indonesia, the students still learn with limited learning resources and a centralized-curriculum which kills creativity. *** agepe-school supervision***

Never Give Up

2008-11-01T15:01:00.001+07:00

In 1832, he was a 22-year old business failure.

That same year he ran for the legislature and was defeated.

In 1833, he was a business failure once again.

In 1836, he was said to have suffered a nervous breakdown.

In 1838, he lost in an effort to become Speaker of the House
in the State Legislature.

Five years later, he ran for Congress--again it was in vain.

In 1846, he ran for Congress and won
--- only to lose his re-election bid in 1848.

He ran for the Senate in 1854, and lost.

He ran for the Vice-presidential nomination in 1856, and lost that too.

In 1860, he became the 16th President of the United States.

Honest Abe Lincoln
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Scott deGuzman --- California

Wanting God

2008-10-28T14:59:00.001+07:00

A hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him. "Master, I wish to become your disciple," said the man. "Why?" replied the hermit. The young man thought for a moment. "Because I want to find God."

The master jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you want most of all when you were under water."

"Air!" answered the man.

"Very well," said the master. "Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."

The Road Of Life

2008-10-24T14:57:00.000+07:00

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't KNOW Him.

But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. . . It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn trust.

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord's and mine.

And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says. . . "Pedal."

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Sherie Jorgenson

Annotated Bibliography_5

2008-10-22T19:48:00.002+07:00

Edmonds, K. & Li, Q. (2005, April). Teaching At-Risk Students with Technology: Teachers’ Beliefs, Experiences, and Strategies for Success. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Retrieved July 18, 2008, from Education Resources Information Center (ED490354).

At-risk students struggle with learning. They bring various barriers to the classroom requiring teachers to find appropriate ways to help them succeed. Wallis stated that technology is becoming more recognized as an alternate method for teaching and learning. Some advantages to using technology with at-risk students are increased motivation, individualized instructions, and freedom to work in their own way. Findings showed that students have increased self-esteem and are more enthusiastic towards school when working with technology (Wallis, 2004). Additionally, students may find computers provide an accurate and unbiased response to their work, thus relieving the teacher of that role. Both student-teacher relationships, and student-student interactions, change to one of help and collaboration. The main reason for this, Christie and Sabers concurred (1989), is the locus of control is in the hands of the students giving them freedom and responsibility at the same time. In the other words, technology offers enriched learning environments, and changes the role of learners - two important elements for teaching at-risk learners.

This is a survey study exploring teachers’ perspective and approaches to teaching at-risk students using technology. This survey focused on three variables: teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and strategies for success. It is believed that at-risk students will learn better when the teaching and learning processes use appropriate technology. But, little is known how teachers perceive the incorporation of technology in teaching. The are three purposes of this study, namely: (a) to explore the experiences and approaches of teachers who use technology to instruct struggling students; (b) to examine the difficulties that teachers encounter when using technology with at-risk learners; and (c) to look at the teachers’ beliefs that will uncover issues that burden these students.

The research questions are not explicitly stated in this paper. Based on the topic and purposes, it is likely that the questions will look like as follows: how teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and strategies help at-risk students using technology?

The participants were nine female teachers who worked closely with at-risk students using technology in a school district within Calgary, Alberta, Canada. These teachers had worked with secondary or adult students who faced learning barriers such as a lack of English skills, repeated failure at school, aboriginal descent, learning disabilities, and academic or developmental challenges. All teachers worked within modified programs serving learners with difficulties in learning.

Deemed as at-risk, the learners struggled with a number of barriers as mentioned above. Typically, these are students who have not successfully completed educational levels for someone because of repeated failures. The data collected were teachers’ reflection on their experience and beliefs about teaching at-risk learners using technology. Their reflection covered aspects of teaching struggling students such as technology use, reasons for success or failure, key concerns, and suggestions for best practices. Participants answered the following 5 open-ended questions with personal anecdotes relative to their experience. Qualitative data analysis was used to identify emergent themes. These emerged salient themes were extracted to answer research questions.

The survey results did were not specifically described following the three variables as shown in the beginning, but only described in categorical themes, i.e.: the learners, positive and negative outcomes, customization, blended learning, and safe learning environments. Based on the discussion, there are two major things proposed. First, using technology may bring different results for different students. Not all students really enjoy the learning activities using technology. This survey has shown a number of aspects and outcomes when using technology with struggling students. As these types of learners have different backgrounds, barriers, and learning needs, technology may be another resource to help them. Thus, teachers looking to teach and connect with at-risk learners should focus on the learners’ needs. Second, to avoid teachers who want to make use of technology, are required to selectively choose and prepare the technology. Technology-based instruction shows to have benefits for struggling learners, careful needs analysis must be taken in the design of technical venues.

Limitation of the study: (a) the number of participants is too small, so there are not conclusive or cannot be generalized. (b) no explanation on how the technology was used among the research participants, (c) there were only five interview questions used and the questions were too broad, not specific enough to get a greater depth of information, (d) the data analysis is rigorous, content analysis procedure to investigate the transcripts might be better.

This research is useful for our group project. Teachers must be open to the possibility that learners may need a different venue for their education and be prepared to offer that, as in traditional learning. Given the limitations described earlier, this study obviously facilitates us to be more aware on how to conduct qualitative research. Value of this study to ISEDP group as an example how to conduct The transcript of this data it’s the important point that we can learn from to reconstruct our research in Indonesia***agepe.

Self Control

2008-10-20T14:56:00.000+07:00

One day there was an earthquake that shook the entire Zen temple. Parts of it even collapsed. Many of the monks were terrified. When the earthquake stopped the teacher said, "Now you have had the opportunity to see how a Zen man behaves in a crisis situation. You may have noticed that I did not panic. I was quite aware of what was happening and what to do. I led you all to the kitchen, the strongest part of the temple. It was a good decision, because you see we have all survived without any injuries. However, despite my self-control and composure, I did feel a little bit tense - which you may have deduced from the fact that I drank a large glass of water, something I never do under ordinary circumstances."

One of the monks smiled, but didn't say anything.

"What are you laughing at?" asked the teacher.

"That wasn't water," the monk replied, "it was a large glass of soy sauce."

How Great Love Is

2008-10-17T14:53:00.000+07:00

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and all of the others including Love.

One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place for you here."

Love decided to ask Vanity, who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked for help, "Sadness let me go with you." "Oh...Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!" Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder her name.

When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Love realizing how much he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?"

"It was Time", Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

--- Author Unknown
--- Submitted by Amy Yates --- Texas

Deceive the wicked and kill them without mercy

2008-10-14T12:07:00.000+07:00

THE STORY OF THE LION AND THE HARE

In a jungle, there lived a lion by the name of Bhasuraka. He was very powerful and used to kill the animals indiscriminately.

One day, all the antelopes, boars, buffaloes, hares and the rest went together to the lion and said, "Master, why do you persist in killing so many of us everyday so unnecessarily, when one animal would satisfy your hunger?

Please come to an understanding with us. From today onward we promise to send to your lair, one animal everyday for your food, if in return you guarantee that we shall be able to wander about unmolested in the jungle.

In this way, you will have no trouble maintaining yourself and we will not be killed so indiscriminately."

When he had finished listening to this, the lion said, "It 's very true, what you say, but if I don't receive one animal everyday, I shall eat everyone of you,"

Accordingly, everyday they drew lots, sent one animal to the lion and roamed in the jungle, unafraid.

On day it was the hare's turn. Forced by the other animals, he made his way to the lion, slowly and very much against his will.

On the way, the hare was considering how he might kill the lion, when he came to a well. He leapt up on the edge and saw his reflection in the water. At this, he thought to himself, "Now I know a way that won't fail. I'll deceive the lion and make him fall into the well."

And purposely the hare went over even more slowly to the lion. By the time the hare reached the lion, the sun was setting. The lion was in a fury because he had been kept waiting.

He licked his lips hungrily and said to himself, "The first thing I'll do tomorrow is to kill all those animals."

While he was thinking thus, the hare slowly approached the lion and bowed before him. The lion flared up and began to shout at him, "You miserable creature! First you are too small and secondly you are so late. Well, for this, I'm going to kill you immediately and I'll kill the rest of you in the jungle tomorrow morning."

"Master," replied the hare very humbly, "it is not my fault nor the fault of the other animals. Please listen and I will explain."

"Hurry up and tell me before I crush you," said the lion.

"Well," said the hare, "today it fell to my lot to come to you. Because I am small, they sent four other hares with me.

On the way, a huge lion came out of the den and roared,, "Ho! You! Where are you going? Your end has come. Call upon your chosen deity!"

And I said "Sir, we are all going to our master, the lion at the appointed time to fulfill our promise to send everyday a few animals to him for his food."

And he said, "Who is this lion? I'm the master of the jungle! You should fulfill your promises only to me. This lion is an imposter! I shall hold four of you hares as hostages while you (meaning me) go and challenge him to a trial of strength with me. Whoever turns out to be stronger, deserves to be king of the jungle and only he shall eat all the hares."

"And so," continued the hare, "I have come to you as he ordered me to. That is why I am late. Now do as you think best."

When he heard this, the lion said, "Friend, if this is true, then take me to this pretender immediately so that I can pour out on him all my rage against you and then I shall be quiet."

"Master!" said the hare." It is the truth but this lion stays in a stronghold It is difficult to attack someone who is hiding in a stronghold."

When the lion heard this he said, "Friend !He may have hidden himself in his stronghold but just show him to me and I will kill him.".

" Indeed," said the hare," but I have seen him. He is very strong. It would be unwise of you to approach him without finding out exactly what his strength is."

"That is not your concern" said the lion." just take me to him."

"Very well then" said the hare, "come with me."

The hare went ahead so as to lead the lion to the well.

When they reached the well, the hare said to the lion, "My Lord! Who can withstand your power! The imposter has seen you coming and has hidden himself in his stronghold."

And the hare pointed out the well.

The foolish lion saw his reflection in the water and imagined that it was his enemy.

He roared fearfully and at once his roar was doubly re-echoed from the well.

Furious at the other lion, he leapt in upon him and was drowned.

Very pleased with himself, the hare went back to the jungle and told the other animals what had happened.

They showered him with praise and all lived happily ever after.

The wise indeed say : Deceive the wicked and kill them without mercy."

cited from TALES OF PANCHATANTRA

Annotated Bibliography_4

2008-10-12T19:42:00.002+07:00

Ahmet, G., & Birikim, O. (2007, May). Technology Use in Language Teaching: The Case of Foreign Language Teaching in Tömer. Paper presented at the International Educational Technology Conference (IETC), Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Retrieved July 18, 2008, from Education Resources Information Center (ED500158).

Two concerns have arisen from the studies on use of technology by the foreign language teachers. First, it is observed that the teachers may effectively use computers in their daily lives however they face difficulties in adapting their computer knowledge to their teaching work. Secondly, in many research studies, it is reported that the teachers do not even use email and the Internet effectively which are the tools necessary for good use of integrative CALL (Computer Aided Language Learning)

It is widely accepted by the researchers conducting studies in the field of CALL in Turkey that technology is not being used in the majority of the classrooms all over the country. Due to its highly innovative nature, the use of technology in the case of foreign language teaching in private sector has not been widely focused on to generalize findings on this specific aspect. Further, research on teachers’ beliefs has established that stereotypes of teachers can be one of the most effective influences on their practices. This case study, therefore, intends to determine use of and beliefs about computers of teachers in a private educational institution in Turkey which is namely TÖMER.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to find out the opinions of the language teachers at Foreign Language Teaching Center of Ankara University (TÖMER) on CALL. There are two main dimensions that have been emphasized: (a) the use of computers in foreign language teaching for the administrative purposes, and (b) use of computers for teaching or pedagogical purposes. Eight teachers interviewed on the above two dimensions and the outcomes analyzed to conduct this case study. In the other word, the research questions are: (a) how use the computers in foreign language teaching for the administrative purpose, (b) how use the computers for teaching or pedagogical purpose?

The sample of this research is 8 teachers at TÖMER. This sample especially emphasis on maintaining the multiplicity of interviewees and great sensitivity has been shown with regard to the gender, experience and the language that they teach. Four of the teachers were male and the others were female and each one of them teaches one of the following languages; English, French, German, Turkish, Italia, and Greek. A semi structured interview guide used as an instrument of data collection.

The instrument has been identified based on reliability and validity analysis of the tools found in the literature. Expert opinion was taken for reliability purposes; the interview guide has been evaluated by a foreign language teaching specialist and an educational technologist. Data analysis used in this research is content analysis. Researchers start their research study from a specific conceptual framework and problematize research through a main problem and sub problems associated. Main categories of data collection have been identified beforehand. The outcomes of the interviews have been grouped under those categories and analyzed accordingly.

Based on the use of computers for administrative purposes, teachers use computers frequently for the purposes of preparing grades, developing lesson plans, preparing work sheets for students and finding additional materials from the internet. Although not frequently, they do use computers for calculating student grades, preparing the student attendance lists, and for sharing files with their colleagues. The teachers state that they use computers at least 5 hours and at most 10 hours a week. Based on the use of computers for educational purposes, the impact of the use of computers on developing language skills are: the computers have a positive effect on reading skills, develop vocabulary, and listening skills of the students. But all the teachers stated that the computers do not have an effect on developing oral skills. Teachers at TÖMER have both positive and negative opinions on using computers in their courses. It is important that the teachers seek best ways of using computers in their courses to increase the effectiveness. They assert that the teachers should be aware of the negative aspects of using computers in language teaching and work hard to get rid of them.

The conclusion seems that teachers emphasized the importance of using the computers as tools while teaching foreign languages, however they mainly use them for administrative purposes. According with Alyaz (2003) it is stated that literacy and internet literacy in computer aided language learning; computers have positive effects in foreign language teaching especially in administrative aspects. Using computer technology (both online and offline software tools) in language teaching, as stated by Cembalo (2001), experienced the teachers both positive and negative feelings. Teachers at TÖMER think that using computers in foreign language teaching and in other aspects of education is a revolutionary change in education. It is sometimes forgotten that computers are just tools helping the teachers and some people tend to act as if computers have replaced the teachers. In such cases, the interaction between the teacher and the student and among the students themselves cannot be actualized. This results in the fact that the teachers may state the importance of using computers in their classrooms but unfortunately it is observed that they are not ambitious of doing this so.

I found two basic weaknesses in this research. First, in the design research, researcher expressed that sample was differentiated by gender. But there was not any explanation about the sample based on gender in research result, discussion, and conclusion. Second, to use other research with different variable is not precise. The other research used specific variable (i.e. the use of technology in reading or writing skills), while the variable used in this research is too wide, that is the use of technology in administration and education.

Values of the research to our group project are as follow. Recently, there is a must to use technology in classrooms. This research gives us insight that technology is merely a tool for teaching. Technology cannot replace the teachers’ existence. In education, the interaction between teacher and the student is the primary thing, the most valuable one. This research gives the teachers clues how to use technology wisely. This research also gives insight that technology is helpful in administration. So far, teachers in Indonesia are traditionally busy in administrative affairs. Thus, technology will assist teacher to develop their skills and professional development***agepe.

Prosperity

2008-10-10T14:51:00.000+07:00

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."

The rich man became angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family. Why do you give me something depressing like this?"

"If your son should die before you," the master answered, "this would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, disappears in the order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true happiness and prosperity."

Siapakah Guru

2008-10-09T08:33:00.002+07:00

SIAPAKAH GURU

Siapakah guru?
Apakah dia yang memupuk pohon
Membuat tanah gembur dan subur
sehingga batangnya menjadi besar
tanpa kerja keras, dan sedikit akar?

Siapakah guru?
apakah dia yang menggunting kepompong
sehingga kupu-kupu dengan mudah keluar
tetapi tidak dapat terbang karena lemah
sayapnya lembek dan perutnya besar?

Siapakah guru?
apakah dia yang melatih kamu
tumbuh bagai bambu di tebingberbatu
mengalahkan alam gersang dan kemerau
dengan akar kukuh menyusup ke bumi
daunnya menjulang ke langityang jauh?

Siapakah guru, pikirmu?
Apakah dia yang membiarkan kupu-kupu
susah payah merobek kepompong
menahan sakit karena terjepit
tetapi sanggup terbang dan menari
mempercerah seisi dunia?

Aku berdoa engkau menjadi guru sejati
yang dengan sabar dan penuh kasih
membuatku berani mencintai dan menerima
hidup seperti bambu di tepi jurang,
diterpa angin, panas dan hujan
tetapi selalu bersyukur dan bergembira
seperti kupu-kupu meninggalkan kepompong
yang telah menyekap dan menjepitnya.

Puisi Eka Budianta
Dibacakan saat peringatan Hari Guru
25 November 2007.

Thank you God

2008-10-07T14:48:00.001+07:00

Reflection to day on my b'day

Thank you God

I recently received a copy of this prayer from a friend
and it has really spoke to me.

Thank you God, for all I have to do today.
Thanks God, for this sink of dirty dishes,
It shows we have plenty to eat.

Thanks God, for this pile of dirty, stinky, laundry,
It shows we have plenty of clothes to wear.

Thanks God, for those unmade beds in there,
They were warm and so comfortable last night
And I know there are many who have no beds.

Thank God, for this bathroom complete with all the
Spattered mirror, soggy grimy towels and dirty commode,
They are so convenient.

Thanks God, for this finger-smudged refrigerator
That needs defrosting,
It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers
For two or three meals.

Thanks God, for this oven
That absolutely must cleaned today,
It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that grass that needs mowing,
The lawn that will need raking, we all enjoy the yard.

Thanks God, even for that slamming screen door,
My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord the presence of all these chores awaiting me
Says you have richly blessed my family.
I shall do them all cheerfully
And I shall do them gratefully.

Amen

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Mike M. --- Georgia

In my B'day

2008-10-07T06:45:00.001+07:00

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life."

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't! go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Learning the Hard Way

2008-10-04T14:45:00.001+07:00

The son of a master thief asked his father to teach him the secrets of the trade. The old thief agreed and that night took his son to burglarize a large house. While the family was asleep, he silently led his young apprentice into a room that contained a clothes closet.

The father told his son to go into the closet to pick out some clothes. When he did, his father quickly shut the door and locked him in.

Then he went back outside, knocked loudly on the front door, thereby waking the family, and quickly slipped away before anyone saw him. Hours later, his son returned home, bedraggled and exhausted.

"Father," he cried angrily, "Why did you lock me in that closet? If I hadn't been made desperate by my fear of getting caught, I never would have escaped. It took all my ingenuity to get out!"

The old thief smiled. "Son, you have had your first lesson in the art of burglary."

Moments in Time

2008-10-01T14:43:00.001+07:00

Moments In Time

"We do so with the certainty that we don't have the faintest idea what we're doing at all, which can be a very frightening prospect in a world; in a world where the boundaries of nations and the balance of nature can change over night.

Except that the years that we have spent at (West Beverly) have given us the foundation to face that future. We haven't just learned facts and figures, logic and reasoning skills, but we have learned the value of friendship, loyalty, & love which will not be diminished just because we may not end up together.

The memories that we have shared will not go away simply because we do. So even if the future does not always meet our expectations or the fates are cruel to us at times, no one can ever take away this moment from me. From me, from you, from any of us. No one can ever take away this moment in time."

--- 1993 Beverly Hills 90210 graduation speech
--- Submitted by Kristin S., Age 16 --- Pennsylvania

I Don't Know

2008-09-29T14:41:00.000+07:00

The emperor, who was a devout Buddhist, invited a great Zen master to the Palace in order to ask him questions about Buddhism. "What is the highest truth of the holy Buddhist doctrine?" the emperor inquired.
"Vast emptiness... and not a trace of holiness," the master replied.

"If there is no holiness," the emperor said, "then who or what are you?"

"I do not know," the master replied.

Annotated Bibliography_3

2008-09-27T19:33:00.002+07:00

Gibson, S., & Oberg, D. (2004). Visions and realities of Internet use in schools: Canadian perspectives. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(5), 569-585.

The three-year study the Canadian experience of Internet implementation provides insights which are valuable for researchers and educators in other countries. This report is the first two phases of a national study since 1996. This study obtained an assessment of the overall national picture of Internet use in Canadian schools with a focus on visions for Internet use. The objectives of the research are based on teachers being encouraged to integrate the use of information and communication technologies into the curriculum. Schools in North America have been inundated with technological innovations for decades. In the mid-1990s in Canada, provincial and territorial ministries of education began to be involved in Internet use initiatives including funding Internet connectivity for schools, developing curriculum for technology use in schools, and offering professional development programmed for teachers. This research described what the vision of the use of the internet program in Canadian schools and how to implement it. The research used Fullan’s theory on the benefits of using technology in schools. Fullan explains that successful implementation has also been affected by forces outside the school including initiatives of national or provincial governments, school districts or other local education authorities, and teachers’ professional associations (Fullan, 1991), and the previous research conducted at 1990s on successful implementation of new technologies toward the improvement of students and teachers learning. Thus, there is a need to widen the sample of research including the ministry of education officers, teacher association officers, classroom teachers and school administrators.

The purpose of research examined the visions for internet use and the realities of everyday practice related to its use in Canadian schools. The research questions are not explicitly stated in this paper. Based on the topic and purposes, it is likely that the questions will look like as follows: (a) what visions for internet use in Canadian school? (b) What are the everyday practices of internet used in Canadian Schools?

This study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine both the visions and the realities of everyday practice in schools. The statistic data was in the table (quantitative) and the data was analyzed with content analysis approach (quantitative). The sample of research were: 13 ministers’ offices of Canada in ministries of education, 13 teachers’ association offices, teachers and administrators in school across Canada (840 teachers of Grade 5, 840 teachers of Grade 8, and 840 teachers of Grade 11) selected from Scott’s School Directory. These three grades were chosen in order to represent the views of teachers and administrators at the elementary, junior high and senior high levels. Among the approximately 16,000 schools eligible to participate in the survey, 7,878 schools had teachers at grade 5 level, 5,164 at grade 8 level, and 2,276 at the grade 11 level. To ensure that all parts of the population were adequately represented in the overall sample, the sample was stratified by province using a random sampling technique. The computer score questionnaires consisted of 72 items, including Likert-scale rating items and yes/no items. Survey data were computer scanned and analysed using SPSS 6.1, version 8.0. For this report, responses to Likert-scale rating questions have been collapsed from a five-point scale to a three-point scale.

The data was collected with interview by telephone and questionnaires sent to samples. Researcher designed questionnaire in consultation with statisticians in the Center for Research and Measurement in Education at the University of Alberta and tasted in a pilot study with teachers and administrator in Alberta. Validity of questionnaire derived from findings of previous research on technology used in schools and reviewed by other researcher.

Questionnaire packages were mailed to 2,520 schools. Responses received from 988 administrators (response rate of 39%) and 845 teachers (response rate of 34%). Teacher respondents were similarly represented at the three grade levels: 277 Grade 5 teachers (34.2%), 285 Grade 8 teachers (35.1%), and 320 Grade 11 teachers (39.5%). Of the administrators who responded 64.3 per cent were male and 35.7 per cent were female. Of the teachers 55 per cent were male and 45 per cent were female

The findings are as follow. First, Internet is used as a tool for student to learn and enhancing teaching. All of element (>81 %) agree that internet can be used a tool for student learning and enhancing teaching. This answer is related to the visions for internet use in Canadian schools. Second, there are factors limiting internet use i.e. infrastructure, direction, and support (external); time and access concerns (internal). Third, there are factors enhancing internet use i.e. opportunities for teacher learning, motivation for teacher learning. This study examined both the visions for Internet use and the realities of everyday practice related to its use in Canadian schools. The discussion that follows addresses the issues arising from the views of Canadian educators reported in the findings section of the paper and relates the findings of this study to previous research. All participant groups in this study—ministry officials, teacher association officials, classroom teachers, and administrators—reported positive attitudes toward the Internet as a tool for enhancing teaching and learning. This phenomenon can be explained by the influence (and interaction) of a number of factors. Teachers and administrators in this study reported a general lack of support for Internet use, including funding for infrastructure and a general lack of vision or direction from their ministries of education. All groups identified professional development of teachers as a critical factor in effective Internet use in schools, but their beliefs and practices related to professional development varied widely. The results of this study tend to support the conclusions reached in other studies about the integration of technology and about the use of the Internet in schools.

This study was conducted in a big scale and time-consuming. The variety and big sample is a good point. The limitations of this study are as follow. First, the data is not clearly detail as the data collection design. Second, questionnaires validity is measured by other research which is not explained its validity.

Values of the research for our project (using technology in classroom): (1) we belong to digital immigrants. This research describes that internet is a very useful tool in classroom, moreover, in terms of language teaching. (2) This research provides examples on how to do and how to make research in a big scale and time-consuming***agepe.

Life Lessons I have Learned

2008-09-25T14:35:00.001+07:00

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
- Age 39

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up.
- Age 13

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
- Age 46

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
- Age 82

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice.
- Age 24

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
- Age 65

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone.
- Age 50

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die.
- Age 53

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
- Age 7

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need is to cast blame on others.
- Age 46

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
- Age 62

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I've seen several.
- Age 73

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
- Age 64

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures.
- Age 29

I've learned that wherever I go, the worlds worst drivers have followed me there.
- Age 29

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours.
- Age 49

I've learned that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little card.
- Age 44

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.
- Age 13

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.
- Age 9

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me.
- Age 15

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
- Age 52

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
- Age 66

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage.
- Age 61

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.
- Age 58

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer.
- Age 72

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night".
- Age 7

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it.
- Age 41

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch, holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
- Age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
- Age 92

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Fran Sawyer --- Florida

Annotated Bibliography_2

2008-09-23T19:17:00.002+07:00

Zha, S., Kelly, P., Park, M. A. K., & Fitzgerald, G. (2006). An investigation of communicative competence of ESL students using electronic discussion boards. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(3), 349-367.

The primary function of language is communication and interaction. Improving students' communicative competence has emerged as the new focus in language instruction. English as a Second Language (ESL) education has changed greatly over the past few decades because of the role of technology. ESL utilizing computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has shifted from drill-and practice to computer-mediated communication (CMC). CMC provides an equal opportunity for learners with different cultural backgrounds and personalities, thereby increasing participation and use of language. Peer interaction can be used to help learners acquire new strategies and strengthen their own ideas by engaging in peer dialog through written communication in MCC. Some ESL research: collaborative learning tasks (Belz & Kinginger, 2002; Chun, 1994; Lam, 2000; Singhal, 1998; Warschauer, 1996) or class/group discussions with individual assignments (Beauvois, 1992; Beauvois, 1994; Kern, 1995), none of these findings compared the effect of collaborative versus individual CMC learning tasks on students' communicative competence. The Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theorists note that the appropriate use of language is a part of socialization because language is the medium in social interactions. Therefore, studies of students' appropriate use of language should include the use of language to participate in social interactions. More studies are needed to define and measure students' appropriate use of language in CMC.

This study focuses on the use of electronic discussion boards with elementary-aged ESL students. Majority of studies on ESL learning in CMC settings were conducted at the college level. Few studies address the second communicative competence in CMC for K-12 students. Research do undertaken with elementary-aged children to examine their ESL communicative competence in an asynchronous discussion board. There are two purposes of the study. First, researchers want to examine the patterns of K-12 ESL students' communicative competence through peer interaction in collaborative learning versus individual learning tasks in CMC, with particular attention to appropriate use of language for social purposes. Second, researchers want to examine the improvements in communicative competence within CMC environments.

The research questions are not explicitly stated in this paper. Based on the topic and purposes, it is likely that the questions will look like as follows: (a) do the patterns of K-12 ESL students' communicative competence through peer interaction in collaborative learning differ from that of in individual learning tasks in CMC, with particular attention to appropriate use of language for social purposes? (b) do the students make improvements in their communication within CMC environments?

The participants were 28 ESL students in Grades 2-5 participated in this project. They came from 7 classes in 6 elementary schools. Eighteen of them were male and ten were female; 7 students spoke Spanish and 5 students spoke Chinese; the others spoke Russian, French, Korean, Arabic, Urdu, or Samoan. This research was conducted in 7 elementary ESL classes from mid-March to early May 2003. The intervention included a one-week training period, followed by three communication and writing activities in an electronic discussion board. Participant assigned from the same schools into different discussion groups so that the electronic discussion board was the only site for students in the same group to communicate with each other. Therefore, each group, consisting of three or four students from different schools, had its own discussion section on the discussion board. In other word, researcher used the purposive sampling.

The first week was considered a training week. The learning activities as an instrument were created based on Egbert's (2001, 2002) suggestions for a successful online ESL environment. Three online discussion activities were implemented in this study with the topics that related to students' real lives and would typically interest K-12 students. All of the three activities had different social settings, and therefore required students' appropriate use of English according to audience, purpose, and settings. This project was conducted in teachers' offices during the students' ESL class time, one hour for two classes per week. Students' messages to the discussion board were importing into NVivo 2.0, a qualitative analysis software program (QSR International).

Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze 956 messages posted by 28 ESL students to the electronic discussion board during a six-week period of time. Used the qualitative methods, the researchers coded the messages using the national ESL Standards for PreK-12 Students to examine ESL students' communicative competence. Using the ESL Standards, nineteen competence indicators from four areas were used as coding nodes. Used quantitative analysis, based on the analysis of coded messages, paired sample t-tests were conducted to test for significant changes in communicative competence across the three activities. Three SPSS data files were created, and data in each standard was organized and used as variables.

The results of quantitative analysis demonstrated that students' use of English for personal expression and enjoyment increased despite the fluctuating number of messages across the three activity periods. The increase was not related to the organization of the tasks (individual vs. collaborative) either. The results from the qualitative analysis suggested that students had a tendency toward casual rather than formal social interaction throughout the three activities. Electronic discussion board offered an excellent opportunity to observe and facilitate K-12 ESL students' use of different language styles, including formal and informal patterns. Formalized testing would provide a way to assess language improvement observed in the qualitative results. The outcomes of this study are ESL children are able to learn to use these environments, engage in appropriate social interaction, successfully engage in authentic work tasks, and interact socially and negotiate meaning with others. Using CMC as language learning environments can help teachers implement ESL Standards in ESL teaching.

Limitation of the study: (a) researchers did not describe the desired achievement of the implementation of ESL standards in the classroom activity. It means that the study only explained about the social interaction achievement instead of the proper use of ESL standards; (b) I am sure, time as well as other factors such as absenteeism could contribute to the fluctuation of students' participation that was observed, but researchers did not explain about that.

This research is useful for our group project, especially, we are language teacher. This research gives us insight how teach language with the communication and interaction purpose. This research gives insight that research must be prepared and designed clearly. This research gives an example how to use both quantitative and qualitative design***agepe.

Egotism

2008-09-21T14:32:00.000+07:00

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader. But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister apparently had no effect on their relationship, which seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful student.

One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back, "What kind of stupid question is that!?"

This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister that he became sullen and angry. The Zen master then smiled and said, "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."

Father's Eyes

2008-09-18T14:30:00.001+07:00

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart.

Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere.

At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.

This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior.

All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but remained a bench-warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a walk-on. Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared the son's excitement and received season tickets for all the college games.

This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today"? The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday."

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear.

As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally, feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "22 You can go in."

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied.

In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me, what got into you? How did you do it?" The young man looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?"

The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it."

--- Author Unknown ---

Banishing a Ghost

2008-09-15T14:14:00.001+07:00

Here is Zen Stories:

The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come back to haunt you."

For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they were engaged to be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.

Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village. "This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story. "It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do. It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost, but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."

That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my hand."

At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.

Critical Analysis

2008-09-13T12:37:00.002+07:00

The Influence of Teachers’ Technology Use on Instructional Practices

Rakes, G. C., Fields, V. S., & Cox, K. E. (2006). The influence of teachers’ technology use on instructional practices. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(4), 409-424.

This study investigated the relationship between the use of technology and skills and the use of constructivist instructional practices among teachers in rural schools. There are two basic problems that serve as the background of this study. First, children in rural schools frequently do not have the same level of access to resources and experiences as those who live in suburban and urban areas of the United States. Second, rural schools have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified teachers because teachers in high-poverty schools are frequently paid less than those in the other types of schools. These problems arise because rural schools are faced with conditions such as inadequate administrative support, excessive intrusions on teaching time, student discipline problems, and lack of input from the faculty for decision-making regarding the schools. More research indicate nationwide low-performance in many subject areas.

As an overview of the study, it is more than sufficient to place the area and context of the study. With the two issues as I summarized above in order to give a clear picture of the research. It is the fact that there are some schools in the third world area, especially in rural schools, in which they cannot keep up with today’s racing technology.

Researchers provided two theoretical reviews as the background of the study (a) constructivism and learning, and (b) technology and constructivism as the framework foundation. They expressed that in traditional classroom, students are typically not provided with whole, dynamic learning experiences; rather, they are provided with limited, arbitrary activities. Schools frequently teach information from the various disciplines without providing adequate contextual support with opportunities for students to apply what they are taught. Therefore, constructivist teaching methods are needed as a way to increase authenticity in the classroom. Teachers are beginning to use technology as a tool to promote students’ ability to reason and solve authentic problems. Increasing the use of technology can create a vehicle through which educators can address teaching and learning opportunities for all students. The need for these opportunities is especially apparent in poor US rural areas.

Based on the topic (the relationship between technology use and skills and the use of constructivist instructional practices among teachers in rural schools), theories about constructivism, technology and learning really fit and will give more benefit in discussion. The researchers carefully (exactitude) weave statements from John Dewey (1916), Piaget (1973), Vygotsky (1978), etc. with previous research results from Dwyer (1994), Rakes et al (1999), Becker and Ravitz (1999), etc. to built the framework.

The purpose of this study is not explicitly stated in this research report. Based on the topic and the research questions, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the given grant to school and teachers training toward the technology use and skills and the use of constructivist instructional practices among teachers in rural schools. This study explores whether teachers use technology, both in the classroom and for personal use, along with constructivist teaching practices. This study addresses four specific research questions: (1) What are the predominate teacher levels on the Level of Technology Implementation, Personal Computer Use, and Current Instructional Practices scales? (2) Is there a relationship between teachers’ Current Instructional Practices scores and teachers’ Level of Technology Implementation scores? (3) Is there a relationship between teachers’ Current Instructional Practices scores and teachers’ Personal Computer Use scores? (4) Is there a relationship between teachers’ Current Instructional Practices scores and teachers’ scores on both the Levels of Technology Implementation and Personal Computer Use scales? The researchers did not define the hypothesis.

On the research design, the researchers did not provide a clear description on the construction and variables, research methodology, and data collection methods. The researchers explain the sample and the population in detail. The purposive sample was comprised of 186 fourth and eighth grade teachers from 36 elementary schools, 17 middle/junior high schools, and 13 high schools from 11 rural school districts in a southern state. The 11 districts were chosen from those designated by the Delta Rural Systemic Initiative. From the total purposive sample of 186 teachers, 123 volunteered to participate. Seventy-one fourth grade teachers and 52 eighth grade teachers participated in the study; those grades were chosen because the state “high stakes testing” is done at those two grade levels.

With regards to the way the sample was determined and the way the researchers analyzed the data (will be explained), this study employed a quantitative non experimental research design. In my opinion, the following are the steps in conducting a non experimental research: first, the researchers must determine the research problem and the hypothesis to be tested; second, the researcher selects the variables to be used in the study. In this study, the researchers did not clearly define the research problem. Purposiveness is one of conditions a research referred to goodness. Though the research questions were formulated in detail, the research problem cannot be comprehended clearly. And surely, the four questions have translated the research problem into research variables. The hypothesis was not formulated clearly. It was just implicitly stated in the sample description.

The 11 districts were chosen from those designated by the Delta Rural Systemic Initiative. The purpose of this federal program was to bring about reform in delta communities in three southern states. These school districts also received a federally funded Technology Literacy Challenge grant that provided equipment and professional development for teachers in the use of technology. The total provided for equipment was $10,931,503. Each district was provided about 300 hours of professional development for teachers. The equipment and training had been in place for a year prior to collection of the survey data. (p. 413)

At the same time the researchers probably assume that the readers get the picture of the hypothesis implicitly put in that description. That after receiving a federally funded Technology Literacy Challenge Grant that provided equipment and professional development for teachers in the use of technology with professional development training, learning abilities in using technology progressively and constructivist teaching methods work. The researchers probably also assume that with the statement the intention of the research will seem implicit. As a research report, this report is less complete.

Teachers in the study responded to 40-item instrument, the Level of Technology Implementation (LoTI). The LoTI was administered to the fourth and eighth grade teachers to determine if their level of classroom technology use and personal computer use (PCU) predicted their Current Instructional Practices (CIP). The instrument generated a profile for each participant in three domains (variables): LoTI (measures the teacher’s level of classroom technology implementation), PCU (measures the skill and comfort level of teachers when using technology for personal use based on eight intensity levels), and CIP (measures teachers’ classroom practices relating to a subject-matter versus a learner-based curriculum approach based on eight elements). A Guide for Measuring Classroom Technology Use was initially tested in August of 1997 and in June of 1998. Moersch (1995, 1998) determined reliability by using Cronbach’s Alpha, which showed a reliability measure of .74 for the LoTI, .81 for PCU, and .73 for CIP. Researchers prepared three table levels of LoTI, CIP, and PCU like rubrics as measurements.

The researchers did not clearly explain the variables of the research although non experimental quantitative design with the regression or correlation research is aimed to see the relationship of dependent variable (DV) to independent variable (IV). Again, the weakness of this research is that the researchers did not follow the research procedure in order, though based on research questions, the readers can determine which one is the DV and which one is the IV. The DV is CIP and the IV is LoTI and PCU.

It’s comment using instrument previous research that was tested and determined reliability as long as that number of reliability showed. The researchers have been explaining the reliability score to be used. And surely the researchers also had prepared three tables level of three variables in the rubrics.

The researchers stated that the data was analyzed using multiple regression on results and discussion. This data analysis technique was not defined in the research methodology. Multiple Regressions is precisely selected by the researchers to analyze the data because this research was intended to see the influence of IV to DV. This research has two IV and the aim was to describe the research data phenomenon and to serve as a control to grant which have been given schools of samples and teachers followed the training. The techniques used to analyze this data have a weakness that the result of research may be not only influenced by gift grant or also not because of teacher have followed the training, but maybe by other factors (confounding effect). In this case researchers have not given the reason at the end of the research.

There is another possible technique to analyze data like post-test control design (quantitative experimental) by comparing samples of receiving schools grant and teacher followed the training with another rural school which do not accept the grant and these teachers do not follow the training. This design is also appropriate for measuring how effective the effect from governmental aid to school and affect from teacher training which have been conducted. But these research goals as a means of control are not reached. So far choosing the multiple regression as an analysis technique for data is precise.

Limitations were described before results and discussion. There are five limitations. (1) The questionnaire did not consider the complexity of software applications used at the school sites or the frequency of their use. (2) The sample is restricted to fourth and eighth grade teachers in 11 poor, rural school districts in a southern state. (3) The study explored relationships among variables; therefore, the analysis cannot establish cause and effect relationships. (4) There may exist unexamined factors affecting the relationship between technology use by teachers and their instructional practices that are not accounted for in the methodology. (5) All information in the survey is self-reported data. The information provided was based exclusively on the perceptions of the participants.

Limitations which are explained after the researchers determine the design show that researcher have sufficiently considered the possible deflect or different interpretation in this research. This indicates the carefulness (exactitude) as one of good research condition. This limitation also will give the definition in comprehending result of data analysis.

Based on question research 1, the predominate of LoTI level is O (Non-Use). This result represents an alarmingly high number of teachers who express a lack of technology used given the amount of technology training and equipment provided for these poor, rural school districts. Despite substantial grant-funded infusions of money for training and equipment, teachers in this sample still perceived their ability to use technology as extremely limited. The predominate of PCU intensity level for this sample is 3 (moderate skill levels). These disappointing results come from a population that was targeted for technology training and equipment. The levels of teacher skill and comfort levels with computers were lower than expected. The predominate intensity level for the CIP for this sample is 4 (respondents may feel comfortable supporting or implementing either a subject-matter or learning-based approach). These results were more encouraging than expected, with more than half of the respondents describing the use of constructivist teaching practices to at least a moderate degree.

This result represented with the bar diagram in three figures. The choice of the bar diagram to define predominate condition was really precise. The data interpretation has been defined clearly and consistently. These are aimed at expectations for grant which have been given by a government and the result of training which have been followed by the teachers.

Based on research question 2, results of standard multi regression on DV (CIP scores) and IV (LoTI scores) were entered into the predictive equation, revealed an R2 of .16, F = 23.07, p < .001, and the indicates there was a significant linear relationship between the DV and IV. About 16% of the variance in the CIP scores can be accounted for by the LoTI score. The results indicate that R2 is very poor (.16) and the predictive value of the LoTI score is likely to be unacceptable. The bivariate correlation (2-tailed) between CIP and LoTI is .40 (p < .01). The positive, moderate correlation between CIP and LoTI indicates that teachers who scored higher on the LoTI scored higher on the CIP scale.

Based on research question 3, results of standard multiple regression on DV (CIP scores) and IV (PCU scores), were entered into the predictive equation, revealed an R2 of .25, F = 22.83, p < .001 indicate there was a significant linear relationship between the criterion variable or DV (CIP) and the predictor variable or IV (PCU) – researchers make a mistake by write LoTI. About 25% of the variance in the CIP scores can be accounted for by the PCU score. Results indicate that the CIP score can be predicted by the PCU score. In this case, R2 is weak, but interpretable. The bivariate correlation (2-tailed) between CIP and PCU is .51 (p < .01). The positive, moderate correlation between CIP and PCU indicates that teachers who scored higher on the PCU have higher scores on the CIP scale.

Based on research question 4, results of standard multiple regression with DV (CIP score) and IV (score of LoTI and PCU) were entered into the predictive equation, revealed an R2 of .28, F = 23.84, p < .001, and indicate there was a significant linear relationship between the DV (CIP) and the set of IV. Results indicate that the CIP score can be predicted by both the LoTI score and the PCU scores. About 28% of the variance in the CIP scores can be accounted for by both the LoTI and the PCU scores. In this case, R2 is weak, but interpretable. The sample multiple correlation coefficient was .53. The positive, moderate correlations between both LoTI and PCU and CIP indicate that teachers who scored higher on both the LoTi and PCU have higher levels of CIP. Both predictors, LoTI and PCU, contributed to a slightly better prediction of CIP scores.

The results based on the research questions 2, 3, and 4 have been explained clearly. The researchers have also interpreted the statistic symbols correctly. It is interesting that on each interpretation of statistic result, the researchers always connect with the result of previous research as an argumentation comparator. For example, research results based on research question 2 are compared with results of research by Becker and Ravitz (1999) and Middleton and Murray (1999). It was expected that the positive relationship between the LoTI and CIP would be stronger. Becker and Ravitz found that teachers who used various computer technologies in the classroom, particularly student-centered, internet-based teaching activities, are more likely than other teachers to demonstrate changes associated with constructivist reforms. In this particular population, the positive relationship exists, but does not provide sufficient predictive power. This may be an additional indication that the technology-related training provided to these teachers did not provide a strong enough link between technology tools and their curriculum as indicated in the LoTI results for these teachers. From this discussion see that theoretical review was really conducted by the researchers to interpret the results of the data analysis.

The research results based on question 3 are similar to findings by Rakes et al. (1999). Teachers’ strong, basic technology skill levels appear to provide teachers with a comfort level with computers needed to support constructivist teaching practices. In this regard, the basic technology skills training provided these teachers appear to have been somewhat successful with a segment of the population. Also the results for research question 4. This result confirms Moersch’s (1999) assertion that appropriate use of technology can reinforce higher cognitive skill development and complex thinking skills as promoted through the use of constructivist teaching practices.

The researchers did not present the conclusion because possible result of this research has clear. The ultimate goal of research on the use of technology as a tool for constructivist teaching practices is to verify a link between classroom technology use, constructivist instructional practices, and improved student achievement. As demonstrated in this study’s teacher population, the availability of computers and training do not necessarily result in the widespread use of technology.

Anyway, education is a costly investment. Technological use to increase student ability in classroom instruction, that at the first becoming concentration study in our group is insufficient in the reality applied. This research gives the insight that the availability of technology and teacher professional development program in using technology did not automatically alter the paradigm and way of teaching. This research gives a lesson to me that writing a research report has to be complete.***agepe

One, who treats his own people with scorn, shall surely suffer a bitter end

2008-09-11T12:31:00.002+07:00

THE STORY OF THE JACKAL WHO FELL INTO VAT OF INDIGO DYE

In a jungle, there lived a jackal by the name of Chandarava. One day he was very hungry, so he risked going into the city to find food. There he was surrounded by dogs barking loudly. They set upon him and wounded him with their sharp teeth. To save his skin, he ran into a dyer's house. A big vat of indigo dye was lying there. In he jumped and consequently his whole body was dyed indigo, he no longer looked like a jackal.

When he came out, the dogs were unable to recognize him and ran off in all directions, terrified. The jackal himself went back to the jungle. The indigo dye would not come off.

Back in the jungle, when the animals, the lions, tigers, elephants, wolves and the rest of them, saw the indigo-coloured jackal, they ran away in terror and said to one another, 'Let's run away for we don't know the strength of this animal or what to expect of him.'

When the jackal saw the frightened animals, he called them back and said, 'Ho! Animals! Why are you running off in panic?

Don't be afraid.

Brahma, the Lord of Creation has made me himself, with his hands, and he said, 'The animals have no king, so I have crowned you as a king. Go to the earth and protect them well."

'That's why,' he continued ' I've come here.

Live in my kingdom, under my protection. I, have been crowned the King of the Three Worlds. ( Heaven , Earth and Hell).'

When all the animals, the lions, tigers, and the rest of them, heard this, they surrounded him and said, 'Master, we await you commands.'

The jackal assigned specific duties to all the animals, but he said he would have nothing to do with jackals, and they were all chased away.

The lion and the tiger used to go out hunting and bring the prey before the jackal. He would then distribute it amongst the other animals. Thus, he discharged his kingly duties. In this way, quite some time elapsed.

One day, this jackal heard in the distance the howl of pack of jackals. He was spellbound, his eyes filled with tears of joy, he stood up and began to howl.

When the lion and the other animals heard the howl, they realized that he was only a jackal and they lowered their heads in shame.

Only for a moment did they remain in this attitude. Then they said angrily to each other, 'This despicable jackal has fooled us! We will kill him!'

When the jackal heard this, he tried to escape but was torn in pieces on the spot and he died.

The wise indeed say : One, who treats his own people with scorn, shall surely suffer a bitter end.

cited from TALES OF PANCHATANTRA

Love in action

2008-09-09T11:17:00.000+07:00

Love in action is the answer to every
problem in our lives and in this world.
Love in action is the force that halped
us make it to this place, and it's the
turth that will set us free

Teachers are Like Mirrors

2008-09-08T06:52:00.001+07:00

Destiny

2008-09-07T14:29:00.000+07:00

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."

"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.

I taught my students...

2008-09-07T10:54:00.004+07:00

There are no people that need all the
benefits resulting from well-directed

education more than we do. The

condition of our people, the wants of

our children, and we welfare of our
race demand that aid of every helping
hand. It is a work of time, a labor of
patience, to become an effective school
teacher; and it should be a work of
love in which they who engage should
not abate heart or hope

Annotated Bibliography_1

2008-09-05T10:16:00.002+07:00

Bulger, M. E., Mayer, R. E., Almeroth, K. C., & Blau, S. D. (2008). Measuring learner engagement in computer-equipped college classrooms. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 17(2), 129-143.

Although engagement and learning appear linked, quantitatively measuring this relationship is challenging. New technologies offer a window into studying the interactions among classroom activity, student engagement, and positive learning outcomes in computer-equipped classrooms. Early studies defined engagement in terms of interest, effort, motivation, and time on task. Research on active engagement consistently shows that when students are focused on a task, they are more likely to apply effort during their learning experience. A trend in recent research is to study the cognitive strategies that result from varying levels of motivation. Meta-cognitive control, which is evident in students' ability to not only know what to do in a learning situation (cognitive strategies), but when to do it, is measured by self-efficacy cues, self-regulation, and goal setting. Students demonstrating cognitive strategies such as task-mastery goals report higher levels of engagement and perform better on assigned tasks. In light of the new measurement opportunities made possible by emerging technologies, it makes sense to return to Berliner's research (1987,1990) that assumes a causal relationship between engaged time that is the period of time in which students are completely focused on and participating in the learning task and academic achievement.

In this research, researcher applied Berliner's concept of time on task to measure student engagement levels. Researcher use Classroom Behavioral Analysis System (CBAS) to measure student engagement in a college writing class. Student computer-based behaviors (off-task and on-task internet visits) were compared during a traditional, lecture-based lesson (no-simulation condition) and an interactive simulation-based lesson (simulation condition). There are two purposes of this study, namely: (a) to compare student engagement during lecture taught using computer compared with lecture using traditional methods, (b) to measure student engagement levels affected by instructional style. There are three research questions: (a) how engaged are students during a lecture taught using traditional methods? (b) how engaged are students during a lecture taught using a simulation exercise? (c) are student engagement levels affected by instructional style?

The participants were 139 students enrolled in freshman composition courses at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Out of 144 students, 139 volunteered for the study and five chose not to participate. All consented to the recording of their in-class computer activities. Thirty-two participants in two intact classes were given the no-simulation treatment and 107 participants in five intact classes were given the simulation treatment.

The design is quasi-experimental because intact classes (rather than individual learners) were assigned to the treatments. The dependent variable was student engagement as measured by the number of off-task and on-task internet activities during a class lesson. Off-task internet activities operationalized as website visits that were not part of the assigned class activity. On-task internet activities included website visits that related to the assigned class activity, such as a word definition search or the use of an online writing lab. CBAS installed on each computer and recorded keystroke activities, active applications, and URL visits. A video camera positioned in the back of the classroom recorded observable classroom activity, including the instructor's actions and participant behavior. Participants observed during a single 110-minute instructional episode. In the two non-simulation classes, the instructor used a traditional, lecture-style format for the first 15 minutes of class and then directed the students to use the additional class time to revise their paper drafts. For the five simulation classes, researcher developed a simulation exercise consisting of a website that detailed a mining accident and prompted participants to write a rescue plan. In these classes, the activity took place in real time. Participants worked collaboratively in groups while the instructor participated directly in the learning activity by role-playing and responding to student requests for information and support.

The results: In the no-simulation condition, participants performed significantly more off-task internet actions (M=34.31, SD=28.03) than on-task internet actions (M=11.72, SD=11.33), t (31) = 4.35, p< .001. Off-task internet actions accounted for 79% of the cohort's total internet use. This result shows that a lesson taught using a traditional lecture-style format that did not apply engagement research findings resulted in low student engagement levels, as reflected by high off-task internet actions. In the simulation condition, participants performed significantly more on-task internet actions (M=27.71, SD=19.11) than off-task internet actions (M=3.79, SD=5.89), t (106)=12.55, p< .001. Off-task internet actions accounted for 9% of this cohort's total internet use. This result shows that using an interactive simulation exercise resulted in increased student engagement levels, as reflected by high on-task internet actions. Base on student engagement levels affected by instructional style, researcher finding that students in the no-simulation condition appear to have lower engagement levels than students in the simulation condition. These results show that it is possible to specifically design an instructional episode that heightens student engagement levels. This study shows that student engagement is related to instructional method, namely, that the no-simulation condition primed lower engagement in learners than did the simulation condition. Researchers found that it is possible to encourage high levels of student engagement by using an interactive simulation exercise. The high levels of student on-task actions in the simulation classes indicate that directed interactive activities can promote high levels of student engagement.

The limitations of the study were: First, researcher did not explain the instructors. I think different instructors taught in the two conditions will make the research bias. Second, in the simulation condition, participants worked in groups, whereas in the no-simulation condition, participants worked alone, researcher not consistently requiring group work in both conditions. Third, the sample size for the no-simulation condition was considerably smaller than the simulation condition. Values of the research to our group project are as follow. This research gives us insight how to measure student engagement. In a typical classroom situation in Indonesia, some students are paying attention to varying degrees and others are not. It is difficult for teacher to determine the extent to which students are actually engaged with the classroom activities. Behavioral cues, such as students looking at the teacher, may provide some indication of engagement levels; however, students who appear to not be paying attention may be completely engaged and vice-versa. This research gives another example using technology to measuring student engagement. This research also be a model to my group, how to design quasi-experimental research.***agepe

The Picture Of The Praying Hands

2008-09-04T14:27:00.001+07:00

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition.

His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you." All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother.. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 475 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durers hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durers works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brothers abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love, "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - ever makes it alone!

--- Author Unknown ---

Paradise

2008-09-01T14:12:00.000+07:00

Two people are lost in the desert. They are dying from hunger and thirst. Finally, they come to a high wall. On the other side they can hear the sound of a waterfall and birds singing. Above, they can see the branches of a lush tree extending over the top of the wall. Its fruit look delicious.

One of them manages to climb over the wall and disappears down the other side. The other, instead, returns to the desert to help other lost travelers find their way to the oasis.

When things go wrong, coolly use your wit to overcome the situation.

2008-08-27T11:42:00.002+07:00

THE STORY OF THE HERON AND THE CRAB

Somewhere in the jungle, there was a big lake, and in it lived all kinds of water creatures. A heron also lived there. He had grown old and had no strength left to catch the fish. Because he was starving, he had become lean. So he hit upon a plan.

One day, he came to the edge of the pond and began to cry loudly, shedding his tears like pearls.
A crab came up to him and asked sympathetically, "Uncle! Are you all right? Why aren't catching the fish today and why are you crying? Why these sighs?"

"Ah child", replied the heron, "I have decided to renounce the world.

I have been a fish-eater but now I wouldn't touch them even if they came near me, for I have undertaken a fast unto death."

"What is the reason for your renunciation?" the crab asked him.

"Well", said the heron, "I was born in this pond and it is here that I've grown old. Now I have heard that there will be no rain for next twelve years."

"Where have you heard that?" exclaimed the crab.

"From the mouth of an astrologer", said the heron, "that there will be no rain here for twelve years. There's not much water in this pond now, it will get less and less and in the end it will dry up completely."

The crab told this to the other water creatures. All the crabs, fish, tortoises and everybody got into a state of panic. They went to the heron and said, "Is there no way out? Can't we protect ourselves against this disaster?"

"Well", said the heron, " not far from here, is a lake full of water. Even if it does not rain for twenty four years, this lake, which is covered with lotus flowers, will never dry up. If somebody rides on my back I can take him there."

And in this way, he gained their confidence. They gathered around him, crying, "Uncle! Father! Brother! Me first! Me first! Please!"

The wicked heron took them one by one, on his back. When he had flown a little way, he would smash them against a rock and eat them to his heart's content. When he got back, he would deliver false messages to their relatives.

One day the crab said to the heron, "Uncle, I was friends with you first and yet you take the others before me. Now save my life too."

When he heard this, the heron thought to himself, "I am tired of eating fish everyday. To change the monotony of the food, I'll eat this crab today."

And so he took the crab on his back and carried him to the rock where he used to kill the fishes.

The crab recognized the heap of bones and the skeletons of the fishes and understood everything.

But calmly he said to the heron, "Uncle! Say, how far is this pond? You must be tied of carrying me. I am very heavy." The heron thought to himself, "Now this dumb water creature is in my power, and cannot escape from my clutches."

So, with a smirk, he said to the crab, "Crab, where could there be another pond? This trip is for my food. I am going to smash you against this rock and eat you".

As soon as the heron had said this, the crab put his claws round the white, lotus-like neck of the heron and strangled him to death. The crab slowly dragged the neck back to the pond.

All the water dwellers gathered round him and began to ask, "Crab, why are you back? And why hasn't uncle returned with you? Why is he wasting time? We are all impatient for a chance to be taken to the large lake.'

Then the crab laughed and said, "You fools! That swindler told us untruth about the astrologer and was not taking the water creatures to any pond; but smashing them against a rock, not far from here, and eating them up. I was destined to stay alive and understood what he was up to.

I killed the trickster and I have brought back his neck.

Now there's no need to worry. We are safe."

The wise indeed say: When things go wrong, coolly use your wit to overcome the situation.

cited from TALES OF PANCHATANTRA

For Those Who Doubt

2008-08-24T14:23:00.000+07:00

This story is directed at those who choose not to believe in God and for those who experience any doubt of His presence and/or existence. I recently came across a true story about a woman in Fort Myers, Florida whose mother was dying. It is my hope that this story may touch you in the same way it touched my heart. The story, some of which is in the exact words of this woman is as follows:

I was fortunate to be able to sit at my mother's bedside and have lots of talks with her during her last weeks on earth. Most of her last month was spent in a hospital until we went to Hospice House. I knew Hospice helped people die but I didn't know they had a 16 room home in Fort Myers where people could come and die in peace. We had many conversations as she drew closer and closer to death and spoke many times about death and heaven.

In one such conversation about heaven I said: "Mom, well... could we have a secret, something just between us? I know it's going to sound crazy. But if you die and when you get to heaven, if it's more than you ever dreamed it would be, if you are all right and see God and Jesus, would you send me one red rose?"

This was a very special moment between me and my mother an eternal moment. She said, "Yes, I'll do that."

A week later I said, "Look mom about our secret, I'll be on earth and you'll be in heaven. How are you going to get a rose to me?" She said to me without reservation "Honey, God can do anything!"

Shortly after that on September 16,1997 her mother died. As you can imagine this was not a wonderful time. So much to do with funeral arrangements that the woman forgot completely about the secret she and her mother had shared. Then at the funeral home, during the wake a strange thing happened. Let me share this in the woman's words.

All of the sudden in the back of the funeral home I caught a glimpse of an elderly gentleman with a cane. I didn't know him. I was sure that I had never seen or met him before. I turned and looked at him... as he knelt down at my mother's coffin and placed in her hands just one beautiful red rose. I walked over to him and inquired what made him bring the rose. He said, "oh honey, for some reason all day today I had a red rose on my mind, all day I have been thinking about it. I just knew I had to get one red rose for your mother.""

Now if you're like me, you have tears streaming down your cheeks right now. Let me suggest to you that God is real and sometimes in His graciousness and love, He will, for just a moment pull back the curtain and allow us to see beyond our limited view of life and death. Right now if you believe this story and it has touched your heart, isn't it about time you got right with God and accepted His Son into your heart. Don't wait because if you do it may be too late. Accept Christ today as your Lord and Savior and become part of the eternal kingdom of God. After all heaven was more than this woman's mother.

--- Author Unknown

Concentration

2008-08-21T14:20:00.001+07:00

Here is Zen Stories:

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot.

"There," he said to the old man,

"see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log.

Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

The Guy In The Glass

2008-08-18T14:18:00.001+07:00

The Guy In The Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

--- By Dale Wimbrow, © 1934
--- Originally Submitted by Darryl Bevan --- Perth, Western Australia
--- Correct author supplied by Tina - 6/7/99

Ritual Cat

2008-08-15T14:11:00.000+07:00

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

Even a very powerful enemy can be destroyed through deceit

2008-08-11T11:19:00.002+07:00

THE STORY OF THE COBRA AND THE CROW

Somewhere in the country, under a banyan tree, there lived a pair of crows, husband and wife.

Now, whenever the female hatched her eggs, a black cobra would come out of the hollow of the tree, climb up, and make a meal of them.

Nearby, under another banyan tree, there lived a jackal. The crows told him everything, 'Friend', they said, 'the black cobra creeps out of the hollow of the tree, climbs up and eats up our children. Tell us, what can we do to protect our children ? It's become dangerous for us to live here'.

'Don't give up hope', said the jackal, 'it is a fact that a powerful enemy can be destroyed by a trick.'

The crow said, 'Friend, do tell us how we can kill this wicked cobra.'

'Well', said the jackal, 'go to a city that is the capital of a kingdom.

Visit the house of some wealthy man, a minister or someone, and see if he has been careless enough to leave a gold chain or a necklace lying about.

Pick it up, and making sure that the servants are watching you, fly off slowly with it and drop it in the hollow of the tree where the cobra lives.

When the servants run after you to recover the necklace , they'll see the cobra e and it's certain, they'll kill him.'

The crows decided to take the jackal's advice and flew off.

As they were flying, the female crow noticed a lake, in which the women of the harem were swimming. They had left gold and pearl necklaces with their clothes on the banks of the lake. The female crow picked up a gold chain in her beak and started flying slowly to her nest.

When the eunuchs saw this, they picked up their sticks and started running after the female crow. She let the gold chain fall near the hollow of the tree where the cobra lived and seated herself on a tree nearby.

When the king's servants arrived on the scene, they were confronted by a cobra with swelling hood, before the hollow of the tree. They killed the cobra with sticks, recovered the gold chain and returned home.

And the crows lived happily ever. The wise indeed say: Even a very powerful enemy can be destroyed through deceit.

cited from: TALES OF PANCHATANTRA

Sounds of Silence

2008-08-09T14:09:00.000+07:00

Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle began to flicker and then went out.

The first monk said, "Oh, no! The candle is out."

The second monk said, "Aren't we not suppose to talk?"

The third monk said, "Why must you two break the silence?"

The fourth monk laughed and said, "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

Worth Remembering

2008-08-06T13:46:00.001+07:00

by Malcolm Forbes

A True Story

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned.

"We want to see the President," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait," the lady replied.

For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away.
They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the President, even though it was a chore she always regretted.

"Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.

The President, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."

The President wasn't touched, he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly. "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."

"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."

The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard"

For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?"

Her husband nodded.

The President's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.

Malcolm Forbes
cited from: http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/212.html

Surprising the Master

2008-08-03T14:07:00.000+07:00

The students in the monastery were in total awe of the elder monk, not because he was strict, but because nothing ever seemed to upset or ruffle him. So they found him a bit unearthly and even frightening. One day they decided to put him to a test. A bunch of them very quietly hid in a dark corner of one of the hallways, and waited for the monk to walk by. Within moments, the old man appeared, carrying a cup of hot tea. Just as he passed by, the students all rushed out at him screaming as loud as they could. But the monk showed no reaction whatsoever. He peacefully made his way to a small table at the end of the hall, gently placed the cup down, and then, leaning against the wall, cried out with shock, "Ohhhhh!"

Miracle cost

2008-08-01T13:41:00.002+07:00

What's the miracle cost?

Tess was a precocious eight years old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only amiracle can save him now."

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too intently talking to another man to be bothered by an eight year old at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick ... and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you." the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs a operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money. "How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents -- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child.

Author Unknown
cited from : http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/223.html

Without Fear

2008-07-28T14:06:00.000+07:00

During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master. Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. "You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!" But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved. "And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"

A Useless Life

2008-07-25T14:04:00.000+07:00

A farmer got so old that he couldn't work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. "He's of no use any more," the son thought to himself, "he doesn't do anything!" One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. "I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?" "What is it?" replied the son. "Throw me over the cliff, if you like," said the father, "but save this good wood coffin. Your children might need to use it."

Do not close your eyes to the impending danger due to greed

2008-07-21T11:16:00.000+07:00

THE STORY OF TWO FIGHTING RAMS AND A JACKAL

One day , a Sanyasi while going through a jungle, saw two golden rams fightin each other. They rammed into each other until blood oozed out. But still they refused to stop fighting.

Meantime a blood thirsty jachal arrived on the scene and began to lick the blood from the ground.

Seeing this, the Sanyasi thought to himself, If he comes in between the two fighting rams. He is sure to get himself killed.

Sure enough, craving for blood, the jackal Do not close youur eyesgot caught up in thr fight.He was hit on the head, fell down and died

cited from: TALES OF PANCHATANTRA

Just Two Words

2008-07-18T14:02:00.001+07:00

There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"

"Bed... hard..." said the monk.

"I see," replied the head monk.

Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"

"Food... stinks..." said the monk.

"I see," replied the head monk.

Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "What are your two words now, after these ten years?"

"I... quit!" said the monk.

"Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complain."

(This story is a favorite in many western monasteries. It may or may not be an original Zen tale. Like any good anecdote, it makes us laugh, but also encourages us to think about why it is funny.)

Enlightened

2008-07-15T13:59:00.001+07:00

One day the Master announced that a young monk had reached an advanced state of enlightment. The news caused some stir. Some of the monks went to see the young monk. "We heard you are enlightened. Is that true?" they asked.
"It is," he replied.

"And how do you feel?"

"As miserable as ever," said the monk.

People's reactions to this story:
"The master was either lying or decieved, and the student was at the least lying to himself. As a wise man once said, 'Enlightened people take things lightly.'"
"To be enlightened doesn't mean to be lucky simultaneously.We all know why."

"Once achieving enlightenment the monk could see the state of the world and life with clarity. What he sees is not good. It is ironic that this wonderful achievement only brings him misery through the enlightened truth he now sees."

"It doesn't matter if your enlightened or not, you still have the same feelings as before. Only now things are much clearer. "

"Reality is reality whether you're enlightened or not."

"Knowledge is infinite. The more you learn, the more you will realise that you know nothing."

"Enlightenment changes nothing and everything. Nothing is solved! Enlightenment is not a goal but a state of being that has to be rediscovered on a continual basis."

"o.k. smile."

"The reason I believe this being to say "miserable as ever" is because now the others will be expecting him to be a certain being and act in certain ways. One cannot be free if there are always expectations of him."

"the more you know, the less you know."

"After "enlightenment" the young monk finally understands the world, how it works, and all of its component parts. Now this feat is a large one, one that many do not achieve. The reason the monk is now more miserable is because he feels the situation that he now is "enlightened" upon is a helpless one. Unfortunately the monk is pessimistic, and cannot forsee a solution for all of the problems that he has just begun to understand. Maybe the monk is not truly enlightened."

"the journey is more important than the destination."

"Enlightenment is a state of consciousness beyond emotions, positive or negative. An enlightened person would be totally accepting of his state of mind at each moment, however miserable that might be. Ultimately however true enlightened would in time lead to a wholly positive emotional state which would reflect and express the bliss of transcendence."

"If enlightenment is the state of seeing things as they truly are, then it isn't necessarily going to make you happy...."

"We have no valid way of predicting how we shall feel once enlightenment is attained - although we all have presumptions and curiosity. The reality may (probably will?) be wonderful yet different from our assumptions."

"When a person is enlightened, they discover that they still know so much less, than ever they did."

"For monks to became enlightened doesn't require to change feelings."

"I think that the young monk told his peers that he was as miserable as ever so that they would not envy him or his enlightenment. If they were to envy him then it would hinder their own development because in order to reach this higher consciousness one is supposed to have let go of any desires. To want this enlightenment so much would just add on another 'want'".

"Many people believe that with enlightenment comes peace, power and a sense of knowing, but with each stage of enlightenment we must still chop wood and carry water."

"I used to be different, now I'm the same..."

Do not be taken in by the sweet words

2008-07-11T11:12:00.002+07:00

THE STORY OF A HOLY MAN AND A SWINDLER

Once upon a time, in a lonely temple there lived a holy man called Dev Sharma.

Many people used to visit him and present him with money and finely woven garments, which he sold and got very rich on the proceeds.

And by nature, he trusted nobody.

Night and day he kept the treasure purse under his armpit and would not part with it even for a second.

A swindler, who robbed other men of their money, noticed that the holy man always kept the treasure purse under his armpit.

He said to himself, 'How could I rob this holy man of his money! It's difficult to make a hole through the walls of the temple or to get in over the high gates, so what I'll do is, charm him with honeyed words so that he accepts me as his disciple.

And when he has put confidence in me, some day he'll fall into my clutches.'

When he had resolutely made up his mind, to carry out this plan, the swindler i approached the holy man, stood before him with reverence and said, 'Om Namaha Shivaya!'( I bow before Lord Shiva, the God of death)

With these words he threw himself humbly on the ground before the holy man and said, 'Oh Guruji! I am fed up of this life. Please do guide me so that I follow the right path in this life and find happiness .'

When the holy man heard this, he said kindly, 'My son, you are indeed blessed that you have come to me at this young age, surely I will guide you.'

When the swindler heard this, he fell on the ground before the holy man, touched his feet, and said, 'Oh, Guruji, please do accept me as your disciple.'

'My child! answered the holy man 'I will, but on one condition, that you will never enter the temple at night, because a holy man is recommended to stay alone at night without company and meditate . We will keep to it, you and I.'

'And so', continued the holy man, 'after taking the vow of initiation, you will have to sleep in a thatched hut at the gate of the temple.'

'I shall willingly carry out your wishes', said thr swindler

At bedtime, the holy man initiated the swindler according to the rituals and made him his disciple.

The swindler massaged his hands and feet, waited upon him and made him happy but nonetheless the holy man did not part with his money bag even for a second.

After some time, the swindler began to think, 'He does not trust me at all! Shall I knife him in broad daylight, poison him or kill him like a wild animal?'

While he was thinking this over, the son of one of the holy man's disciples, from a nearby village, came to give him a personal invitation and said, 'Guruji,! Today the ceremony of the sacred thread takes place in our house.

Please come and sanctify it with your presence.'

The holy man accepted the invitation willingly and started off accompanied by the swindler

On the way, they came to a river.

When the holy man saw the river, he folded his money bag in his robe and said, ' Oh my child! Look after this robe with the vigilance of a Yogi until I return.'

And he went into the bushes.

The minute the holy man's back was turned, the swindler vanished with the money bag.

After the holy man had answered the call of nature, he slowly returned, thinking about his money.

When he got back, he failed to find the swindler but saw only his robe, lying on the ground.

He peered anxiously inside but could not find his purse.

He began to cry out, 'Alas! I have been robbed'.

And he fell on the ground in a swoon.

After sometime he returned to his senses.

He got up and began to shout ' Oh! Where are you, you rascal! Answer me!'

After he had shouted like this in a loud voice, he slowly trailed the swindler's footsteps until, just before evening, he came to a village.

He stayed there for the night and in the morning, returned to his temple.

This wise indeed say :Do not be taken in by the sweet words of a swindler.'

cited from: http://www.chandiramani.com/talesofpanchatantrae.html

The Nature of Things

2008-07-09T13:55:00.001+07:00

Here is the Zen Story:

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"

"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."

(Another version of this story describes a fox who agrees to carry a scorpion on its back across a river, upon the condition that the scorpion does not sting him. But the scorpion does indeed sting the fox when they are in midstream. As the fox begins to drown, taking the scorpion with him, he pleadingly asks why the scorpion has jeopardized both of them by stinging. "Because it's my nature." This story sometimes is attributed to Native Americans lore.)

The Butterfly Nikos Kazantzakis

2008-07-06T13:21:00.002+07:00

The Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly
One day a small opening appeared
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
It struggled to force its body through that little hole
Then it seemed to stop making any progress
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could
And it could go no farther.

So the man decided to help the butterfly
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off
The remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily, BUT,
It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings
He continued to watch the butterfly
He expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge
And the body would contract
Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling
Around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It was never able to fly.

The man acted with well-intentioned kindness
But he didn't understand the consequences.
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get
Through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid
From the body of the butterfly once it achieved it's freedom
From the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If nature allowed us to go through life without any
Obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been
And we could never fly
Have a great day, great life, and struggle a little.
Then fly!

cited from: http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/218.html

The Telltale Heart

2008-07-01T13:16:00.003+07:00

by Edgar Allan Poe

True! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly, very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this? And then when my head was well in the room I undid the lantern cautiously -- oh, so cautiously -- cautiously (for the hinges creaked), I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights, every night just at midnight, but I found the eye always closed, and so it was impossible to do the work, for it was not the old man who vexed me but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed , to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers, of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was opening the door little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea, and perhaps he heard me, for he moved on the bed suddenly as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back -- but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening , and the old man sprang up in the bed, crying out, "Who's there?"

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed, listening; just as I have done night after night hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief -- oh, no! It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself, "It is nothing but the wind in the chimney, it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or, "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes he has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions ; but he had found all in vain. All in vain, because Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel, although he neither saw nor heard, to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time very patiently without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little -- a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it -- you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily -- until at length a single dim ray like the thread of the spider shot out from the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye.

It was open, wide, wide open, and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness -- all a dull blue with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones, but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person, for I had directed the ray as if by instinct precisely upon the damned spot.

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder, every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -- do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me -- the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once -- once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But for many minutes the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.

I took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his -- could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out -- no stain of any kind -- no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that.

When I had made an end of these labours, it was four o'clock -- still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, -- for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, -- for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search -- search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears; but still they sat, and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct : I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness -- until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.

No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased -- and what could I do? It was a low dull, quick sound -- much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! what could I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder -- louder -- louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! -- no, no? They heard! -- they suspected! -- they knew! -- they were making a mockery of my horror! -- this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! -- and now -- again -- hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! --

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- here, here! -- it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

cited from: http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/214.html

Three Questions

2008-06-26T13:10:00.003+07:00

Three Questions - by Leo Tolstoy

One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.

What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?

The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.

Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.

Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.

The responses to the second question also lacked accord.

One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.

The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.

The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.

Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.

The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?"

The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.

After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.

At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."

"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.

"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."

The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.

The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."

"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."

cited from: http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/200.html

PANCHATANTRA

2008-06-22T12:37:00.003+07:00

Once upon a time, in the south of India, there was a city called Mahilaropyam. A king the name of Amarshahti* lived there. He was a very learned man and extremely accomplished in various arts and skills.

The king had three sons called Bahushakti*, Ugrashakti* and Anantashakti*, who were complete duds and had no interest whatsoever in studying. Realising this, the king assembled his ministers and addressed them in these words, "Gentleman, you already know how ignorant my sons are. They have no understanding whatsoever. Looking at them I cannot enjoy my Kingdom. As they say:

'Unborn, dead and stupid sons. The first two are to be preferred for they cause sorrow only once
Whilst stupid sons are a torment to the heart Till the end of life.'

And,

'What is the good of a cow That neither bears a calf nor gives milk? And, what is the good of a son
Who is neither enlightened nor Devoured?

- "So please tell me ways and means by which my sons would be enlightened."

One of the ministers replied, "Your Majesty! Twelve year are spent in learning grammar alone and then the required sciences, economics, religion and sexology are so vast that it takes a king time to master them. And only then the intelligence is awakened."

But a minister, a man called Sumati*, said, "Our life is transitory and these sciences take too long to master them.

So we must find a shorter way to enlighten the minds of the princes. I know of a Brahmin*, called Vishnu Sharma*, who is an expert in all the sciences and has earned an excellent reputation among his innumerable disciples. So I suggest that the princes should be handed over to him. He will certainly instruct them very well,"

When the king heard this, he had Vishnu Sharma invited to the palace and said to him, "Bhagawan*, please educate my sons quickly in nitishastras*, I shall be so grateful to you. I shall present you with a hundred tax-free villages."

This was the reply that Vishnu Sharma made to the kind " Your majesty, please listen to what I have to say, Believe me, it's the truth, I would not like to sell my wisdom out of greed for money but if I have not made your sons thorough in nitishastras within six month, then I am ready to forfeit my name. Hear my lion's roar*.

I don't crave for wealth. I am almost eighty years old and have all my desires under control. Now would you please make a note of today's date. If I have not educated your sons in nitishastras within six months, then I do not deserve a place in heaven."

The king and ministers were surprised as well as pleased to hear this seemingly impossible resolution. With great appreciation and respect, the king handed over his sons to the Brahmin and felt at ease.

After taking the princes to his ashrama*, Vishnu Sharma began to recite to them his specially composed stories. divided into five tantras*.

1. Conflict amongst friends.

2. Winning of friends.

3. Crows and owls.

4. The forfeit of profits.

5. Action without due consideration.

Now they say:

" A man who has studied this Nitishastra or listened to its precepts will never be defeated not even by Indra*, the lord of the Heaven."

cited from: panchatantra

One should treat one and all

2008-06-18T11:06:00.003+07:00

THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT DANTILA

Somewhere in the world, is a city called Vardhamana.

A very efficient and prosperous merchant, lived there. Knowing his ability, the king appointed him as an administrator of the capital. During his administration, he kept the common people as well the king very happy.

One rarely comes across such a person who keeps everyone happy. In the course of time, the marriage of merchant's daughter took place. The merchant invited the king and the queen along with the entire court to his house. He entertained them lavishly, gave them presents of clothing etc. and in this way, he showed them great respect.

A servant who used to sweep the floors of the king's palace, came there too, but uninvited. He sat down on a seat meant for some one else. The merchant caught him by his neck and threw him out.

The servant felt insulted and could not sleep all night for thinking, 'How can I get the merchant into disfavour with the king and so get even with him? But then, what chance have I, an ordinary fellow, of harming such a powerful person as he is'.

And so he hit upon a plan.

Several days later, early in the morning, when the king was not yet wide awake, the servant was sweeping the floor near his bed and said. 'Good heavens! The merchant has become so brazen nowadays that he actually dares to embrace the queen!'

When the king heard this, he jumped up and shouted, 'Oh you ! Is that true? Has the merchant really embraced my queen?'

'Master,' replied the servant 'I was gambling all night and didn't sleep at all. This morning I feel drowsy... I really don't know what I've been saying. But if I have said anything out of place, please forgive me.'

Jealous, the king thought to himself, 'Yes! The servant is allowed to go about freely in the palace and so is the merchant.

It is quite possible that the servant has seen the merchant embracing my queen.'

The king's thoughts were so troubled that, from that day onward, he withdrew his favours from the merchant and, what is more, he forbade him even to enter the palace.

The merchant was astounded to see this sudden change in the king's attitude.

Some time passed. One day, when the merchant wanted to pass through the gateway to the palace, he was stopped by the guards.

The servant, who was sweeping the floor, saw this and he said with a smirk, 'Ho! Guards! That fellow is the king's favourite. He can arrest or release people, just as he pleases. He threw me out. Be careful, you may suffer the same fate.'

When the merchant heard this, he thought to himself, 'It is surely the servant who has caused all this trouble. Now I understand everything.'

The merchant felt upset and returned home in a very dejected mood.

He thought it over and that evening, he invited the servant to his house, flattered him, gave him a pair of garments and said kindly, 'My dear friend, it was not because I was angry that I threw you out that day but because it was an impropriety for you to take the seat you took.

It was reserved for a Brahmin. The Brahmin felt insulted, that's why I had to throw you out. Forgive me.'When the servant saw the clothes, he was very pleased.

Full of joy, he said to the merchant, 'Sir, now I forgive you. You have expressed your regrets and also honoured me.

Once again you shall see the favour of the king and in this way I shall prove to you my cleverness.'

With these words the servant went home happily.

Next morning, he went to the palace and started sweeping the floor.

When he had made sure that the king was lying half-awake, he said, 'The king is really indiscreet, he eats cucumber in the lavatory!'

The king was taken aback to hear this and he shouted, 'You! What's that nonsense you're talking! It's only because you're my servant that I don't kill you. Have you ever seen me doing such a thing?'

'Master', said the servant, 'I was gambling last night and didn't sleep at all. This morning I feel drowsy. I really don't know what I've been saying. But if I've said anything out of place, please forgive me.'

When the king heard this, he thought to himself, 'Never I my life have I eaten cucumber in the lavatory.

If this fool has said something ridiculous about me, surely what he said about the merchant was ridiculous too. It was wrong of me to have insulted the merchant.

Besides, without him, the whole administrative system, at the palace and in the city, has become slack.'

When he had considered this carefully, the king invited the merchant to the palace, presented him with jewels and clothing and re-appointed him to his former position.

The wise indeed say: One should treat one and all, even the lowest with respect.

cited from: Tales of Panchatantra

Rendah hati VS Keras Kepala

2008-06-15T07:42:00.001+07:00

Pohon Ek dan Serumpun Buluh

Sebatang pohon Ek yang besar tumbuh persis di tepi sebuah sungai di sebuah hutan. Di samping pohon itu tumbuh pula serumpun buluh muda. Rumpun buluh selalu menunduk penuh hormat setiap kali angin bertiup menerpanya. Pohon Ek tidak sepakat dengan kebiasaan rumpun buluh itu.

Suatu ketika, pohon Ek berkata kepada rumpun buluh, "Kamu Buluh, mengapa kamu selalu merunduk setiap kali angin bertiup? Berdirilah tegak betapapun kencangnya angin bertiup!"

"Oh, pohon Ek yang perkasa," jawab rumpun buluh dengan rendah hati, "Kami ini hanya kecil semampai, dan bila kami harus melawan angin, kami tentu harus menanggung akibatnya."

"Jangan pernah kalah!" tegas pohon Ek dengan sikap dingin dan kembali sibuk dengan urusannya. Jelas rumpun buluh tidak mau mendengarkan nasihatnya.

Pada suatu malam, datanglah badai besar. Angin bertiup kencang, menggoyangkan rumpun buluh hampir sampai menyentuh tanah. dan rumpun buluh itu tidak marah. Akan tetapi, pohon Ek berjuang keras melawan angin, meskipun kali ini angin terlalu keras baginya.

Dalam sekejap pohon Ek berderak-derak patah. Ia tergeletak di tanah dalam keadaan menyedihkan. Sementara rumpun buluh terus tunduk kepada angin dan tidak patah.

Pagi harinya, ketika badai telah usai, keadaan rumpun buluh tetap baik seperti semula. Tetapi pohon Ek yang kemarin masih kokoh dan rimbun kini tinggal sebatang kayu hutan yang patah dan nyaris mati!***

No Work, No Food

2008-06-13T09:11:00.002+07:00

Zen stories:

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.

The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.

That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. "He may be angry because we have hidden his tools," the pupils surmised. "We had better put them back."

The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: "No work, no food."

SAHABAT

2008-06-11T07:27:00.003+07:00

Sahabat

Pada suatu hari dua orang sahabat sepakat untuk bersama-sama mengadakan perjalanan jauh. Mereka sahabat karib yang sudah bertahun tahun telah mengenal satu sama lain. Yang satu berjanji kepada yang lain, "Aku akan mendampingimu dalam kesulitan dan kegembiraan. Apa pun yang terjadi, aku akan tetap bersamamu, lebih-lebih dalam kesulitan di perjalanan.

Teman yang kedua, yang sedikit lemah dan penakut sangat senang mendengar janji itu. Mereka kemudian pergi bersama

Dalam perjalanan itu mereka harus melewati sebuah hutan yang sangat lebat. Karena janji itu, teman yang lemah tidak takut. Akan tetapi sesudah setengah perjalanan, tiba-tiba muncul seekor beruang besar. Segera teman yang kuat itu memanjat sebatang pohon untuk menyelamatkan diri, meninggalkan teman. Teman yang lemah tidak dapat mengikuti apa yang dilakukan oleh teman yang kuat. Di saat panik itu, ia tiba-tiba berbaring di tanah pura-pura mati. Dia menutup matanya rapat-rapat dan berusaha tidak bernafas.

Temannya yang di atas pohon melihat beruang besar itu mendekati sahabatnya. Dia melihat beruang besar itu melangkah mendekati temannya yang sedang berbaring, berjalan mengelilinginya, berhenti sesaat dekat telinganya, dan dengan tenang pergi menghilang ke tengah hutan.

Dengan rasa lega teman yang berada di pohon turun, sementara yang satunya segera bangun dan duduk.

"Aku mengamati beruang itu tampaknya membisikkan sesuatu kepadamu," kata teman yang lebih kuat. "Ya, beruang itu berbisik begitu bodohnya aku mempercayai engkau," jawab orang itu dengan sikap dingin.

Long Live

2008-05-29T13:48:00.000+07:00

Why We Live as Long as We Do...

On the first day God created the cow. God said, "You must go to the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's a kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. Let me have twenty years and I'll give back the other forty."

And God agreed.

On the second day, God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give back the other ten."

So God agreed (sigh).

On the third day God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a twenty year life span."

The monkey said, "How boring, monkey tricks for twenty years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back ten, so that's what I'll do too, okay?"

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play. Do nothing, just enjoy, enjoy. I'll give you twenty years."

Man said, "What? Only twenty years? No way! Tell you what, I'll take my twenty, and the forty cow gave back, and the ten dog gave back and the ten monkey gave back.

That makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God. "You've got a deal."

So this is why for the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, enjoy, and do nothing;
for the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family;

for the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain our grandchildren;

and for the last ten years we sit in front of the house and bark at everybody.

People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Handwriting on the wall

2008-05-27T13:42:00.000+07:00

A weary mother returned from the store,
Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her 8 year old son,
Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall
It's on the new paper you just hung in the den.
I told him you'd be mad at having to do it again.

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow,
Where is your little brother right now?
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room.
He trembled with fear--he knew that meant doom
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got,
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught

She headed for the den to confirm her fears.
When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
It said, I love Mommy, surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,
With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
Take time to read the handwriting on the wall.

Labels

2008-05-26T13:22:00.000+07:00

Labels

The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The important thing is to drop the labels. As the Japanese Zen masters say, "Don't seek the truth; just drop your opinions." Drop your theories; don't seek the truth. Truth isn't something you search for. If you stop being opinionated, you would know. Something similar happens here. If you drop your labels, you would know. What do I mean by labels? Every label you can conceive of except perhaps that of human being. I am a human being. Fair enough; doesn't say very much. But when you say, "I am successful," that's crazy. Success is not part of the "I". Success is something that comes and goes; it could be here today and gone tomorrow. That's not "I". When you said, "I was a success," you were in error; you were plunged into darkness. You identified yourself with success. The same thing when you said, "I am a failure, a lawyer, a businessman." You know what's going to happen to you if you identify yourself with these things. You're going to cling to them, you're going to be worried that they may fall apart, and that's where your suffering comes in. That is what I meant earlier when I said to you, "If you're suffering, you're asleep." Do you want a sign that you're asleep? Here it is: You're suffering. Suffering is a sign that you're out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there's falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering points out that there is falsehood somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality when your falsehoods clash with the truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise there is no suffering.

http://peacefulrivers.homestead.com/AnthonydeMello.html

Awareness

2008-05-22T12:51:00.006+07:00

Awareness

"Is salvation obtained

through action or through

meditation?"

"Through neither. Salvation

comes from seeing."

"Seeing what?"

"That the gold necklace

you wish to acquire is

hanging round your neck.

That the snake you are so

frightened of is only a

rope on the ground."

From One Minute Wisdom

Anthony de Mello

Mystery

2008-05-21T10:02:00.000+07:00

How Do You Believe in a Mystery?

Here's a question: How do you believe in a mystery, in something you don't understand and can't prove? When we're children we're encouraged to believe in some mysterious things that turn out to not necessarily be true at all -- things like the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny or the flag. Naturally, we're disappointed after our illusions have been shattered, but usually we get over it. Some of us, however, become skeptical, even cynical, after that.

I've been asked on many occasions how I write my songs. Often I'll glibly reply, "I sure don't wake up in the morning and sharpen pencils." Then I'll admit how lazy and lucky I am, and how successful and downright great some of the more notorious pencil sharpeners have been -- two of my heroes, Frank Loesser and Irving Berlin, being among them.

If I'm feeling expansive I'll bring up the mysterious aspect, the mere five to 10 percent that matters the most -- what's commonly called "the inspiration." That's the thing beyond the technique and the discipline, when the sharpening and the gnawing stop, and something, as they say, "comes to you." It's a bit like fishing, really. There's certainly luck involved, but maybe what you took for laziness was and I'm going out on a limb here) a sort of divine relaxation

When I write what I consider to be a good song, when I realize it's going to hang together, when I somehow manage to get it into the boat, so to speak, I invariably find myself looking upwards and thanking something or even, dare I say it, Someone. If I'm alone, my heartfelt thank you is often an audible one. Oh, yes, I've been known to mutter a few words at the head of the table at Thanksgiving dinner, or hoarsely whisper an "amen" at a wedding, funeral or Christmas pageant, but usually it is just embarrassed lip service. As a rule I don't give thanks at a dinner table or in a church pew. For me, it happens when I've been hunched over a guitar for a few hours.

I believe in the power of inspiration, in the mysterious gift of creation -- creation with a small "c," that is -- creation as in one's work, hauling in the day's catch. When I write a song, I'm happy for a few days and it's not just because I've been reassured that I still have a job, though that's certainly part of it. Mostly I'm happy, I think, because I've experienced a real mystery. I haven't the slightest idea how it happened or where or from whom or what it came. I'd prefer not to know. In fact, I'd prefer not to talk about it anymore. It might scare the fish away.

by Loudon Wainwright III
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5486060

Inspiration

2008-05-19T09:58:00.000+07:00

My Inspiration

My story is about a very special person I met over the summer, someone who taught me a lot about myself. I'm sharing this in hopes that it helps at least one person realize that no matter what happens, you're not alone.

Let me start by saying that I'm a single mother of a two-year-old little girl named Brittany. It was March 29th, 1992. I had gone to my grandmother's funeral and Brittany had stayed at my best friend's house to play with Neil and Joe, her twins.

Tammy had talked with me about introducing me to a friend of hers, but I didn't think much about it at the time. When I came home from the funeral, she and her husband told me that they had invited Brett over. We hit it off instantly, but he was only home for a week. You see, he was in the Marine Corps and had just come home from boot camp. We spent the week together, then he left for North Carolina. We promised to keep in touch.

I was devastated when he left. I felt very alone. I was used to being alone, so it shouldn't have mattered, but I had fallen in love with him. He was very good to Brittany, and to me. We understood that he would be gone for four years, but I was willing to wait for him.

A week after he left, his mother came over for coffee. We got along great and started spending a lot of time together. I guess we helped each other through the loneliness.

Then Brett came home again in June for one week. We talked a lot in that week about our futures. He said I should go back to school. I had quit school three years before, and after Brittany came along I hadn't thought much about going back. He brought up a lot of good points, but I still didn't think that I could do it. He told me I could achieve anything if I tried hard enough.

He was then stationed in Okinawa, Japan for one year. We had decided to be just friends. It hurt a lot to say good-bye to someone who meant so much, but I knew that if it was meant to be, then it would be. We'd grown really close in the last seven months. He helped me to believe in myself when I thought I was alone.

Two months after he left, I enrolled in school. I'm 19 years old and in the 11th grade, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I believe in myself. All it took was for someone else to believe in me. It's hard, I won't deny that. I hate being away from Brittany. I know that in the long run it'll be worth it, and I'll wear that cap and gown with a very big smile on my face.

Brett and I still keep in touch and I hope it will stay that way. He's very important to me. I've never met a more caring and loving person. He brought new meaning to my life and for that I'll never forget him.

I not only gained self-confidence, but I also gained a very loving family. Though they aren't my own, they are always there for me. His mother helps me through the hard times, and when Brittany goes in for surgery every six weeks, she always checks to make sure we are all right. If I ever need to talk, she's right there for me. When I get down on myself, she always has a kind word to lift my spirits. They treat Brittany and me as part of the family.

So, my advice to anyone who has either quit school, or is thinking about it, go back; don't quit. It's worth it in the end and you'll be proud of yourself when you put on that cap and gown and walk up to get your diploma. You're not alone; someone will always believe in you, just like Brett believed in me.

By Candi M., Boscawen, NH
http://www.teenink.com/Poetry/article.php?link=Past/1993/3189.xml

Before Marriage...

2008-05-17T15:09:00.002+07:00

Before Marriage...

He : Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.

She : Do you want me to leave?

He : No! Don't even think about it.

She : Do you love me?

He : Of course! Over and over!

She : Have you ever cheated on me?

He : No! Why are you even asking?

She : Will you kiss me?

He : Every chance I get.

She : Will you hit me?

He : Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!

She : Can I trust you?

He : Yes.

She : Darling!

After marriage ...

Simlpy!

Read from bottom to top!!!

dari milis tetangga

Bunga Perhatian

2008-05-11T12:34:00.000+07:00

Menanam Bunga Perhatian

Dalam sebuah kunjungan ke sebuah panti jompo yang serba kecukupan, Ibu Teresa pernah memiliki pengalaman yang patut di simak. Kendati kehidupan di panti jompo ini tergolong lebih dari cukup, semua orang tua yang tinggal di sini, ketika duduk di ruangan untuk menonton tv, bukannya memandang tv, hampir semua mata menatap pintu masuk. Alasan kenapa mereka menatap pintu masuk, karena semuanya berharap akan dikunjungi oleh anak, keluarga atau saudara yang bisa memberi mereka perhatian. Membaca pengalaman ini, saya teringat sedih ke Bapak saya yang tinggal di kampung sana. Di umurnya yang sudah berkepala sembilan, setiap sore setelah mandi, beliau selalu diminta dipapah dan disediakan kursi untuk duduk di pintu masuk rumah. Untuk kemudian, menatap setiap orang yang lewat di jalan satu persatu.

Tetangga saya sebelah rumah di Bintaro Jaya juga demikian. Hampir setiap sore orang tua yang berjalan dibantu kursi roda ini, duduk di depan rumahnya sambil memandangi jalan. Tadinya, saya tidak tahu apa yang mereka fikirkan, tetapi ketika membaca pengalaman Ibu Teresa di atas, ada semacam perasaan berdosa terhadap Bapak saya di kampung, demikian juga dengan orang tua sebelah rumah. Rupanya, mereka amat rindu perhatian. Di umur-umur yang tidak lagi produktif ini, setangkai bunga perhatian adalah vitamin-vitamin kejiwaan yang amat dibutuhkan.

Yang jelas, siapapun Anda dan di manapun Anda berada, tua muda, di kota maupun di desa, semua memerlukan perhatian orang lain. Sayangnya, banyak orang yang amat pelit untuk memberikan bunga perhatian buat orang lain.

Tidak sedikit orang, hanya meminta untuk diberikan bunga terakhir. Padahal, bunga terakhir berharga tidak mahal. Bahkan, kita tidak membelinya. Dalam ruang lingkup yang lebih besar, alasan ekonomi biaya tinggi sebagai tameng ketidakmampuan dalam mensejaterakan karyawan, jauhnya jarak sosial antara atasan dengan bawahan, tingginya rasio antara gaji orang di puncak dengan orang di bawah, teganya politisi membunuh orang untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan tertentu, atau koruptor yang rela mengkorupsi dana untuk rakyat miskin, adalah rangkaian bukti yang bisa membawa saya pada kesimpulan, betapa langkanya orang dan pemimpin yang kemana-mana membawa setangkai bunga perhatian.

Memang, ada orang yang memiliki teori, bahwa kalau kita lahir dari masyarakat dan keluarga yang miskin perhatian, maka kitapun akan terbentuk menjadi manusia yang miskin perhatian juga.

Inilah problemanya. Jika menunggu sampai masyarakat dan keluarga berubah, atau organisasi berubah baru kemudian individunya berubah, maka kapan bisa terbentuk barisan manusia lengkap dengan bunga perhatian yang indah ?.

Ibu Teresa tepat sekali ketika menulis : 'We must remember that love begins at home, and we must also remember that the future of humanity passes through the family'. Ini berarti, bunga perhatian mesti mulai ditanam, dipupuk dan disemai di rumah. Sebab, dari rumahlah bunga indah ini disebarkan. Kenapa mulai dari rumah, sebab masa depan kemanusiaan berjalan melalui institusi keluarga. Bercermin dari sini, kadang saya dihinggapi perasaan berdosa. Sebab, semenjak merangkap menjadi eksekutif, konsultan, pembicara publik dan penulis, sering kali meninggalkan rumah pada hari Senin pagi dan pulang Jumat malam. Kendati setiap hari saya menelepon ke rumah, merayu isteri beberapa menit, bercanda dengan anak-anak, minta dibelikan oleh-oleh apa, dan seterusnya, tetapi tetap ada sesuatu yang kurang.

Putera saya yang bungsu, sering kali meminta makan di pangkuan saya tatkala saya juga makan. Wika puteri semata wayang saya, semangat sekali setiap kali saya sampai di rumah. Adi, putera kedua saya, sering kali merengek ke supir agar diajak ikut menjemput saya di bandar udara. Semua itu, membuat perasaan berdosa dalam diri ini. Bagaimanakah saya akan menanam bunga perhatian dalam keluarga yang amat saya cintai ini ?

Kadang, saya berharap memiliki waktu empat puluh delapan jam sehari. Sempat teringat petuah teman untuk meningkatkan kualitas bukan kuantitas hubungan dengan anak. Atau mengkompensasinya dengan materi. Akan tetapi, tetap tidak bisa memberikan kompensasi. Apapun bayarannya, setiap anak mendambakan papanya ikut bermain dengan mereka. Menaikkan layang-layang yang ingin diterbangkan. Menendang bola yang gawangnya mereka jaga. Menggambarkan kelinci dalam kertas yang anak-anak sediakan.

Menjemput puteri saya di sekolah yang sedang sombong-sombongnya memamerkan papanya serta mobilnya, mengantar Adi berenang, menaikkan layang-layang, serta bermain game sepuasnya, atau mengajak Komang berjalan-jalan dan menjawab semua keingintahuannya, atau menemani isteri sehari penuh dan memenuhi keinginannya, adalah serangkaian mimpi yang jarang bisa saya penuhi. Serangkaian kegiatan, yang sebenarnya bisa membuat pohon bunga perhatian tumbuh di mana-mana di rumah. Sering kali saya dibuat iri oleh tetangga yang amat rajin menemani anaknya naik sepeda berkeliling komplek. Ada juga yang setiap pagi memandikan anjing kesayangan sang anak, menuntun anak sampai gerbang sekolah, mengajari mereka naik sepeda. Lebih iri lagi, kalau di bandar udara saya bertemu seorang suami yang menggandeng isterinya dengan penuh kemesraan.

Semacam lahan subur untuk bunga perhatian, bukankah akan membahagiakan sekali jika kita bekerja di sebuah organisasi yang diisi oleh manusia-manusia yang saling memperhatikan? (Gede Prama)

Benalu dan Alpukat

2008-05-09T12:27:00.000+07:00

Sebuah kisah

Suatu hari, sebatang pohon alpukat menikmati sejuknya udara sore. Tiba-tiba keasyikannya terusik oleh sapaan dari sebutir biji benalu yang sedang diterbangkan angin kian kemari.

"Selamat sore Kat", sapa benalu.

"Oh, kamu Lu, selamat sore juga", balas alpukat.

"Wah Kat, sekarang kamu udah besar, ranting-rantingmu banyak, daunmu lebat, buahmu besar-besar", puji benalu.

"Iya Lu, itu karena akar-akar saya banyak dan rajin menghisap sari-sari makanan dari dalam tanah", kata alpukat dengan bangga.

Kemudian benalu melanjutkan, "Kat, hampir sepanjang hari saya diterbangkan angin, rasanya badan saya capek sekali, boleh nggak saya beristirahat di salah satu rantingmu, satu malam saja?"

Tanpa berpikir panjang alpukat langsung mengabulkan permohonan sang benalu,

"Jangankan satu benalu kecil, lima puluh pun saya masih nggak rasa", pikir alpukat

Maka sejak itu benalu tinggal di pohon alpukat dan tanpa disadari oleh alpukat, benalu makin hari makin besar dan beranak banyak.

Suatu hari alpukat melihat tubuhnya sudah kurus kering, saat itulah alpukat sadar bahwa benalu sudah merugikan dirinya. Lalu alpukat memutuskan untuk menyuruh benalu meninggalkan tubuhnya.

"Kat, semua akar-akar saya sudah tertancap dalam tubuhmu jadi jangan pernah bermimpi kalau saya akan memenuhi permintaanmu", kata benalu sambil tertawa.

Semakin hari Alpukat makin kurus dan akhirnya mati karena benalu terus menghisap makanan dari tubuh alpukat tanpa belas kasihan.

Ingatlah… dosa besar – dosa kecil, akibatnya adalah MAUT.

Pengaruh Pikiran Da Vinci

2008-05-06T12:24:00.000+07:00

KISAH DI BALIK LUKISAN PERJAMUAN TERAKHIR

Lukisan 'Perjamuan Terakhir' dilukis oleh Leonardo Da Vinci, seorang artis Italia yang terkenal. Lukisan ini dibuat selama 7 tahun, dan menggambarkan 12 rasul serta Yesus sendiri yang sedang mengadakan perjamuan terakhir.Mereka ini dilukis berdasarkan model orang-orang yang hidup. Pertama-tama, Da Vinci memilih untuk melukis Kristus. Ratusan anak muda diamati untuk mencari pola wajah dan kepribadian yang cocok, tidak terlalu tercemar oleh dosa.

Akhirnya setelah berminggu-minggu, ada seorang anak muda berusia 19 tahun yang terpilih menjadi model diri Yesus Kristus dalam lukisan tersebut. Selama enam bulan, Da Vinci melukis karakter ini dengan serius. Selama enam tahun, Da Vinci terus melanjutkan pekerjaannya. Satu demi satu, dia mencari tokoh tokoh yang tepat untuk dilukis sebagai perlambang kesebelas rasul.

Akhirnya tinggal tokoh Yudas Iskariot sebagai tahap akhir dari mahakaryanya. Yudas Iskariot ? Dia adalah murid yang mengkhianati Yesus dengan imbalan 30 keping perak atau setara nilainya dengan US$16,95.

Selama berminggu-minggu, Da Vinci mencari orang berwajah keras, bertampang penipu dan suka mengkhianati teman sendiri. Akhirnya dia menemukan sesosok pria di penjara bawah tanah di Roma. Orang tersebut dijatuhi hukuman mati sebagai seorang penjahat dan pembunuh. Ketika Da Vinci melihatnya dalam kegelapan bawah tanah, dia melihat pria yang tak terurus, berewokan dan
rambutnya yang tidak disisir, menutupi raut mukanya. Seraut wajah yang melukiskan sifat yang sangat kejam dan bejat. Inilah sosok yang dapat mewakili karakter Yudas dalam lukisan, pikir Da Vinci. Atas seijin raja, tahanan ini dibawa ke Milan untuk dilukis.

Selama enam bulan tahanan ini duduk di hadapan Da Vinci. Saat menyelesaikan sapuannya yang terakhir, Da Vinci berkata kepada pengawal, "Saya sudah selesai. Bawalah tahanan ini keluar."
Saat itu, si tahanan mendadak melepaskan diri dari pengawasan si pengawal dan berlari menuju ke Da Vinci seraya menangis, "Oh, Da Vinci, pandanglah saya ! Apakah anda tidak tahu siapa diri saya sebenarnya ?" Dengan mata tertatih, Da Vinci mengamati wajah si tahanan. Ia menggeleng-gelengkan kepalanya, "Tidak, saya tidak pernah melihat anda sebelumnya hingga anda diijinkan ke luar dari penjara bawah tanah Roma."

Sambil menengadahkan wajah ke atas, tahanan itu menangis dan berdoa, "Ya Tuhan, apakah saya sudah terjatuh begitu dalamnya ?" Lalu dia memandang kembali si pelukis dan sambil menangis dia berkata, "Da Vinci, saya adalah anak muda yang pernah anda lukis 7 tahun yang lalu sebagai perlambang Yesus!"

Inilah kisah nyata di balik lukisan 'Perjamuan Terakhir', yang mengajar kita tentang besarnya pengaruh pemikiran yang benar dan yang salah bagi seseorang. Anak muda yang tadinya begitu murni dan tidak terlalu tercemar oleh dosa-dosa dunia, tujuh tahun kemudian jatuh ke dalam dosa dan kejahatan. Dia pun berubah, dari perlambang Yesus, menjadi perlambang karakter seorang Yudas Iskariot.

Tubuh-Sahabat-Status Sosial-Amal

2008-05-04T12:02:00.000+07:00

Pasangan Hidup

Suatu ketika, ada seorang pedagang kaya yang mempunyai empat orang istri. Dia mencintai istri yang keempat, dan menganugerahinya harta dan kesenangan yang banyak. Sebab, dialah yang tercantik diantara semua istrinya. Pria ini selalu memberikan yang terbaik buat istri keempatnya ini.

Pedagang itu juga mencintai istrinya yang ketiga. Dia sangat bangga dengan istrinya ini, dan selalu berusaha untuk memperkenalkan wanita ini kepada semua temannya. Namun, ia juga selalu khawatir kalau istrinya ini akan lari dengan pria yang lain.

Begitu juga dengan istri yang kedua. Ia pun sangat menyukainya. Ia adalah istri yang sabar dan pengertian. Kapan pun pedagang ini mendapat masalah, dia selalu meminta pertimbangan istrinya ini. Dialah tempat bergantung. Dia selalu menolong dan mendampingi suaminya, melewati masa-masa yang sulit.

Sama halnya dengan istri yang pertama. Dia adalah pasangan yang sangat setia. Dia selalu membawa perbaikan bagi kehidupan keluarga ini. Dia lah yang merawat dan mengatur semua kekayaan dan usaha sang suami. Akan tetapi, sang pedagang, tak begitu mencintainya. Walaupun sang istri pertama ini begitu sayang padanya, namun, pedagang ini tak begitu mempedulikannya.

Suatu ketika, si pedagang sakit. Tak lama kemudian, ia menyadari, bahwa ia akan segera meninggal. Dia meresapi semua kehidupan indahnya, dan berkata dalam hati. "Saat ini, aku punya 4 orang istri. Namun, saat aku meninggal, aku akan sendiri. Betapa menyedihkan jika aku harus hidup sendiri."

Lalu, ia meminta semua istrinya datang, dan kemudian mulai bertanya pada istri keempatnya. "Kaulah yang paling kucintai, kuberikan kau gaun dan perhiasan yang indah. Nah, sekarang, aku akan mati, maukah kau mendampingiku dan menemaniku?”

Ia terdiam. "Tentu saja tidak, "jawab istri keempat, dan pergi begitu saja tanpa berkata-kata lagi.

Jawaban itu sangat menyakitkan hati. Seakan-akan, ada pisau yang terhunus dan mengiris-iris hatinya. Pedagang yang sedih itu lalu bertanya pada istri ketiga.

"Akupun mencintaimu sepenuh hati, dan saat ini, hidupku akan berakhir. Maukah kau ikut denganku, dan menemani akhir hayatku?”

Istrinya menjawab, “Hidup begitu indah di sini. Aku akan menikah lagi jika kau mati.”

Sang pedagang begitu terpukul dengan ucapan ini. Badannya mulai merasa demam.
Lalu, ia bertanya pada istri keduanya.

"Aku selalu berpaling padamu setiap kali mendapat masalah. Dan kau selalu mau membantuku. Kini, aku butuh sekali pertolonganmu. Kalau aku mati, maukah kau ikut dan mendampingiku?

Sang istri menjawab pelan. "Maafkan aku," ujarnya "Aku tak bisa menolongmu kali ini. Aku hanya bisa mengantarmu hingga ke liang kubur saja. Nanti, akan kubuatkan makam yang indah buatmu.

Jawaban itu seperti kilat yang menyambar. Sang pedagang kini merasa putus asa.

Tiba-tiba terdengar sebuah suara. "Aku akan tinggal denganmu. Aku akan ikut kemanapun kau pergi. Aku, tak akan meninggalkanmu, aku akan setia bersamamu.”

Sang pedagang lalu menoleh ke samping, dan mendapati istri pertamanya di sana. Dia tampak begitu kurus. Badannya tampak seperti orang yang kelaparan.

Merasa menyesal, sang pedagang lalu bergumam, "Kalau saja, aku bisa merawatmu lebih baik saat aku mampu, tak akan kubiarkan kau seperti ini, istriku."

***

Sesungguhnya kita punya 4 orang istri dalam hidup ini. Istri yang keempat, adalah tubuh kita. Seberapa pun banyak waktu dan biaya yang kita keluarkan untuk tubuh kita supaya tampak indah dan gagah, semuanya akan hilang. Ia akan pergi segera kalau kita meninggal. Tak ada keindahan dan kegagahan yang tersisa saat kita menghadap-Nya.

Istri yang ketiga, adalah status sosial dan kekayaan. Saat kita meninggal, semuanya akan pergi kepada yang lain. Mereka akan berpindah, dan melupakan kita yang pernah memilikinya. Sedangkan istri yang kedua, adalah kerabat dan teman-teman. Seberapa pun dekat hubungan kita dengan mereka, mereka tak akan bisa bersama kita selamanya.

Hanya sampai kuburlah mereka akan menemani kita. Dan, teman sesungguhnya, istri pertama kita adalah jiwa dan amal kita. Mungkin, kita sering mengabaikan, dan melupakannya demi kekayaan dan kesenangan pribadi. Namun, sebenarnya, hanya jiwa dan amal kita sajalah yang mampu untuk terus setia dan mendampingi kemanapun kita melangkah. Hanya amal yang mampu menolong kita di akhirat kelak. Jadi, selagi mampu, perlakukanlah jiwa dan amal kita dengan bijak. Jangan sampai kita menyesal di kemudian hari.***

Changing Paradigm on Assessment dan Classroom Practice

2008-04-30T08:26:00.002+07:00

CHANGING PARADIGM ON ASSESSIMENT
AND CLASSROOM PRACTICE

By Agustinus Prih Adiartanto

The National Exam for the XII grade students has just finished a few days ago. It was really not an easy job for me to assist the students to prepare and to go through the exam altogether. How come? Most of the students cried just after they finished the Math exam on the first day. It was ironic to see the students got desperate at the very first day of all the three days of the National Exam. The worst news I have got was that a student of the XII grade in my neighborhood had to be hospitalized because of psychosomatic stomachache. She was afraid of being failed in the final exam.

All the bad situations above would have not happened if Stenberg’s idea in the “Assessing What Matters” had been fully applied in Indonesia. The issue of assessment seems to meet my concern in accompanying the students in the last few weeks.

I agree with what Stenberg stated in his article that assessment should not merely based on set of tests that measured students’ recall and basic understanding of the subjects taught in school but also the other aspects that called WICS (Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity, Synthesized). In Indonesia, as long as the government still intervenes the educational process even in private schools, this kind of assessment model is surely hard to be applied

I have got an impressive experience with my daughter’s school when she was in Kindergarten. The students’ assessment practiced in the school was more or less the same as stated by Stenberg. Everyday, my daughter always came home with a book called “WISDOM”. The whole things happened to my daughter in the two hours of schooling were reported in that book by her teacher. In reverse, my wife and I as parents had to report back to the teachers what had happened to my daughter all day long at home. In that way both parents and teachers had the same responsibilities to convey the little students to the expected characters. Similar to Stenberg’s idea that assessment better reflect the kinds of skill that matter-not just in school, but also in life beyond school.

Reading the practical and ideal guide of William’s in “Changing Classroom Practice”, has brought me the insight that teacher learning communities is not to develop teacher’s content knowledge but to change day-to-day classroom practice. When I was the vice principals of curriculum affair, I once built teaching learning community that I call Team Teaching. The meeting of this team was commonly held once in a year. Moreover, there were Indonesian Language and Biology Team Teaching that routinely met once in two month. Indonesian Language Team Teaching even has ever held two meetings with the Indonesian Language teachers of other Jesuit Schools – as William said, meeting with teachers from other schools is a good way to get new ideas. I have just realized that the Indonesian Language Team Teaching meetings held was to increase the teachers’ knowledge more than to get changes in day-to-day classroom practice.

Ideally, William’s idea has to be accomplished by the hard effort of the teachers. They have to spend much time at home just to prepare the practical methods to be used in the classrooms, to come to the meetings, and to make the evaluations of their own works. It seems to be an impossible mission to be carried out in Indonesia where the teachers themselves are trapped in family economic problems. It is often been reported in newspapers that most teachers still have to work overtime after school hours just to cover the family needs as the result of their low salary. Despite of the obstacles above, William’s practical idea has brought me an insight about how to create a conducive atmosphere to study at school and to push my spirit up to be a professional teacher.

Finally, to get the changes both in teaching practical in the classroom and in assessing system of the students, the principal as the instructional leader of the school institution, has to give the supreme support and to be a good leader, as written by Hoerr in his article titled “What Is Instructional Leadership?” I just hope I will not be trapped in my routines and administrative jobs that spend most of my time so that I can develop myself to be a better teacher. The change in teacher’s perspective, thinking, or paradigm on assessment and classroom practice in 21 century is a demand that can not wait any longer.***

Civil Society

2008-04-29T09:39:00.006+07:00

2 November 1997

Reading: Demokrasi dan Civil Society (Democracy and Civil Society), By Mohammad AS Hikam,
LP3ES, Jakarta, 1996, xvi and 249 pages

Paradox of civil society in a reinvestment world

JAKARTA (JP): For historical reasons, the middle class is often assumed to be the pioneer and champion of sociopolitical reform.

For some countries in Asia, including Indonesia, this assumption does not necessarily hold true.

In Indonesia, the middle class often hinders the wheel of democracy. Most members are apolitical, preferring to maintain the status quo to protect their position, and business.

The development path taken by Indonesia's middle class is different from the one which evolved in the West.

Industrialization grows in Indonesia because of the business players' close proximity to the power elite. Indonesian capitalists grow by protection, Licenses and privileges, and are never subjected to competitive forces.

Mohammad A.S. Hikam defines one paradox of the middle class: it cannot solve its cultural problems. The middle class is divided into native and non-native, Moslem and non-Moslem, and Javanese and non-Javanese.

These divisions sowed primordialism, which is hardly conducive to the development of a civil society. Primordialistic forces also prevent the middle class from breaking dependence on the power elite.

Hikam highlights another civil society paradox in the growth of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The number of NGOs has undoubtedly proliferated. But instead of turning their potency to the growth of civil society, many NGOS acted more as development consultants.

What about the intellectual community?

Hikam says intellectual life in Indonesia is experiencing a very long summer. II is almost devoid of alternative thoughts. Most intellectuals also feel safe if they are close to the power centers. In short, they are becoming bureaucratic intellectuals.

They hide behind the pretext that social transformation is more effective if they work through the inner circle. This is tragic if compared to intellectuals during the former era of Soewardy Soeryaningrat, Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo, Moh. Hatta, Sutan Sjahrir and Sukarno.

What about. The press? Civil society is founded upon a free public capacity, and the press has a major role to play. The press industry in Indonesia has grown immensely under the New Order, but it still faces a paradoxical and complex situation.-The press licensing requirement is a constraint to its role. Hikam defines civil society as voluntary and highly independent organized social movements. In Indonesia, civil society functions as a pressure group and aggregate group.

Unfortunately, the close knit political system provides little opportunity for pressure groups to operate effectively.

It is a zero-sum game in which civil society is powerless in the face of an omnipotent government. It is also a game in which the bureaucracy controls the national development and keeps public participation to the minimum, except for mobilization to give legitimacy to those in power.

Such a system relies on forces that can mobilize the masses to support national development. It does not need pressure groups to help articulate and compile society's needs.

Hikam's book is pessimistic but it should not dampen our spirit. There are still democratic forces at work in Indonesia.

The banning of Tempo Editor and Detik magazines led to the alternative press like
The publications by the Alliance of Independent Journalists the Institute of the Study of Information Flow, and Tempo Interaktif.

The removal of former Indonesian Democratic Party leader Megawati Sukarnoputri as a symbol of grass-root politics has also awakened a more lasting undercurrent opposition forces.

There is also the establishment of new groups like PRD, PUDI, MARI, and KIPP to challenge the current political system.

Thus, the symptoms that Hikam talks about are not totally negative. They may turn out to be useful investments for the future democracy. Without these incidents, the democratization process in Indonesia would have remained static.

Going by the adage "power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely" is good for the political education of the people.

This book contains 11 articles about grass-root politics, government hegemony and the democratization process. It takes the writer further from his doctoral thesis, The State, Grass roots Politics, and Civil Society a Study of Social Movement under Indonesia's New Order in the Political Department of the University of Hawaii.

It shows Hikam is not a one work wonder, and has not fallen into the trap of bureaucratic intellectualism.

— Ag. Prih Adiartanto

Ag. Prih Adiartanto, a graduate of Sanata Dharma University,

now teaches at de Britto College, Yogyakarta.

Ke-"rendahan hati"-"sabar"an -"sederhana"an

2008-04-23T11:41:00.004+07:00

SAPI DAN KELEDAI

Ketika Yosep dan Maria sedang dalam perjalanan ke Betlehem, seorang malaikat mengadakan rapat rahasia dengan para binatang untuk memilih salah satu dari mereka membantu keluarga kudus di kandang. Wajarlah kalau seekor singa yang pertama kali menyediakan diri. Katanya, "Hanya raja yang layak melayani penguasa dunia ini. Saya akan mencabik-cabik tubuh siapa saja yang berani mendekati anak itu."

"Kamu terlalu kuat," kata malaikat itu kepadanya.

Setelah itu seekor musang menyelinap dan dengan wajahnya yang polos berkata, "Saya menjamin bahwa Bayi Yesus akan mendapatkan madu yang termanis, dan saya akan mencuri ayam setiap pagi untuk ibunya."

"Kamu terlalu licik," kata malaikat itu kepadanya.

Kemudian seekor burung merak datang dan memamerkan bulu ekornya yang warna warni.Dia berkata, "Saya akan menghiasi kandang itu lebih baik daripada apa yang diperbuat Salomo di bait Allah"

"Kamu terlalu sombong," kata malaikat itu.

Masih banyak lagi binatang yang muncul dan menawarkan pelayanan mereka. Namun, tak satu pun yang dipilih. Malaikat itu kemudian melihat sekeliling untuk terakhir kalinya dan melihat seekor keledai dan sapi di ladang sedang bekerja dengan seorang petani. Malaikat itu memanggil mereka. "Apa yang bisa kalian tawarkan?" tanyanya kepada kedua binatang itu.

"Tidak ada," kata keledai sambil menurunkan kedua telinganya yang panjang. "Kami tidak pernah belajar apapun kecuali kerendahan hati dan kesabaran. Meski kami sudah mencoba untuk belajar sesuatu yang lain, namun kami hanya mendapatkan lebih banyak cambukan."

Kemudian sapi menambahkan dengan malu-malu,"Mungkin kami hanya bisa membantu dalam hal remeh, misalnya mengusir lalat dengan jalan terus menerus mengayunkan ekor kami."

"Bolehlah!" kata malaikat itu. "Kalian berdualah yang kami inginkan." (Willi Hoffsuemmer)

Maafkan & Lupakan!

2008-04-23T11:35:00.004+07:00

Menulis di Atas Pasir

Ini sebuah kisah tentang dua orang sahabat karib yang sedang berjalan melintasi gurun pasir. Di tengah perjalanan, mereka bertengkar, dan salah seorang menampar temannya. Orang yang kena tampar, merasa sakit hati, tapi dengan tanpa berkata-kata, dia menulis di atas pasir :
HARI INI, SAHABAT TERBAIK KU MENAMPAR PIPIKU.

Mereka terus berjalan, sampai menemukan sebuah oasis, dimana mereka memutuskan untuk mandi. Orang yang pipinya kena tampar dan terluka hatinya, mencoba berenang namun nyaris tenggelam, dan berhasil diselamatkan oleh sahabatnya. Ketika dia mulai siuman & rasa takutnya sudah hilang, dia menulis di sebuah batu:
HARI INI, SAHABAT TERBAIK KU MENYELAMATKAN NYAWAKU.

Orang yang menolong dan menampar sahabatnya, bertanya, "Kenapa setelah saya melukai hatimu, kau menulisnya di atas pasir, dan sekarang kamu menulis di batu ?"
Temannya sambil tersenyum menjawab, "Ketika seorang sahabat melukai kita, kita harus menulisnya diatas pasir agar angin maaf datang berhembus dan menghapus tulisan tersebut. Dan bila sesuatu yang luar biasa baik terjadi, kita harus memahatnya diatas batu hati kita, agar takkan pernah bisa hilang tertiup angin."

Dalam hidup ini sering timbul beda pendapat dan konflik karena sudut pandang yang berbeda. Oleh karenanya cobalah untuk saling memaafkan & lupakan masalah lalu.

Belajarlah menulis di atas pasir.