Sepenggal Perjalanan: Study di Chicago

Tampilkan postingan dengan label Study di Chicago. Tampilkan semua postingan

Judy Rex's Classroom

Posted on 15.24 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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***

Annotated Bibliography_5

Posted on 19.48 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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.

Annotated Bibliography_4

Posted on 19.42 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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.

Annotated Bibliography_3

Posted on 19.33 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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.

Annotated Bibliography_2

Posted on 19.17 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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.

Critical Analysis

Posted on 12.37 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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

Annotated Bibliography_1

Posted on 10.16 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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

Changing Paradigm on Assessment dan Classroom Practice

Posted on 08.26 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

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.***

School Culture-Corporate Culture

Posted on 14.25 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

Two Impressive Things of SSA
(Reflection on school visit)
By: Agustinus Prih Adiartanto

St. Scholastica Academy (SSA) is a Benedictine college preparatory school for girls. They have been around for over 100 years (founded in 1865), and they are one of the oldest schools in Chicago. As an old school, I am impressed to the school culture and corporate culture on there.

SSA has 37 full-time teachers and nine part-time teachers -- including president, principal, and other professionals. Generally, most teachers’ females -- including sisters (30 females and 7 males). Most teachers are old and teach more than 11 years. Even eight teachers teach more than 21 years. While teachers that teach less than 10 years only 14 teachers. Most teachers hold masters’ degree and all of them obtain teacher certification.

This school has nine departments that represent the number of subject in school curriculum. Teachers on each department have one day-off which is used for meeting to converse the curriculum administration, make a student progress report each week and send it to parents. Teachers check the notebook/student binder (portfolio) using certain rubric every week.

This year, SSA serves 249 young women from diverse economic, geographic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds throughout the Chicago area. As a Catholic school, about 30 % students are non-catholic. SSA serves students with disabilities as well. Based on my interview, students choose this school on three reasons, i.e.: high discipline, well established, and guaranteed prepare to university. It is not surprising that mother or their family members are graduates of SSA.

Students look happy and enjoy attending the school. They are very spontaneous and smart when answering question. They have high self confidence because they have passed the entrance exam. Students comprehend the school mission and five tenets through class activities, retreat, and various activities after the class. In my opinion students are very proud of their school.

As a top school of the year in Illinois (2007), this school owns a well maintained building. This school is able to get the fund from fund raising up to 25 % from school budget per year. Learning environment is well-arranged and complete. Catholic identity, intellectually stimulating and attractive symbols such as alumni’s pictures show a long standing school culture. The class is very conducive and flexible for learning.

With regard to school culture, the school mission is clearly reflected on students’ engagement in learning, freedom of expression to allow students to develop higher-under thinking skills, positive relationship between students and their teachers, and student’s compliance to school discipline. With regard to corporate culture, older and younger teachers engage in positive and enriching communication. Each teacher thematically translates five school tenets in their lessons. Each department is well organized and optimally developed. Teachers remain to work with the integrity, responsibility, and high motivation. These clearly represent well-developed corporate culture.

There are two substantial differences SSA from Catholic Schools in Indonesia. The first is school independency, and the second one is governmental influence. The school independency is visible from school rights in curriculum development, including materials selection, delivery methods, and assessment. Because of this independency, SSA owns a good curriculum. Learning atmosphere is very conducive, and faculty share learning activities optimally. For a while Indonesia education is not like this. Government control is very strong even to private schools. National exam, curriculum obliged to by 17 semester subjects and 43 learning hours each week in each level very restrictive of school-teachers-students. Student becomes passive, teachers do not constructivism, and success of national test is special target.

Leadership skills are another difference between SSA with the school in Indonesia. Even Loretta is the first lay president in SSA, but she possesses good leadership skills. She is good at organizing the whole staff, building common understanding, and maintaining high motivation. It is very different from school principals in Indonesia. Generally, a principal is only selected by seniority. So it is understandable that school management in Indonesia does not run well. Supervision does not work well; no good planning is conducted at school missions are not well-translated into actions. Those are examples of leadership ability most principals. Those are two things that cause the school culture and corporate culture do not exist in Indonesian schools and the most two impressive things of SSA.***

The "Chicago" Prophecy

Posted on 14.14 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

The “Chicago” Prophecy
Ag. Prih Adiartanto

Perjalanan seorang lelaki dalam mencari manuskrip Celestine di pedalaman hutan dan pegunungan Peru itu penuh keringat, darah, dan air mata. Sepanjang perjalanan dan petualangannya mencari manuskrip, ia mempelajari satu demi satu wawasan dalam manuskrip kuno yang berhasil ditemukannya. Wawasan spiritual baru, wawasan kosmologi baru adalah buah peziarahan dan pergulatannya memahami manuskrip itu. Satu per satu wawasan itu memberinya inspirasi bagaimana menemukan jati diri (real vision), energi, hubungan intrapersonal, dan hubungan ekstrapersonal. Sampai pada akhirnya, pemerintah Peru didukung pihak gereja pimpinan Kardinal Sebastian berupaya memusnahkan manuskrip kuno yang berisi sembilan wawasan rahasia –tentang tuntunan ke dalam kehidupan spiritual yang lebih tinggi dan menciptakan transformasi saat manusia berhasil mencapai tingkatan tersebut—dan menjebloskan lelaki itu ke penjara. Begitulah James Redfield berkisah dalam novelnya, The Celestine Prophecy.

Perjalanan sekaligus pergulatan batin saya selama dua bulan di Chicago pun layaknya kisah yang dialami lelaki tokoh utama dalam novel tersebut: menemukan spirit baru, wawasan (paradigma) baru. Sungguh tepatlah jika pada final presentation Instructional Strategies di depan Dr. Boyle dan beberapa professor School of Education Loyola University Chicago saya memberi tajuk presentasi itu: “Here is My Real Retreat”.

Sharpen the saw

Kesempatan belajar kembali yang sungguh saya rindukan setelah dua belas tahun bekerja sebagai guru adalah anugerah yang luar biasa bagi saya. Rasanya, gergaji saya sudah terlalu tumpul dengan rutinitas mengajar dan urusan administratif yang tiada habis-habisnya. Maka ketika kesempatan itu datang, saya mengambilnya dengan kesadaran penuh. Inilah kesempatan bagi saya untuk mengasah gergaji.

Kendala sudah pasti ada. Persoalan keluarga, keterbatasan bahasa Inggris, urusan administrasi dan pekerjaan di sekolah adalah konsekuensi yang harus saya pahami dan siasati. Dukungan keluarga, sekolah, yayasan dan para kolega adalah spirit yang terus mendorong saya untuk mengambil kesempatan ini. Persoalan masih muncul hingga keberangkatan saat transit di bandara Hongkong. Berita kecelakaan kakak ipar yang merenggut tiga anggota keluarga dan tinggal dua anak kecil yang masih usia balita adalah cobaan dan syukurlah dapat dilewati istri dan anak-anak saya di Yogya dengan sangat tabah. Terima kasih Tuhan, Engkau mengaruniakan orang-orang yang sungguh baik dan selalu mendukung.

Keberanian berkomunikasi dengan orang lain; kesempatan memanfaatkan internet di perpustakaan untuk searching journal-journal yang luar biasa kaya, lengkap, dan beragam; pergualatan memahami konsep constructivism dan nine high-yield-nya Marzano dalam Classroom Instruction That Works: Research Based Strategi for Increasing Student Achievement adalah beberapa contoh pergulatan dalam mengasah gergaji.

Finding God in all things

Dua bulan ini adalah kesempatan untuk mengingat dan mengulang kembali apa yang pernah saya pelajari dulu di bangku kuliah. Perjumpaan dengan Dr. Boyle di ruang kuliah tiga hari per minggu selalu mendorong saya untuk merefleksikan apakah saya sebagai guru selalu mengajar murid-murid dengan paradigma konstruktivis? Lewat model-model cara mengajar yang beliau praktikkan selalu membawa saya pada pertanyaan apakah ketika menggunakan sebuah metode, saya sungguh menyadari, saya sungguh merencanakan, dan saya sunguh mengarahkan pada tujuan-tujuan yang baik? Ataukah saya menggunakan metode-metode itu karena saya tidak punya persiapan yang cukup untuk mengajar? Saya sedang tidak ingin mengajar? Saya ingin mengerjakan pekerjaan pribadi dan saya hanya mencari-cari metode yang menguntungkan posisi saya? Pertanyaan-pertanyaan itulah yang berkecamuk dalam hati di setiap akhir kuliah saat menikmati sepotong pizza dan segelas capucino di Nina’s place, cafetaria favorit kami, satu-satunya cafeteria campus yang buka pada summer ini.

Mata saya dibuka setiap kali kami berkunjung ke sekolah-sekolah dalam school visit program. Benarkah selama ini saya sungguh total mendampingi siswa sebagaimana guru-guru St. Gregory High School yang penuh dedikasi dan peduli pada murid? Saya mendapat pengalaman dan pemahaman baru bagaimana sekolah membangun dan mengembangkan kurikulum yang mandiri sebagaimana obsesi saya saat ini. Mata saya dicelikkan, bagaimana kultur sekolah (school culture) dan corporate culture dibangun dan dihidupi di St. Scholastica Academy dan St. Ignatius Prep School. Bagaimana membangun atmosfer bahwa sekolah, ruang-ruang kelas adalah tempat yang nyaman bagi siswa dan guru untuk berekspresi, bereksplorasi, mengasah daya nalar, mengembangkan daya analitis dengan gembira, bebas namun tetap dalam iklim akademik layaknya kelas gerbong kereta ala Totto Chan sebagaimana terlihat di Loyola Academy.

Setiap Minggu, di kapel Madonna Della Strada, saya selalu mendapat inspirasi dan bahan meditasi lewat kotbah pastor yang tidak terlalu panjang dan selalu menyentuh dalam setiap perayaan ekaristi. Pernyataan sekaligus pertanyaan reflektif itu selalu mengusik saya untuk menjawab bahkan hingga beberapa hari kemudian. Hingga detik ini, masih saya ingat dengan jelas bagaimana P. Patrick Fairbanks SJ memberikan tiga term: return-repeat-refresh dalam dinamika kehidupan sahari-hari. Tiga term itu pulalah representasi keberadaan saya di Chicago selama dua bulan ini.

Di tempat ini saya merasa diajak atau lebih tepatnya “dipaksa” melihat kembali perjalanan hidup ke-guru-an saya. Saya diajak mengulang kembali pemahaman bekal-bekal ilmu pedagogi yang pernah saya pelajari di bangku kuliah. Lewat pertemuan dengan Dr. Boyle di ruang kelas, saya disegarkan kembali bagaimana saya memahami metode-metode mengajar dan menggunakannya secara terencana, tepat dan terarah pada pencapaian tujuan. Bukan sesuatu yang baru memang, tetapi justru pada kesempatan inilah saya harus berani menelanjangi diri saya apakah pemahaman saya selama ini benar? Apakah saya menerapkan pemahaman tersebut dengan memperhatikan pencapaian tujuan yang lebih optimal?

Dalam dua bulan ini saya mampu melihat kebajikan, kebijaksanaan, dan kasih Allah setiap hari. Entah apa yang terjadi, di tempat ini setiap hari menjadi sangat berarti dan bermakna bagi saya. Saya selalu mendapatkan pengalaman, inspirasi, dan spirit baru ketika harus berdesakan di CTA line 147. Ketika harus berjalan malam-malam di bawah hujan untuk mencapai Thai Resto, atau menemani seorang kawan membeli Coca-Cola saat kejenuhan datang menggoda di mini market Seven Eleven. Ketika bertemu dengan mereka-mereka yang sangat perhatian dan luar biasa: melalui empati, totalitas sekaligus kesederhanaan Father Justin Daffron; lewat obrolan, guyonan, dan persahabatan Karnell Black dan Nick; lewat dedikasi Mary Theis, lewat kharisma, pertanyaan-pertanyaan mengejutkan sekaligus reflektif dan canda inteleknya Father Garanzini (President LUC), juga lewat keindahan, kebersihan, keteraturan dan keramahan kota Chicago.

Di tempat inilah saya memahami dan mulai mengerti apa makna Finding God in all things dalam pengalaman nyata. Di tempat ini pula saya sampai pada kesadaran arti wawasan pertama dari The Celestine Prophecy: segala yang terjadi di dunia ini bukan sesuatu yang kebetulan. Ada “tangan” yang mengaturnya, jika kita bisa menemukan dan bicara dengan orang yang tepat. Sungguh saya bersyukur memiliki pembimbing dan sahabat: para romo tim ad hoc ISEDP, sebelas teman senasib dengan segala kekhasannya.

The Tenth Insight

Perjalanan belum selesai, masih ada wawasan kesepuluh yang belum ditemukan. Masih ada The Tenth Insight. Dalam novel lanjutannya Redfield mempertemukan tokoh laki-laki (utama) dengan orang-orang yang memiliki kaitan dengan diri sang tokoh utama dalam kehidupan sebelumnya. Tokoh-tokoh itu dipertemukan agar bisa saling membantu dalam menyelesaikan berbagai emosi dari kehidupan yang dulu, yang masih mengganggu sampai saat ini, mereka juga belajar saling mendukung untuk melihat visi kelahiran masing-masing, berbagi energi cinta kasih untuk mewujudkan visi itu.

Kami berdua belas telah dipertemukan dan sama-sama berjuang selama dua bulan di Chicago. Perjalanan kami pun belum selesai. Sama seperti sang lelaki, tokoh utama novel yang setiap kali harus bergulat batin: maju terus atau menyerah, merasa sendiri, merasa lelah; saya pun mengalami hal yang sama, entah pada saat-saat persiapan sebelum berangkat, juga selama dua bulan di Chicago. Saya berharap masih dapat mengambil bagian dalam team ini: berbagai energi cinta kasih untuk mewujudkan visi. Saya masih ingin berjuang dan menemukan “the tenth insight” di “the windy city”.

Pengetahuan yang baru serba sedikit ini sudah saya coba bagikan kepada kolega-kolega saya. “A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle”, kata Kahlil Gibran. Dan di sana tergambar jelas betapa susahnya memberi wawasan baru kepada orang yang tidak melihatnya secara langsung, tidak mengalami apalagi membadankannya. Seeing is beliving. Kiranya tepatlah pesan James Redfield di dalam novelnya yang juga membawa inspirasi bagi Renald Kasali dalam bukunya Change! bahwa “to change the world, we first had to change our selves”. Dan ini sangat tidak mudah bagi saya. Sama susahnya meningkatkan skor Toefl, sama beratnya ketika kali pertama kami tiba di Bandara Chicago dan berhadapan dengan petugas imigrasi. Setidaknya saya ingin merealisasikan apa yang dikatakan spiritualis terkemuka dan fenomenal di kalangan New Age dalam buku Human Potential Movement: “your attitudes create the world”. Bagaimana saya bisa menjadi teladan dalam mendidik dan mendampingi siswa bagi kolega-kolega saya di Kolese. Namun saya sungguh sepakat dengan pesan Paulo Coelho dalam The Alchemist – alam semesta akan membantu jika seseorang mengharapkan sesuatu dengan sepenuh hati dan berusaha mendapatkan dengan sungguh-sungguh.

Inilah retret panjang. Real retreat. Wawasan, spirit, paradigma yang saya temukan bukan lagi novel fiksi The Celestine Prophecy tetapi realita, The “Chicago” Prophecy. Dan di akhir retret ini, api itu telah menyala: Ignem veni mittere in terram et quit volo nisi ut accendatur (Luk. 12:49). Aku datang untuk melempar api ke bumi dan betapa aku ingin api itu terus menyala! Pun, api itu kini telah menyala dalam dada, meski baru pijar kecil. Saya ingin api itu terus menyala dan berkobar.

Semoga***

School Leadership

Posted on 14.10 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

Statement of Purpose
By
Agustinus Prih Adiartanto

School as a formal educational institution involves some major elements in its management; the school staff, parents, and the government. The success of education depends on the cooperative work of those elements. Bringing the school’s vision and missions into line, the school leaders (principal-vice principal) and the teachers have to cooperate to serve the students.

Unfortunately, as we can see in many schools, the school’s vision and missions have not been appropriately internalised in the work of the teachers. What mostly happen is that most teachers would slightly know their school’s vision and missions. It seems very unlikely that they appropriately comprehend the school’s vision and mission and eventually translate them into decision-making process, policies issue, and the instructional designs. Consequently, the personal and institutional values do not often get along in good harmony. In other words, the corporate culture at school has not been developed yet.

The question is what makes many school principals fail to bring their schools into better conditions. This phenomenon is easily understood since almost all school principals in Indonesia are assigned to assume the position on the basis of seniority. Little has been done to train future school leaders that are able to anticipate future challenges. Thus, leadership management is carried out without competence, capability, and professionalism.

In many cases, it often happens that the leader cannot find the best solution to various problems quickly and properly. For example, supervision as one of his responsibilities does not work well. Internal supervision plays a major role in enhancing teachers’ performance as well as maintaining school’s effectiveness. When supervision fails, teachers are more likely to work less and less optimally. Even worse, their working performance tends to decrease year by year. When there is no performance appraisal to stimulate them to do their job better, there will be no challenge to work better. The absence of appreciation towards excellent achievement makes the teachers’ paradigm stagnant.

For this reason, the empowerment of the staff, parents, society, and the government becomes the ultimate issue to work on in order to get the institution fully developed. This can be carried out only if the school leaders have enough leadership capacity to make quick, right, and decisive solutions to many problems. When the supervision going well, teachers are motivated to work even better. To carry out the supervision effectively, it’s important to keep all the elements fully well-informed about the supervision instruments.

Being assigned as the vice-principal for curriculum affairs since July 2003, I find that it is not an easy job. Besides the government new curriculum is to be carried out, I also have the school’s vision and mission to be internalised in the curriculum. Consequently, I have to modify the curriculum that brings some administration changes to work on. In addition, the most challenging task for me to do is to bring and to motivate the teachers to adapt their paradigm to the new curriculum.

Four years in this position, I enjoy my job very much and I am glad that in my own way I have brought some positive changes for my school. Through the Indonesian Secondary Education Development Program (ISEDP), I hope I can get more information, experience, and enlightenment from all about school leadership, in order to raise a new spirit in my job to be a better teacher.

My Real Retreat

Posted on 13.48 No Comments
Label: Study di Chicago

HERE IS MY “REAL RETREAT”
(Final Presentation Instructional Strategies)
By: Agustinus Prih Adiartanto

A. Introduction

As a Catholic, we know very well what a retreat is. The term retreat, according to wikipedia, is “the notion of safety or temporarily removing oneself from one's usual environment. A retreat can be taken for reasons related to spirituality, stress, health, lifestyle, or social or ecological concerns.” In other words, retreat is an activity designed peculiarly for the process of experiencing spiritual life. In retreat, participants are to overview the process and reflect upon their life. The purpose of retreat is to refresh the spirit, “renovate” their life, obtain motivation, and make the new strategy for the life.

My experience in this summer course is like a retreat. During twelve years of being a teacher (directly upon my graduation in 1995), I have never attended any class again. Borrowing the term of Stephen Covey, I never sharpened my saw. I was too occupied with teaching and administrative tasks in my school. Even, in the last four years, I was in charge of the vice principal for academic affairs. I did make some changes in my school, but I think I did not use the “sharpened saw” to solve the problems that I had. I could have done better work if I were more skillful and better prepared for the position.

More or less seven weeks in Chicago, I have been invited to return and recollect what I have learned when I studied. In the mass tree weeks ago, Fr. Patrick Fairbanks, S.J. expressed the term “return-repeat-refresh” that clearly represents my stay here. At the instructional strategies lesson with Dr. Boyle, I was re-invited to contemplate: whether I have taught my students using the constructivism paradigm or not. In the school visit program, my eyes were reopened. I realize that I learned more before I came here. When I taught in my class, I also implemented Marzano’s nine high yield strategies. The problem is I often do not realize the benefits and target use of the technique or strategy. Equally, what my experience here is a retreat. Not only spiritual retreat, but its professionalism as a teacher retreat. I like to say "real retreat".

I would like to share my reflection of the real retreat. In detail, I would share the results of my intellectual struggle (what have I learned), and what I can share to my colleagues in Indonesia (how will I teach my colleagues).

B. What have I learned?

The big issue of education that I have learned here is constructivism paradigm. Constructivism is a theory about student knowledge and learning that is serving as the basis for many of the current reforms in education. Brooks and Brooks (1993) provide a detailed description of both classroom practice and its underlying theoretical connections. The authors present five overarching principles of the constructivist pedagogy: 1) posing problems of emerging relevance to learners; 2) structuring learning around “big ideas” or primary concepts; 3) seeking and valuing students’ points of view; 4) adapting curriculum to address students’ suppositions; and 5) assessing student learning in the context of teaching.

Brooks and Brooks detail twelve descriptors highlighting constructivist teacher practices that help students search for their own understandings instead of following other people’s logic. These descriptors serve as a helpful framework for teachers who stimulate and challenge students to focus their minds on meaningful tasks, to think about significant issues, and to construct new understandings of the world around them. So far, constructivism is contrasting with behaviorism. Constructivism and Behaviorism are very different in their views on learning, and on their views of the world in general.

Although constructivism is not a new one and is the based of Indonesian curriculum development, so far I have not grasped the meaning of constructivism comprehensively and clearly. In my opportunity of learning from Dr. Boyle, I have clearly understood, because in the lesson, Dr. Boyle is a constructivist model. I get a clear understanding constructivism, how constructivism-practice is in pre-assessment and in Marzano’ nine high-yield, and all at one see how US High school (catholic school) applied this paradigm.

1. Pre-assessment

Pre-assessment is an important activity in constructivist approach because constructivism sees that the most basic concept to start the class is conducting a pre-assessment before the lesson is done. The purpose of pre-assessment is to know what knowledge and skills students already have. Several techniques employed for pre-assessment that we practice are: pair share (way of learning which students are asked to work in couple), starting block (peer-group to answer the six questions on each of dice), and KWL (know-want to know-learn), Student discuss what they know, what they want to know, and what they learn about objectives that they will learn.

Pre-assessments are given prior to instruction in order to measure student’s knowledge and skill of the unit to be taught. Result of this assessment can be used to determine the appropriate content and pace of instruction for individual students. The strategies can be affective if the teacher knows what learning style students have.

2. Nine High Yield Strategies

Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement by Marzano, Pickering, and Pollack is a book that we learn in class. This book contains research finding of Mind-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and have identified nine instructional strategies that are most likely to improve student achievement across all content areas and across all grade levels. The nine categories are: identifying similarities and differences; summarizing and note taking; reinforcing effort and providing recognition; homework and practice; nonlinguistic representations; cooperative learning; setting objectives and providing feedback; generating and testing hypotheses; questions, cues, and advance organizers.

As a teacher, I am used to these strategies, but the problem is that I do not always realize and use the strategies with good employing planning and clear purpose. I would like to describe four strategies that I think were interesting for me. They are identifying similarities and differences, homework and practice, nonlinguistic representations; and cooperative learning.

a. Identifying similarities and differences

Identifying similarities and differences presents students with explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge (students’ independent identification of similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge). The techniques/approaches used are Teacher-Directed Comparison Task (Explicit approach) and Student-Directed Comparison Task (Implicit approach). The graphic organizers used are the Venn diagram (implicit) and the skillful comparison/comparison matrix (explicit) Representing similarities and differences in graphic and symbolic form further enhances students’ understanding of and ability to us knowledge.

For example, I can apply the strategies in the lesson to identify the similarities and differences of debate and discussion, the following are steps as an instructional strategy that I have to do the Venn diagram: I ask my students to jot down their prescribed knowledge to identify the similarities and differences between debate and discussion. The similarities are listed in the intersection between the two circles, while the differences are listed on the parts of each circle that do not intersect. In a certain case, for example in a class, that has no prior knowledge at all concerning the topic; I tend to give ‘clues’ (attributes) for the class in order to adjust my expectation to their real condition. In the skillful comparison (comparison matrix technique), I provide my students with ‘clues’ or attributes. The attributes will help them much in identifying the similarities and differences between debate and discussion. I use more directions that are detailed for students in this way. The examples of attributes are goal, skill, activity, form, rules, and argument. This strategy is very useful for enhancing the students’ achievement of learning and forming their way of thinking (systematically thinking and understanding of knowledge)—see attachment 1.

b. Homework and Practice

Homework provides students with the opportunity to extend their learning outside the classroom and deepen students understanding. Purpose of homework should be clear (practice or preparation for upcoming units) to both students and parents with appropriate feedback given on all assignments. Therefore, the teacher must articulate up front the type of feedback that will be provided. Establish a homework policy with advice-such as keeping a consistent schedule, setting, time limit that parents and students my not have considered. Focused practice is required in order to master a skill, allowing students to adapt and shape learned concepts. Speed and accuracy are key indicators of the concepts mastery of complex or multistage skill, and set a side time to accommodate practice periods.

I often give the homework and practice to my students without clear purpose and guide/direction. Moreover, I often give homework and practice just to get the assessment. In other words, assessment is the main target (see attachment 2).

c. Nonlinguistic Representation

Nonlinguistic representation is incorporate words and imagines using symbols to represent relationships. Teachers who wish to take advantage of all modes of learning will encourage students to make non-linguistic representations of their thinking. These can take many different forms (creating graphic representations, making physical models, generating mental pictures, drawing pictures and pictographs, engaging in kinesthetic activities).

By using non-linguistic representations, teachers help students create mental pictures or physical sensations to help recall information. Non-linguistic representations should elaborate on knowledge so that students understand concept in greater depth and so they can recall information more quickly. Taking advantage of this teaching tool requires focusing on current classroom practice and looking for opportunities to engage students in multiple mode (i.e. integrate non-linguistic form into note-taking, foster cooperative learning, teach interpretation of non-linguistic forms also, use in the content areas – language, art classrooms provide natural connections from classifying words to modeling plotlines)—see attachment 3.

d. Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy in with small terms, each with students of different levels of ability, use variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Cooperative learning is based on the belief that all students are capable of understanding and learning, and performing the task. Here is the five underlying principles of cooperative learning: distributed leadership, heterogeneous grouping, positive interdependence, social skill acquisition, and group anatomy.

Actually, I often use various forms of cooperative learning in my classroom activities such as Think-Pair-Share, Three Minutes Review, and Jigsaw. I used the strategies for different purposes. Sometimes, I needed to improve students understanding. But another time, I used this strategies because I did want to teach when had some paperwork to do. Therefore, I often exploit the strategies just for my interest.

3. Catholic High School Visits

The visits to four catholic high schools St Scholastica Academy (SSA), St. Gregory the Great High School (SGHS), St. Ignatius Prep School (SIPS), and Loyola Academy (LA); certainly brought great experiences on me. I learned independence and curriculum development, school culture and corporate culture, and teacher-student interaction.

All of catholic schools that I visited have school independence. They are visible from school rights in curriculum development, including materials selection, delivery methods, and assessment. In Indonesia school, government control is very strong even in private school. National final exam, curriculum obliged to by seventeen semester subjects and forty three learning hours each week in each level very restrictive of school-teachers-students. Student becomes passive, teachers do not use constructivism, and success on the national test is the special target.

School culture and corporate culture usually has conducive atmosphere for students learning and teachers working. In my observation, all of catholic schools that I was visit have good school culture and corporate culture. All school owns a well-maintained building. There able to get the funds from fund-raising. Learning environments are well arranged and complete. Having a catholic identity, intellectually stimulating, and attractive symbol such as alumni’s pictures show a long-standing school culture. There are observable things that I see in one side. In other side atmosphere of teacher commitment, school management, collegiality, system work-on are indicated good corporate culture. Indirectly, this matter also shows the capability school leader. Generally, Indonesian school leader are selected by seniority. So it is understandable that school management does not run well. Supervision does not work well; no good planning is conducted at schools and missions are not well translated into action.

Most US teachers are used to developing student-centered classes. Teachers in the US are less strict and more tolerant to student behaviors in the class. The interesting is students obtain their freedom of expressing during their learning process and they also respect their teachers in the same time. So far, teacher-student interactive in my school is good. As a community, relation and interaction work well. That is happened because my school develops the education and school freedom. No school uniform, free student expression but must responsibility. This make the pattern of relationship between teacher and student be informal.

a. St. Scholastica Academy

I am impressed by the school culture and corporate culture SSA. With regard to school culture, the school mission is clearly reflected on students’ engagement in learning, freedom of expression to allow students to develop higher-order thinking skills, positive relationship between students and their teachers, and students’ compliance to school discipline. With regard to corporate culture, older and younger teachers engage in positive and enriching communication. Each teacher thematically translates five school tenets in their lessons. Each department is well organized and optimally developed. Teachers remain to work with the integrity, responsibility, and high motivation. These clearly represent a well-developed corporate culture.

Leadership skills are another difference between SSA and the school in Indonesia. Event thought Loretta is the first lay president in SSA, she possesses good leadership skills. She is good at organizing the whole staff, building common understanding, and maintaining high motivation. It is very different from school principals in Indonesia. Generally, a principal is only selected by seniority. So it is understandable that school management in Indonesia does not run well. Supervision does not work well; no good planning is conducted at schools and school missions are not well translated into actions. Those are examples of leadership ability to most principals. Those are examples of leadership ability the most principals (see attachment 4).

b. St. Gregory the Greatest High School

The process on how teachers accompany students in their learning in SGHS is an interesting point that I found in this school visit. SGHS teachers have high commitment and motivation in caring students. This could be seen when we had a class observation. In a class that I observed, I saw how teachers encouraged the students patiently, lovingly, even though the students’ motivation was not high enough. I saw the real forms of constructivism through the class. When we had a meeting with some faculty, it seemed that their choice to become teachers was their vocation. They taught the students as their own children. It showed their spirit in teaching.

SGHS compiles the curriculum instruction in-depth analysis of each subject, compiled with soft skill training, protégé internship program and Learning Resource Program (LRP) which are really good. This program shows clearly how education process in SGHS really gets the highest attention. SGHS is not a Jesuit school. LRP and Protégé program really reflects how student in education process seriously accompanied. Through both programs SGHS student – the ordinary students who have little motivation to learn—find their world to direct themselves. On the other words, it is actually called as "cura personalis". Mostly Indonesia people tend to measure the success of education and school quality based on input and output (scores/grades). This perception oversimplifies the learning process. A school is not a factory that produces things which are measured from its output or with high national exam scores. Moreover, a school is a place to sharpen the competence, compassion, conscience, and prepare students for their social live. This can be true if an education process in school is really managed by a capable leader and supported by all of teachers that have high commitment and great motivation. In addition, the student assistance must be well planned, directed and in a continuing process (see attachment 5).

c. St. Ignatius Prep School and Loyola Academy (Jesuit School)

The visits to Jesuits School (SIPS and LA), certainly opened my mind how to make a Jesuit school Jesuit. I know how to translate the school mission to become spirit the school in daily life, respecting diverse religions, economic, geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds, balance among programs for encouraging the spiritual formation, discipline, and academic pursuit; Ignatian pedagogy paradigm; concern in social justice; preferential option for the poor, man and women for others as a motto, students assistant with “cura personalis” not new terms in Indonesia Jesuit schools. The schools are professionally managed, have established systems that make them able to develop conducive learning atmosphere. The interesting ones are the strategies that the schools use to organize and manage parents’ involvement, and to invite alumni’s involvement for fundraising activities. Two Jesuit schools that I visited are already established, but they have good strategies to build the relationship with the alumni and parents. Those qualities are not easily found in Indonesian Jesuit schools (see attachment 6).

C. How I Tell My Colleagues?

I acknowledge that sharing experiences is not easy. Why? There are three reasons why it is so. First, the gap between the veteran teachers and younger generation of teachers is too big. Paternalistic culture, where the veteran teachers own more authority to determine what to do, is very strong.

Second, the nature of people is to stay in their comfort zones. In my observation, teachers enjoy their comfort zones to much, i.e. already satisfied with being in status quo. For example, the change of curricular policy did not mean the change of learning paradigm or delivery methods.

Third, the existing national final exam that determines students’ graduation makes teachers unable to develop themselves. They do not have courage to make their class meaningful for the students. They are forced to follow the prescribed materials set by the government.

However, it does not mean that there is no way to solve the problems. In my school level, I think I will do the following. First, I will invite pioneers to engage them with new paradigm. I will facilitate them to improve their skills and giving the feedback on their try-out of the new paradigm.

Second, I will certainly communicate our group progress in our bimonthly teacher meetings. In these meetings, we can share our success, troubles, joy, obstacles that we have in implementing our new approach and share the ways to solve the problems.

Third, I also support the systemic change. The government requires teachers to be certified. Teachers must continue their study. This is a good opportunity for them to change their paradigm. In addition, the new curriculum introduced by the government supports the constructivist perspective for learning. Schools have ample room to develop their own curriculum. My role will be to help set up the new curriculum and learning designs for my colleagues. I will certainly help translate the high-yield instructional strategies into the subjects taught in my school.

Here is my reflection of retreat; not alienated retreat in a cloistered and silent place, but in life all day long retreat. This is real retreat. With limited English, I tried to enjoy learning any kind of things. I believe I will still have the opportunity to “sharpen my saw” in the next summer program.***