Perangkat Mengajar (Silabus-RPP)

Download Silabus dan RPP SMA Bilingual

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Download free Syllabus (Silabus) and Lesson Plans (RPP) for Senior High School (SMA Bilingual) especially for Indonesian teachers with Bilingual School system, all files are in PDF format which can be open by using some application software, try to install Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Reader to your computer first, download one of those software from this page, the links appeared on your right side (sidebar).

After downloaded the syllabus or lesson plan file (.pdf), it can be modify with your own name or school lesson plan, by convert this free Syllabus and Lesson Plan (Silabus-RPP) to word document file (.doc) using the converter software or online converter.

Many lessons of syllabus and lesson plan for Bilingual Senior High School (SMA Bilingual), there are Biology Lesson (Biologi), Chemistry Lesson (Kimia), ICT (TIK), Mathematic Lesson (Matematika) and more, start download the files..

Free Syllabus and Lesson Plans for Bilingual Senior Junior High School (SMA Bilingual) list:

Silabus-RPP Biology SMA 1

Silabus-RPP Biology SMA 2

Silabus-RPP Biology SMA 3

Silabus-RPP Chemistry SMA 1

Silabus-RPP Chemistry SMA 2

Silabus-RPP Chemistry SMA 3

Silabus-RPP ICT SMA 1

Silabus-RPP ICT SMA 2

Silabus-RPP ICT SMA 3

Silabus-RPP Mathematics SMA 1

Silabus-RPP Mathematics SMA 2

Silabus-RPP Mathematics SMA 3

source info: www.tigaserangkai.com

Nasib Guru Agama Terhadap Sertifikasi

2011-12-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

Guru Agama atau Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI) adalah guru atau tenaga pendidik yang mengajarkan mata pelajaran agama baik di madrasah maupun di sekolah umum. Guru agama ada yang menjadi binaan Departemen Agama dengan NIP 15 dan ada yang binaan Departemen Pendidikan Nasional dengan NIP 13.

Banyak yang percaya dan mungkin bukan rahasia umum lagi, guru agama terutama yang mengajar dan mengabdi di madrasah dianggap sebagai guru kelas dua. Mereka bahkan terlupakan mulai dari tunjangan, honor, dan gaji yang sangat jauh berbeda dengan guru agama binaan Depdiknas.

oleh IKATAN GURU SEKOLAH DASAR INDONESIA

Pemerintah lewat Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Nomor 18 Tahun 2007 tentang Sertifikasi Guru Dalam Jabatan memberikan iming-iming tentang menaikkan kesejahteraan guru hingga 100 persen atau naik satu bulan gaji. Iming-iming ini

Home School Resource - Help With High School Homeschooling

2011-05-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

by: Rebecca Welch

Homeschooling your child through his or her senior year in high school can be demanding and difficult. There are many things to consider as you guide your child through their final years of their secondary education and on towards college. Here are a few ideas to discuss with your child concerning their final and important years of education.

The Money Factor

Expenses generally skyrocket in the last few years with more challenging textbooks to purchase and additional after school activities. Some cities have homeschooling co-ops established to help parents cope with the rising cost of education. Local libraries can be an excellent informational resource and also give other homeschoolers a place to meet or share advice. One of the best low cost options is to join the local home school organization and share textbooks with other parents as often as possible to defray the expense.

Do you have an advanced student?

Teaching an advanced student can be scary, but parents should be proud of what they have helped their child accomplish. Online home schooling resources can be a great help for the advanced student. Many challenging curriculums can be purchased and completed online with tutoring help available when necessary. Online academies often provide textbooks and other home schooling supplies. Virtual classrooms where students can use a web cam to participate in class is another excellent alternative. They may also use lecture based courses online.

Post Secondary Option for Advanced Students

Post secondary level classes at your local university or junior college have some advantages for your student. Your child can avoid the stigma of being ‘the new kid’ because college faces change every semester. At times you might not be required to pay college tuition for the classes that your high school child takes. Your child can earn high school credit and enjoy socialization as well as mental stimulation that college classes provide.

Transferring your homeschooler to private or public school?

For many parents, home schooling a high school age child can be extremely difficult. Some feel they should transition their child to a private or public high school, however, the stress of the transition can wreck havoc on a teenager. Public high school environments can seem unfriendly, stilted and restrictive to a child who has had theloving support and educational flexibility of being homeschooled. Private school could be an alternative, but there are still the drawbacks of public schools plus the added burden of cost with a private institution. In addition to adjusting to a new environment, if you decide to transition your homeschooled teenager you must also be mindful of the "new kid" syndrome that so often occurrs. This can be especially difficult for homeschooled children who may be viewed as "weird" or "strange" by both students and teachers alike. Weigh your options carefully before plunging your child back into mainstream education.

Are there any additional options?

Feeling uncertain or over-whelmed about home schooling your senior high school student is normal. If transitioning your homeschooled child to public or private high school isn't an option, you might consider the following options. Network with other parents who home school their children. Have each parent discuss what they feel they are best at teaching. Find parents who would be willing to trade skills in order to gain the best education for their children. A parent who is skilled in Math or Science and enjoys teaching high school age students might be willing to teach your child in exchange for teaching one of their children English or a foreign language. In this way, both students will benefit from additional stimulation and extra socialization.

5 Secrets To Making Learning Fun

2011-05-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

Most teachers want to incorporate fun into the school day. Some, however, simply don't know where to begin. They have the right attitude, but don't know how to deliver. Students who have fun during class end up learning more because there minds are actively engaged. For teachers with a hard time incorporating fun, here are 5 secrets to making learning fun.

1. Involve Everyone

Some students fall through the cracks because they never speak in class, are never called on, and don't complete their homework. They feel no ownership nor pride for school. This can be easily corrected by simply involving each and every student in class. It is more fun being involved in class than sitting back like a bump on a log. Call on students that don't have their hands raised. Go around the room and have each person read a paragraph out loud from the study material. If students feel invested in schoolwork, they will be more likely to have fun and succeed.

2. Involve the Entire Body

No one likes to sit in class listening to a lecture for an hour. It gets boring and monotonous. To incorporate more fun into learning, try to engage the entire body. Have children move around the room. Play active review games. If you must lecture, have your students take a five minute break to stand up and wiggle their arms and legs. Fun doesn't have to be silly all the time. Simply moving around can make an otherwise boring lecture seem uplifting.

3. Positive Reinforcement

One of the easiest ways to add some fun to your class is to use positive reinforcement. Students not only detest, but also dread classes that make them feel dumb. If your class is made to think they are excelling or performing well, they will be more likely to succeed. You will see smiles on their faces instead of looks of dread. The only way fun can be introduced into the school day is if the children feel comfortable letting loose. Giving positive reinforcement is the way to accomplish that goal.

4. Working in Groups

Group projects are tons of fun for students. It allows them to talk and discuss their answers with peers. If there is a worksheet assignment, for example, let the students work in groups of 3 or 4. Not only will they enjoy the change of pace, but they will also learn from each other. Group learning kills two birds with one stone.

5. School Day Variety

No school day is fun if the routine is the same day in and day out. Change the schedule and add variety to your class. Students love to try new things. Have them complete worksheets one day, and the next day have an outdoor study session. Videos also make for wonderful variety. They allow students to take a break from the traditional school day. There is nothing like a little fun to get a child to learn. Incorporating fun into the school day not only makes you a great teacher, but also encourages knowledge comprehension.

Top 5 Things to Consider Before Studying Abroad

2011-05-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Studying abroad can be a wonderful supplement to a college education, but there are several important factors to consider before stepping foot on the plane.

1. Do the classes offered at the study abroad site fit into your course of study?

The last thing you want is to be forced to graduate a semester late because your courses abroad don't fit into your planned curriculum. If you realize that your desired study abroad location doesn't offer the courses you need, or doesn't give enough credit for the courses it does offer, try sending some emails to your school to see if arrangements can be made.

2. The Language Barrier

Some people go abroad to further their knowledge of a language they're already studying. Others go to a country only knowing how to say "hello" and "goodbye." The decision depends upon what you are trying to gain from the experience. While it is fully possible to "survive" in many countries simply by using English, not speaking the language will make it much more difficult to absorb the many customs and nuances of another culture.

3. The Social Scene

What may be a familiar social custom back at home could vary greatly in another country. Before deciding on a study abroad location, do some research on the country's nightlife, gender dynamics, and laws such as the drinking age or smoking in bars. You may find that the city goes to sleep too early for your liking, or that the country doesn't offer any socially liberal options fitting your preferences. The social experience can make or break a study abroad trip, so it's important to do your research beforehand.

4. Food

While it may seem to some like a non-issue, the cuisine in your country of choice can have a serious impact on your enjoyment while abroad. If you've just spend a year keeping off – or working off – the "Freshman 15," the last thing you want is to gain it all back in a country whose eating habits don't quite encourage a healthy lifestyle. Also, many countries don't make it easy on vegetarians, vegans, people with food allergies, or those who eat Kosher. You can learn a lot about a culture through its food; you won't want to have to avoid the cuisine entirely because of dietary restrictions.

5. The Exchange Rate

Studying abroad can be an extremely expensive ordeal, and it's important to think in advance about the cost of living in your new, temporary home. If items such as toothpaste, soap, or even food cost twice as much as they do in your own country, can you see yourself paying these prices for several months? Your trip abroad shouldn't force you to have to take out a loan later on; there are certainly cheaper locations in which to study that will be just as fun and fulfilling.

School Uniforms

2011-03-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

To require uniforms or not to require uniforms: that is the question many school districts are facing these days. Students in many cities are wearing uniforms to school, and parents across the country are facing off over proposals to institute uniform policies. All this fuss over khaki pants and a white shirt?

While private and parochial schools have long required students to follow a dress code or wear uniforms, public schools have traditionally allowed students to wear what they (and their parents) like. Pro-uniform parents say that only worked because schools used to be safer. Now that kids are getting mugged for their designer clothes and expensive sneakers, school uniforms seem a safer alternative to many. Furthermore, uniforms prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia to school, and make it easier for security guards to spot intruders.

Of course, the lack of a dress code isn’t an issue only in high-crime areas. Middle-class students report peer pressure to buy expensive clothing, cliquish behavior exacerbated by differences in what students can afford, and kids wearing inappropriately sexualized clothing that isn’t conducive to studying. Rachel Berman, who graduated from a private high school that required uniforms, says, “the uniforms contributed to a more sedate, professional feel that I think made it easier to focus on school.”

On the flip side, opponents believe uniforms squash creativity and free expression and worry that they could prevent students from expressing their religious or political beliefs. (In fact, the law requires that religious garb like yarmulkes and head scarves cannot be prohibited, and expressive gear like political buttons is allowed unless it interferes with the rights of others, as with gang insignia.) Many schools have an “opt-out” clause for students who choose not to wear the uniform, and most provide free uniforms to those who cannot afford them.

“My two children attend a school with a lower school uniform and I love it,” says Marcia Turner. “Having a specific set of clothes the kids must choose from makes outfit selection a no-brainer. No more fights or discussions about what to wear since that decision has virtually been made for them.”

“You’ll have the popular girls and the nerdier girls with or without the uniforms,” says Daisy Kong, who graduated from a parochial school that required uniforms. Nonetheless, she adds that, “there were days in college where I actually found myself missing my uniform because I didn’t know what to wear and would spend 30-40 minutes shuffling through my closet.”

By Hannah Boyd

Nenek Termuda di Dunia Berusia 23 Tahun

2011-03-10T04:27:00.000-08:00

Rifca Stanescu dan cucu (DailyMail)

Putrinya melahirkan anak lelaki ketika berusia 11 tahun.

Seorang wanita gipsi menjadi nenek termuda di dunia pada usia 23 tahun. Rifca Stanescu, yang tinggal di desa Investi, Romania, melahirkan putrinya, Maria, saat berusia 13 tahun. Sementara Maria melahirkan putranya yang bernama Ion saat berusia 11 tahun.

"Saya senang bisa menjadi nenek, tapi aku sebenarnya berharap sesuatu yang lain pada Maria - dan sesuatu yang beda untuk saya. Ion adalah anak yang baik, dan ia sudah bertunangan dengan seorang gadis berusia 8 tahun," kata Rifca, seperti dikutip dari Daily Mail.

"Menurutku memiliki anak lelaki adalah hal yang baik, mereka tidak terlalu menderita dibandingkan anak perempuan," katanya.

Rifca lahir pada tahun 1985. Ia menentang keinginan keluarganya dan melarikan diri bersama pria penjual perhiasan yang jadi suaminya, Ionel Stanescu. Saat itu ia berusia 11 tahun dan Ionel 13 tahun. Satu tahun setelah mereka menikah Rifca hamil Maria.

"Aku ingin menikah dengannya, jadi aku setuju, dan tentu saja setelah kami menghabiskan malam bersama maka tidak ada yang bisa memisahkan. Sebenarnya aku pernah berjanji pada sebuah keluarga yang memiliki anak laki-laki ketika berusia dua tahun, tapi aku tidak mau melaksanakannya," kata Rifca.

Dalam budaya gipsi, keperawanan sangat dihargai. Hal itu lah yang membuat wanita gipsi menikah dalam usia yang sangat muda. Hal ini dilakukan agar calon suami yakin calon istrinya masih perawan. Keperawanan juga terkait dengan mas kawin dari keluarga calon suami. Hilangnya keperawanan berarti pembatalan kesepakatan.

"Sebelumnya keluarga saya sering bertengkar. Ayah pernah datang dan menyerang suami menggunakan pisau. Ayah ingin agar suami saya membayar 500 ribu Lei sebagai kompensasi. Keluarga membawaku pergi, tetapi setelah tiga hari aku kabur bersama suami," kata Rifca.

Setelah Maria lahir, keluarga Ionel membayar mas kawin pada ayah Rifca. Masalah mas kawin pun selesai. Rifca mengatakan sebenarnya ia memohon pada Maria untuk menyelesaikan sekolah. Tetapi Maria lebih memilih menikah dan hamil enam bulan kemudian.

"Aku tidak berusaha menghentikan Maria untuk menikah karena itu memang tradisi kami," kata Rifca. (umi)

VIVAnews

Stress and Your College-Age Kid: What You Can Do

2011-02-22T02:14:00.000-08:00

By Merry Gordon

They’re anxious about debt, worried about job security—and all this before they so much as declare a major. They’re first year college students, and according to a recent survey conducted by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), their emotional health is at a quarter century low.
The American Freshman: A Snapshot in Stress

HERI’s “The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2010” is in the 25th year of its survey of over 200,000 incoming students at four-year institutions across the U.S. on subjects ranging from public policy to personal assessment. Of the undergrads polled, a mere 52% rated their emotional health as above average; this represents a 3% decrease in the past year alone and a massive 12% drop from 1985, the year that freshmen were first asked to evaluate their well-being. Interestingly, female students were far more likely than their male counterparts to report sub-par emotional health, representing a widening gender gap when it comes to how students deal with stress.

The numbers are alarming—but given similar emotional health trends in the American workforce, the fact that children’s emotional health seems to mimic that of their parents hardly comes as a surprise. Also unsurprising is what many researchers pinpoint as one of the primary causes for this record-level stress: financial worries. HERI Director Sylvia Hurtado said in a recent press release that the growing price tag associated with higher ed represented a “significant barrier to college access for today’s students.”

How students pay for college is a continuing challenge, according to survey results. The percentage of students in 2010 receiving aid from scholarships and grants rose, and over half of the students polled said that student loans helped to offset their college costs; many of those same students also reported mounting unemployment among their parents. Predictably, this same group of undergrads cited augmented earning power as a key advantage of post-secondary education, however costly (and stressful) it might seem to them now.
Helping Your Child Identify and Cope

When does the stress begin? Before college, according to survey results—almost 30% of students polled indicated that they felt overwhelmed by their senior year of high school. For parents who want to get a jump start on helping their older teens manage stress, the message is clear: start early.

“Listen, listen, listen,” advises child and family mental health counselor Gary Unruh. Not all stress is bad—a certain amount of stress is necessary and even healthy in helping children to develop self-assurance and the ability to cope with day-to-day adult demands—but when it affects kids’ sleeping patterns or eating habits, stress is no longer just an annoyance but a potential health issue. Unruh gives five potential warning signs to recognize long-term and/or abnormal stress in a child:

The child is more isolated from friends and family.
The child is more irritable, argumentative or cranky.
The child is more anxious, which may manifest itself in repeated comments, sleep disturbances, etc.
The child is making more sad or negative comments than happy over a prolonged period of time.
The child eats significantly more or less than usual.

The key to dealing with adolescent stress, Unruh suggests, is offering validation before criticism and emphasizing joint problem solving. “Start where your child is,” Unruh says, “not where you are.” He advises working on child-directed problem-solving skills that include a step-by-step process from identifying the potential stressor through evaluating a solution.

For specific college funding concerns, discuss with older teens an action plan for paying back student loans or covering costs—often, a solid financial plan can help to alleviate their anxiety. It’s important also, Unruh notes, to discuss what he calls “the normalcy of the loan process” with teens who may find the world of adult financial strategy foreign and intimidating.

While professional counseling may be warranted for stress that lasts more than a month, parents can play a big role in helping their kids assuage the effects of stress before it ever comes to that. Play, family time, relaxation, exercise—all these things, Unruh says, are important to maintaining a healthy emotional life. Parents can offer support by ensuring that their kids find an age-appropriate equilibrium for their kids that encompasses these healthy outlets.
A Silver Lining?

Fortunately, the 2010 study findings were not necessarily all gloom and doom. Researchers also noted a record increase in the number of students who ranked both their academic ability and their drive to succeed as being above average—factors that many hope will help them to rise above the stress that seems to complicate their lives now.
M.L. Gordon has taught a wide range of subjects, from seventh grade drama to college-level English. She has a Master's in secondary education and currently teaches high school language arts in Arizona.

Lumba-Lumba Bisa Ngobrol dengan Manusia

2011-02-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Lumba-lumba (Corbis)

Klik! Bak sepasang sahabat baru yang saling berbagi, sejumlah ilmuwan berhasil berkomunikasi dua arah dengan lumba-lumba meski hanya memakai bahasa konvensional.

Seperti diketahui, lumba-lumba masih menjadi makhluk hidup paling cemerlang kedua setelah manusia di dunia. Ia juga memiliki fitur otak yang kaya dan kecerdasan tinggi.

Memang, hewan mamalia pintar ini mudah kita temui di pusat satwa air, misalnya di Sea World. Di salah satu area pertunjukan, biasanya mereka berkomunikasi dengan para pawang di penangkaran. Sekelompok lumba-lumba akan menghibur para pengunjung dan kemudian sang pawang memberi ikan untuk sebagai hadiahnya.

Namun, kali ini ceritanya agak berbeda. Sejumlah ahli biologi perilaku baru saja berhasil membangun komunikasi dua arah dengan lumba-lumba liar di alam bebas pada studi pertamanya.

Dialah Dr Denise Herzing dan beberapa koleganya yang melakukan studi di Wild Dolphin Project Florida, Amerika Serikat. Mereka telah membentuk bahasa primitif dengan menggunakan suara, simbol, dan alat peraga.

"Sebelumnya sudah banyak penelitian seputar komunikasi antara manusia dan lumba-lumba, terutama di penangkaran. Mereka menggunakan ikan sebagai hadiah," kata Herzing pada Wired, Jumat 18 Februari 2011. "Tapi, iming-iming ikan di sini (Wild Dolphin Project) jarang digubris oleh lumba-lumba."

Eksperimen yang dilakukan melibatkan dua lumba-lumba dan dua ahli biologi. Para peneliti dimodali alat peraga seperti bola dan selendang untuk membantu lumba-lumba berkomunikasi.

Ketika lumba-lumba menekan tombol tertentu dengan hidungnya, maka peneliti melemparkan alat peraga yang sesuai ke dalam air. Demikian seterusnya. Hingga 3 bulan "kursus", peneliti bisa bermain dengan lumba-lumba hingga 40 sesi permainan, di mana satu sesi berdurasi setengah jam.

Dalam penelitian ini, Herzing menemukan bahwa anak lumba-lumba pria kurang tertarik berinteraksi dengna manusia. Sementara anak lumba-lumba perempuan terlihat sangat menikmati permainan.

"Ini memang waktunya anak lumba-lumba perempuan memiliki waktu bermain, karena nanti mereka akan menjadi seekor induk yang sibuk," jelas Herzing.

Dari 40 sesi, dia mengatakan, sesi bermain yang paling berhasil adalah ketika sejumlah ilmuwan berenang perlahan-lahan bersama lumba-lumba lalu saling kontak mata dan menirukan gerakan.

Untuk diketahui, studi ini telah diterbitkan dalam jurnal Acta Astronautica.
• VIVAnews

Take Charge! Self-Advocacy in the Classroom

2011-02-20T02:28:00.000-08:00

As a parent, you want what’s best for your child, and that includes a solid education. But recent sweeping budget cuts at the federal and state level may have rendered your child just one face in a crowd of 30—or even 40—other kids clamoring for the attention of one teacher. How can you make sure your kid isn’t just another name on the roster? Now more than ever, children need to learn how to become self-advocates in the classroom. This term has been more often applied to special needs students, but all students can benefit from the concept of self-advocacy. When children can communicate what they need, what their resources are and what they can do to achieve their goals, they become partners instead of pawns in the academic experience.

The first step in teaching children self-advocacy is teaching them to first understand themselves. Help children take inventory of their strengths and weaknesses. These can be social, academic, or even physical—anything that impacts their classroom performance. For example, perhaps your sixth grader is a math whiz, but he struggles to see the board at times because of vision issues. Your high schooler may feel competent at poetry, but challenged when it comes to term papers. Often, self-analysis is one of the hardest steps in self-advocacy: it is difficult for children to evaluate themselves both honestly and thoroughly, and sometimes young children don’t even have the vocabulary to talk about their strengths and weaknesses in this way.

If children are having a hard time assessing themselves, consider looking to a classroom teacher for input. This may not necessitate a separate conference; instead, it might be as easy as looking at the teacher’s most recent comments (both complimentary and critical) on a report card or series of essays. For young children who struggle with self-assessment because of language barriers, try asking simple feeling questions: “How do you feel in science class?” If the answer is “frustrated” or “scared,” there may be an issue worth looking into.

Finally, help your children set realistic and specific goals based on the things that challenge them most: “I want to get better at math” is too vague and difficult to measure, but “I want to memorize my multiplication tables through 12 and do well on the next test” is specific, reasonable and easy to assess. Support your child in writing these goals down in a notebook or on a calendar for future reference. This encourages your child to take ownership of his or her education, an important cognitive shift in becoming a better learner.

Step Two: Locating Resources

Once you have helped your child identify his or her strong points and challenges, it’s time to identify potential resources. It’s a good idea to jot these down by the goals, as the two go hand in hand. If your child is a special needs student, you as a parent will want to be aware of his legal rights as established by federal law—this will give you some idea as to what kind of entitlements are guaranteed to your child in the classroom. But all children are entitled to a good education, regardless of whether or not they are on IEP or 504 plans. Have your child do some research on what resources are available in the classroom—does your son’s 1st grade teacher do before-school tutoring? Does your daughter’s chemistry professor keep a web page with links to help children with difficult concepts? Is there a retesting policy? Many schools sponsor after-school tutoring or open library hours, too; check your school’s website or handbook for information on what is scheduled. It’s important to keep your children as involved as possible in locating resources, as personal involvement increases their accountability.

Identifying support beyond the classroom teacher and school can also be helpful. Perhaps your child knows that a friend is doing well in a class that she is struggling in; this person might be a valuable ally as a peer tutor. Local libraries, if they don’t have study groups formally scheduled, will often at least have separate study rooms that offer a quiet place to work. Outside agencies such as Kaplan or Sylvan may offer specialized academic services (SAT and ACT prep among them) in your community—but for a price. Talk to your child. Keep all options open, and see what seems to make him or her most comfortable.

Ikan Aneh Hidup di Limbah Beracun

2011-02-20T02:23:00.000-08:00

Tomcod, ikan yang mampu hidup di perairan beracun. (sciencedaily.com)

Ilmuwan menemukan ikan aneh yang hidup di perairan yang paling parah terkena polusi. Ikan tersebut berhasil bertahan karena telah berevolusi hingga mampu mengatasi bahan kimia berbahaya.

Para ‘penjelajah racun’ di dunia air tersebut merupakan ikan tomcod, yang tampak serupa dengan ikan cod biasa. Bedanya, ukuran ikan yang tinggal di kawasan sungai Hudson dan sekitarnya ini memiliki ukuran yang lebih kecil.

Sebagai informasi, sejak tahun 1947 sampai 1976, perusahaan seperti General Electric telah menghanyutkan PCB dan dioksin ke sungai di sekitar Hudson. Di tahun 1980-an, sekitar 95 persen ikan di kawasan tersebut ditemukan menderita tumor hati.

“Ternyata, semakin kami teliti, semakin banyak kami dapati adanya ikan-ikan yang tahan terhadap PCB dan dioksin,” kata Isaac Wirgin, toksikolog dari New York University, seperti dikutip dari Science, 19 Februari 2011.

Dari studi lebih lanjut, peneliti berkesimpulan bahwa pada beberapa ikan, polutan telah memasuki inti sel. Polutan itu kemudian telah mengganggu DNA dari gen tertentu sehingga membuat ikan-ikan menderita penyakit.

Secara kebetulan, tomcod memiliki gen yang mampu mentoleransi PCB dan dioksin. Dengan demikian, ikan yang memiliki gen ini mampu bertahan hidup lebih baik dibanding ikan lain.

Secara teknis, tomcod bukanlah mutan. Bahan kimia hanya menyerang kelompok ikan-ikan tertentu saja, sementara mereka mampu bertahan. Meski begitu, tetap ada dampak negatifnya.

“Umumnya, level PCB atau dioksin seperti ini akan membunuh organisme,” ata Wirgin. “Akan tetapi, di sini mereka bertahan hidup dan menjadi makanan bagi makhluk hidup lainnya,” ucapnya.

Wirgin menyebutkan, ikan atau makhluk hidup lain yang menyantap tomcod akan menyerap polutan yang ada yang belum tentu dapat ditanggung oleh gen tubuh mereka.

Selain itu, meski berhasil berevolusi hingga mampu bertahan terhadap polusi, ikan-ikan ini telah kehilangan kemampuan untuk mengatasi gangguan alami. “Misalnya seperti kondisi penurunan oksigen di air ataupun kenaikan temperatur air,” ucap Wirgin.
• VIVAnews

When Your Child Refuses to Go to School

2010-09-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Everyday, all across the nation, as many as 1 in 4 children refuse to go to school. But while the reasons can range from a looming test to an ill-placed pimple, “school refusal,” formerly known as school phobia, is an actual anxiety-based disorder. Surprisingly, school refusal is more prevalent than some better known child disorders like ADHD, but, because many children are vague in their complaints and unable to verbalize what's making them anxious, it's sometimes dismissed as typical childhood willfulness. However, the effects of recurring school refusal can be far-reaching for your child's education.

So, where's the line between what's normal and what's not? "You need to look at whether it's affecting the child or family's daily functioning," explains Christopher Kearney, Ph.D., director of the UNLV Child School Refusal and Anxiety Disorders Clinic. In other words, if a child's grades are suffering or a parent's job is in jeopardy from frequent absences, it's time to look closely at the issue. Kearney adds that parents should be listening carefully to children who say they can't go to school because of "vague, untestable kinds of things like stomaches or headaches." While these somatic complaints alone don't necessarily indicate school refusal, there may be deeper problems if combined with general complaints about school, talks of threats at school and chronic absenteeism.

According to Kearney, "there is a subtle difference between school refusal and school refusal behavior." The kid who ditches school to hang out with her friends is exhibiting school refusal behavior, which can be nothing more than a phase brought on by peer attitudes or a sense of rebellion. But the child who clings to her mother's leg, screaming at the thought of having to enter the school building, is showing signs of school refusal, or "anxiety-based absenteeism."

However, the label doesn't matter nearly as much as getting a child back into the classroom. According to Maryann Roth, CAS, a school psychologist and guidance counselor, it's about "making sure the kid gets to school no matter how hard it is." Working closely with school officials and possibly a therapist to create a plan is a necessary step. Here are some key components to creating a successful plan:

* Investigate what's going on at school. As Roth says, if "it's an issue of bullying you need to find out what's really going on." Once you know whether your child's complaint is a valid one, it's easier to work with your child around the issue, both in and outside of school.

* Coordinate with the school. You can't do it alone. Whether it's arranging to have someone meet you on the playground to escort your child into school or trying, as Kearney suggests, "to ease the amount of makeup work," it's crucial that the school plays a role in integrating your child into the classroom.

* Set a baseline expectation. Roth and Kearney agree that having a child in school for any amount of time is better than having him at home. Though a child may only come to school for only an hour, or sit in the lobby all day, "it's a lot easier to get them back into the regular classroom from that point," says Kearney.

* Make it less fun to be at home. If your child knows he can sit at home and play video games during the school day, the incentive to stay home is greater than the incentive to be at school. Create a contract, set some boundaries and make it more worth his while to go to school.

Your bottom line? Identify the issue, make a plan and stick to your guns. Once your child has overcome her fear of school, she'll probably thank you.

By Amanda Morin

Attacks on Bilingual Education

2010-09-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Even though bilingual education has provided a positive and supportive environment for the academic and social growth of many language-minority students, politically motivated opposition to bilingual education has prevailed in most states. Conservative forces mobilized throughout the nation in the 1980s and 1990s to attack taxes, schools, and bilingual education. Since the 1990s, these same groups have frequently attacked multicultural education as divisive to national unity. Some English speakers are offended that immigrant children are taught in their native tongue for part of the day. Political leaders argue that bilingualism handicaps children.

For example, Porter (1998) argues, “Bilingual education is a classic example of an experiment that was begun with the best of humanitarian intentions, but has turned out to be terribly wrongheaded... . The accumulated research of the past thirty years reveals almost no justification for teaching children in their native languages to help them learn either English or other subjects (pp. 28–29).

As in the debates on affirmative action, conservatives have created the deception that minorities are gaining an advantage, that bilingual education is discrimination against European Americans (Guinier, 2002; Krashen, 2002b). The attacks on bilingualism continue, with voters in several states voting for anti–bilingual education measures.

After a volatile political campaign, California’s electorate (then 69 percent European) responded to crises in the state’s educational system by adopting Proposition 227, the so-called English for the Children initiative, drafted by English only advocate Ron Unz. Latinos made up 29.4 percent of the state’s population and more than 36 percent of its school-age children but only 12 percent of its voters.

The resulting new law dramatically altered the way in which English is taught in California schools. Proposition 227 effectively abolished bilingual education for immigrant children (whose parents are often not citizens and cannot vote) by making the use of other languages for instruction illegal except under special circumstances. It mandated intensive 10-month “sheltered English immersion” programs as the instructional strategy, except in very limited circumstances where a waiver of the bilingual education ban might be granted. As a result, in 2000 less than 10 percent of the English language learners in California were receiving bilingual education (Gandara et al., 2004). Since 1998, similar initiatives have passed in Arizona and Massachusetts but have been defeated in Colorado.

The public debate on bilingual education often deals with a false dichotomy, that of choosing either English or the home language. All immigrant parents want their children to learn English. Both languages are valuable. Bilingual advocates argue that the nation gains from the language resources of its immigrant communities, while antibilingual advocates stress the need for national cohesion through one language.

By D. E. Campbell

Assessment Questions

2010-09-01T16:15:00.001-07:00

Assessment is a global term for observing, gathering, recording, and interpreting information to answer questions and make legal and instructional decisions about students. What types of questions do teachers and parents have? Teachers of young children and parents wonder if the child is developing typically in one or more of the following developmental areas:
Communication development. Should Jaleh be talking more now that she is 4 years old?
Cognitive development. Is Katie experiencing difficulty performing many activities that the other children can do quite easily?
Physical development. Does Sammy have difficulty seeing? Hearing? Does he have problems with fine and gross motor activities?
Adaptive development. Should Luis be able to feed himself and take care of toileting needs?
Social-emotional development. Sonia has difficulty getting along with other children. Will she "outgrow" this?

Teachers and parents of older children frequently have questions about a student's achievement, ability, or skills in one or more areas:
Academic area. Does Elliot have a reading problem?
Overall achievement. Why doesn't Bill do better in school?
General intelligence. Will Joy be able to learn how to compute a math problem?
Transition. What transition service needs does Cristoforo have?
Social-emotional status. Daryl has difficulty making friends. How can he be helped? Sabrina seems sad and depressed. What is causing this behavior?
Vision, hearing, or motor ability. Can Norweeta hear students speaking during class discussions? Joey frequently walks on tiptoes. Does this indicate a problem?
Communication. Bradley can hear the speaker but doesn't seem to understand. What could be the cause of his difficulty?

10 Hal Yang Tak Terbeli Dengan Uang !

2010-09-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Uang, siapun butuh uang. Orang Dewasa, Remaja bahkan anak – anak kecil sekalipun kenal dengan benda yang namanya uang. Memang uang penting dalam kehidupan, tanpa alat tukar ini kita tidak mungkin bisa memenuhi kebutuhan hidup. Uang membuat sebagianorang bisa melakukan banyak hal daripada orang yang tidak memilikinya. Tetapi seberapapun pentingnya uang, masih ada hal yang tidak bisa dibeli dengan uang.

1. Waktu

Uang tidak akan bisa mengembalikan waktu yang telah berlalu. Setelah hari berganti, maka waktu 24jam tersebut akan hilang dan tidak akan mungkin akan kembali lagi. Karena itu gunakan setiap kesempatan yang ada untuk menyatakan perhatian dan kasih sayang anda kepadaorang yang sangat anda sayang dan anda cintai, sebelum waktu itu berlalu dan anda menyesalinya.

2. Kebahagiaan

Memang kedengarannya aneh, Tetapi inilah kenyataannya. Uang memang bisa membuat anda merasa senang karena anda bisa membiayai liburan mewah, memberi laptop dengan fasilitas yang sangat modern, atau modifikasi mobil. Tapi uang tidak bisa menghadirkan secercah kebahagiaan dari dalam lubuk hati kita.

3. Kebahagiaan Anak

Untuk membelikan makan dan pakaian yang bagus – bagus untuk anak tercinta memang membutuhkan uang. Tapi anda tidak bisa menggunakan uang untuk memberi rasa aman, tanggung jawab, sikap yang baik serta kepandaian pada anak anda. Hal ini merupakan buah dari waktu dan perhatian yang anda curahkan untuk mereka dan hal – hal baik yang anda ajarkan. Uang memang membantu kita memenuhi aspek pengasuhan, tapi waktu telah membuktikan bahwa kebutuhan dasar tiap anak adalah berapa banyak waktu yang diberikan orangtuanya, bukan orangnya.

4. Cinta

Cinta tidak bisa dibeli dengan uang, akuilah hal ini benar. Memang dengan uang kita bisa membuat orang tertarik, tapi cinta berasal dari rasa saling menghargai, perhatian, berbagi pengalaman dan kesempatan untuk berkembang bersama. Itu sebabnya banyak pasangan yang menikah karena uang, tak bertahan lama.

5. Penerimaan/Persahabatan

Untuk diterima oleh lingkungan pergaulan, Anda tak butuh uang. Bila Anda ingin diterima, fokuskan energi Anda untuk membuat diri Anda berharga bagi lingkungan sekitar dengan menjadi teman dalam suka dan duka.

6. Kesehatan

Kita butuh uang untuk membiayai perawatan dan membeli obat, tapi uang tak bisa menggantikan kesehatan yang hilang. Itu sebabnya pepatah lebih baik mencegah daripada mengobati sebaiknya kita terapkan. Mulailah berolahraga, berhenti merokok, dan banyak hal lain yang pasti sudah Anda tahu.

7. Kesuksesan

Beberapa orang memang ada yang mencapai kesuksesan dengan menyuap, tapi ini adalah pengecualian. Kesuksesan hanya berasal dari kerja keras, kemauan, dan sedikit kemujuran. Ada aspek kecil dari usaha menuju sukses yang bisa didapatkan dengan uang, misalnya mengikuti pelatihan atau membeli peralatan, tapi sukses lebih banyak berasal dari usaha yang Anda lakukan sendiri.

8. Bakat

Kita dilahirkan dengan bakat tertentu. Dengan uang, yang bisa kita lakukan adalah mengasah bakat tersebut, misalnya belajar musik. Namun para ahli mengatakan, untuk menjadi ahli di bidangnya, kita membutuhkan bakat.

9. Sikap yang baik

Banyak orang yang kaya raya tapi sikapnya kasar dan ucapannya sinis. Tak sedikit orang sederhana yang tutur katanya sopan dan menunjukkan rasa hormat pada orang lain. Jadi, jumlah uang yang dimiliki bukan penentu sikap seseorang.

10. Kedamaian

Bila uang bisa membeli kedamaian, barangkali kita tak lagi mendengar tentang perang. Justru yang sering terjadi sebaliknya, uang lah yang menjadi sumber pertikaian dan permusuhan.

Assessment Steps and Purposes

2010-09-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

In working with students with disabilities or who may have disabilities, professionals ask questions and make decisions during each of the assessment steps: screening, referral, determining eligibility, program planning, program monitoring, and program evaluation. Decision points allow the team to use the information to make decisions regarding the needs of the student.
Step 1. Screening

Identifying children and youth who need special education services is a collaborative effort among teachers in the schools and personnel who work in agencies that serve children and families. The assessment question focuses on "Is there a possibility that the student may have a disability?" The purpose of screeningto determine whether students may have disabilities and to refer them for further assessment. Screening is designed to assess large numbers of students efficiently and economically. Based on the information collected during screening, evaluators decide whether to refer the student to the team for further assessment. Screening approaches differ, depending on whether the student is a preschooler or of school age.

Preschool children In many communities, children under age 6 come to the assessment process as a result of Child Find activities. Child Find directs parents to screening services in their community that are open to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and that are free of charge.

Comprehensive screening of young children includes several components: parent concerns; medical history (often given through parental reports or completed by parents using a checklist); vision and hearing tests; and the use of commercial screening instruments and observation reports in the areas of general development, abilities, and skills. Screening instruments are generally inexpensive and are designed so they may be completed in a short amount of time, 30 minutes or less.

School-age students Children who are entering public school for the first time or transferring to a new school require screening. One or more individuals, such as the special education teacher or general education teacher, conduct the screening, which involves various approaches. An educator often begins by reviewing past work and test scores of the incoming student or by asking the new student a set of questions. In the classroom, teachers observe and collect information about the student's work and performance. Teachers may observe that the student is having trouble seeing a computer screen, understanding and following directions, working with others, reading, or comprehending. Parents utilize screening approaches, too. They may have concerns about their child when they see their child in relation to other children in the neighborhood or when they compare their child to their knowledge about growth and development.

School personnel conduct a variety of other screening activities. The school nurse arranges for students to have regular vision and hearing screenings. Educators review student attendance records and follow up on students who are not attending school on a regular basis. Classroom teachers administer group tests of school achievement and screen student scores to identify those students who show they are having difficulty. When screening flags children, the process moves to the next step.

Step 2. Making a Referral

Prereferral decisions Questions about a student are referred to an assistance team, which usually comprises regular classroom teachers and special educators in the school building. The team may be a student assistance team (SAT), teacher assistance team, or intervention assistance team. In addition to questions about individual student behaviors or academic work, this team enables teachers, both regular and special education, to help one another with general academic or discipline concerns including making accommodations to instruction and assessment. During this stage, response to intervention (RTI) activities, usually occur, depending on the student's needs. When interventions are not successful, teachers document the interventions tried and the student responses in a written referral.

Referral decisions The IEP team, which is different from the assistance team, receives the written referral form. Based on the referral information about the student, the team recommends specific assessment approaches or assessment instruments to be used in determining eligibility.
Step 3. Determining Eligibility

To determine student eligibility for special education services, the assessment questions focus on "Does the student have a disability? What disability does the student have? Does the student meet the criteria for services?" The purpose of this step is to examine the assessment information to make a determination regarding the student's eligibility for special education and related services according to state and federal (IDEA) guidelines for children and youth.

As specified in IDEA, a multidisciplinary team conducts assessment for the purposes of eligibility. Thus, a student's assessment covers all areas related to the suspected disability including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communication, and motor abilities. For example, a student who is nonverbal may have a multidisciplinary evaluation that includes meeting with (1) an audiologist to determine the extent, if any, of a hearing loss; (2) a speech and language pathologist to assess understanding of language (receptive language) and communication skills; (3) a special educator to assess academic and functional skills; (4) a vocational rehabilitation counselor to identify interests and abilities; and (5) a psychologist to determine intellectual functioning. The team will use various approaches, including, for example, observations, norm-referenced instruments, and performance assessments. The team will ask the student's parent(s) to provide information, too. All of these individuals work together to view and analyze the assessment information, with all contributing expertise from their respective disciplines.

Team members share the assessment information during the IEP meeting and determine the student's eligibility to receive special education and related services. As active members of the team, parents may have questions and collect various types of information such as medical records or developmental history.

Because the team bases its decisions on assessment information and data, they must choose and use appropriate assessment approaches carefully. Evaluators must have appropriate training, take responsibility in evaluating the adequacy of the approach, follow professional standards and ethical principles, and be knowledgeable about the limitations of specific approaches. In the chapters that follow we will discuss these approaches in more detail.
Step 4. Program Planning

In program planning, the assessment questions focus on "What should be included in the student's individualized program? If behavior impedes learning, what strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, should the team write in the plan? What supplemental aids, services, and assistive technology does the student need? What types of accommodations and/or modifications should team members make to the curriculum? Where should instruction begin? What supports for school personnel does the student need?" The purposes are to (1) determine the student's current level of functioning and (2) plan the instructional program. Much of the information gathered in Step 4 will be useful in planning the instruction and developing realistic goals.

Kisah Nabi Muhammad SAW Menjelang Ajal !

2010-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Betapa mulia dan indahnya akhlak baginda Ya Rasulullah SAW Mengingatkan kita sewaktu sakratul maut.

Pagi itu, Rasulullah dengan suara terbata memberikan petuah, "Wahai
umatku, kita semua ada dalam kekuasaan Allah dan cinta kasih-Nya. Maka
taati dan bertakwalah kepada-Nya. Kuwariskan dua hal pada kalian, sunnah
dan Al Qur'an. Barang siapa mencintai sunnahku, berati mencintai aku
dan kelak orang-orang yang mencintaiku, akan bersama-sama masuk surga
bersama aku."

Khutbah singkat itu diakhiri dengan pandangan mata Rasulullah yang teduh
menatap sahabatnya satu persatu. Abu Bakar menatap mata itu dengan
berkaca-kaca, Umar dadanya naik turun menahan napas dan tangisnya.
Ustman menghela napas panjang dan Ali menundukkan kepalanya
dalam-dalam. Isyarat itu telah datang, saatnya sudah tiba.

"Rasulullah akan meninggalkan kita semua," desah hati semua sahabat kala
itu. Manusia tercinta itu, hampir usai menunaikan tugasnya di dunia.
Tanda-tanda itu semakin kuat, tatkala Ali dan Fadhal dengan sigap
menangkap Rasulullah yang limbung saat turun dari mimbar.

Saat itu, seluruh sahabat yang hadir di sana pasti akan menahan
detik-detik berlalu, kalau bisa. Matahari kian tinggi, tapi pintu
Rasulullah masih tertutup. Sedang di dalamnya, Rasulullah sedang
terbaring lemah dengan keningnya yang berkeringat dan membasahi pelepah
kurma yang menjadi alas tidurnya.

Tiba-tiba dari luar pintu terdengar seorang yang berseru mengucapkan
salam. "Bolehkah saya masuk?" tanyanya. Tapi Fatimah tidak
mengizinkannya masuk, "Maafkanlah, ayahku sedang demam," kata Fatimah
yang membalikkan badan dan menutup pintu.

Kemudian ia kembali menemani
ayahnya yang ternyata sudah membuka mata dan bertanya pada Fatimah,
"Siapakah itu wahai anakku?"."Tak tahulah ayahku, orang sepertinya baru
sekali ini aku melihatnya,"tutur Fatimah lembut. Lalu, Rasulullah
menatap puterinya itu dengan pandangan yang menggetarkan.Seolah-olah
bahagian demi bahagian wajah anaknya itu hendak dikenang.

"Ketahuilah, dialah yang menghapuskan kenikmatan sementara,
dialah yang memisahkan pertemuan di dunia. Dialah malaikatul maut," kata Rasulullah,Fatimah pun menahan ledakan tangisnya.

Malaikat maut datang menghampiri, tapi Rasulullah menanyakan kenapa
Jibril tidak ikut bersama menyertainya. Kemudian dipanggillah Jibril
yang sebelumnya sudah bersiap di atas langit dunia menyambut ruh kekasih
Allah dan penghulu dunia ini. " Jibril, jelaskan apa hakku nanti di
hadapan Allah?" Tanya Rasululllah dengan suara yang amat lemah.
"Pintu-pintu langit telah terbuka, para malaikat telah menanti rohmu.
Semua surga terbuka lebar menanti kedatanganmu," kata Jibril. Tapi itu
ternyata tidak membuatkan Rasulullah lega, matanya masih penuh
kecemasan.

"Engkau tidak senang mendengar khabar ini?" Tanya Jibril lagi.
"Khabarkan
kepadaku bagaimana nasib umatku kelak?" "Jangan khawatir, wahai Rasul
Allah, aku pernah mendengar Allah berfirman kepadaku: Kuharamkan surga
bagi siapa saja, kecuali umat Muhammad telah berada di dalamnya," kata
Jibril. Detik-detik semakin dekat, saatnya Izrail melakukan tugas.
Perlahan ruh Rasulullah ditarik. Nampak seluruh tubuh Rasulullah
bersimbah peluh, urat-urat lehernya menegang."Jibril, betapa sakit sakaratul maut ini."

Perlahan Rasulullah mengaduh. Fatimah terpejam, Ali yang di sampingnya menunduk semakin dalam dan Jibril memalingkan muka. "Jijikkah kau
melihatku, hingga kau palingkan wajahmu Jibril?" Tanya Rasulullah pada
Malaikat pengantar wahyu itu. "Siapakah yang sanggup, melihat kekasih
Allah direnggut ajal," kata Jibril. Sebentar kemudian terdengar
Rasulullah mengaduh, karena sakit yang tidak tertahankan lagi. "Ya
Allah, dahsyat nian maut ini, timpakan saja semua siksa maut ini
kepadaku, jangan pada umatku. "Badan Rasulullah mulai dingin, kaki dan
dadanya sudah tidak bergerak lagi.

Bibirnya bergetar seakan hendak membisikkan sesuatu, Ali mendekatkan telinganya."Uushiikum bis-shalaati, wamaa malakat aimaanukum -
peliharalah shalat dan peliharalah orang-orang lemah di antaramu." Di
luar, pintu tangis mulai terdengar bersahutan, sahabat saling
berpelukan. Fatimah menutupkan tangan di wajahnya, dan Ali kembali
mendekatkan telinganya ke bibir Rasulullah yang mulai kebiruan.
"Ummatii, ummatii, ummatiii!" - "Umatku, umatku, umatku"

Dan, berakhirlah hidup manusia mulia yang memberi sinaran itu. Kini, mampukah kita mencintai sepertinya? Allaahumma sholli 'alaaMuhammad
wa'alaihi wasahbihi wasallim. Betapa cintanya Rasulullah kepada kita.

Usah gelisah apabila dibenci manusia kerana masih banyak yang
menyayangimu di dunia, tapi gelisahlah apabila dibenci Allah kerana
tiada lagi yang mengasihmu di akhirat kelak.

A-level students advised to take gap year

2010-08-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

Clearing: the anticipated demand means A-level students failing to get their required grades have been advised to take gap years.

Teachers and students have urged A-level pupils to “be selfish” if they miss their grades for university, warning they will need to think strategically to maximise their chances for next year’s entrance round amid unprecedented competition for places.

Record numbers are expected to be disappointed when A-level results are published next week, because the recession has made competition even fiercer for places, the numbers of which have been cut this year.

A Guardian id="IL_AD12">investigation this week found that many universities already have no places left to offer through clearing, while a number, including Warwick, the London School of Economics and Nottingham, had turned away even students predicted to get the new top A* grade. Some 170,000 could find themselves without a place.

Headteachers, such as Mike Griffiths of Northampton School for Boys, said it might be better for students to take a year off and reapply, if their grades were “reasonably good”.

“In the meantime, try to be selfish and think about what would help your career most in the next five years,” he said. John Guy, principal of Farnborough sixth form college, saidstudents who were committed to studying medicine or law might well secure a university course the second time around.

The National Union of Students urged teenagers not to panic. “There are still a lot of training, volunteering, and work opportunities out there,” Aaron Porter, NUS president said. “Talking to a service like Connexions will help you decide what option is right for you.”

Margaret Morrissey, of the campaigning group Parents Outloud, said unsuccessful university applicants should take a gap year, make the most of it and think strategically about where to apply for next year.

“There aren’t even the jobs for unlucky teenagers because they are being grabbed by older people,” she said. “If you don’t get a place, it will be totally disappointing, but there are other options. Do something positive like volunteering. But keep your finger on the button and don’t forget about applying to university.”

Puasa Air Ala Mahatma Gandhi !

2010-08-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Puasa selain yang dilakukan umat muslim di bulan Ramadan juga dilakukan penganut agama lain. Tokoh India, Mahatma Gandhi pun kerap melakukan puasa, namun yang ia lakukan adalah water fasting atau puasa air.

Gandhi percaya bahwa puasa air bisa menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit. Namun bagaimana seseorang bisa bertahan hidup hanya dengan mengonsumsi air?

Sejarah mencatat beberapa tokoh yang sering melakukan puasa, diantaranya Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato dan juga Mahatma Gandhi. Mereka percaya bahwa selain sebagai bentuk ibadah, puasa juga punya manfaat untuk penyembuhan penyakit.

Puasa air hanya minum air putih total tanpa ada asupan zat-zat lain seperti karbohidrat, protein dan lainnya. Gandhi biasa melakukan puasa air selama 20 hingga 40 hari lamanya. Ajaibnya, meski hanya mengonsumsi air dan tidak mendapat asupan makanan apapun, Gandhi masih bisa bertahan hidup.

"Sebenarnya manusia memang bisa bertahan hidup hanya dengan air. Untuk mencapai suatu kondisi kelaparan yang sangat kronis dan menyebabkan kematian, butuh waktu yang sangat panjang sekali. Nggak akan tiba-tiba anjlok," ujar dr. Angela C. Ardhianie N, ketika ditemui detikHealth dalam acara Healthy Fasting, Do's and Dont's di Miniapolis Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta.

Gandhi selalu memegang prinsip bahwa makan berlebihan akan melukai tubuh, dan satu-satunya cara menyembuhkan diri adalah dengan berpuasa. Menurutnya, puasa adalah terapi natural yang baik untuk masalah kesehatan, memberi waktu tubuh beristirahat dan upaya detoksifikasi alami. Dan puasa air yang ia lakukan ternyata tidak terbukti membuatnya sakit, justru ia merasa lebih sehat.

dr. Angela pun membenarkan bahwa puasa air sangat baik bagi mereka yang ingin menyembuhkan diri secara alamiah. "Puasa air yang dilakukan Gandhi merupakan contoh bahwa air adalah media yang bisa mempertahankan dan memperbaiki sistem metabolisme secara alami, namun bila seseorang ingin melakukan puasa air sebaiknya dibarengi dengan konsultasi ke dokter untuk mempersiapkan kondisi tubuh sebelum melakukannya," ujar Angela.

Namun bagaimana jika seseorang ingin melakukan puasa air sedangkan tubuhnya sakit? "Kalau lagi sakit biasanya kita dipaksa makan yang banyak untuk memperkuat daya tahan tubuh. Tapi justru itu salah karena organ-organ tubuh hanya akan bekerja lebih keras dan membuatnya lebih terluka," ujar Angela.

"Yang benar adalah makanlah apa yang harus dimakan ketika sakit, terutama buah-buahan, jika tidak kuat hanya akan mengonsumsi air," jelas Angela.

Melakukan water fasting memang tidak mudah, butuh tekad kuat dan pikiran positif untuk melakukannya. Tidak semua orang tahan hanya dengan mengonsumsi air. Namun beberapa studi sudah membuktikan bahwa puasa air memang baik untuk kesehatan, diantaranya:

1. Membersihkan saluran pernafasan, pencernaan, dan urin berlebih dalam tubuh yang bisa menjadi racun.
2. Air membersihkan racun lebih cepat diantara semua media pembuang racun lainnya karena organ pencernaan lebih mudah menerima dan dilalui oleh air.
3. Terbukti efektif dan baik untuk penyakit diabetes tipe 2, obesitas, osteoarthritis dan rheumatoid arthritis.
4. Meningkatkan sel-sel kekebalan dan level imunoglobulin.
5. Menurunkan kompleks antigen-antibodi yang akan meningkatkan aktivitas sel-sel pembunuh radikal bebas alami dalam tubuh.
6. Memperpanjang umur.
7. Menghentikan alergi, asma dan demam.
8. Menyembuhkan penyakit edema dan perut buncit.
9. Menormalkan tekanan darah dalam dua minggu tanpa menggunakan obat-obatan.
10. Mengatasi kecanduan nikotin, alkohol, kafein, dan obat-obatan lainya serta memperbaiki kebiasaan buruk.
11. Meningkatkan kolesterol baik HDL sehingga mencegah penyakit kardiovaskular seperti jantung, kanker dan lainnya.
12. Memberi motivasi untuk lebih membersihkan diri dan menempuh jalan hidup yang lebih baik.

2010-08-16T01:41:00.002-07:00

As the lights are turned off and PowerPoint presentation begins, it is the time for teachers to have a vivid and interesting class to their students. As we know, PowerPoint is an essential presentation tool in education field.

According to the research of Dr. Treicher, an experimental psychologist who made two well-known experiments about obtaining information and maintaining knowledge information obtain and knowledge maintain. People can get more benefit from teaching if they can learn knowledge by watching and listening, then exchange their opinions by discussion. So PowerPoint presentation with pictures and even audio can be used to facilitate the teaching effect.

However, there are some mistaken ideas when some teachers have classes with PowerPoint presentation. Here are four of the most common issues teachers should pay attention to.

1. Demonstration effect becomes principal thing

Don't be too dazzling How do you feel about this PowerPoint? Many teachers like to add lots of visual effects, pictures and animations in their PowerPoint presentations, making their lessons like Hollywood blockbusters. In fact, teachers can pay more attention in multimedia teaching. PowerPoint presentation is just a tool and it can't replace the role of teacher. Remember that you are using PowerPoint for giving lessons but not giving lessons for presenting your PowerPoint slides. Besides, the overmany pictures, video and audio files can cause your PowerPoint presentation file size extremely huge. So use these visual effects carefully when it is necessary.

2. Use computer screen to replace the white board

Use computer screen to replace the white board Do you like to watch the slide like this? Some teachers put all things including lecture sheet, test and even whole teaching plan into their PowerPoint presentation. At first sight your presentation looks like a Wikipedia, but you will find it hard to interact with your students during the class because they have already known what you will say next by browsing PowerPoint presentation. On the other hand, PowerPoint presentation is not a teleprompter for teaching. Teacher should lead their students to exploit their creative skills and learn things in a positive way. By sharing knowledge with computer screen only, you just use the computer screen instead of the blackboard to do the presentation job, and you lose the interactive teaching effect which PowerPoint should achieve.

3. Thinking training can be done with PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint is Used in Interactive Class Make your students active The courseware made with PowerPoint is aim to make good use of the combination of video and audio. Students can get more visual impact and better understanding by watching the presentation and listening to the narration. But one more problem is that the presentation cannot be served as an alternative of thinking training. Communication is a must during the multimedia teaching. Teachers encourage their students to ask and solve questions during the classes, but not simply read off the slides. You can also leave five minutes for questioning and solving their questions. This ensures the quality of your lessons.

4. Neglect the importance of review after class

Have PowerPoint class Having class is far away from enough It is a quite tough thing to ask all students to master new knowledge in the class, so the review after class also plays an important role. And that is something bothers many teachers. Since not all the students have MS Office installed on their computer, they may have no chance to have a good review by watching courseware once again. However, you can try some other ways to make your PowerPoint presentation available on your students' computers. Here are some flexible ways for you to make your presentation available to more students such as converting your presentation to video, burning your PowerPoint presentation to DVD , and sharing your PowerPoint slideshow online. There are tons of YouTube-liked streaming video sites for video authoring and sharing. Teachers can upload their presentation video and share knowledge to more students who need it.

PowerPoint teaching is really a good way to teach students and share opinions. However, it is not an easy job since teachers have to put a lot of time and effort in making an impressive and interactive PowerPoint presentation. We sincerely hope you can make good use of PowerPoint program and explore new multimedia teaching by continuing practice.

About the Author:
SunnyY - is a senior expert in eLearning who works at Wondershare E-Learning department. Wondershare Software is an industry-leading learning and training software application provider. You could get more eLearning tool for your teaching and training, such as PowerPoint to DVD Converter, PowerPoint to video converter and so on.

4 Common Mistakes In Teaching Via Powerpoint

2010-08-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens

2010-08-12T00:04:00.001-07:00

For teens, life is not a playground, it's a jungle. And, being the parent of a teenager isn't any walk in the park, either. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, author Sean Covey attempts to provide "a compass to help teens and their parents navigate the problems they encounter daily."

How will they deal with peer pressure? Motivation? Success or lack thereof? The life of a teenager is full of tough issues and life-changing decisions. As a parent, you are responsible to help them learn the principles and ethics that will help them to reach their goals and live a successful life.

While it's all well and good to tell kids how to live their lives, "teens watch what you do more than they listen to what you say," Covey says. So practice what you preach. Your example can be very influential.

Covey himself has done well by following a parent's example. His dad, Stephen Covey, wrote the book The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, which sold over 15 million copies. Sean's a chip off the old block, and no slacker. His own book has rung in a more than respectable 2 million copies sold. Here are his seven habits, and some ideas for helping your teen understand and apply them:

Be Proactive

Being proactive is the key to unlocking the other habits. Help your teen take control and responsibility for her life. Proactive people understand that they are responsible for their own happiness or unhappiness. They don't blame others for their own actions or feelings.

Begin With the End in Mind

If teens aren't clear about where they want to end up in life, about their values, goals, and what they stand for, they will wander, waste time, and be tossed to and fro by the opinions of others. Help your teen create a personal mission statement which will act as a road map and direct and guide his decision-making process.

Put First Things First

This habit helps teens prioritize and manage their time so that they focus on and complete the most important things in their lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being strong during difficult times. It's living life according to what matters most.

Think Win-Win

Teens can learn to foster the belief that it is possible to create an atmosphere of win-win in every relationship. This habit encourages the idea that in any given discussion or situation both parties can arrive at a mutually beneficial solution. Your teen will learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others instead of being threatened by them.

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Because most people don't listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don't feel understood. This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is: active listening.

Synergize

Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create something better than either could alone. Through this habit, teens learn it doesn't have to be "your way" or "my way" but rather a better way, a higher way. Synergy allows teens to value differences and better appreciate others.

Sharpen the Saw

Teens should never get too busy living to take time to renew themselves. When a teen "sharpens the saw" she is keeping her personal self sharp so that she can better deal with life. It means regularly renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of life – body, brain, heart, and soul.

by Education.com

Puasa Ramadlan

2010-08-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

Dengan puasa
semoga kita sadar bahwa
sia-sia saja
mencari kebenaran
diluar jalan agama
Karena hanya Allah
yang menjamin kepastian kebenaran
Karena akal pikiran manusia
hanya janjikan kebenaran nisbi
yang mungkin benar tapi
mungkin saja salah.

Karena tanpa kepastian
manusia akan habiskan
umur pendeknya hanya untuk mencari-cari,
tanpa pernah bertemu kebenaran sejati.

Hanya agama yang memberi jalan
yang lapang dan lurus pada manusia
untuk meraih kebenaran,
dan bila manusia teguh beriman
kebahagiaan akan malu bila
tak menjadi teman setianya.

Semoga ...
Marhaban Yaa Ramadlan

Promoting Self-Esteem

2010-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

This article examines some general ways to promote self-esteem, including some that are specific to changing the negative messages to positive ones.

The first step is to get rid of critical attitudes, labeling, and name calling. Even in the name of socializing a child, you can’t make him feel better about himself by making him feel bad about himself. That doesn’t mean to move right to “La-La Land,” where everything is sweetness and light and nothing connects to reality. Of course children misbehave, make adults angry, and act in less than loving ways. They need guidance and protection. They need honest feedback. But the form in which you guide, protect, and give honest feedback matters.
Give More Honest Feedback and Encouragement Than Praise

Some adults, in the name of building self-esteem, vow always to be positive and to praise children at every possible opportunity. They replace honest feedback with constant overblown praise. Praise is no cure for low self-esteem. All it does is create a need for the child to look to the adult for a judgment of everything he does. Children need coaches, not cheerleaders (Curry & Johnson, 1990). If you overdo praise, your words become meaningless. For example, if you say “Great job!” about every little thing, it becomes an empty phrase. It’s more effective and less damaging to use encouragement instead of praise. Call attention to children’s legitimate successes, but don’t butter them up with heavy judgments. Compare past performances with present ones, but not with those of other children—“You picked up more blocks this time than last time,” rather than “You’re the best block-picker-upper I’ve ever seen.” Better yet, explain why this behavior is valuable (Hitz & Driscoll, 1988).
Give Children Opportunities to Experience Success

Even more important than just talking is to give children many chances to experience success of all sorts. Challenge them so that when success comes they’ve worked for it—it didn’t just arrive on a platter. Do this by creating a manageable, yet challenging, environment that is appropriate to their age and stage of development. The book Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8, by Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple (1997, 2006), gives many ideas about how to respond to children appropriately.

When adults give children a helping hand, they also help them experience success. Lev Vygotsky (1978) came up with the term assisted performance to describe this helping hand. He suggested that other children can be the ones who provide the helping hand, not just adults. Others now use the term scaffolding. Scaffolding is a process that can be viewed as similar to the temporary structure one puts up to paint a building. In other words, the adult provides the support the child needs, allowing him to problem solve at new levels. The scaffolding helps the child experience success, which encourages the child to challenge himself further, thereby meeting with the possibility of new success. Scaffolding, because it is temporary, can be built for a specific need on each occasion and can easily be remodeled to serve changing needs.

Optimum challenge and risk taking is the secret to development, to learning, and to skill building. Scaffolding supports children so they have experiences with positive results when challenged to take a risk. When children encounter a problem or an obstacle and are about to get stuck in the problem-solving process, instead of rescuing them, adults can provide help—not heaps of help but the smallest amount necessary. In this way adults can facilitate the continu-ation of the problem-solving process. They provide the missing link in the chain that allows children to move forward toward solutions. Thus, children’s success is eventually their own, not the adult’s. Experiencing personal success in the face of obstacles gives children messages about their abilities, about their self-worth.

Look at the following scenario, which illustrates scaffolding:

Dashinique wants to try out for the school play but has to choose a scene, and she can’t make up her mind. An adult helps her sort out the possible contenders and then offers to listen to her try the part in each scene to see which works best. The answer becomes obvious to both of them as Dashinique acts out each scene. But then comes the second problem. Dashinique is scared of the tryout. She can speak her lines fine, but the thought of standing up in front of people makes her nervous. Again the adult helps by gathering some people to listen to her say her lines so she can practice in front of them and get used to being watched. It works. By the day of the tryouts, Dashinique has gained self-confidence and does well in spite of a few leftover nerves. Dashinique gets the part, and her success is her own. She only had a small bit of help (but lots of support and encouragement).

The next situation shows the difference between scaffolding and “rescuing,” in which adults provide too much help:

Brandon and Shelby are having an argument over who gets to use the glue gun to finish the craft projects they are both working on. Brandon had it first, but Shelby grabbed it and is holding it out of Brandon’s reach when an adult comes up to the table. The adult could rescue Brandon by taking the glue gun from Shelby, but instead he helps the two sort out the situation. He starts by merely saying what he sees: “Brandon wants the glue gun.” He waits to see what happens. Shelby answers, “Yeah, but I need it.” Brandon cuts in, “I had it first.” Shelby responds, “But you were just holding it—you weren’t using it.” Brandon turns to the adult, “Make her give it to me—I had it first! It isn’t fair!” Shelby responds, “I really need it. If I don’t hold down this piece the whole thing is going to fall apart.” “Well...,” says Brandon, “I could let you use it for a minute if that’s all you want to do. But next time don’t grab!” he says emphatically. No longer needed, the adult walks off, and the two continue to work on their projects. Think about what the children learn and how they feel when they solve a problem themselves rather than depending on adults to fix it.

By J. Gonzalez-Mena

Building Self-Esteem in Children

2010-08-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Parents want their child to have good self-esteem. However, self-esteem doesn't come naturally to children. It is something that must be fostered, developed, nurtured and grown. Following these four tips can help.
1. Show them you value them

Let your children know you love them. This is done through praise and through direct expressions of love, hugs, and kisses. Children need to be told directly by their parents or caregiver that they are loved. Children need to be held, cuddled, and played with. Quality and quantity of time demonstrate valuing. Few things speak more to being valued than just being there.
2. Teach them and let them learn

Competency is the next ingredient to healthy self-esteem. As the child grows and begins exploring the house (often the kitchen cupboards), the child gains the opportunity to increase competency with access and control of larger objects over greater spaces. Again the response of the parent is crucial. Some parents structure the child's environment for maximum exploration while other parents localize their child's area of living. Either way, making way for the child to play and explore safely, whatever the limits, is often referred to as "baby proofing." The greater the control and mastery of skills a child develops, the greater the sense of competency, the second ingredient to healthy self-esteem.

Parents can facilitate competency by providing safe areas for children to develop skills and by allowing their children to participate in household activities such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, making beds, etc. The goal of these activities is for the child to develop a sense of control, not the perfectionist pursuit of the best made bed, etc. Participation should be fun, supportive, or helpful.
3. Participate in doing good deeds

The third thing parents can do to facilitate healthy self-esteem in their children is to direct and participate with their children in the doing of good deeds. Doing good deeds teaches children to be aware of the life of others beyond themselves. This enables the development of empathy and altruistic behavior. What's important is that children are encouraged or even positioned to be helpful to the extent of their ability. The little one may carry a plastic cup to the table, the middle one a plate and a spoon, while the big one can clear. Special little projects can be undertaken, visits can be made, and pennies can be put in the charity coin boxes at the check-out counter.
4. Make the rules of life clear

The last thing parents can provide to facilitate self-esteem in their children is structure. Structure is a word that actually implies two separate concepts: routines and limits. Routines provide structure over time, and limits provide structure over behavior.

Another way to think of structure is like the rules of a game. How well could you play Monopoly, Hop Scotch, Tag, or Hide and Go Seek, if there weren't rules? Rules include who goes next, under which circumstances, and when. The rules also include what happens when someone goes outside the normal bounds of play miss a turn, pay a fine, etc.

Knowing the rules of the game of life is sometimes referred to as internalizing structure. This, too, is also a form of competency when the child knows the hows, whats, whens, and wheres of life. Unfortunately, this information doesn't come automatically. Children may pick some of the rules up incidentally as they go along, but this leaves much to chance. Parents can help their children internalize structure by commenting on daily routines, specifying appropriate behavior, providing feedback, and by providing consequences for undesirable behavior.

These four ingredients, valuing, competency, good deeds, and structure, form the basic building blocks for the development of self-esteem. And why develop self-esteem in children? Children with healthy self-esteem feel good about themselves, relate well to others, behave more appropriately, and are more aware of the world around them.

Article by: Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW. Gary Direnfeld is a child-behavior expert, a social worker, and the author of Raising Kids Without Raising Cane (Secrets of the Trade, 1992). For more information on Mr. Direnfeld's book, Raising Kids Without Raising Cane, call 905-628-4847 of email gary123@sympatico.ca.

Additional Articles/Resources

(Note: You'll find these articles at different websites. Use the "back" button when you're done to return to this page.)

Assets, The Building Blocks of Life If you thought your house or your car were the most important "assets" your family had, read this article to see how to provide the best "assets" your child will need.

Children's Feelings We all feel joy and sorrow, but children can be especially vocal about their feelings. Parents often get upset when their children explode in anger, sadness, or fear. This article provides tips and supports to help adults teach children that emotions are a part of life, but should be expressed in acceptable ways.

Idahos 5/40Using Five Promises and 40 assets to make a difference in the lives of others Through the Association of Idaho Cities (AIC), the Idaho Values Youth (IVY) and the America's Promise Programs are actively engaged in assisting Idaho communities in creating a positive and nurturing environment for all children, youth and adults.

Importance of Setting Limits Children need and want guidance and limits until they can depend on themselves to make appropriate choices. This article offers support and tips on how to teach children what is expected, to set rules and standards for approved conduct, and to define and enforce consequences for behavior.

By Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW.

Inilah Daftar IQ Tokoh Dunia !

2010-08-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Kecerdasan erat kaitannya dengan kemampuan kognitif yang dimiliki oleh individu. Kecerdasan dapat diukur dengan menggunakan alat psikometri yang biasa disebut sebagai tes IQ. Ada juga pendapat yang menyatakan bahwa IQ merupakan usia mental yang dimiliki manusia berdasarkan perbandingan usia kronologis.

Distribusi Normal disebut juga Distribusi Gauss. Distribusi probabilitas yang juga mewakili sifat2 natural. Misalkan sebaran tinggi badan , tingkat kecerdasan , rupawan , kewarasan dan lain lain. Dari penelitian , distribusi IQ adalah sebagai berikut.

* 50% dari nilai IQ jatuh antara 90 dan 110
* 70% dari nilai IQ jatuh antara 85 dan 115
* 95% dari nilai IQ jatuh antara 70 dan 130
* 99,5% dari nilai IQ jatuh antara 60 dan 140
* Nilai dari 132 sama dengan top 2%
* Sebuah skor 134 sama dengan atas 1%
* Nilai dari 68 sama dengan bawah 2%
* Nilai dari 66 sama dengan bawah 1%

Hasil itu menunjukkan bahwa orang genius sama langkanya dengan orang idiot. Mayoritas adalah IQ rata-rata. Hal yang menarik adalah IQ dari tokoh tokoh terkenal baik di masa lampau dalam sejarah atau tokoh yang masih hidup.
Daftar IQ dari Tokoh Yang Masih Hidup

* Fisikawan / Engineer Kim Ung-yong memiliki IQ diverifikasi 210
* Bouncer Christopher Michael Langan memiliki IQ diverifikasi 195
* Engineer Philip Emeagwali diduga memiliki IQ 190
* Juara Catur Dunia Garry Kasparov diduga memiliki IQ 190
* Penulis Marilyn Vos Savant memiliki IQ diverifikasi 186
* Aktor James Woods diduga memiliki IQ dari 180
* Politikus John H. Sununu diduga memiliki IQ dari 180
* Perdana Menteri Benjamin Netanyahu diduga memiliki IQ dari 180
* Matematikawan Andrew Wiles diduga memiliki IQ dari 170
* Juara Catur Dunia Judith Polgar diduga memiliki IQ dari 170
* Catur Grandmaster Robert Byrne diduga memiliki IQ dari 170
* Juara Catur Dunia Bobby Fischer diduga memiliki IQ dari 167
* Mathematician / Physicist Stephen W. Hawking diduga memiliki IQ lebih dari 160
* Microsoft Pendiri Paul Allen diduga memiliki IQ lebih dari 160
* Aktris Sharon Stone diduga memiliki IQ 154
Daftar IQ dari Tokoh Masa Lampau

* 190 – Ludwig Wittgenstein
* 190 – Sir Isaac Newton
* 190 – FranÃ § ois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)
* 180 – Leonardo da Vinci
* 180 – David Hume
* 180 – Michelangelo Buonarroti
* 179 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
* 176 – Emanuel Swedenborg
* 176 – Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
* 175 – Johannes Kepler
* 175 – Edmund Spenser
* 175 – Baruch Spinoza
* 174 – John Stuart Mill
* 171 – Blaise Pascal
* 170 – Michael Faraday
* 170 – George Friedrich HÃ ¤ ndel
* 170 – Antoine Lavoisier

* 170 – Martin Luther
* 165 – Galileo Galilei
* 165 – Charlotte BrontÃ «
* 165 – Johann Sebastian Bach
* 165 – Thomas Hobbes
* 165 – Carl von Linna ©
* 165 – John Locke
* 165 – Joseph Priestley
* 165 – Ludwig van Beethoven
* 165 – Samuel Johnson
* 162 – Rena © Descartes
* 162 – Madame De Stael
* 160 – Albert Einstein
* 160 – Robert Boyle
* 160 – Benjamin Franklin
* 159 – Immanuel Kant
* 156 – Linus Carl Pauling

* 156 – Sofia Kovalevskaya
* 156 – Thomas Chatterton
* 156 – Olof Palme
* 155 – Rembrandt van Rijn
* 155 – Miguel de Cervantes
* 155 – Jonathan Swift
* 153 – Charles Darwin
* 153 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* 150 – George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
* 150 – Nicolaus Copernicus
* 150 – Abraham Lincoln
* 145 – Napoleon Bonaparte
* 145 – Anna Lindh
* 143 – George Sand (Aurore Dupin)
* 140 – George Washington
* 130 – Ulysses S. Grant
* 130 – Sir Francis

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Using Positive Student Engagement to Increase Student Achievement

2010-07-28T16:12:00.001-07:00

Introduction

Teachers and school-based administrators alike have searched to find ways to increase student achievement in their schools. Several widely known and discussed strategies include using data to drive instruction, employing highly qualified teachers, and improving school leadership. Additionally, positive student engagement in the classroom is another compelling factor—but not as widely discussed—that research has reported to be critical in enhancing student achievement (Akey, 2006; Heller, Calderon, & Medrich, 2003; Garcia-Reid, Reid, & Peterson, 2005). Positive student engagement is not an easy term to define, yet we know it when we see it. Students are engaged when they “devote substantial time and effort to a task, when they care about the quality of their work, and when they commit themselves because the work seems to have significance beyond its personal instrumental value” (Newmann, 1986, p. 242).

Engaged students also are more likely to perform well academically. Therefore, teachers need a large inventory of instructional strategies to engage a variety of students (Garcia-Reid et al., 2005). For additional information on these topics, see The Center’s January 2007 newsletter, A Teacher’s Guide to Differentiating Instruction (www.centerforcsri.org/files/TheCenter_NL_Jan07.pdf). This newsletter describes how student engagement impacts learning and outlines ways in which teachers and school administrators can foster student engagement.

What Can Teachers Do to Foster Positive Student Engagement in the Classroom?

Teachers are key players in fostering student engagement (Akey, 2006; Garcia-Reid et al., 2005). They work directly with the students and typically are the most influential in a student’s educational experience. Creating a culture of achievement in their classroom, developing interactive and relevant lessons and activities, and being encouraging and supportive to students are all ways in which teachers can foster student engagement in the classroom.
Cultivate a Culture of Achievement

One method of enhancing student engagement is to cultivate a culture of achievement in the classroom where instruction is challenging, students feel comfortable asking questions, and students are expected to do their best. For instance, a teacher might create an end-of-the-year academic goal for a classroom as a whole or a specific goal for each individual student. In order to show mastery of the goal, students must complete a research project or an oral presentation. For example, students might be asked to research a critical political issue such as immigration impacting the 2008 elections. Teachers need to select a goal that is challenging but attainable and find creative ways for students to work toward achieving the goal. Monitoring student progress throughout the school year also will keep students focused academically and invested in their learning. When students feel challenged, they are less likely to be bored and disengaged (Akey, 2006). Teachers should aim to create a culture in the classroom where learning is “cool,” and asking questions is not only okay but expected. It may take some time to develop this type of environment, but it can be done by setting clear, high, consistent yet attainable expectations for all students. High quality instruction—one that is rigorous, aligned with content standards, and uses instructional strategies to meet the academic needs of all students—also is a key factor in promoting a culture of engagement and achievement in the classroom (Weiss & Pasley, 2004).

Concentrate on Active Learning and a Relevant Curriculum

Instructional strategies such as collaborative learning and experiential learning as well as designing an accessible and relevant curriculum have been shown to greatly increase student engagement in learning (Akey, 2006; Heller et al., 2003). Examples of these instructional strategies that might support student engagement include the following:

* Group activities and assignments

* Long-term projects

* Hands-on activities
* Differentiated instruction

* Lessons and activities that draw from students background, interests, and academic needs

Students learn more and retain more information when they actively participate in the learning process and when they can relate to what is being taught (Akey, 2006). Drawing connections between information taught and real life—such as everyday life, social issues, and personal concerns of the age group of students—is highly effective in engaging students in the lesson (Heller et al., 2003). For instance, a middle school English teacher might select persuasive writing topics that preteens can easily relate to or a high school physics teacher might use roller coasters to reinforce Newton’s Law of Motion. Research states that “the extent to which students interests are incorporated is significantly related to their academic achievement” (Heller et al., 2003, p. 12). Research also has shown that the inclusion of students’ interests in the learning process increases student engagement in learning (Akey, 2006; Heller et al., 2003). Therefore, positive student engagement can positively impact student achievement.
Offer Support and Encouragement

Additionally, student engagement is positively correlated to teacher support (Akey, 2006; Garcia-Reid et al., 2005). Several studies have found that students who noted that their teachers were supportive and cared about their success were more likely to be engaged in the classroom and perform well academically (Heller et al., 2003; Akey, 2006). One study found that students who do not feel confident in their ability to succeed are not likely to attempt to do the work (Akey, 2006). Building a student’s confidence is not about falsely telling students how great they are. Instead, it is about assessing student weaknesses and strengths and developing ways to address them at developmentally appropriate yet rigorous levels. Additionally, acknowledging student academic growth and improvement is another way to build student confidence. It is crucial for teachers to “create collaborative, supportive environments with high but achievable standards” because it greatly effects students’ engagement in school and learning (Akey, 2006, p. 32.)
How Can Schools Help?

It is important to note that there are many environmental factors—poverty, neighborhood violence, family discord—that may contribute to student disengagement, but there are several interventions that school administrators can implement to reduce the effects of negative outside influences and in turn encourage positive student engagement in learning (Garcia-Reid et al., 2005; Warner, Weisst, & Krulak, 1999). Interventions such as increasing parental involvement, offering extracurricular activities, and improving school safety may enhance student engagement in the classroom.

Reprinted with the permission of the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement. © 2008 Learning Point Associates. All rights reserved.

Keunikan Angka 6 dan 9 Yang Belum Anda Ketahui !

2010-07-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Bilangan 666...666

keunikan-keunikan angka 6 :
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21
1 + 2 + 3 + .......+ 66 = 2211
1 + 2 + 3 + .......+ 666 = 222111
1 + 2 + 3 + .......+ 6666 = 22221111
1 + 2 + 3 + .......+ 66666 = 2222211111
1 + 2 + 3 + .......+ 666666 = 222222111111

Sekarang coba ilustrasikan jawaban untuk soal berikut ini.

1 + 2 + 3 + ...+ n = 222...222111...111 (banyak angka 2 dan 1 masing-masing 2009 digit)
Tentukan nilai n

Secara matematika, ada beberapa hal unik dari angka 666 :

* merupakan angka palindrom (simetris): 666
* Merupakan penjumlahan dari 62=36 angka pertama yakni 1+2+3+4..….+35+36 =666
* Total bilangan prima hingga 666 berjumlah 121 bilangan yang merupakan kuadrat dari 11.
* 6=(32) − (22) + 1
* 66=(34) − (24) + 1
* 666=(36) − (26) + 1
* Total dari jumlah 7 bilangan kuadrat prima pertama yakni : 22 + 32 + 52 + 72 + 112 + 132 + 172 = 666
* Dalam angka Romawi, 666 direpresentasikan sebagai DCLXVI (D = 500, C = 100, L = 50, X = 10, V = 5, I = 1). DIC LVX merupaan representasi dari dicit lux. Dicit lux kemudian dikenal sebagai suara cahayayang diidentikan dengan angka setan.

Bagaimana dengan angka 9, ternyata rahasia angka sembilan begitu banyak, berikut jabarannya.

Cobalah cari hasil dari 63 x 99.

Bagaimanakah cara kita menyelesaikannya?

Salah satu cara untuk menghitung 63 x 99 adalah dengan perkalian bersusun. Tetapi, ada cara lain untuk menghitung hasil kali kedua bilangan tersebut, yaitu sebagai berikut :

Karena 99 = 100 - 1,

Maka 63 x 99 = 63 ( 100 - 1 )
= 63. 100 - 63. 1
= 6300 - 63
= 6237

Untuk mengalikan 999 x 27 dapat diselesaikan seperti berikut :

Karena 999 = 1000 - 1
Maka 999 x 27 = (1000 - 1) x 27
= 2700 - 27
= 26.973

Selanjutnya bagaimanakah dengan hasil dari misalnya 52 x 999 ? Cobalah kerjakan dengan teknik seperti tadi.
Apabila keterangan, contoh dan soal di atas telah dipahami, selanjutnya kita akan mengeksploitasi keunikan angka 9 lainnya.

Pada pembagian bilangan bulat oleh angka 9, ada hal-hal yang sangat unik. Mari kita perhatikan contohnya.

Contoh 1 :

Jika 12 dibagi oleh 9, maka hasilnya adalah 1 dan sisanya 3.

Jika angka-angka pada 12, yaitu 1 dan 2 dijumlahkan maka hasilnya 1 + 2 = 3 (sisa pembagian oleh 9).

Contoh 2 :

Jika 78 dibagi oleh 9, maka hasilnya adalah 8 dan sisanya adalah 6.

Jika angka-angka pada 78, yaitu 7 dan 8 dijumlahkan maka hasilnya 7 + 8 = 15. Selanjutnya jika angka-angka pada 15, yaitu 1 dan 5 dijumlahkan maka hasilnya 1 + 5 = 6 (sisa pembagian oleh 9).

Contoh 3 :

Jika 878 dibagi oleh 9, maka hasilnya adalah 97 dan sisanya adalah 5.

Jika angka-angka pada 878, yaitu 8, 7 dan 8 dijumlahkan maka hasilnya 8 + 7 + 8 = 23. Selanjutnya jika angka-angka pada 23, yaitu 2 dan 3 dijumlahkan maka hasilnya 2 + 3 = 5 (sisa pembagian oleh 9).

Dari contoh-contoh di atas dapat disimpulkan “ Setiap bilangan bulat yang dibagi oleh 9, maka sisanya adalah jumlah berulang dari angka-angka yang terdapat pada bilangan yang dibagi itu sampai memperoleh sebuah bilangan 0 sampai 8 “.

Sifat lain yang mempesona dari angka 9 dapat dilihat dari hasil kali bilangan 12345679 dengan 9 buah bilangan asli kelipatan 9 yang pertama sebagai berikut :

12345679 x 9 = 111.111.111

12345679 x 18 = 222.222.222

12345679 x 27 = 333.333.333

12345679 x 36 = 444.444.444

12345679 x 45 = 555.555.555

12345679 x 54 = 666.666.666

12345679 x 63 = 777.777.777

12345679 x 72 = 888.888.888

12345679 x 81 = 999.999.999

Sekarang coba sendiri oleh anda, tentang keistimewaan lain dari angka 9, dengan membuat hasil kali bilangan 123456789 dengan sembilan buah bilangan asli kelipatan 9yang pertama. Adakah hal yang menarik dari hasil kali tersebut ?

Daftar hasil kali bilangan 987654321 dengan sembilan bilangan asli kelipatan 9 yang pertama tampak seperti berikut :

987654321 x 9 = 8.888.888.889

987654321 x 18 = 17.777.777.778

987654321 x 27 = 26.666.666.667

987654321 x 36 = 35.555.555.556

987654321 x 45 = 44.444.444.445

987654321 x 54 = 53.333.333.334

987654321 x 63 = 62.222.222.223

987654321 x 72 = 71.111.111.112

987654321 x 81 = 80.000.000.001

Berikut hasil keunikan dari angka 9.
1 x 9 + 2 = 11

12 x 9 + 3 = 111

123 x 9 + 4 = 1111

1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111

12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111

123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111

1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111

12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111

Ini juga :

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Satu
0 x 9 + 0 = 0
1 x 9 + 1 = 10
12 x 9 + 2 = 110
123 x 9 + 3 = 1110
1234 x 9 + 4 = 11110
12345 x 9 + 5 = 111110
123456 x 9 + 6 = 1111110
1234567 x 9 + 7 = 11111110
12345678 x 9 + 8 = 111111110
123456789 x 9 + 9 = 1111111110

Dua
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Tiga
1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

Empat
1 x 18 + 1 = 19
12 x 18 + 2 = 218
123 x 18 + 3 = 2217
1234 x 18 + 4 = 22216
12345 x 18 + 5 = 222215
123456 x 18 + 6 = 2222214
1234567 x 18 + 7 = 22222213
12345678 x 18 + 8 = 222222212
123456789 x 18 + 9 = 2222222211

Lima
123456789 + 987654321 = 1111111110
1 x 142857 = 142857 (angka sama)
2 x 142857 = 285714 (angka sama beda urutan )
3 x 142857 = 428571 (angka sama beda urutan)
4 x 142857 = 571428 (angka sama beda urutan )
5 x 142857 = 714285 (angka sama beda urutan)
6 x 142857 = 857142 (angka sama beda urutan)
7 x 142857 = 999999 (hasil yang fantastis!)

Enam
Bilangan sembarang jika dikalikan 9, kemudian angka-angka hasilnya dijumlahkan, maka hasilnya = 9. Mari kita buktikan.
1 x 9 = 9
2 x 9 = 18, jumlah 1 + 8 = 9
3 x 9 = 27, jumlah 2 + 7 = 9
4 x 9 = 36, jumlah 3 + 6 = 9
5 x 9 = 45, jumlah 4 + 5 = 9
6 x 9 = 54, jumlah 5 + 4 = 9
7 x 9 = 63, jumlah 6 + 3 = 9
8 x 9 = 72, jumlah 7 + 2 = 9
9 x 9 = 81, jumlah 8 + 1 = 9
10 x 9 = 90, jumlah 9 + 0 = 9, dst., sampai tak terhingga.

Tujuh
22 x 9 = 198,
cara cepatnya 2 x 9 = 18, lalu selipkan angka 9 ditengah, jadi 198.
33 x 9 = 297
44 x 9 = 396
55 x 9 = 495
66 x 9 = 594
77 x 9 = 693
88 x 9 = 792
99 x 9 = 891

Jika angka kembar 3 digit, maka tinggal selipkan 99 ditengahnya. Kita buktikan ya!
222 x 9 = 1998, cara cepat 2 x 9 = 18, selipkan 99 ditengah
333 x 9 = 2997
444 x 9 = 3996
555 x 9 = 4995

Unik bukan ?

Life Skills Mastery for Students with Special Needs

2010-07-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Life skills are essential to job functioning, and they must be included in instruction for students with special needs. Several million individuals with learning problems are still denied the opportunity to engage in meaningful employment in the United States. Large numbers of students with disabilities, both high school graduates and dropouts, earn very low salaries (Edgar, 1988). These students do possess the potential to live and work in the community if they receive appropriate life skills instruction (Rusch & Phelps, 1987). However, without this instruction they often fail to hold their jobs. A life skills curriculum approach blends academic, daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills into integrated lessons designed to help students learn to function independently in society.
What are Life Skills?

Life skills include a wide range of knowledge and skill interactions believed to be essential for adult independent living (Brolin, 1989). At present, many students with handicaps have special needs that are not being met. These students require education and support to learn these necessary behaviors. They must be able to dress and groom properly, use appropriate table manners, make decisions about money, and use transportation to get to work. The three major skill areas that need to be addressed are daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills.
What are Daily Living Skills?

Many students with disabilities will marry and raise families. The majority will probably earn modest salaries; therefore, it is crucial that they learn how to manage a home, family, and finances as effectively as possible. Some states require that these skills be taught to students with special needs. Instructional responsibility lies with special educators, regular educators, parents, and peers. The following skills are some that have been identified as essential for independent adult living (Brolin, 1989):
Managing Personal Finances

* Count money and make correct change.
* Manage a savings and checking account.
* Maintain a personal budget and keep records.
* Demonstrate personal finance decision-making skills.
* Make responsible expenditures.
* Calculate and pay taxes.
* Use credit responsibly.
* Pay bills.
* Deal with renting or leasing.

Selecting and Managing a Household

* Perform or arrange for home maintenance.
* Perform housekeeping tasks.
* Plan and prepare meals.
* Fill out warranty cards for new appliances and mail them.

Caring for Personal Needs

* Exhibit proper grooming and hygiene.
* Dress appropriately.
* Obtain health care.
* Avoid substance abuse.
* Demonstrate knowledge of common illnesses, prevention and treatment. Maintain physical fitness, nutrition and weight.

Safety Awareness

* Identify safety signs.
* Identify unfamiliar odors.
* Identify unfamiliar sounds.
* Demonstrate knowledge and ability to evacuate a building in an emergency. Read and understand basic safety procedures. Obey safety rules when walking during the day or at night.

Raising, Preparing, and Consuming Food

* Purchase food and plan meals.
* Clean food preparation areas.
* Store food properly.
* Prepare meals, read labels, and follow recipes.
* Demonstrate appropriate eating habits.
* Plan and eat balanced meals.

Buying and Caring for Clothing

* Wash clothing.
* Purchase clothing: Demonstrate knowledge of prices and sales.
* Iron, mend, and store clothing.
* Demonstrate use of dry cleaners and laundromat.

Exhibiting Responsible Citizenship

* Demonstrate knowledge of civil rights and responsibilities.
* Get legal aid.
* Report a crime.
* Register with Selective Service at age 18.
* Demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and federal governments.
* Demonstrate knowledge of the law and ability to follow the law.
* Demonstrate knowledge of citizen rights and responsibilities.
* Vote.

Using Recreational Facilities and Engaging in Leisure Activities

* Demonstrate knowledge of available community resources.
* Choose and plan activities.
* Demonstrate knowledge of the value of recreation.
* Engage in group and individual activities.
* Plan vacation time.
* Plan a social event.
* Engage in hobbies, sports, music, arts and crafts.

Getting Around the Community

Differentiate between right side and left side, front and back, to demonstrate location. Demonstrate knowledge of traffic rules and safety. Demonstrate knowledge and use of many means of transportation including carpools. Understand and use a map. Drive a car; obtain a learner's permit, then a driver's license. Obtain car insurance.
What are Personal/Social Skills?

Personal and social skills are critical in keeping a job and maintaining friendships. Learning to get along with others is a challenge for everyone. Lack of appropriate personal and social skills is one of the most frequently cited causes of termination of employment. Students with learning problems often do not learn by observing. Skill instruction in this area should include the following:
Achieving Self-Awareness

* Identify physical and psychological needs.
* Identify interests and abilities.
* Identify emotions.
* Demonstrate knowledge of physical self.
* Demonstrate proper care, use, and maintenance of prosthetic devices or sensory aids required. Use appropriate methods to cope with stress.

Acquiring Self-Confidence

* Express feelings of self-worth.
* Describe others' perception of self.
* Accept and give praise.
* Accept and give criticism.
* Develop confidence in self.
* Identify and distinguish the proper way to answer and use the telephone. Wear appropriate apparel, using clothes or uniforms to fit social and work situations.

By Joan Goodship

7 Pertanyaan Yang Tidak Bisa Dijawab Ilmuan !

2010-07-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Menurut laporan Inggris, seiring dengan perkembangan teknologi dan kemajuan sosial masyarakat, orang-orang telah memiliki pengetahuan yang lebih dalam terhadap sejumlah besar hakekat hal ihwal. Namun terhadap sejumlah soal lainnya hingga sekarang para ilmuwan tetap masih belum dapat memberikan jawaban dan penjelasan. Seperti:

1. Apakah anjing memiliki rasa humor?
Ilmuwan meneliti inteligensi binatang, mereka semakin mengakui suatu pandangan demikian: perilaku binatang bukan hanya bereaksi secara insting, tapi suatu reaksi bawah sadar, substansi pemikiran mereka membuatnya memiliki kemampuan merasakan suka, marah, sedih dan gembira bahkan rasa humor melalui organ sensornya.

Misalnya peneliti telah mendapati, bahwa gajah dapat mengenali dirinya dalam cermin (banyak anak-anak yang belum tentu dapat berbuat seperti demikian)orang utan (atau mungkin sejumlah unggas) dapat belajar sejumlah bahasa tingkat permulaan serta membuat suatu peralatan yang rumit. Bisa dibayangkan, jika burung dapat membuat cantolan (kait) dengan kawat listrik, untuk dipakai mengait makanan dari kaleng, maka bukankah sangat kejam kalau menggunakan mereka sebagai percobaan yang menyiksa?

2. Bagaimana asal muasal kehidupan?
Kalau anda ingin mempersulit seorang ahli biologi, anda cukup menanyakan bagaimana asal muasal kehidupan ini. Sejak 150 tahun silam, Darwin terus berpikir dan menurutnya bahwa segala kehidupan di atas bumi berasal dari “prebiotic soup”. Namun hingga sekarang, kita masih memikirkan asal muasal kehidupan ini.
Kita tidak tahu berbagai pengetahuan yang yang berhubungan dengan asal muasal kehidupan, misalnya bagaimana mulanya, darimana dan kapan kehidupan itu dimulai, serta apakah kehidupan itu mulai dari hidup hingga mati hanya sekali atau berlangsung berulang-kali dan sebagainya.

Sejumlah ilmuwan menduga, kehidupan berasal dari bawah tanah, atau di sekitar bibir semburan gunung berapi. Sedang para ilmuwan lainnya menduga, bahwa mikroba tunggal adalah nenek moyang segala makhluk hidup di bumi. Kurang lebih pada 3 milyar tahun silam, planet Mars kala itu hangat dan lembab, sedang bumi hanya sebuah padang pasir yang dingin, mikroba-mikroba tunggal ini terbang ke bumi seiring dengan hancuran ledakan batuan diplanet Mars. Menurut pandangan ini, berarti kita semua adalah manusia dari planet Mars. Namun hingga saat ini, semua dugaan-dugaan ini belum pernah dibuktikan. Jadi tidak dapat meyakinkan orang. Asal mula kehidupan, besar kemungkinan merupakan misteri yang paling misterius di alam semesta.

3. Apakah reaksi batin hanya omong kosong?
Sebagian besar ilmuwan mengatakan tidak percaya dengan fenomena abnormal, sebab fenomena-fenomena ini menyalahi prinsip normal dan tidak dapat di jelaskan melalui percobaan. Namun apakah kita bisa mengatakan bahwa terapi kristal (menggunakan energi kristal agar “Medan magnetis organisme” tubuh manusia kembali dalam kondisi “seimbang” dan reaksi batin itu adalah omong kosong?)
“Fenomena abnormal” meliputi kekuatan Gamma (δ), “spiritual”, ocehan era baru (new century), ramalan bintang, ramalan kartu/tarot, para ilmuwan punya alasan menganggap bahwa fenomena abnormal adalah suatu ilmu pengetahuan gadungan. Namun ilmuwan justru sebaliknya, mereka cermat dan rasional dalam keilmuan, kerap mempublikasikan temuan riset terbaru mereka di majalah Science terkemuka.”

Namun ketika terapi kristal dan teknik ramalan bintang diyakini hanya sebagai suatu hiburan dan bukan ilmu pengetahuan, lalu bagaimana dengan reaksi batin, terapi akupungtur dan teknik hipnotis? ini masih perlu diteliti secara ilmiah. Dan sudah barang tentu, reaksi batin mungkin juga akan dibuktikan sebagai suatu berita burung, siapa tahu? tidak peduli bagaimana hasilnya, harus berusaha menemukan fakta yang sesungguhnya.

4. Apa waktu itu?
Jika anda ingin mempersulit seorang fisikawan, tanyakan padanya: “Apa itu waktu?” sebab, kita tidak akan tahu jawabannya.
Ada sebuah rumor yang mengatakan, waktu adalah senjata gaib alam yang menghalangi segala benda melakukan aktivitas secara bersamaan. Waktu bisa mendefinisi kehidupan kita, sebab kita mengandalkan waktu untuk mengukur hidup. Namun dalam hal apa itu waktu, kita sama sepertiorang zaman dahulu, juga tidak tahu apa-apa. Dan sudah barang tentu, ini bukan berarti kita tidak tahu apa yang telah dilakukan waktu. Fisikawan seperti Einstain, dimana dalam hal karakteristik tentang waktu punya pandangan yang dalam. Jadi kita bisa memberi sebuah tanda pada waktu, kemudian masukkan waktu ke dalam persamaan yang tidak sama, sehingga dengan demikian kita bisa meneliti sejumlah besar fenomena dan menarik kesimpulan.

Akan tetapi, ini belum bisa memberi tahu kita sebenarnya apa itu waktu. Apakah merupakan sebuah “sungai” yang mengalir dari masa lampau ke masa depan? jika ya, lalu sungai apakah itu? Apa yang mendorongnya bergerak dan berdasarkan apa kecepatan arus sungai itu mengalir? jika waktu adalah sebuah sungai, apakah bisa mengalir ke atas menembus sungai ini? dan apakah kita bisa sepenuhnya menghentikan arus sungai yang mengalir ini?

Novelis fiksi mengatakan ini memungkinkan. Yang mengherankan kita adalah, fisikawan juga beranggapan seperti ini. Namun sebelum kami menciptakan sebuah mesin waktu, kami harus mengetahui betul terhadap waktu yang sukar di raba dan mudah lenyap dalam sekilas ini. Hingga terakhir nanti, kami akan menyingkap misteri-misteri yang misterius ini. Namun jika memang demikian, maka dipastikan akan muncul lebih banyak lagi misteri. Mungkin satu-satunya yang layak terhibur adalah, apabila kelak kita dapat menyingkap semua misteri, dan jika benar-benar terpecahkan, maka segalanya akan menjadi hambar.

5. Mengapa obesitas dari hari ke hari kian meningkat?
Pada 100 tahun silam, di dunia nyaris tidak ada satu pun kasus obesitas, selama 100 tahun itu, obesitas telah menjadi krisis yang tiada taranya dalam sejarah penyakit manusia. Jika dikalkulasi menurut situasi saat ini, kita akan semakin kelebihan berat badan.

Sebab obesitas sangat jelas: makan terlalu banyak, kurang olahraga. Namun kondisinya tidak sesederhana ini. Pertama jarang sekali yang mengetahui, di sejumlah besar negara “obesitas” di barat, misalnya Amerika Serikat, kalor yang dibuang orang-orang jauh lebih sedikit dibanding kalor yang dihabiskan orang-orang pada 50 tahun silam. Dibanding dengan orang-orang pada 1950 silam, kita jarang jalan kaki, yang menggantikannya adalah sejumlah besar kendaraan bermotor. Obesitas mulai tumbuh subur sejak 1980, dibandingkan ketika itu, olahraga yang sangat kurang dilakukan.

Sejumlah besar ilmuwan yakin, bahwa dibalik suburnya obesitas pasti terpendam sebuah misteri yang mendalam. Sejumlah ilmuwan pernah menuturkan, obesitas mungkin disebabkan oleh suatu virus, atau dapat dijelaskan dengan ilmu genetika.

6. Apakah manusia bisa awet muda?
Apa kita bisa awet muda? mungkin bisa, mungkin juga tidak. Mencegah penuaan merupakan salah satu hal yang paling tidak suka dibicarakan para ilmuwan, sebab ini dapat menimbulkan serangkaian masalah seperti moral dan logika atau hal-hal yang memusingkan kepala.

Pertama, pada kenyataannya kita tidak tahu apa sebenarnya penuaan itu. Dalam pandangan kita, ketika kita sudah tua, tubuh atau fisik juga akan dengan sendirinya ikut tua. Namun kenyataannya tidaklah demikian. 20 tahun pertama usia kehidupan kita, fisik kita dari hari ke hari semakin berisi dan kuat, fungsi tubuh kita kita kian hari semakin efektif, kemampuan melawan penyakit semakin kuat. Namun, mengapa di hari-hari selanjutnya (usia bertambah), semuanya menjadi sangat berlawanan?

Menurut teori evolusi penuaan, mengapa fungsi tubuh kita mulai mengalami penuaan adalah diperkirakan saat usia 30-50 tahun manusia akanmati karena kedinginan, kelaparan dan mati di mulut harimau buas dan sebagainya. Namun kalau kita tidak bisa hidup begitu lama, kita sama sekali tidak perlu evolusi, untuk menghadapi sakit saat tua nanti. Tetapi ini tidak bisa menjelaskan, dimana ketika kita menjadi tua, perubahan apakah yang telah mengubah “lonceng” gen, sehingga membuat kulit kita menjadi kering, rambut menjadi putih, tulang menjadi rapuh. Hanya setelah kita mengetahui betul apa yang menyebabkan perubahan ini baru memungkinkan mengambil langkah-langkah melawan penuaan.

Namun kita akan menghadapi satu masalah moral: apakah kita bersedia hidup di sebuah dunia yang manusianya tidak akan tua selamanya? atau dengan kata lain, apakah kita benar-benar bersedia hidup di dunia seperti itu jika hanya sejumlah kecil golongan elite masyarakat yang beruntung baru bisa menikmati perlakuan awet muda ini?

7. Semenit saya yang lalu apakah sama dengan saya sekarang ?
“Apakah saya masih sama seperti satu menit yang lalu?” ini kedengarannya seperti sebuah pertanyaan yang sangat aneh! Namun ini adalah satu soal yang paling memusingkan dalam segenap ilmu pengetahuan dan dunia filsafat. Yaitu soal pengakuan jati diri. Secara permukaan, jawabannya jelas adalah: “sudah pasti, saya adalah orang yang sama pada semenit yang lalu. Namun coba renungkan lagi sejenak.”

10 menit yang lalu, semua hal yang dilakukan setiap sel dalam otakmu sama sekali berbeda dengan hal yang dilakukan sel otak anda sekarang. Setiap berselang beberapa tahun, tubuh anda hampir sepenuhnya berganti sekali. Apakah dapat Cutty Sark dibuat kembali dengan kayu yang baru dan berbagai komponen baru itu, apakah akan sama persis dengan Cutty Sark yang berlayar di atas laut pada 150 tahun silam itu? Terhadap hal ini, jawaban teori pemurnian adalah: “Tidak”. Dengan begitu, anda bukan lagi anda dimasa kanak-kanak itu. Pertanyaan ini menunjukkan, bahwa pertimbangan kita terhadap individual selalu berkontradiksi dengan suasana nyata yang sedang terjadi. Dan bagaimana kita mengakui jati diri satu orang yang sama, apakah berdasarkan DNA atau sesuatu lainnya yang lebih samar-samar lagi?

Understanding Your Child's Temperament

2010-07-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Since temperament is an inherent part of your child’s character and can be shaped but not changed, it is important that you remain flexible as a parent and sensitive your child’s needs. Understanding and learning more about your child’s temperament is important because it affects your child, you as a parent, and the relationship between the two of you.
Understanding your child’s temperament will help you:

* Explain which behaviors are typical for your child
* Anticipate how a child will react to a particular event or situation
* Interact with your child
* Know which types of discipline will be effective
* Be more confident in yourself as a parent
* Create a positive relationship between you and your child

Misunderstanding your child’s temperament can lead to:

* Criticizing or punishing your child for behavior that is an expression of your child’s temperament
* Parenting your child in a way that works against your child’s temperament, which can lead to behavioral problems
* Blaming yourself for being an ineffective parent

Creating a good fit

The better the fit between the child’s temperament and the parenting style, the better the results will be. Many parents with more than one child are often surprised at how different siblings can be. In many cases, what parenting style worked for the first child will not work with the second, and parents will have to use completely different techniques in raising each child. Treating children differently does not mean that you are treating them unequally or unfairly—one child may need more structure and guidance while another may do better following an independent path. It is also important for parents not to let their hopes of what their child will be like take too much precedence over what the child actually is like. Behavioral problems result when the parenting style and the child’s temperament do not make for a good fit.

Creating a good fit does not mean that you let your child do anything she wants, or behave in any way she wants. Rather, it means that you can understand her actions and behaviors better and respond appropriately. Learning about temperament will help you find a discipline technique that is both positive and effective, and it will help you decide on which issues you need to remain firm and which ones you can let slide. Taking these characteristics into consideration, you can learn how to help your child rather than becoming frustrated and critical when your child acts in a way you do not understand.

* Perhaps your child always cries when you try to dress her up in fancy dresses or bundle her up for the cold. She may be upset because she is highly sensitive, and the scratchiness of the clothing is uncomfortable.

* If your child is bouncing off the walls at home and refuses to calm down—even at meal times and bed time--perhaps you should enroll her in a gymnastics class or sign her up for a children’s softball or soccer league. Do not expect your active child to be able to sit still for long periods of time—this will be next to impossible for her to do. Therefore, break up long car rides and quiet activities with games and physical activity. If her energy level is channeled in a positive way, it will help her keep out of trouble.

* A child who always cries before going to school may be having difficulty adjusting, or may be quite shy. Help your child get used to people in a slow and controlled manner, and talk to your child about her feelings.

10 Keanehan Orang Asia Yang Mengejutkan Dunia !

2010-07-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ini adalah kejadian aneh yang menimpa manusia-manusia di Asia. Kabarnya sempat menggemparkan karena mendapat liputan luas dari media massa internasional. Meski sebenarnya bukan hanya 10 kasus ini saja yang aneh, tapi Asia memiliki banyak kejadian aneh, baik menyangkut alam maupun manusianya, hanya saja belum tercover secara luas. Berikut 10 kasus manusia aneh di Asia :

1.The Horny Grandma [CHINA]

Granny Zhao - nama panggilannya dulu - adalah seorang wanita tua dari Zhanjiang yang menjadi terkenal karena tumbuh 'tanduk' di dahinya. Menurut keluarganya, tanduk itu muncul sekitar 3 tahun yang lalu, sebelumnya dalah tahi lalat kecil biasa, namun entah kenapa lalu berubah menjadi ganas dan terus membesar. Awalnya dibiarkan, namun tumbuh menjadi tidak terkendali bahkan kini menjadi sangat menggangu pandangannya. "Saya menjadi tidak nyaman karena telah menghalangi pandangan saya," kata nenek Zhao.

2.The Over-Sized Fingers [CHINA]

Liu Hau dari Jiangsu. Sejak lahir, tangan Hau sudah aneh, ia memiliki ibu jari, jari telunjuk dan jari tengah, yang aneh. Tumbuh membesar tidak proporsional. Kondisi ini disebut macrodactyly. Pada 2007 lalu ia menjalani operasi rekonstruksi tangannya di rumah sakit shanghai. Dari operasi pembedahan itu dokter mengangkat 5.1kg daging & tulang.

3. The Tree-Trunk Leg [CHINA]

Chen Zongtao benar benar tidak dapat jongkok karena kakinya yang berbobot 150 pon. Pertumbuhan daging tak wajar ini dialami sejak ia masih kanak kanak yang terus berkembang akhirnya seluruh kaki kanannya mengalami itu. Akibatnya,Chen tak dapat bangun, ia hanya bisa melewati waktunya di tempat tidur. Dokter mengatakan bahwa dia menderita neurofibroma, semacam tumor jinak. Tidak diketahui apa tindakan selanjutnya pada Chen, apakah ia akan dioperasi atau tidak.

4.The Chinese Elephant Man [CHINA]

Kondisi dan foto-fotonya yang aneh tersebar ke seluruh dunia dan ini sangat mengejutkan. Huang Chuncais pun kemudian populer dengan sebutan ‘Chinese Elephant Man.Tumor seberat 15 kg telah menarik kulit wajahnya sehingga berbentuk aneh. Ini membuat Huang sangat menderita, bahkan untuk makan pun dia harus bersusah payah. Berkat fotonya yang dipublikasi secara luas, ia pun mendapatkan tawaran operasi denganbebas biaya. Adalah dokter di Fuda Cancer Hospital di Guangzhou yang menawari bantuan itu. Tentu saja operasi ini tidak bisa hanya sekali, karena kondisinya kadung parah. Foto ini adalah salah satu yang diambil setelah operasi kedua, pada januari 2008. Masih belum sepenuhnya normal. Tumor yang mengelantung masih terlihat. Tapi Huang tak perlu khawatir karena pihak dokter akan mengoperasinya kembali sampai wajahnya kembali normal.

5. The Man With A Twin [INDIA]

Awalnya warga di Nagpur mencurigai kalau Sanju Bhagat yang perutnya membuncit tidak normal adalah seorang pecandu alkohol serius. Kemudian petani usia 36 tahun itu mengira, perutnya yang membesar mirip orang hamil adalah akibat tumor. Lalu dia pun ke dokter. Ternyata dokter menyatakan bahwa di dalam perutnya adalah parasit kembarannya yang berkelamin laki-laki. Itu sebabnya, nafsu makan Bhagat sangat luar biasa melampaui orang normal, padahal meski makan banyak tapi tubuhnya pun tidak gemuk. Ternyata, itu adalah pengaruh parasit kembarannya yang terus berkembang di dalam perutnya.

6. The Human Octopus [INDIA]

Laksmi Tatm, bocah yang kelahirannya menjadi sangat menggegerkan karena dia lahir dengan 4 kaki dan 4 lengan. Orang menyebut bocah ini sebagai Human Octopus atau manusia gurita. Kondisi itu terjadi karena parasit kembarannya yang masuk ke dalam dirinya sewaktu dalam kandungan. Kejadian yang menghebohkan itu sempat diartikan lain oleh masyarakat tertentu,. Mereka [percaya bahwa Laksmi adalah penjelmaan Dewi Laksmi, yakni dewi berkaki delapan yang menajdi salah satu yang dipuja dalam agama Hindu. Dua tahun kemudian, setelah Laksmi cukup besar, dokter pun melakukan pembedahan terhadap parasit di tubuhnya. Kini bocah cantik itu bisa hidup normal, hanya dengan dua tangan dan dua kaki.

7.The Tree Man [INDONESIA]

Laki-laki Pohon Indonesia yang dikenal sebagai Dede menderita karena kombinasi Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) dan kekacauan genetik. Pertumbuhan kutil yang terus menerus sudah mengambil-alih sebgaian tubuhnya. Akibatnya ia mendapat cemooh dari banyak orang, bahkan sampai kehilangan pekerjaan karenannya.. Akhirnya pertolongan pun datang, Dede yang telah memiliki dua anak ini pun menjalani operasi di rumah sakit Hasan Sadikin Bandung dengan biaya ditanggung oleh pemerintah.

8.The Gigantic Face [VIETNAM]

Lai Ti Dao adalah seorang gadis kecil yang menderita penyakit tumor Schwannoma, yang awalnya hanyalah sebuah benjolan biasa di kerongkongannya. Namun benjolan ini kemudian membesar dan nyaris membunuhnya. Beruntungan pertolongan segera datang, dia diterbangkan ke Miami Amerika. Di sana dia menjalani pembedahan selama 10 jam, dan dokter mengangkat 10 pon tumor.

9.The Conehead [VIETNAM]

Nguyen Xuan Minh berumur 5 tahun ketika gambar ini dibuat. di Tu Du Hospital 2005. Kondisinya aneh, kepala memanjang ke atas, matanya menonjol. Dokter sempat bingung dengan keadaan itu. Kebanyakan orang percaya bahwa Nguyen mungkin adalah salah satu korban defoliant Jingga Agen, yang dipakai oleh angkatan perang Amerika selama perang Vietnam. Kemungkinannya adalah orangtua Nguyen terkontaminasi defoliant sehingga bocah malang inipun terlahir cacat. Dn mungkin, ia harus menjalani hal ini sepanjang hidupnya. SEjauh ini tidak ada kabar apakah Nguyen mendapat pertolongan dengan kondisinya ini.

10.The Stunted Fingers [VIETNAM]

Le Thi Hoa juga diduga mengalami kecacatan akibat Jingga Agen. Dia dilahirkan dengan jari terhambat; itu, tetapi, tidak menghentikannya dari tulisan dengan ‘excellent keahlian menulis indah. Menyedihkan, baik Le maupun Nguyen adalah dua dari ratusan ribu korban yang harus mengalami efek Jingga Agen yang bertahan lama dan menurun pada generasi berikutnya

International Curriculum for Schools

2010-07-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Global Assessment Certificate is a Foundation Course that offers exciting new options for schools wishing to provide an International Curriculum for their students. This program can be taught in your school and allow you to provide a Dual Curriculum - Local plus International Curriculum. This will provide your students with the widest scope for future studies currently possible.

Are you teaching, or would you like to teach an
International Curriculum in your school?

* Is providing pathways to international universities a major concern for your school or institution?

* Is creating your own international curriculum to meet the requirement s of an overseas organization causing headaches for you or your staff?

* Are you tired of scheduling your examinations to suit overseas exam timetables?

* Would you like to be provided with a fully operational curriculum that includes Teachers' Books, Student Books, and other materials ready to teach?

* Would you like to have in-country professionals providing support - when you need it?

* Would you like to be part of a truly International Network?

* Do your students want guaranteed access to a wide range of international universities based upon their performance?

* Will your students obtain an ACT Assessment® score as well as a Grade Point Average (GPA)? Does your curriculum prepare your students for the IELTS or TOEFL exams? Even though universities may accept graduates from foundation programs, some embassies still insist upon an IELTS or TOEFL score.

* Can your students gain up to one year of credit at some of the Pathway Universities? Large savings in tuition fees and living expenses.

* Does your current international studies program in any way limit the educational options or career paths for your students domestically?

Model Pembaharuan pada Sekolah Menengah Umum : Pengalaman Indonesia

2010-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Keinginan untuk meningkatkan mutu Sekolah Menengah Umum di Indonesia merupakan perhatian utama dari Proyek Peningkatan Mutu Sekolah Menengah Umum (ADB Loan # 1360 INO). Proyek ini menekankan pada pengembangan sarana, persiapan bahan pengajaran dan dukungan konsultan dalam hal pelaksanaan kurikulum, pengembangan buku teks, peningkatan sistem ujian, peningkatan pelayanan penataran guru, peningkatan pembinaan guru, peningkatan supervisi akademik, perawatan preventif, merancang kembali dan melaksanakan program laboratorium bahasa, serta mengembangkan model pengembangan dan pelaksanaan manajemen Sekolah Menengah Umum.

Kegiatan konsultasi untuk pengembangan model Sekolah Menengah Umum yang semula adalah untuk menciptakan beberapa sekolah model untuk memenuhi kebutuhan-kebutuhan khusus.. Namun, kemudian tim konsultan ditugaskan untuk menangani kegiatan ini bersama-sama dengan staf Dikmenum dan semua menyetujui bahwa konsep sekolah model yang lama tidak efektif dalam melaksanakan pengembangan sekolah. Konsep baru bagi model "pengembangan sekolah" telah didiskusikan oleh para konsultan Internasional, konsultan Nasional dan staf Dikmenum. Konsep "model" yang tradisional bergantung kepada gambaran sekolah yang sangat baik dan memperoleh tambahan input (uang, pelatihan, fasilitas dan sumber pembelajaran) menciptakan adanya model yang bagus yang akan ditiru oleh sekolah lain. Masalah yang terlihat jelas untuk pendekatan ini adalah bahwa sekolah biasa akan sulit untuk diubah menjadi sekolah yang bagus apalagi menjadi sekolah model. Masalah kedua adalah apabila input yang sama tidak diterapkan pada sekolah biasa, peniruan model tidak akan difasilitasi. Untuk lebih jelasnya mengenai hal ini lihat Lampiran A.

Sebagai alternatif, mereka yang terlibat dalam sekolah model memilih untuk merencanakan langkah yang berbeda dalam pembuatan konsep pengembangan sekolah "model". Kunjungan ke beberapa sekolah di wilayah yang berbeda oleh para konsultan membawa hasil akan kayanya informasi mengenai prakarsa Sekolah Menengah Umum yang ditujukan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sekolah setempat. Usaha inovatif ini menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan untuk meningkatkan mutu sekolah basisnya ada pada tingkat sekolah. Dari sini jelas sekali terlihat oleh para konsultan, bahwa sekolah yang mengalami peningkatan dan pengembangan adalah yang dapat mewakili model pengembangan sekolah. Fokusnya adalah pada "proses" yang dialami oleh sekolah ketika mutu pendidikan meningkat. Apa yang terjadi di dalam sekolah yang membuat adanya pergeseran menuju kepada sekolah yang lebih efektif ? Dari sudut pandang ini konsep "model" pengembangan sekolah muncul. Perhatian kami ditujukan pada identifikasi apa yang terjadi di sekolah yang mengalami peningkatan atau perkembangan.

Untuk menjawab pertanyaan tentang "proses" pembaharuan, para konsultan mengajukan usul untuk mempelajari sejumlah kecil sekolah yang telah mengalami perkembangan. Dengan mengadakan penelitian pada sekolah-sekolah tersebut, para konsultan berharap akan menemukan beberapa sebutan nama umum yang dapat digunakan untuk Pengembangan Sekolah Model atau yang biasa disebut "model pembaharuan". Dengan menganggap bahwa ada beberapa sebutan nama umum di antara sekolah-sekolah, ciri-ciri ini dapat dikembangkan menjadi model bagi sekolah lain. Jika demikian maka model tersebut adalah yang didasarkan pada pengalaman nyata pada sekolah-sekolah di Indonesia, sesuatu yang dapat ditiru dan dapat dikerjakan oleh sekolah-sekolah lain.

Delapan Sekolah Menengah Umum dari Jawa Barat, D.I. Yogyakarta dan Jawa Timur, telah dipilih karena sekolah-sekolah tersebut telah menunjukkan beberapa tingkat perkembangan selama satu atau dua tahun terakhir ini. Tim konsultan mengadakan wawancara yang intensif dengan Kepala Sekolah, Wakil Kepala Sekolah, Guru, Orang tua siswa, Siswa dan Tokoh Masyarakat (lihat Lampiran B sekolah-sekolah yang berperan serta di dalam program dan Lampiran C untuk Pertanyaan Wawancara). Pada beberapa kasus, wakil dari Kandep juga diwawancarai. Setelah semua sekolah diwawancarai, data tersebut diringkas dan dibandingkan sebagai pengalaman biasa.

Semua sekolah itu tampaknya kurang efektif atau hanya bertahan sebelum kehadiran Kepala Sekolah yang sekarang. Pengembangan sekolah sebelumnya dibatasi oleh sedikitnya peningkatan sarana. Pada semua kasus, Kepala Sekolah yang baru telah mencoba mengadakan penilaian mengenai kondisi sekolah baik secara formal maupun informal untuk merumuskan tujuan sekolah. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini, beberapa karakteristik mendasari pengembangan sekolah telah diamati. Karakteristik berikut ini menggambarkan tema biasa yang dapat dipelajari dari delapan model "Pengembangan Sekolah" (Pengembangan Sekolah Model).

Komunikasi yang lebih terbuka: secara umum komunikasi di antara para pemegang peran meningkat dari sebelumnya. Ada beberapa perbedaan tingkat keterbukaan dan cara pendekatan yang dikomunikasikan pada setiap sekolah. Pada beberapa sekolah, semua yang terlibat dan masalah-masalah disampaikan untuk menjadi perhatian para pemegang peran melalui rapat, diskusi informal dan surat (kepada orang tua siswa) atau melalui kegiatan sekolah biasa (misalnya pada upacara bendera setiap hari Senin). Pada sekolah lain frekuensi dan kesempatan untuk menerima umpan balik sangat kurang, walaupun pemegang peran merasa bahwa keadaan sekarang lebih baik daripada sebelumnya. Dengan adanya komunikasi yang lebih terbuka / transparan, maka para pemegang peran akan merasa lebih positif mengenai sekolah. Hal ini dapat menciptakan dasar yang kuat untuk mendukung pengembangan sekolah melalui peran serta para pemegang peran.

Pengambilan keputusan bersama: secara umum para pemegang peran mengalami lebih banyak tanggung jawab dalam pengambilan keputusan. Tingkat pengambilan keputusan yang harus diambil oleh para pemegang peran berbeda antara satu sekolah dengan sekolah yang lain. Seluruh pemegang peran mengalami peningkatan tanggung jawab dalam pengambilan keputusan dibandingkan dengan sebelumnya. Para pemegang peran merasa lebih terlibat di dalam proses tersebut dan yakin bahwa Kepala Sekolah menghargai pendapat mereka. Hirarki pengambilan keputusan telah ditetapkan dan menunjukkan keputusan apa dan oleh siapa yang diperoleh bagi masing-masing pemegang peran.

Memperhatikan Kebutuhan Guru : perhatian dan kemampuan sekolah terhadap hal ini dapat memberikan berbagai tingkatan motivasi pada guru. Kebutuhan guru termasuk juga kesejahteraan pribadi, pengembangan profesional dan bantuan dalam pengajaran. Apabila kesejahteraan guru terjamin, guru dapat memberi perhatian yang lebih kepada pengajaran. Guru didukung untuk meningkatkan kualifikasi ke tingkat S1 dan didorong untuk melanjutkan ke tingkat yang lebih tinggi. Dukungan dari kepala sekolah mengenai kenaikan pangkat bagi pegawai negeri dan kebutuhan pengembangan profesional dikomunikasikan kepada guru, bahwa hal tersebut penting demi tercapainya tujuan pendidikan sekolah. Akhirnya beberapa sekolah menyediakan bantuan pengajaran langsung dengan mengalokasikan dana untuk bahan pengajaran, pengembangan perpustakaan dan mengizinkan guru untuk lebih kreatif didalam kelas.

Memperhatikan Kebutuhan Siswa: sekolah yang memperhatikan kebutuhan siswa lebih diterima oleh siswa, orang tua dan masyarakat. Kebutuhan siswa termasuk pula peningkatan pengajaran, memberikan waktu pengajaran tambahan untuk persiapan EBTANAS, menambah kegiatan ekstra kurikuler, melibatkan siswa dalam pengambilan keputusan mengenai masalah-masalah mereka, serta mengembangkan program pelatihan keterampilan (ekstra kurikuler) untuk mempersiapkan ke dunia kerja. Semua sekolah yang melakukan pembaharuan yakin, bahwa sekolah perlu dijadikan tempat yang menyenangkan bagi para siswa sehingga merasa betah berada di sana. Dengan memberikan ketrampilan yang menarik dan peningkatan kegiatan ekstra, siswa akan lebih termotivasi untuk pergi ke sekolah. Salah satu hasilnya adalah apabila kebutuhan siswa diperhatikan, siswa dari kecamatan lain akan tertarik untuk bergabung.

Keterpaduan Sekolah dan Masyarakat: sekolah mempunyai peran sosial yang penting dalam masyarakat. Yang termasuk masyarakat dalam konteks ini adalah orang tua siswa dan masyarakat setempat. BP3 adalah alat utama untuk saling bertemu bagi sekolah dan orang tua siswa. Biasanya rekomendasi kepala sekolah dikaji ulang dalam rapat BP3 dan anggotanya memutuskan rekomendasi mana yang akan didukung sebagai masalah utama yang perlu didanai. Rekomendasi kepala sekolah didasarkan pada perhatian tersebut, namun tercermin dalam pemikiran guru, siswa, orang tua siswa dan masyarakat. Perhatian pemegang peran telah dikomunikasikan secara formal melalui rapat (misalnya rapat guru) atau secara informal melalui diskusi perseorangan dengan kepala sekolah.

Karakteristik di atas memberikan kerangka kerja dalam pembuatan model pembaharuan bagi Sekolah Menengah Umum. Mereka konsisten dengan studi lain mengenai sekolah yang efektif di seluruh dunia. Bandingkan dengan penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Lezotte (1989), Lockheed &Levin (1990), and Squires, Huitt, & Segars.
Usulan Model Pembaharuan Untuk Pengembangan Sekolah

Mengembangkan model pembaharuan adalah tugas yang sulit karena proses pembaharuan adalah usaha yang multi-dimensional. Tidak ada satu model pun yang dapat menjelaskan dengan sempurna betapa rumitnya pengembangan sekolah. Yang akan diusulkan oleh para konsultan adalah kerangka kerja yang memberi pedoman pada proses pembaharuan (lihat Diagram 1). Dalam mengkaji-ulang data pada model "pengembangan sekolah" yang telah dipilih, dua proses utama telah diidentifikasi. Pertama, keinginan kepala sekolah untuk meningkatkan intensitas komunikasi di antara para pemegang peran merupakan alat untuk mengundang mereka untuk menjadi mitra dalam transformasi sekolah (lihat insert A). Kesadaran yang lebih tinggi tentang berbagai masalah dan pandangan para pemegang peran dapat menciptakan peluang untuk mengatasi masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh sekolah dalam usaha meningkatkan mutu pendidikan. Kedua, dalam menggambarkan tanggung jawab pengambilan-keputusan oleh para pemegang peran mengakibatkan pemecahan masalah yang lebih cepat dan membebaskan kepala sekolah untuk berfungsi sebagai fasilitator dalam pengembangan sekolah (lihat insert B). Kedua proses tersebut menyebabkan adanya tanggung jawab yang lebih besar bagi para pemegang peran. Hal ini meningkatkan motivasi dan jati diri para pemegang peran. Pemegang peran menggunakan berbagai istilah, misalnya kemitraan dan suasana kekeluargaan untuk menggambarkan adanya hubungan yang baru di sekolah. Komponen yang lain akan didiskusikan secara rinci pada bagian berikutnya.

Diagram I. Model Pembaharuan untuk Pengembangan Sekolah

Salah satu keuntungan dari model ini adalah apabila sekolah sudah mencapai tingkat-tingkat komunikasi terbuka yang optimal dan pengambilan keputusan bersama, sekolah dapat menjadi mandiri. Hal ini secara tidak langsung menyatakan bahwa kepala sekolah berfungsi sebagai koordinator pada fungsi sekolah yang berbeda. Masalah utama adalah arah pengembangan sekolah dan identifikasi sumber keuangan untuk membantu pengembangan sekolah yang dapat berjalan terus menerus dalam kegiatan kepala sekolah. Dalam sistem pendidikan di mana kepala sekolah secara periodik diganti, pendekatan ini membuat pengembangan sekolah dapat tetap dilanjutkan meskipun kepala sekolah yang baru, baru diperkenalkan dengan sekolahnya.

Model ini merupakan tinjauan yang menyeluruh terhadap semua yang terlibat dalam proses pengembangan kondisi untuk pembaharuan di sekolah. Ketika Sekolah Menengah Umum berjalan menuju peningkatan mutu berbasis sekolah) hal ini menunjukkan kepada sekolah bahwa proses pengembangan akan tercapai.
Insert A. Menciptakan Komunikasi Terbuka Di Antara Para Pemegang Peran

Salah satu elemen inti untuk mendorong pengembangan sekolah adalah kesempatan bagi pemegang peran untuk menanyakan pandangan-pandangan dan pertukaran gagasan. Melalui dialog ini dapat dicapai pemahaman yang lebih baik mengenai kebutuhan pemegang peran yang berbeda-beda dan dasar untuk mencoba memecahkan masalah yang biasa terjadi dan juga memecahkan konflik akan kebutuhan diantara mereka. Model Pengembangan Sekolah memperoleh pengalaman dalam keterbukaan dan transparansi di beberapa SMU. Perbedaan pendekatan di antara sekolah untuk komunikasi tercermin dari pilihan kepala sekolah. Kepala sekolah dan para guru mendukung adanya diskusi informal dengan orang tua siswa, siswa dan anggota masyarakat melalui pertemuan pribadi dan kegiatan sekolah atau masyarakat.

Kepala Sekolah mengumpulkan dukungan dari diskusi dengan para guru dalam usaha pengembagnan sekolah untuk menerima umpan balik dan mengusulkan alternatif pendekatan dan juga masalah-masalah pengembangan lainnya

Is Obama Too Afraid of being in Indonesia This Month?

2010-06-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

News on the postponement of US President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Indonesia from June to November 2010 was no surprise to some Indonesians. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told Reuters in an email that Obama postponed the trip again in order to deal with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and other important issues.

In Jakarta, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal confirmed the postponement, saying "President Yudhoyono and his US counterpart agreed to set right date for the visit either in November or before that." Patti Djalal said , adding the two presidents spoke about it on the phone on Friday morning.

It was the second time in a little more than two months that Obama canceled a trip to Indonesia and Australia. He previously was due to have come to Jakarta in March but later decided to stay at home to give a final push to his healthcare overhaul plan in Congress. He later rescheduled his trip for mid-June but he had again informed Jakarta he could not make it.

Although it was not mentioned by the White House spokesman, some political observers had earlier predicted that besides the oil spill disaster, the shootings by Israeli military of humanitarian activists aboard the Freedom Flotialla’s MV Mari Marmara last May 31, would add pressure on Obama if he continued his plan to visit Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim majority country, this month,

Since the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid-carrying ship where 19 activists were killed and tens of others were wounded including two Indonesians, demonstrations have been staged in Indonesia’s capital city and regions daily, to condemn not only the Zionist country, but also Uncle Sam as the Jewish state’s closest ally and protector, for doing nothing to stop the violence. One day after the Israeli assault in international waters, some 1,000 Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) members staged a rally outside the US embassy in Jakarta, on June 1, to condemn Israel’s attack and reject US President Barack Obama’s planned visit to Indonesia.

The protesters unfurled a number of banners which among others read "Wipe Out Israel," "Reject Obama," and "Send Troops to Palestine,". HTI orator Salman Al Farisi said Obama was Israel’s ally and therefore, he did not deserve to visit Indonesia, a staunch supporter of Palestinians’ struggle for an independent state. He also called on the Indonesian government not to be cheated by various policies issued by the superpower country.

In a rally held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Friday, the local HTI members also voiced their objection to the visit of President Obama for letting human right violations by Israel go unpunished. House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I member I Al Muzzammil Yusuf Muzamil who is also coordinator of the Indonesian Parliamentary Caucus for Palestine said in Jakarta, last Monday that the Freedom Flotilla’s incident was also a test case for US President Barack Obama.

Obama’s efforts to reach out to the Islamic world could be considered to have failed if his government did not defend humanitarian and human rights after Israel’s arrogant attack. Another legislator believed that the Indonesian government should urge the United Nations to lobby the United States to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

"The United Nations must lobby the United States to end the blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt for dispatching of humanitarian aid such as food and medicines," Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Body (BKSAP) of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid said in a rally participated in by thousands of members of the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) in Jakarta, Thursday (June 3).

If the UN fails to lobby the US, the international body should be dissolved, he said. Indeed, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had earlier intended to take up the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla early at his meeting with President Barack Obama in Jakarta later this month.

Presidential spokesman for international affairs Dino Patti Djalal said at a press conference at the presidential office in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 1), President Yudhoyono wished to raise the issue in the meeting with US President Obama because he was very concerned about the prospects of the peace process in the Middle East which was now being revived through the proximity talks involving western countries.

"The problem will be one of the issues to be discussed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Obama," he said.

Dino said the Israeli attack on the convoy of ships bringing humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza with activists from 50 countries on board would be a factual issue for discussion with President Obama because in a meeting with Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas in Jakarta last week President Yudhoyono had discussed the US position in the peace process to be undertaken.

Planned talks in Indonesia between Yudhoyono and Obama have to wait until November (God Willing!), but for sure, for those opposing the occupation of Palestine by the Zionists, Obama, as the head of state of the United States of America, which has been giving strong financial and political supports to Israel, is unavoidably also responsible for human rights violations committed by the Jewish country.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com

Indonesia, Greenpeace and Carbon Gas Emission

2010-06-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

For many years, developed countries like the U.S.A, Britain, Japan, have been blaming deforestation in Indonesia as one of the major cause of the increase of Carbon Gas Emission in the world

Beside that, environmental activists like Greenpeace have also been blaming and successfully forced foreign buyers i.e. Unilever and Nestle, to boycott Indonesia's forest based products.

Basically, I strongly oppose massive deforestation in Indonesia, because many of them were done illegally, causing natural disasters like frequent floods, landslides, and destroying the habitat of endangered species e.g Orangutan, Tigers, in Indonesia. Therefore I agree that such deforestation must be stopped or at least minimized.

However, I do not agree if Indonesia is lamed as a major producer of the world's Carbon Emission. As a matter of fact I strongly believed that those developed countries with their advanced industrial and other activities surely caused much larger Carbon Gas Emission, than deforestation in Indonesia.

Considering the above, I hope that Greenpeace would be fair by also paying more attention on Carbon Gas Emission in those developed countries. Especially that Indonesia has voluntarily promised to reduce 26% Carbon Gas Emission by 2020 and plan to stop new forestry license.

Study and play - Incorporating Education into Your Summer Vacation

2010-06-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent, you likely know how important education is to your child. When school lets out for the summer, education is often the farthest thing from your child's mind. While a break from school is needed, children are still encouraged to continue their education during the summer. If you want to keep the learning experience alive during the summer, you should consider incorporating education into your summer vacation.

Many parents wonder if it is really possible to incorporate education into a vacation. It is possible and many vacations are not only filled with learning, but fun and excitement. If you are interested in scheduling an educational summer vacation for your and your family, you will have to decide on a summer vacation destination. When it comes to educational activities, you have a number of different options to choose form.

When it comes to educational tourist attractions, many parents automatically think of a museum. Science museums, history museums, and art museums are located all around the world. If you are interested in scheduling a museum visit, the visit may not fill up your whole summer vacation. Many parents have had success scheduling museum tours.

Museum tours involve selecting a number of museums to visit. These museums are often viewed while on a family road trip. In addition to developing your own tour, it is possible that you and your family can sign up for a group tour. These tours may involve meeting a group of individuals at a specific museum or traveling with them by train or bus. If you want to select multiple museums as your summer vacation destination, you are encouraged to select different museum styles.

If you are interested in scheduling a summer vacation that offers fun, excitement, and thrills all at once, you may want to examine visiting a theme park. Theme parks are amusement parks that focus on a particular theme. Sea World is one of the most well-known, educational theme parks in the world. In addition to fun and exciting rides, you can watch aquatic shows and visit underwater aquariums.

In addition to Sea World, Bush Gardens is another theme park that focuses somewhat on education. Bush Gardens tends to have an animal safari theme. In addition to a number of thrill rides, Bush Gardens is known for their educational animal adventures. These adventures may include onsite zoos or animal safari museums.

Guided tours are another popular vacation choice for parents who are vacationing with their children. Guided tours are available at a wide variety of different vacation destinations. Guided tours are often found in state parks, animal sanctuaries, and at historical landmarks. In the Untied States, educational guided tours can be found at the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, and in the Adirondacks Region of New York.

As more families opt for fun filled vacations, rather than educational ones, the popularity of educational tourist attractions is on the decline. This slight decline may give you privacy and the opportunity to find great deals and discounts. In addition to cheap admission fees, you can often find online coupons for guided tours at many popular summer vacation destinations, museums, and theme parks.

Educational activities do not have to limit your summer vacation destination options. Many popular vacation destinations are within a short distance to a number of facilities that host educational activities and events. With the ability to learn, have fun, and save money, all at the same time, why would you not want to make your summer vacation educational?

How it effects to make your baby intelligent?

2010-05-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Well, in this modern world, every parent is thinking of the ways to make their children the best among the rest. They always like to explore the entire world just to be able to provide everything to their kids to make them grow wiser and smarter. They believe that educational toys are accurate partners in raising their babies intelligent and smarter. However, these parents always try to grab each and every educational toy for their child that helps them in their learning.

Toy that provides fun as well as educational value are generally more valuable to children and will benefit them better in their long run. There are lots of educational toys available in shopping malls, educational exhibition, and on the internet that helps parents in getting best and enthusiastic education to their wards. Now, the next questions arise in the mind of parents is that? What to choose or what are the best for their child that assists them in exploring their skills and knowledge.

Here are some helpful tips and hints that guide you for getting the best educational toys for your toddler:
Let them puzzle it out – Puzzles are the all time favorites of children, whether they are 2 years old or 13. If your child is 2 years old or below, then alphabet puzzles, colors, shapes and similar related items would be best. Time and audio related puzzles works best for children between the age group of 3 to 5. However, older kids such as-12 years age group child like to prefer puzzles related to space, word forming, math and maps etc.
Arts and Crafts – It develops your child’s creativity by giving them arts and crafts kits and supplies things like drawing, coloring books, clay, colored pencils and pens etc which allows them to use and develop their knowledge, coordination and imagination power
Books – There are several children’s books about reading, science, colors, math, grammar, shapes, are available in the market. This will assure your child in increasing their reading pleasure and fun.

Similarly some other items like CDs and DVDs, blocks games and Board Games are important tools for developing your child’s imagination, allowing him or her to freely build and heap according to his own whims and designs.

Smart Students

2010-03-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

Teacher: Maria, go to the map and find North America.
Maria: Here it is.
Teacher: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
Class: Maria.

==========

Teacher: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
John: You told me to do it without using tables.

==========

Teacher: Glenn, how do you spell ‘crocodile?’
Glenn: K-R-O-K-O-D-A-I-L
Teacher: No, that’s wrong…
Glenn: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.

==========

Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
Donald: H I J K L M N O.
Teacher: What are you talking about?
Donald: Yesterday you said it’s H to O.

==========

Teacher: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn’t have ten years ago.
Winnie: Me!

==========

Teacher: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
Glen: Well, I’m a lot closer to the ground than you are.

==========

Teacher: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ‘I’
Millie: I is..
Teacher: No, Millie…… Always say, ‘I am.’
Millie: All right… ‘I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.’

==========

Teacher: George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?
Louis: Because George still had the axe in his hand.

==========

Teacher: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
Simon: No sir, I don’t have to, my Mom is a good cook.

==========

Teacher: Clyde, your composition on ‘My Dog’ is exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you copy his?
Clyde: No, sir. It’s the same dog.

==========

Teacher: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
Harold: A teacher.

Benarkah Misteri Manusia Melayang Dapat Dijelaskan Lewat Ilmu Fisika?

2010-03-29T05:15:00.000-07:00

Ratusan siswa dari Asia, sebagian besar asal Indonesia, yang mengikuti Asian Science Camp di Sanur, Bali pada tahun 2008 lalu dihadapkan pada tantangan memecahkan fenomena mistis secara logis melalui ilmu fisika. Fenomena mistis tersebut seperti kemampuan manusia melawan gravitasi dengan melayang di udara tanpa media apapun, yang ternyata bisa dijelaskan dengan ilmu pengetahuan.

Mereka disuguhkan peragaan langsung rahasia ilmu fisika melalui enam orang bermeditasi dan keenamnya kemudian bisa lompat melayang di udara walau hanya beberapa detik. Walau menghasilkan kekaguman dan hampir tidak masuk akal, ternyata semua ada penjelasan teori dan logikanya menggunakan ilmu fisika.

“Keadaan seseorang dapat melayang di udara karena mengalami yang disebut transcendental meditation (TM). Dalam tubuh mereka telah terjadi kinerja otak yang koheren, sehingga dapat melayang,” ujar ahli TM Regianto. Ahli TM lainnya, I Wayan Sutrisna, menjelaskan bahwa fenomena tersebut sangat masuk akal dan dapat dijelaskan melalui teori fisika “Meissner Effect” atau teori tentang ketahanan dengan koherensi.

Dalam teori “Meisnner Effect”, terbukti elektron yang disorder atau tidak beraturan dapat dengan mudah ditembus medan magnet. Sedangkan elektron yang koheren, tidak dapat ditembus medan magnet.

“Inilah mengapa pikiran yang koheren dapat menangkal energi negatif dan tubuh kita bisa melayang di udara atau Yogic Flying,” katanya.

Dijelaskan, dengan TM seseorang akan memancarkan energi positif, yang secara tidak langsung merangsang zat seretonin dalam tubuh yang membantu menjadi bahagia. Dalam TM Sidi, melayangkan tubuh bukanlah tujuan utama, tetapi yang dikehendaki adalah keselarasan dalam berpikir dan kesehatan tubuh.

How to Get Your Girl Into Science

2010-03-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sally Ride’s monumental Challenger mission. And, since becoming the first American woman in space, Ride has dedicated her career to making sure girls are given the same opportunities to make history in the fields of math, science, and technology.

There is much talk these days about the math and science gap that exists between boys and girls, but in fact, scores from the National Assessment for Educational Progress show very little evidence for a gap between boys and girls in science and math. The problem, Ride says, is that as girls enter high school their interest in pursuing math and science careers begins to drop off. This may be due to lingering stereotypes that calculus and physics are more for boys, but Ride hopes that the growing number of female scientists and engineers will help guide young women into these careers.

Ride says parents play a huge role in dispelling gender stereotypes, and inspiring in their daughters a positive attitude about science.

So how can you get your girl into space, at the microscope, behind the drafting board, and otherwise entrenched in math, science and technology? Sally Ride Science’s Parent Handbook says parents can start by simply talking to their girls about their interests and aspirations, and holding high expectations for them in math and science subjects. In addition, she says parents should examine their own views about math, science and gender. Do you unintentionally convey messages that may reinforce gender stereotypes?

To “dissolve the mystique” around science and math, and to build confidence in problem-solving, the handbook also suggests parents encourage their daughters to explore — and to make mistakes.

Here are some ways to stoke her curiosity!

* Break down the mystique surrounding science. Science is part of everyday life. Encourage your daughter to explore the science and math all around her and provide your daughter with opportunities to ask questions.

* Encourage your daughter to dig into science. Let her know that it is okay for things to get messy, dirty or wet. Science is fun!

* Send the message that science is for girls. There are plenty of women making important contributions to science. Check out biographies of women scientists; talk about the exciting work they’re doing.

* Support your daughter’s involvement in informal science activities. Good informal science activities (for example, astronomy clubs, science camps) are effective in fostering girls’ interests in science.

* Encourage your daughter to experiment. Trial-and-error helps build confidence in problem-solving skills—and it’s part of science!

* Take your daughter to science centers and museums. Provide her with opportunities to explore science in fun, hands-on ways.

* Give your daughter practical experience tinkering with things. Have your daughter help fix appliances that are broken, put furniture together, install software on the family computer, or change a bicycle tire.

by Education.com
Topics: Science and Inspiring Your Child, Girls and Science

Para Penemu Dari Indonesia

2010-03-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

Ternyata indonesia tidak kalah hebatnya lho terbukti dengan beberapa
Para Penemu Dari Indonesia diantaranya

1. Abdul Jamil Ridho & Niti Soedigdo - Penemu Varietas Unggul Singkong Raksasa
2. Adi Rahman Adiwoso - Penemu Teknologi Baru dalam Telepon Bergerak Berbasis Satelit
3. Alexander Kawilarang - Penemu Kapal Ikan Bersirip
4. Andrias Wiji Setio Pamuji - Penemu Reaktor Biogas
5. Arief Mulyana Djumra - Penemu Pemacu Produktifitas dan Kualitas Udang dan Ikan
6. Aryadi Suwono & Tim Peneliti ITB - Penemu Bahan Pendingin Baru yang Lebih Hemat Energi
7. Ayub S. Parnata - Penemu Bakteri Kompos Organik
8. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie - Penemu Teori, Faktor dan Metode Habibie (Teknologi Pesawat Terbang)
9. Budi Noviantoro - Penemu Klip Penambat Bantalan Kereta Api dengan Dua Gigi
10. Dani Hilman Natawijaya - Penemu Indikator Alam (Terumbu Karang) terhadap Siklus Gempa
11. Djuanda Suraatmadja - Penemu Beton Polimer yang Ramah Lingkungan
12. Eddyman, Intan Elfarini & Kanaka Sundhoro - Penemu Obat Antinyamuk Alami dan Murah
13. Evvy Kartini - Penemu Penghantar Listrik Berbahan Gelas
14. Fuad Affandi - Penemu Pupuk Alami dari Air Liur
15. Herman Johannes - Penemu Tungku Berbahan Bakar Briket Arang Kayu dan Dedaunan
16. I Gede Ngurah Wididana - Penemu Formula Minyak Oles Bokhasi
17. I Made Budi - Penemu Formula Sari Buah Merah untuk Pengobatan
18. Lalu Selamat Martadinata - Penemu Alat Pemanggil Ikan
19. M. Djoko Srihono - Penemu Penjernih Air Limbah
20. Maruni Wiwin Diarti - Penemu Senyawa Antimikroba dari Rumput Laut
21. Minto - Penemu Kompor dan Pengering Hasil Tani dengan Tenaga Matahari
22. Mumu Sutisna - Penemu Hormon Penyubur Anakan Padi
23. Mulyoto Pangestu - Penemu Teknik Ekonomis Pembekuan Sperma
24. Neny Nurainy - Penemu Varian Virus Hepatitis B Indonesia
25. Puji Slamet Arif - Penemu Motor Listrik Hemat Energi
26. Rahmiana Zein - Penemu Teknik Pemisahan Cairan dalam Kecepatan Tinggi
27. Randall Hartolaksono - Penemu Formula Kimia Pemadam Api Ramah Lingkungan
28. Rizal & Juffri Sahroni - Penemu Penghemat Bahan Bakar Diesel
29. Robert Manurung - Penemu Minyak Jarak Murni
30. Saverinus Nurak - Penemu Mesin Pompa Tangan Berkekuatan Tinggi
31. Sutjipto & Ryantori - Penemu Konstruksi Fondasi Sarang Laba-laba
32. Sutrisno - Penemu Alat Perangkap Lalat Buah
33. Sedijatmo - Penemu Konstruksi Fondasi Cakar Ayam
34. Septinus George Saa - Penemu Rumus Penghitung antara Dua Titik Rangkaian Resistor
35. Sofin Hadi - Penemu Metode Cincin untuk Sunat Tanpa Luka
36. Sri Wuryani, Mustadjab, Euis M. Nirmala, Siwi Hardiastuti - Penemu Pengawet Aroma dalam Hampa
37. Tjokorda Raka Sukawati - Penemu Landasan Putar Bebas Hambatan Sosrobahu
38. Warsimin Adiwarsito - Penemu Marmer Buatan
39. Widowati Siswomihardjo - Penemu Bahan Baru untuk Gigi Palsu yang Lebih Aman dan Murah
40. Windu Hernowo - Penemu Penghemat Bahan Bakar Mesin
41. Yanto Lunardi Iskandar - Anggota Tim Penemu HIV & Metode Peningkatan Hematopoiesis
42. Yudi Utomo Imardjoko - Penemu Kontainer Limbah Nuklir
43. Zahlul Badaruddin - Penemu Zahlul Integrated Unit (Desain Sistem Efisien untuk Produksi Obat/Kimia)

Tips for Parents

2010-03-08T04:23:00.000-08:00

Set your child up for Success

Your child will be more likely to have a positive Science Fair experience if you follow these tips:

* Be positive about your child's work.

* Be aware of the boy-girl syndrome; girls CAN do science projects also.

* Be aware of the "perfect project" syndrome; allow yourself and your child to make mistakes. Edison made many before he came up with the right answer!

* Be honest with your children: If you don't know the answer, tell your child.

* Look around for ideas: take youngsters to your garden, library, etc.

* Seek out people to help you, friends who could "assist" your child.

* Get books for your children, join and use the public library.

* Collect and save materials; free and inexpensive materials found around the home often work best.

* Work with materials; allow your child to "mess about" with materials without your direction.

* Allow your child time for thinking, exploring, and doing the project.

* Save time especially for repeating the experiment many times.

* Stress "how to" skills, e.g., observing rather than memorizing facts.

* Examine issues with moral consequences, e.g., animals being harmed for experimental purposes.

* Help children to keep a daily log of their research activities.

* Help children write a report of their science fair research.

* Go over the results of your child's research with your child in order to help him/her practice explaining their research.

* Go to the science fair with your child and take pictures of projects that you are all interested in. These will serve as a resource for future research ideas.

* Talk to your child about future science fair projects that they would like to do.

* Keep a log of ideas as they come up throughout the year.

* If the experiment "didn't work," discuss with your child why this is so. Encourage your child to explain the results and ENTER the project anyway!

* REMEMBER, this is a learning experience for you CHILD. Projects should be done and understood by your child. You are welcome to guide.

* There are many websites that have science fair ideas in many topics. Go to Google.com and type in "science fair projects" and several sites will appear.

Math Projects for Science Fairs

2010-03-08T04:21:00.000-08:00

1. Investigate ``big'' numbers. What is a big number? The following examples might guide your investigation. A bank is robbed of 1 million loonies. How long would it take to move them? How much would they weigh? How much space would they take up? How big a swimming pool do you need to contain all the blood in the world? Is tex2html_wrap_inline264 very big? What is the biggest number anyone has ever written down (check the Guiness book of world records over the last few years)? How did this number come about?
2. How do computer bar codes (the ones you see on everything you buy) work? This is an example of coding theory at work. Find others. Investigate coding theory - there are many books with titles like ``an introduction to coding theory'' (this is not about secret codes). References: [Gal1], [Gal2], and [Gal3].
3. Infinity comes in different ``sizes''. What does this mean? How can it be explained? References: [Kam] or [Hunt] or refer to any book on Set Theory.
4. It is easy to check if a number is divisible by 10 by looking to see if its last digit is a 0. Haw many other ``tests of divisibility'' can you find? Divisibility by 5 or 7 or 9? Why do they work? Reference: [Gard1].
5. Most computers these days can handle sound one way or another. They store the sound as a sequence of numbers. Lots of numbers. 40,000 per second, say. What happens when you play around with those numbers? eg. Add 10 to each number. Multiply each number by 10. Divide by 10. Take absolute values. Take one sound, and add it to another sound (i.e. add up corresponding pairs of numbers in the sequences). Multiply them. Divide them. Take one sound, and add it to shifted copies of itself. Shuffle the numbers in the sequence. Turn them around backwards. Throw out every third number. Take the sine of the numbers. Square them. For each mathematical operation, you can play the resulting sound on the computers speakers, and hear what change has occurred. A little bit of programming, and you can get some very bizarre effects. Then try to make sense of this from some sort of theory of signal processing. You will first have to discover how sound is stored.
6. Find out all you can about the Fibonacci Numbers, tex2html_wrap_inline276 . In particular, where do they arise in nature? For example, look at the spirals on a pine-cone -- following the pattern of the cone, one spiral will go left, the other right. The cone will be covered by ``parallelograms'', the number of seeds on each side of the parallelogram will (always?) be two neighbouring Fibonacci numbers. For example 5 and 8. Similarly for pineapples, petals and leaves on plants.
7. What is the Golden Mean? Study its appearance in art, architecture, biology, and geometry, and its connection with continued fractions, Fibonacci numbers. What else can you find out?
8. Find out all you can about the Catalan Numbers, 1, 1, 2, 5, 14, 42, ...
9. Investigate triangular numbers. If that's not enough, do squares, pentagonal numbers, hexagonal numbers, etc. Venture into the third and even the fourth dimensions. Reference: [C&G].
10. Build models to illustrate asymptotic results such as Stirling's formula or the prime number theorem.
11. There is a well-known device for illustrating the binomial distribution. Marbles are dropped through the top and encounter a number of pins before dropping into cells where they are distributed according to the binomial distribution. By changing the position of the pins one should be able to get other kinds of distributions (bimodal, skewed, approximately rectangular, etc.) Explore.
12. Investigate the history of pi and the many ways in which it can be approximated. Calculate new digits of Pi - see the web site [Pi] to discover what this means.
13. Use Monte Carlo methods to find areas or to estimate pi. (Rather than using random numbers, throw a bunch of small objects onto the required area and count the numbers of objects inside the area as a fraction of the total in the rectangular frame).
14. Explore Egyptian fractions. In particular consider the conjectures of Erdös and Sierpinski: Every fraction of the form tex2html_wrap_inline278 or tex2html_wrap_inline280 , tex2html_wrap_inline282 can be written in the form tex2html_wrap_inline284 , where a < b < c, and a, b, and c are positive integers. See what you can discover. References: [Stew], [S&R].
15. Look at the ways different bases are used in our culture and how they have been used in other cultures. Collect examples: time, date etc. Look at how other cultures have written their number systems. Demonstrate how to add using the Mayan base 20, maybe compare to trying to add with Roman numerals (is it even possible?) Explore the history and use of the Abacus. References: [Bak], [Ifr].
16. There are several methods of counting and calculating using your fingers and hands. Some of these methods are still in common usage. Explore the mathematics behind one of them. Reference: [Ifr].

Source: Canadian Mathematical Society
Topics: Science Fair Project Ideas

Masuk kedalam kuadran manakah Anda ?

2010-03-06T06:11:00.001-08:00

enurut Robert T. Kiyosaki dalam buku the Cashflow Quadrant, berbagai macam cara orang mendapatkan uang atau mendapat nafkah hidupnya dapat digolongkan kedalam 4 kuadran, yaitu :

1. Employee : Karyawan atau buruh;
2. Self Employee : Dokter, Pengacara, Artis, Pelawak;
3. Business Owner : Pemilik Toko, Pemilik Kontrakan, Pemilik rental mobil;
4. Investor : Penanam modal atau investor.

Nah, melihat contoh tersebut diatas, masuk kedalam kuadaran manakah Anda sekarang? Sebab bisa jadi pola pikir kebanyakan bangsa kita hanya sebatas Employee?

Building Family Strengths: Values

2010-03-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

Values are a reflection of who we are, of our culture and of our own unique heritage. Being clear about our values enables and empowers us to establish priorities and make decisions that we can live with and by. What we learn from our families in childhood builds character and serves us throughout our lives. Families guide personal growth and education, while offering love and protection. When families are strong, our neighborhood is strong, our nation is strong and we can be more hopeful about the future.

Values have influence at every stage of making a choice. Values shape what we believe and perceive. They influence our goals, the alternatives we select and the ranking of these alternatives.
What Are Values?

Values are a part of our experience that affects our behavior. They encompass our attitudes, the standards for our actions and our beliefs. Values are often learned from family, culture and people around us. In addition, values tell others what is important to us and guide our decision making. We use our resources - time, money and brain power - on the things we value.
Characteristics of Positive Values Within Families

Many of our family ideals, beliefs, behaviors or "values" are merely habits of thinking or behaving. Sometimes this is because we do not know any other way or because we have not stopped to think about the motives or reasons for the things we think, say or do. Identifying and communicating the values of the family can . . .

* Be helpful in making personal decisions.
* Become a guide for self-empowerment.
* Help manage time, energy and resources to the fullest.
* Help one to know oneself better.
* Help eliminate some of the confusions in life.
* Help formulate a desired system of values.
* Help one to act or behave in accordance with their values.
* Help one to better understand and respect others who have different values.

Values are critical in building character and increasing an overall sense of well-being. Positive values within families...

* Promote honesty, integrity, commitment and loyalty.
* Encourage respect for self and others and tolerance of differences.
* Require being responsible and accountable for your actions, while practicing selfcontrol.
* Teach fairness and treating people equally.
* Require consideration, kindness, compassion and generosity toward others.
* Foster being a good citizen who appreciates doing things which make life better for self and for other people.

Preschool Children

Younger children are concerned with being good people. Being good means seeing the difference between right and wrong - and then doing what's right! Being good is about being brave. It's about doing what's right when it costs more in friends, money, toys or treats than we want to pay. Doing the right thing consistently is hard for anyone - but especially this age group.
Elementary Children

Young children need to know how to act and how not to act. They need to have clear instructions - not conflicting messages from family members and others in their lives. Through the many interactions between school-age children and others around them, the child learns what is acceptable, and what is not. Much of what this age group values will be played out at school, on the playground and through other interactions with their peers.

by Brenda J. Thames, Ed.D., CPCS, Extension Program Development Specialist|Deborah J. Thomason, Ed.D., Extension Family & Youth Development Specialist
Source: Clemson University Public Service Publishing
Topics: Parenting and Families, Parenting

Understanding Your Child's Temperament

2010-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

Ternyata Ayam Lebih pandai Membedakan Warna

2010-03-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

Para peneliti di Washington University School of Medicine di St. Louis, USA baru saja melaporkan penemuan mereka tentang disain biologis luar biasa yang ada di mata seekor ayam. Ternyata, seekor ayam memiliki lima jenis reseptor cahaya di matanya. Hebatnya, kelima reseptor tersebut terjalin sedemikian rapinya sehingga kesemuanya ada di seluruh bagian retina, sementara reseptor yang sejenis tidak ada yang saling bersebelahan. Subhanallah, puji Tuhan! Jalinan kelima reseptor yang demikian rapinya membuat seekor ayam dapat melihat banyak sekali warna di bagian manapun di retinanya.

Menurut Joseph C. Corbo, MD, PhD, seorang penulis senior yang merupakan seorang asisten profesor dalam bidang patologi dan imunologi serta dalam bidang genetik, pengaturan reseptor warna yang sedemikian rapinya sangat jauh melampaui apa yang terdapat di retina mamalia, termasuk manusia. Akibatnya, ayam lebih baik dalam membedakan warna ketimbang manusia! (Wah, untung ayam tak dapat membuat test buta warna, bisa jadi kita tak lolos test yang mereka buat lho - red)

Retina manusia memiliki reseptor yang sensitif terhadap panjang gelombang untuk warna merah, hijau, dan biru (RGB - Red, Green & Blue). Sementara retina ayam (atau unggas), selain memiliki reseptor untuk panjang gelombang ketiga warna tersebut, juga memiliki reseptor yang dapat mendeteksi panjang gelombang untuk warna ungu (violet) - termasuk ultraviolet - dan sebuah reseptor ganda yang diyakini oleh para peneliti membantu unggas untuk mendeteksi gerakan.

Susunan kelima reseptor yang tersebar merata di seluruh retina dan tak adanya reseptor sejenis yang saling bersebelahan memberi petunjuk adanya aturan yang berlaku menyeluruh, bahwa setiap reseptor dapat saling berdekatan, kecuali dengan reseptor sejenis. Dan ini dapat membantu para peneliti mempelajari kemampuan penglihatan manusia. Prof. Corbo pun menyatakan bahwa mereka berencana untuk mengembangkan penelitiannya ini untuk dapat dikaitkan dengan pemanfaatan stem cell dan teknik lain agar mampu menyembuhkan hampir 200 jenis kelainan genetik yang menyebabkan kebutaan. Semoga di kemudian hari saudara-saudara kita yang terkena gangguan penglihatan dapat menikmati hasil penelitian ini dan mampu melihat gemerlapnya dunia dengan terang benderang!

How to start writing thesis?

2010-02-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

Your thesis is the most critical aspect of your research essay. It not only organizes the material you are presenting, it also focuses your research efforts. Your information presented to the readers must be true and verifiable, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make.

If you use a piece of startling information, follow it with a sentence or two of elaboration. In the sense, we can provide you with the most significant details that are mostly connected to the desired topic for your thesis or even dissertation. It is important to restate the thesis and supporting ideas in an original and powerful way as this is the last chance the writer has to convince the reader of the validity of the information presented.

Essays are used to learn more about your reasons for applying to the course, university or company and your ability to benefit from and contribute to it. Your thoughts expressed will let you state your case more fully than other sections of your document, and provide the evaluator with better insight about you and how you differ from the other applicants. In marginal cases, the essays are used to decide whether an applicant will be selected.

The purpose of the admissions essay is to convey a sense of your unique character to the admissions committee. The essay also demonstrates your writing skills as well as your ability to organize your thoughts coherently. Corollary, we can provide the most significant issues that will further support the arguments that you are going to state.

Again, it's a marshalling of facts to support your argument. Make sure you have found out in any academics have made similar arguments and acknowledge them in your essay, this is very important in thesis writing because you might be charged of plagiarism, even if you did not draw directly from them. If they said things, which don't support your argument, say why these statements are either wrong or not applicable in the circumstances.

The introduction should start with a general discussion of your subject and lead to a very specific statement of your main point, or thesis. Sometimes an essay begins with a "grabber," such as a challenging claim, or surprising story to catch a reader's attention. The thesis should tell in one or at most two sentences, what your overall point or argument is, and briefly, what your main body paragraphs will be about.

Take care in selecting your thesis. but you don't want to be stuck either just repeating someone else's opinion, or citing all the same sources. Try to come up with an original thesis or take an aspect of someone's thesis and develop it.

Author: trapik
High School Information (Silabus-RPP)

Bagaimana cara memetakan Pikiran

2010-02-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

Otak manusia bekerja dengan pola tertentu. Ada semacam peta yang bekerja untuk membuat interkoneksi di seluruh tubuh kita. Interkoneksi tersebut saling memberi dan menerima. Dengan demikian, manusia dapat melakukan seluruh pekerjaannya dengan baik. Bila otak tak mampu melakukan itu semua, maka koordinasi dalam tubuh kita akan menjadi kacau. Akibatnya, kita tak mampu menyelesaikan seluruh kegiatan dengan baik.

Demikian pula bila kita ingin melakukan pekerjaan sehari-hari dengan baik, maka kita harus membuat sebuah sistem koordinasi dengan baik. Salah satu cara yang populer untuk membuat sistem koordinasi tersebut adalah dengan peta pikiran atau Mind Map. Dengan peta pikiran, kita dapat menyusun sebuah rencana kegiatan dengan sebaik-baiknya. Dengan peta pikiran ini, manusia akan mampu melaksanakan kegiatannya secara baik.

Seorang guru harus tahu tentang peta pikiran ini. Gunanya adalah untuk merencanakan dan mengkoordinasikan kegiatan belajar mengajar dengan baik. Dengan peta pikiran pula, guru dapat menyiapkan diri secara maksimal ketika akan memberikan pelajaran. Dan yang terpenting, guru akan terbantu dalam menjelaskan sebuah materi pelajaran secara mudah, jelas, dan efektif.

Bagi yang belum terbiasa, membuat peta pikiran akan lebih sulit. Tapi, apabila dipelajari maka akan mudah dilakukan. Belajar membuat peta pikiran tak sesulit yang dibayangkan. Kalau melihatnya, terasa sulit, tetapi bila kita memperlajarinya akan sangat mudah. Hanya butuh waktu beberapa menit, kegiatan membuat peta pikiran pasti akan bisa. Apapun yang akan kita lakukan dalam proses belajar mengajar, peta pikiran akan membantu kita merencanakan dan mengkoordinasikannya secara baik.

Belajar fisika, matematika, sejarah, olah raga, kesenian, dan lain-lain, akan lebih mudah diberikan apabila seorang guru memiliki peta pikiran yang telah disusun secara baik. Konsep-konsep pelajaran yang demikian banyak akan lebih mudah untuk dijelaskan ketika guru menggunakan peta pikiran. Pelajaran sejarah yang demikian rinci, akan lebih ringkas dengan menggunakan peta pikiran, walaupun penjelasan yang bisa berikan sangat banyak.

Begitulah, peta pikiran akan memberikan kemudahan bagi guru dalam memberikan pelajaran kepada para siswanya. Siswapun akan lebih mudah dalam menerima pelajaran yang diberikan oleh gurunya. Jadi, peta pikiran ini juga harus dipahami oleh para siswa. Guru juga harus mengajarkan siswanya bagaimana membuat peta pikiran. Siswa yang mampu membuat peta pikiran dengan baik dapat dipastikan akan lebih mudah memahami pelajaran dibandingkan dengan siswa yang tak mampu membuatnya lebih baik. Tugas gurulah untuk mengajarkan kepada para siswanya bagaimana membuat peta pikiran secara lebih baik.

Menurut Tony Buzan, untuk membuat peta pikiran (Mind Map) diperlukan tujuh langkah. Langkah-langkah tersebut adalah :

1. Mulai dari bagian tengah kertas kosong yang sisi panjangnya diletakkan mendatar. Mengapa? Karena memulai dari tengah memberi kebebasan kepada otak untuk menyebar ke segala arah dan untuk mengungkapkan dirinya dengan lebih bebas dan alami.

2. Gunakan gambar atau foto untuk ide sentral anda. Mengapa? Karena sebuah gambar bermakna seribu kata dan membantu kita menggunakan imajinasi. Sebuah gambar sentral akan lebih menarik, membuat kita tetap fokus, membantu kita berkonsentrasi dan mengaktifkan otak kita.

3. Gunakan warna. Mengapa? Karena bagi otak, warna sama menariknya dengan gambar. Warna membuat Mind Map atau peta pikiran kita lebih hidup, menambah energi kepada pemikiran kreativ, dan menyenangkan.

4. Hubungkan cabang-cabang utama ke gambar pusat dan hubungkan cabang-cabang tingkat dua dan tiga ke tingkat satu dan dua, dan seterusnya. Mengapa? Karena otak bekerja menurut asosiasi. Otak senang mengaitkan dua (atau tiga, atau empat) hal sekaligus. Bila kita menghubungkan cabang-cabang, kita akan lebih mudah mengerti dan mengingat. Penghubungan cabang-cabang utama akan menciptakan dan menetapkan struktur dasar atau arsitektur pikiran kita. Ini serupa dengan cara pohon mengaitkan cabang-cabangnya yang menyebar dari batang utama. Jika ada celah-celah kecil di antara batang sentral dengan cabang-cabang utamanya atau di antara cabang-cabang utama dengan cabang dan ranting yangg lebih kecil, alam tidak akan bekerja dengan baik! Tanpa hubungan dengan mind map anda, segala sesuatu (terutama ingatan dan pembelajaran) akan berantakan. Jadi buat hubungan!

5. Buatlah garis hubung yang melengkung, bukan garis lurus. Mengapa? Karena garis lurus akan membosankan otak. Cabang-cabang yang melengkung dan organis, seperti cabang-cabang pohon, jauh lebih menarik bagi mata.

6. Gunakan satu kata kunci untuk setiap garis. Mengapa? Karena kata kunci tunggal memberi lebih banyak daya dan fleksibelitas kepada mind map. Setiap kata tunggal atau gambar adalah seperti pengganda, menghasilkan sederet asosiasi dan hubungannya sendiri. Bila kita menggunakan kata tunggal, setiap kata ini akan lebih bebas dan karenanya lebih bisa memicu ide dan pikiran baru. Kalimat atau ungkapan cenderung menghambat efek pemicu ini. Mind map yang memiliki lebih banyak kata kunci seperti tangan yang semua sendi jarinya bekerja. Mind map yang memiliki kalimat atau ungkapan adalah seperti tangan yang semua jarinya diikat oleh belat kaku.

7. Gunakan gambar. Mengapa? Karena seperti gambar sentral, setiap gambar bermakna seribu kata. Jadi bila kita hanya mempunyai 10 gambar di dalam mind map, mind map kita sudah setara dengan 10.000 kata catatan!

ACG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

2010-02-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Jl. Warung Jati Barat No.19
(Taman Margasatwa)
Ragunan, South Jakarta
Tel. (62-21)780-5636
Fax (62-21) 781-4827
Email jude.soper@acgedu.com
Website www.acgedu.com

Curriculum: International/British and New Zealand, Kindergarten (3 years old) to grade 13

Ms. Jude Soper, Principal
Enrollment: 135

Over 3,000 students are currently being educated in Academic Colleges Group (ACG) Schools, both in New Zealand and overseas. The vision that drives us is clear. We aim to create a unique and dynamic learning environment, providing students from all over the world with an internationally – recognized education of the highest quality, and equipping them to make a successful contribution to the global community. ACG International School is a place where young people are encouraged and challenged to meet both their academic and personal potential. Learning and enjoyment go hand in hand, and each students needs are carefully considered. We offer a safe, caring environment with a superior standard of service and excellent facilities.

Latihan Soal Ujian Nasional (UNAS) Online

2010-02-16T15:04:00.000-08:00

For all Indonesian Students and Teachers, there are some examinations to knowing your skill or your students ability about the lessons they have been learned. This test will very helpful to prepare our students "fighting" the final test with call is National Test (UNAS) for many level studies such as: Elementary School, Junior and Senior High School. The test contains for many lessons and many years of National Test database with multiple choice questions.

Let's see the score of your test now and good luck!

Don't forget to do the easy question first!

Elementary School (SD) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris

Year of 2006
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris

Year of 2005
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, PKN

Yunir High Shcool (SMP) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2006
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2005
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Senior High School (SMA) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN, Sosiologi

Year of 2006
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN, Sosiologi

Year of 2005
Matematika (pembahasan), Fisika (pembahasan), Kimia (pembahasan),
Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Download Latihan Soal Ujian Nasional (UNAS) 2009

2010-02-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

National Test (UNAS) will be held soon, to all Indonesian teachers and students especially 3'rd class students, do not worry about it, you can use this sample examination of National Test (UNAS) of year 2009 for prepare the test. Those files are in .pdf format, to download it, you should be install Adobe Reader or Acrobat Reader on your computer first.
Here the list :

Based on the agreement (BSNP, Depdiknas, and DEPAG) National Examination schedule was decided as follows:

Senior High School (SMA/MA/SMK) on April 20-24, 2009
Junior High School (SMP/MTs) on April 27-30, 2009
Elementary School (SD/MI) on May 11-13, 2009
SMK/SMALB on April 20-22, 2009

The list of National Test Preparation for Senior High School (SMA/MA) :
Antropologi (.pdf)
Bahasa Arab (.pdf)
Biologi_IPA (.pdf)
Ekonomi (.pdf)
Fisika_IPA (.pdf)
Geografi (.pdf)
Ilmu Hadits (.pdf)
Ilmu Kalam (.pdf)
IlmuTafsir (.pdf)
Bahasa Indonesia_Program Bahasa (.pdf)
Bahasa Indonesia_Program IPA-IPS (.pdf)
Bahasa Inggris_Program IPA-IPS-Bahasa (.pdf)
Bahasa Jepang (.pdf)
Bahasa Jerman (.pdf)
Kimia_IPA (.pdf)
Mandarin (.pdf)
Matematika_Bahasa (.pdf)
Matematika_IPA (.pdf)
Matematika_IPS (.pdf)
Bahasa Perancis (.pdf)
Sastra Indonesia (.pdf)
Sosiologi (.pdf)

The list of National Test Preparation for Junior High School (SMP/MTs) :
Bahasa Indonesia (.pdf)
IPA (.pdf)
Matematika (.pdf)
Bahasa Inggris (.pdf)

The list of National Test Preparation for Elementary School (SD/MI) :
Bahasa Indonesia (.pdf)
IPA (.pdf)
Matematika (.pdf)

The list of National Test Preparation for (SMK) :
Bahasa Indonesia (.pdf)
Bahasa Inggris (.pdf)
Matematika Akun Penjualan (.pdf)
Matematika Seni Wisata Rumah Tangga PeksosAdmin (.pdf)
Matematika TekKesTani (.pdf)

Source information:
- www.depdiknas.go.id
- http://belajarmengajar.blogspot.com

Heboh, Guru Telanjang di Depan Kelas

2010-02-16T03:14:00.000-08:00

Guru Telanjang Di Depan Kelas, Seorang guru yang mencoba bertindak layaknya remaja trendy dengan membuka bajunya di depan siswanya, terancam kehilangan pekerjaan. Aksi guru yang tidak menutup tubuhnya dari pinggang ke atas tersebut, disaksikan oleh 30 anak muridnya yang sebagian besar berusia 14 tahun.

Martin Rouse (57), seorang guru di Sudbury Upper School, Suffolk, Inggris, menanggalkan bajunya di depan para siswa. Berdalih bertingkah untuk menyenangkan para murid, aksi konyol Rouse ini sempat direkam oleh seorang siswa dan diedarkan secara luas melalui Youtube.

Guru dengan berat badan lebih tersebut mengatakan tindakannya itu hanya untuk menghibur muridnya yang kelihatan bosan. Seperti diberitakan Daily Mail, Sabtu (5/12/2009)

Kepala sekolah setempat langsung memecat Rouse usai menonton video berdurasi 4 detik tersebut. Tidak hanya kehilangan pekerjaan di tempat dia mengajar, Rouse juga dikenakan pelarangan mengajar di 357 sekolah lain di Suffolk, oleh dewan kota setempat. Namun persatuan guru setempat menolak mencabut izin mengajarnya, dan memberinya teguran keras yang akan dicatat dalam laporan kerja Rouse selama dua tahun.

source : pakarbisnisonline.blogspot.com

What are AudibleKids audio books?

2010-02-11T04:42:00.000-08:00

Most parents and educators agree that children’s audio books help develop literacy skills and improve listening comprehension. And now, with AudibleKids children’s audio books, there’s a new way to make reading fun and help kids discover a love of books. With thousands of audio books for all ages and interests, AudibleKids makes it easy to download children’s audio books and listen to stories on your Apple® iPod®, MP3 player or computer.

Whether it's a classic fairy tale, mystery, or biography, AudibleKids has it all with the largest selection of digital children's audio books. So turn your iPod into a learning tool for your child today and start listening together - anytime or anywhere.

6 Milyuner Paling Dermawan di Dunia !

2010-02-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

1. Lakshimi Mittal

Asal Negara: India
Kewarganegaraan: Inggris
Usia: 56 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Menikah, 2 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 32 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Baja
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk amal: 6/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

2. Warren Buffet

Asal Neqara: Amerika
Kewarganegaraan: Amerika
Usia: 76 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Duda, 3 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 52 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Investasi
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk amal: 6/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

3. Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Al Saud

(keponakan Raja Saudi Arabia)
Asal Neqara: Saudi Arabia
Kewarganeqaraari: Saudi Arabia
Usia: 49 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Menikah, 2 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 23,7 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Investasi
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk amal: 6/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

4. Bill Gates

Asal Negara: Amerika
Kewarganegaraan: Amerika
Usia: 52 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Menikah, 3 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 59,2 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Microsoft
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk amal: 6/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

5. Ingvar Kamprad

Asal Negara: Swiss
Kewarganegaraan: Swedia
Usia: 80 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Menikah, 4 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 33 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Ikea
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk amal: 8/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

6. Carlos Slim Helu

Asal Negara: Meksiko
Kewarganegaraan: Meksiko
Usia: 67 tahun
Status Perkimpoian: Duda, 6 anak
Perkiraan Kekayaan: 67,8 milyar (US$)
Sumber Pendapatan: Telecom
Perkiraan jumlah uang yang telah disumbang untuk aural: 9/10 dari jumlah hartanya.

Four Life Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement

2010-02-11T04:11:00.000-08:00

Four Life Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement

“I have a dream . . . .” Most of us recognize the rhetoric behind the Civil Rights Movement. But behind these famous quotes were men and women of action. Honor the rich heritage of these African-American leaders by transforming their words and deeds into personal life lessons for both you and your child.

Thurgood Marshall: “What is the quality of your intent?”

The story: In 1930, Thurgood Marshall was denied entrance to the University of Maryland because of his race. Undeterred, Marshall graduated instead from Howard University’s law school, became the Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and in 1954 argued the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case to the highest judicial body in the nation, later becoming the first African-American to sit on that Court.

The lesson: To help your children put Thurgood Marshall’s remarkable persistence into action, help them with their goal-setting. Have them determine something worth pursuing, first of all—and whether your daughter is trying to make the soccer team or your son is trying to get his Eagle Scout award, goal-setting is an important part of turning success into a routine. Break down long-term goals into smaller, more manageable steps, and most importantly, don’t be afraid of discussing potential setbacks or roadblocks and how to turn them into assets: after all, Marshall’s inability to gain admission to the University of Maryland sparked a lifetime of triumphantly championing Constitutional equality for all.

Little Rock Nine (Ernest Green): “We realized in 1957 that this was not an easy journey. It was one in which we thought we were simply exercising our right to the best education that was available in Little Rock, Arkansas.”

The story: The year was 1957 and three years after the groundbreaking Brown vs. Board of Education case, the Little Rock schools were beginning the process of desegregation. Contrary to a federal court mandate, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, Minnijean Brown, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Melba Beals and Themla Mothershed from entering the all-white Little Rock Central High. This prompted President Eisenhower to force integration; the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. National Guard then escorted the Little Rock Nine to school on September 25, 1957, where they would brave physical, emotional and psychological abuse from many of their white classmates and community members for the next year as they stood together for equality.

The lesson: The Little Rock Nine exemplified courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Fortunately, everyday courage doesn’t have to mean physical or emotional endangerment under such duress. Encourage your child to do something outside the realm of his or her comfort zone daily. Even simple, low-risk activities like sitting by someone new on the playground or volunteering an answer in class can be very empowering for children. Little, daily victories can help children to build up their self-esteem for those character-testing decisions down the road that might require real moral courage.

Inilah Mesin Wudhu Dari Malaysia !

2010-02-11T04:06:00.000-08:00

Dalam enam bulan ke depan, sebuah sebuah mesin wudu model baru bakal dipasarkan dengan harga 3.000-4.000 dollar per unit. Mesin wudu ini sebenarnya sudah diperkenalkan oleh penemunya, Anthony Gomez sejak tahun 2006 lalu dan model baru mesin wudu itu diluncurkan awal bulan Februari ini.

Mesin wudu model baru itu dirancang sedemikian rupa sehingga bisa menghemat air yang digunakan untuk wudu. Dengan mesin model baru ini, air yang digunakan untuk wudu hanya sekitar 1,3 liter, jauh lebih hemat dibandingkan dengan menggunakan keran air biasa. “Motivasi orang untuk menggunakan sistem mesin ini adalah menghemat air,” kata Gomez yang juga pimpinan AACE Tecnologies, perusahaan Malaysia yang memproduksi mesin wudu ini.

Dalam acara peluncuran perangkat itu di Kuala Lumpur, Gomez mengatakan, butuh waktu dua tahun untuk mengembangkan sistem komputerisasi mesin wudu itu dengan biaya sebesar 2,5 juta dollar. Menurutnya, mesin wudu ini sangat bermanfaat bagi negara-negara Muslim yang langka sumber airnya, misalnya negara Arab Saudi. Apalagi negara itu selalu padati jamaah haji setiap tahunnya.

“Selama ibadah haji, dua juta jamaah menghabiskan lebih dari 50 juta liter air per hari hanya untuk wudu. Jika mesin ini digunakan, air yang digunakan bisa dihemat hingga 40 juta liter setiap harinya,” kata Gomez.

Target pasar dari mesin wudu ini adalah masjid-masjid dan perkantoran. Sejumlah negara seperti Dubai, ungkap Gomez, sudah memesan mesin wudu itu untuk dipasang di bandara.

Di Malaysia sendiri, mesin wudu ini mungkin tidak terlalu dibutuhkan karena Malaysia termasuk negara yang sumber air bersihnya melimpah. “Ide mesin wudu ini bagus dan dibuat sesuai ajaran Islam yang mengajarkan agar hemat menggunakan air saat wudu. Tapi di Malaysia, air melimpah ruah sehingga Malaysia tidak membutuhkan mesin semacam ini,” komentar Aminudin, warga Malaysia.

Ide Mesin Wudu

Gomez terinspirasi untuk memproduksi mesin khusus untuk wudu ketika ia melakukan perjalanan dengan menggunakan kapal feri dari Mesir ke Yordania. Ia dan timnya ketinggalan kapal feri cepat dan terpaksa naik kapal feri biasa yang lebih lambat. Di kapal feri itu, Gomez merasa prihatin melihat toilet yang kotor dan selalu ramai oleh penumpang yang mengambil wudu. Saat itu, feri yang dinaiki Gomez memang sedang padat penumpang yang akan pergi umrah.

“Banyak dari mereka yang berwudu, mencuci kaki mereka tapi kemudian berjalan di lantai toilet yang kotor dan sama sekali tidak higienis. Meski saya bukan Muslim, saya merasa prihatin melihatnya,” ujar Gomez pada tahun 2006 saat pertama kali mengenalkan alat temuannya.

Gomez mengatakan, ia melakukan konsultasi dengan Dewan Islam Australia sebelum menciptakan mesin wudu itu. Dewan mengeluarkan fatwa yang isinya menyetujui mesin wudu digunakan. Dan di model mesin wudunya yang baru, Gomez melengkapinya dengan murotal Al-Quran. (ln/asiaone)

Teleskop Hubble “Tangkap” Naga di Luar Angkasa

2010-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Teleskop luar angkasa Hubble merekam citra sebuah bayangan berbentuk mirip seperti naga. Selain itu, teleskop yang baru diperbaiki tersebut juga menemukan sejumlah keajaiban luar angkasa lainnya.

Pekan lalu, tepatnya pada Rabu (9/9/2009) lalu para ilmuwan merilis gambar-gambar terbaru yang direkam oleh teleskop Hubble.

Salah satu yang paling menarik dan membuat para ilmuwan takjub adalah gambar sebuah galaksi yang yang menyerupai bentuk naga dalam sebuah bayangan kosmis.

Sebenarnya, gambar tersebut merupakan citra dari sebuah galaksi spiral biasa, namun cahaya sinar membuatnya membentuk lekukan dan berbelok-belok menyerupai naga.

“Gambar Hubble terbaru menunjukkan keadaan galaksi yang lebih rinci dari sebelumnya,” kata david Leckorne dari Goddard Space Flight Center NASA di Maryland seperti dikutip dari New Scientist, Senin (14/9/2009).

Gambar ini diabadikan menggunakan kamera canggih milik Hubble yang baru saja diperbaiki pada Mei silam. Selain gambar ‘naga’ tersebut, NASA juga merilis gambar kelompok bintang beraneka warna, sebentuk bintang nebula, dan sekelompok galaksi yang saling berinteraksi.

Astronot Scott Altman yang terlibat dalam misi perbaikan Hubble Mei lalu menyatakan kekagumannya atas gambar-gambar yang dihasilkan Hubble.

“Gambar-gambar ini sungguh mengesankan saya dan seluruh anggota tim misi perbaikan Hubbe,” kata Altman.

sumber : Okezone

Barack Obama on Education

2010-02-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Americans voted in Barack Hussein Obama as president of the United States in an election weighted down with the harsh realities of a down-turning economy and two costly wars. Now that the dust is beginning to settle, many Americans are wondering what the new president will do to improve their children's education.

Throughout his campaign, Barack Obama has said he plans to take a fresh, objective look at the age-old debate over education issues. “A truly historic commitment to education – a real commitment will require new resources and new reforms,” Obama says. “It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades – Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability. And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face – who doesn’t just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.” Where does Obama stand specifically on the most pressing education issues? Here’s our cheat sheet on education according to Obama:

Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is stuck in the crossfire in the debate over accountability, and Obama has stepped up to take aim. He says that too often standardized tests fail to provide valuable or timely feedback. Meanwhile, “creativity has been drained from classrooms, as too many teachers are forced to teach to fill-in-the-bubble tests,” Obama says. He doesn’t go so far as to say he’ll drop testing completely; it should be one of the “tools that we use to make sure our children are learning. It just can’t dominate the curriculum to an extent where we are pushing aside those things that will actually allow children to improve and accurately assess the quality of the teaching that is taking place in the classroom.” How does he plan to revamp testing? “I will provide funds for states to implement a broader range of assessments that can evaluate higher-order skills, including students’ abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, solve problems, present and defend their ideas,” says Obama.

School Choice

Obama says his focus is on providing good schools for all kids, and that's why he does not support vouchers that allow parents to use public school money for private school. “We need to invest in our public schools and strengthen them, not drain their fiscal support,” he says. “In the end, vouchers would reduce the options available to children in need. I fear these children would truly be left behind in a private market system.” Obama is more open to charter schools working within the public school system, calling them “important innovators” which improve healthy competition among public schools. However, Obama says there need to be strong accountability measures in place.

No Child Left Behind

Obama's catch phrase for this topic is, “No Child Left Behind left the money behind,” meaning that unfulfilled funding promises have limited the program's effectiveness in improving public education. He says while the goals of No Child Left Behind are right, the way they’ve been implemented is wrong: there needs to be better assessment and a greater effort to ensure that every child has a successful teacher. “Particularly at a time when our nation is facing a shortage in teachers due to retirement and retention problems, it is important to ensure that we can attract, support, and retain high-quality teachers,” he says. How does Obama propose we do this? By experimenting with alternative preparation, mentoring and professional development programs, in addition to providing fresh incentives for serving high-need schools. Specifically, he plans to provide funding for 200 new Teacher Residency Programs, an idea he introduced in the Senate last year. In these programs, individuals completing coursework for teacher certification could serve as apprentices in the classrooms of veteran teachers, as long as they pledged at least three years of service in the sponsoring district.

Education.com

Kumpulan Soal Matematika Persiapan UAN

2010-02-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

UAN sudah menghadang di depan mata, jangan khawatir, tentunya dengan banyak latihan, kesiapan menghadapi UAN semakin mantab, untuk siswa SMA, berikut adalah latihan Soal UAN untuk mata pelajaran matematika.

File Pendukung :

Pendidikan di Jepang Semakin Diminati

2010-02-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

Jepang sebagai negara tujuan belajar semakin populer dan diminati masyarakat.

Selain program pendidikan tinggi di bidang teknik yang terbilang maju di Asia, kedekatan masyarakat Indonesia dengan kultur populer Jepang ikut memengaruhi.

Pameran Pendidikan Jepang yang diselenggarakan oleh PT Pandan International, Sabtu (29/8) di Hotel Nikko Jakarta, dipadati ratusan remaja yang silih berganti berdatangan. Dalam pameran tersebut, hadir 15 sekolah Bahasa Jepang yang datang langsung dari Negeri Sakura tersebut.

Komisaris PT Pandan International Richard Susilo yang menjadi penyelenggara pameran tersebut mengatakan, tercatat sekitar 1.500 orang hadir di pameran itu. Jepang menjadi daya tarik tidak hanya karena program studinya, tetapi juga budayanya. Orangtua belakangan mulai memilih Jepang sebagai tujuan belajar anaknya ketimbang Amerika atau Australia yang sudah menjadi negara tujuan belajar sejak lama.

”Mereka khawatir anak mereka terpapar pergaulan bebas atau narkoba. Kalau di Jepang, kultur masih Timur dan anak akan disibukkan dengan belajar Bahasa Jepang dan materi kuliah sehingga tidak sempat berulah macam-macam,” ujarnya.

Chief Department of Japanese dari College of Business and Communication Takashi Ishijima yang menjadi salah satu peserta pameran mengatakan, Indonesia merupakan pasar potensial.

”Apalagi, remaja Indonesia relatif dekat dan menyukai kultur populer Jepang,” ujarnya. -Kompas.com-

Lima Mata Pelajaran Diujikan Dalam UN SMK

2010-02-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

Lima mata pelajaran yang diujikan dalam Ujian Nasional bagi Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK)...

yaitu Matematika Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris dan Teori Kejuruan serta Praktik Kejuruan. Ujian ini dilaksanakan dengan dua tahapan, yang pertama, tahap ujian Praktik kejuruan yang dilakukan di masing-masing sekolah dipandu oleh mitra industri. Ujian praktik kejuruan dilaksanakan sebelum UN Utama. Tahap kedua adalah UN Utama meliputi mata pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia, Matematika, Bahasa Inggris, dan Teori Kejuruan.

"Praktik Kejuruan termasuk mata uji bukan embeded tetapi termasuk pembagi rata-rata sehingga ada nilai praktik, nilai teori, nilai bahasa Indonesia, nilai bahasa Inggris dan nilai matematika", kata Joko Sutrisno, selaku Direktur Pembinaan Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan, Kementerian Pendidikan Nasional dalam memberikan keterangan Pers di lantai 13 gedung E, Kementerian Pendidikan Nasional, pada Selasa, (26/01).

Pada penyelenggaraan Ujian Nasional (UN) Tahun Pelajaran 2009/2010 mata pelajaran kompetensi keahlian teori kejuruan dijadikan sebagai salah satu mata pelajaran yang diujikan di UN Utama pada jenjang sekolah menengah kejuruan (SMK). Pada pelaksanaan UN sebelumnya, mata uji teori kejuruan merupakan prasyarat untuk melakukan ujian praktik.

"Rencananya pada saat itu akan dijadikan sebagai salah satu mata uji, tetapi belum memungkinkan waktunya. Sekarang sudah kita siapkan jauh-jauh hari. Itu (teori kejuruan) memang bagian dari mata uji," kata Joko Sutrisno.

Joko Sutrisno juga menjelaskan bahwa untuk soal Praktik Kejuruan dirancang sedemikian rupa sehingga berlaku secara menyeluruh, dan yang pasti tidak mengujikan sesuatu yang tidak diajarkan, sesuai dengan standar isi yang sudah disahkan oleh Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan (BSNP)

"jadi tidak perlu ada kekawatiran apa yang akan diujikan, sehingga pada prinsipnya materi ini secara kurikulum diajarkan dan juga memperhatikan range kemampuan kompetensi siswa, jadi bukan soal yang sulit sekali dan juga bukan soal yang sederhana tetapi yang proporsional sesuai dengan tingkatan peserta uji", tambah Joko Sutrisno.

Joko Sutrisno menyampaikan, ujian praktik kejuruan, yang dilaksanakan sebelum ujian teori, rencananya akan dilaksanakan pada 15 Februari 2010. "Ujian praktik dilakukan secara individu, tidak ada lagi ujian grup, kalau dulu ada ujian proyek kelompok sekarang tidak lagi, supaya kita memang bisa memastikan bahwa anak ini bisa bekerja," katanya.

Joko menyebutkan, untuk pembelian bahan ujian praktik akan didukung dari anggaran Bantuan Operasional Manajemen Mutu (BOMM) sebanyak Rp 180.000,00 per siswa setelah ada tambahan pagu dari anggaran sebelumnya Rp 120.000,00. Dana ini disalurkan melalui mekanisme dekonsentrasi ke pemerintah daerah. Dia menambahkan, alokasi dana BOMM ini ditujukan untuk 3,2 juta siswa SMK dari total 3,6 juta siswa SMK. "Jadi nanti kita bagi secara proporsional, " katanya.

Peserta UN dinyatakan lulus jika memenuhi standar kelulusan UN memiliki nilai rata-rata minimal 5,50 untuk seluruh mata pelajaran yang diujikan, dengan nilai minimal 4,00 untuk paling banyak dua mata pelajaran dan minimal 4,25 untuk mata pelajaran lainnya. Khusus untuk SMK nilai ujian praktik kejuruan minimal 7,00 dan digunakan untuk menghitung nilai rata-rata UN.

Jadwal UN SMK Tahun Pelajaran 2009/2010 mata pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia, UN Utama, Senin, 22 Maret 2010, UN Susulan, Senin, 29 Maret 2010; Bahasa Inggris, UN Utama, Selasa 23 Maret 2010, UN Susulan, Selasa, 30 Maret 2010.; Matematika, UN Utama, Rabu 24 Maret 2010, UN Susulan 31 Maret 2010; dan Teori Kejuruan, UN Utama, Kamis, 25 Maret 2010, UN Susulan, Kamis, 1 April 2010.

Jadwal UN Ulangan SMK mata pelajaran Bahasa Indonesia dilaksanakan pada Senin, 10 Mei 2010; mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris, Selasa, 11 Mei 2010; mata pelajaran Matematika, Rabu, 12 Mei 2010; dan mata pelajaran Teori Kejuruan pada Jumat, 14 Mei 2010. (AND) -Sidiknas-

Positive Psychology: What it is & How it Can Improve Your Life

2010-02-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

In the early days, psychology was mainly about research. They wanted to understand how reflexes worked (touch a hot stove… Ouch! Move your hand away), perception worked (I see an old lady… now I see a princess...) and how behavior worked (dog sees food… it salivates).
When psychology started it had 3 aims: treat and cure mental illness, support ‘creative genius’ or prodigies which back then may have been mistaken for mental illness, and help every day people live better lives.
Mental illness became a popular topic after WWI and WWII. Psychologists who used to play in labs and give lectures all day had new career opportunities. They could treat people who were coming home from war plagued by mental illness.
And poof…
A lot of funding and money poured into studying how to fix what was wrong with people.
Well in 2008, we now know A LOT about what is wrong with people. We have treatments for most mental illnesses and even some cures. We also know a lot about creative genius, but as a whole psychology did not know a lot about your every day Joe. So in 1998 Dr. Martin Seligman created a new field in psychology… positive psychology.
Seligman spent most of his life studying depression and proved that depression is learned. Then he asked, what about optimism?
For a long time, psychologists thought that if you took a person who was depressed and took their depression away, you’d have a happy person. But that’s not true.
Just because you don’t have a cold, doesn’t mean you are optimally healthy. Just because you aren’t depressed doesn’t mean you feel vibrant, joyful and love your life.
The field of positive psychology, sometimes referred to as the science of happiness, uses the same scientific rigor that has been applied to studying what’s wrong with people and how to fix them, to understanding the breadth of human potential. Positive psychologists conduct research on things like optimism, resilience, grit, hope, joy, awe, strengths, happiness, flow, prayer, and humor.
Anyone can apply the research that has come out of positive psychology into their lives and careers. Practitioners such as psychologists, therapists and life coaches, use positive psychology to find what is already working with clients and help them build their strengths, find engagement and meaning in their life. They help them feel happier and more fulfilled.
Positive psychology is different than “happiology”. We are not advocating people be happy, happy, happy all the time. It’s extremely important to feel angry, frustrated and sad when it is appropriate. Positive psychology is about what Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar calls, “the permission to be human.” That is, feeling all the emotions that human beings feel as opposed to trying to tell ourselves we should be happy all the time. It's about allowing yourself to feel all emotions as they come up without getting stuck.
For a long time, psychology did not give people the permission to be human. The field was heavily skewed on the side of mental illness, positive psychology is about evening out the scale. Bringing as much focus to the positive side of life as we have to the negative.
The research coming out of positive psychology is fascinating. Never before have scientists ran double-blind placebo studies on things like happiness, gratitude and optimism.
Now, you might be thinking, why bother conducting a research study to find out that doing good things for others can help you feel better? I completely agree with you. Inherently we know those things are good and we should do that. But, how many miserable or slightly unhappy people do you come across in your life? How many people do you know that go out of their way to do something nice for someone else? Even better, go out of their way for a complete stranger?
Research shows that you can dramatically and instantaneously improve your happiness level just by doing something nice for someone else. These people are happier, have better relationships, are more liked by others and feel better about themselves.
Yes, we know that doing these things can benefit our lives. But we forget. Or we don’t realize the impact it can have on us.
Sound scientific research is powerful stuff. A study showed that sales people who learn skills on becoming more resilient and optimistic were three times more successful than their depressed counterparts. If you’re a company owner, that’s a big deal.
Research shows that engaging in work that enables you to use your strengths and what you are naturally good at not only enables you to be happier but also more effective. Makes sense right? But how many people do you know that actually get to do what they are good at and love to do every day?
Positive psychology is unique from self-help and pop psychology. Its founder Martin Seligman is very clear that positive psychology should be descriptive, rather than prescriptive. Meaning, rather than doing research about what increases happiness and then telling people what to do with their lives, positive psychology should describe the research on these topics. According to Seligman, people conduct sound studies on topics such as resilience, gratitude and prayer, figure out how these things affect people and the mechanisms by which they work.
Then they educate people on what the research shows. For example, studies show that expressing increases your experience of positive emotions and reduces symptoms of depression. Grateful people are more optimistic about future events, feel more connected with others and even report better quality sleep. As scientists conduct these studies they aim to understand the mechanisms involved in gratitude: how does it work? Why does it work?
Positive psychologist say, “show people the research, help them make informed decisions about what would work best in their life.” This is powerful and profoundly different from prescribing or telling people how to live their lives.
As a positive psychology based life coach, I combine both a descriptive and a prescriptive approach. I describe positive psychology based approaches for creating the positive change clients want to see, and I make suggestions based on what has worked for me and others.
As a field, positive psychology has taken off. Just Google “happiness” + “study”
and look at how much happiness has been in the media recently. Try words like resilience, joy, humor, strengths, grit, life satisfaction and you’ll see that positive psychology is rapidly expanding. The formal definition of positive psychology, a la Wikipedia, is “the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.” Every month there are more and more fascinating studies coming out in the field. We have barely scratched the surface of what we understand to be these strengths and virtues, nevertheless, positive psychology is transforming people’s lives worldwide.

Nana

School Stress Buster

2010-01-17T04:01:00.000-08:00

As the schools’ syllabuses get complex and workload increase, students are bound to be stressed at times. Stress is part and parcel of life and learning to cope with it is part of the objective of an education. Here are 8 important concepts to follow to make your time in school a pleasant one:

1. Why?

Identify all the positive reasons for all the hard work and effort you are putting into getting good grades. Is it for yourself and your parents, or for your relatives? Is it so that you can become a pilot, lawyer or a teacher? These reasons should be empowering or perhaps put a smile on your face when you think about them.

2. Stationary

Being well stocked with pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, writing pad and files ensures that you need not worry about not having any basic material on hand. Acquire the good habit of filing and adopt an organized system of filing, so that you know exactly where to find your notes and worksheets when you need to. This saves you a lot of time.

3. Punctuality

Be on time for all your classes. Dragging your feet into lessons and being late will not please your teacher and it adds to everyone’s negative vibes about each other. The same goes for your homework. It is best to plan to finish your work before deadlines, not right on deadlines. You tend to be late when you plan to finish just on time.

4. Ask

Your teachers have an abundance of subject resources with them. If you need any help at all, always approach them. They will be more than happy to direct you to resources or even give some of their own to you. If you need help with some of your weaker subjects, do not hesitate to ask for tuition.

5. Interesting Subjects

When you have a choice of which subjects to take or which topics to work on for projects, always choose those for which you have the most interest. This makes learning fun for you and you are usually much more productive. Avoid choosing topics/subjects just because you think they will impress your teacher or your friends,

6. Schedule

Allocate specific time slots everyday for homework and leisure. It is normally advised that you clear up your work first before relaxing. It is always better to allocate slightly more time than is needed than to underestimate, because not being able to finish up work usually leads to panic.

7. Study Environment

Make sure you have a quiet and pleasant environment for learning. Having a proper chair and table of the correct height will save you from getting aches and cramps. Your table should be clean. Having it too cluttered normally disturbs you subconsciously. Take 5 minute breaks after every hour of study to rest your body and mind. You will come back more refreshed and more productive than before.

8. Study Style

The best style of studying that has proven to work is through regular revision. You tend to feel more prepared for classes and ready to do your homework when you follow this style. To read more about this, refer to this article.

by: Justin Lee

About the Author

The author is the founder of two education businesses, www.Shimes-Education.com and www.AceTutors.com.sg.

Learning Mathematics for Life: A Perspective from PISA

2010-01-16T01:56:00.000-08:00

People from many countries have expressed interest in the tests students take for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Learning Mathematics for Life examines the link between the PISA test requirements and student performance. It focuses specifically on the proportions of students who answer questions correctly across a range of difficulty. The questions are classified by content, competencies, context and format, and the connections between these and student performance are then analysed.

This analysis has been carried out in an effort to link PISA results to curricular programmes and structures in participating countries and economies. Results from the student assessment reflect differences in country performance in terms of the test questions. These findings are important for curriculum planners, policy makers and in particular teachers – especially mathematics teachers of intermediate and lower secondary school classes.

Table of contents

*
Chapter 1 - PISA 2003: Introduction
*
Reader's Guide
*
Chapter 2 - Main features of the PISA mathematics theoretical framework
* Chapter 3 - A question of difficulty: questions from PISA 2003
* Chapter 4 - Comparison of country level results
* Chapter 5 - The roles of language and item formats
* Chatper 6 - Mathematical problem solving and differences in students' understanding
* References
* Annex A1 - PISA 2003 Mathematics assessments: characteristics of questions used
* Annex A2 - Other examples of PISA mathematics questions that were not used in the PISA 2003 mathematics assessment
* Annex A3 - Traditional domains and PISA items
* Annex A4 - Word-count and the 3 Cs - analysis of variance
*
Annex A5 - Analysis of variance related to item format
*
Annex A6 - Mathematics expert group

Bandung Tours

2010-01-16T01:20:00.000-08:00

Bandung also known as Kota Kembang (flowers city), Bandung about 140km from Jakarta-Indonesia. Bandung city regarded as the fashion center for Indonesia. Most goods and the latest fashion appeared in this city first, Bandung has so many factory outlets. On holidays, this city full of traffic because many people from other cities visit Bandung. Therefore, if you visit Bandung on holiday, it is good to use a bike to go around the city. Well I visited Bandung last week, even though the traffic kinda annoying but I still enjoyed the tour. Bandung is a metropolitan city you should visit. For me, if thinking about Bandung, i'm thinking about shopping and party. Hey... I bought a lot of good stuff at a low price in Bandung. Hoho...Shopping & party, Yay!

13 Dosen Diberangkatkan ke Belanda

2010-01-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

Nuffic Neso Indonesia melalui program beasiswa Studeren in Nederland (StuNed) atau studi di Belanda memberikan beasiswa kepada 13 pengajar dan 3 orang staf dari Departemen Kesehatan dan Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi untuk mengikuti tailor made training di Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) Amsterdam, Belanda.

Pelatihan bertema “Developing Integrated Surveillance System in Public Health Training” ini diikuti para dosen yang terdiri dari sembilan perempuan dan tujuh pria dari tujuh universitas dari seluruh Indonesia. Lima di antara universitas tersebut adalah perguruan tinggi di luar Pulau Jawa, yaitu Universitas Mulawarman (Samarinda), Universitas Hasanuddin (Makassar), Universitas Udayana (Denpasar), Universitas Mataram (Mataram), serta Universitas Cendrawasih (Jayapura).

Selain itu, tiga orang staf madya yang mewakili Departemen Kesehatan dan Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi/Kota juga ikut serta dalam pelatihan ini selama enam minggu. Adapun selama enam minggu ke depan seluruh peserta itu akan mengikuti pelatihan di dalam kelas dan studi lapangan.

"Mereka diharapkan mendapatkan teknik, metode, model monitoring dan evaluasi indikator kesehatan yang berguna untuk mengambil kebijakan," kata Bambang Wispriyono, Dekan Fakultas Kesehatan Masyarakat, Universitas Indonesia (FKM-UI), usai pelepasan peserta pelatihan di kampus UI Depok, Jumat (15/1/2010).

Sementara itu, menurut Direktur Nuffic-Neso Indonesia, Marrik Bellen, mengatakan keikutsertaan mereka dalam pelatihan tersebut merupakan bentuk kepercayaan masyarakat Indonesia terhadap Belanda, baik sebagai tempat referensi, pengetahuan tentang integrated surveilance, serta pengelolaan kesehatan masyarakat di Belanda.

Bellen menambahkan, program tersebut akan terus dikembangkan hingga lima tahun mendatang dengan Indonesia. Dengan Indonesia, kata dia, Pemerintah Belanda memiliki hubungan khusus dan telah menyiapkan anggaran senilai 30 juta euro.

Pemerintah Belanda akan terus mengembangkan program tersebut hingga lima tahun mendatang bersama Indonesia.

Guru Perlu Kreative Agar SiswaTak BeTe

2010-01-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Cukup banyak guru-guru mengatakan merasa capek atau lesu apabila harus segera masuk kelas untuk melaksanakan proses belajar mengajar. Dalam pengontrolan absensi, hampir setiap hari ada surat-surat guru yang datang mengabarkan halangan mereka untuk tidak datang ke sekolah.
Pada umumnya alasan serius atau alasan berpura-pura guru dalam suratnya sehingga berhalangan untuk tidak hadir di sekolah karena sakit. Sering alasan lain adalah untuk memohon izin karena ada urusan keluarga yang sangat mendesak. Kalau kita fikirkan siapakah orang di dunia yang luput dari urusan keluarga. Tetapi rasanya tidak logis kalau seorang guru sempat dalam satu bulan membuat alasan sepele dan berhalangan untuk mengajar sebanyak sekian kali. Dan alasan sepele ini cukup banyak dilakukan oleh guru-guru.
Dapat dikatakan, buat sementara, bahwa keabsenan guru-guru dari sekolah alasan, berpura-pura dalam alasan, karena rasa tersandung oleh bosan selama proses belajar mengajar. Kemalasan guru-guru yang lain sering terekspresi dalam bentuk kelesuan setiap kali harus menaikkan kewajiban dalam PBM. Meskipun bel tanda masuk telah berbunyi beberapa menit yang lalu namun masih banyak guru-guru yang ingin menyelesaikan gosip-gosip ringan sesama guru. Malah ada sebagian guru ada yang sengaja hilir-mudik atau berpura kasak-kusuk dalam mencari sesuatu yang sebenarnya tidak ada. Sampai akhirnya selalu terlambat tiba di kelas dan kemudian sengaja pula agak cepat untuk meninggalkan kelas.
Kebosanan dalam PBM disebabkan oleh dua faktor, yaitu faktor yang berasal dari guru dan faktor yang berasal dari murid.
Pengabaian kedua faktor ini akan menyebabkan masalah dalam PBM tidak teratasi. Untuk memuluskan PBM maka kedua faktor ini harus dipahami dan diatasi.
Rata-rata guru merasa enggan untuk memasuki kelas-kelas dengan siswa mempunyai daya serap rendah atau bodoh. Gairah mengajar guru untuk mengajar kerap kali terpancing karena di dalam kelas ada beberapa orang siswa yang cukup pintar.
Namun sejak keberadaan kelas unggul di setiap sekolah maka siswa-siswa yang memiliki daya serap tinggi terkonsentrasi ke dalam satu kelas saja. Maka gairah guru untuk melaksanakan PBM hanya lebih tertuju untuk kelas unggul.
Sedangkan untuk kelas-kelas non unggul yang jumlahnya cukup banyak dengan kemampuan siswa rendah terpaksa dimasuki oleh guru dengan rasa lesu dan letih. Tentu tidak semua guru yang menunjukkan gejala yang demikian.
Pada umumnya penyebab melempemnya daya serap siswa di sekolah adalah karena mereka tidak terbiasa dengan budaya membaca sehingga mereka lambat dalam menganalisa.
Kebiasaan dalam belajar cuma menghafal melulu. Dapat diamati bahwa siswa yang telah terbiasa dalam budaya membaca tidak mengalami kesulitan dalam PBM.
Tidak banyak siswa yang terbiasa dengan budaya membaca sehingga akibatnya adalah tidak banyak pula siswa yang memiliki daya serap tinggi. Daya serap yang tinggi selain disebabkan oleh faktor IQ juga ditentukan oleh pelaksanaan agenda kehidupan atau pemanfaatan waktu. Seringkali orang tua yang ikut campur dalam masalah waktu anak dan gemar “mencikaraui” anak akan menjadikan anaknya sebagai siswa yang memiliki daya serap tinggi di sekolah.
Faktor yang datang dari guru cukup bervariasi. Dulu menjadi guru memang serba dihormati dan tentu saja menyenangkan. Tetapi belakangan ini, bahkan terlalu banyak korban perasaan apalagi semenjak remaja banyak mengalami emosi moral.
Karena terus terang saja, siswa-siswanya terdiri dari anak-anak yang kebanyakan tidak diwarisi nilai agama yang mantap oleh orang tua. Ada juga siswa yang merupakan anak-anak pejabat yang kaya-kaya dan anak orang berada sedangkan guru-gurunya miskin.
Faktor yang menyebabkan guru merasa bosan dalam PBM mungkin karena kelelahan. Barangkali ia memiliki jumlah jam yang terlalu banyak.
Walau pada sekolah pengabdiannya hanya mengajar beberapa jam saja, tetapi karena tuntutan hidup ia menjadi guru sukarela pula pada suatu atau dua sekolah lain. Atau bisa jadi karena kelelahan fisik setelah menjadi guru selama puluhan tahun. Sering kita lihat para guru-guru tua yang belum sudi untuk pensiun merasa segan untuk melakukan PBM.
Secara mayoritas guru kelihatan kurang termotivasi untuk meningkatkan kualitas dirinya. Mereka tidak banyak membaca, walaupun sebatas membaca koran dan majalah, sehingga jadilah ilmu pengetahuan mereka sempit dan dangkal. Kebanyakan guru-guru sehabis mengajar ya habis begitu saja. Begitulah kegiatan rutin mereka hari demi hari sampai akhirnya rasa bosan menyelinap ke dalam fikiran.
Ada guru yang memiliki ilmu pengetahuan yang cukup luas dan cukup hangat dalam bergaul bersama siswa. Namun juga sering mengeluh bosan untuk melakukan PBM sehingga mengajar secara serampangan dengan metode kuno sepanjang hari. Guru yang seperti ini sebaiknya harus segera melakukan introspeksi diri dan kemudian memutuskan apakah karir sebagai guru cocok baginya atau tidak. Tetapi pada umumnya mereka tetap bertahan mengajar dalam kebosanan karena tidak mampu mencari pekerjaan jenis lain yang cocok bagi diri, maklum banyak orang terserang sindrom pegawai negeri dengan alasan jaminan untuk hari tua.
Setiap guru banyak terdengar keluhan guru-guru. Ada yang mengeluhkan badan kurang enak karena sakit kepala, sakit gigi, perut terasa kembung atau badan terasa pegal-pegal dimana ini semua adalah kompensasi dari bentuk rasa bosan. Mereka bosan untuk menunaikan tanggung jawab. Dan penyebab lain dari rasa bosan ini adalah karena umumnya guru-guru kurang kreatif sehingga mereka jarang yang menjadi guru profesional.
Memang secara umum guru-guru terlihat kurang kreatif dan sebagian kecil tentu ada yang kreatif. Rata-rata guru menerapkan peranan tradisional dalam mengajar. Mereka masih berfilsafat bahwa guru masih sebagai sumber ilmu dan dalam penguasaan ilmu siswa harus menyalin catatan guru dan menghafalkannya tanpa melupakan titik dan komanya sekalipun. Penanganan masalah yang ditemui selama PBM pun juga secara tradisional. Kalau murid bersalah musti diberi nasehat dan kebanyakan sistem pemberian nasehat dalam bentuk komunikasi satu arah, dimana yang sering terlihat ketika guru bertutur kata adalah siswa menekur atau tidak boleh menjawab. Tetapi sekarang entah guru-guru banyak yang tidak bertuah dalam bertutur kata karena kesempitan ilmu dan wawasannya atau karena penghargaan murid semakin berkurang karena kurang diwarisi nilai agama oleh orang tua maka sekarang seakan melebar jurang dalam komunikasi.
Kreativitas guru pun terlihat lemah dalam PBM. Presentasi pengajaran sudah terlihat semakin basi karena menggunakan metode itu ke itu juga. Gema hasil mengikuti penataran, apakah dalam bentuk MGMP, sekali sekali dalam bentuk aplikasi. Kecuali yang terlihat adalah setelah guru mengikuti MGMP guru cuma semakin tertib dalam menulis satuan pelajaran tetapi belum bentuk aplikasi.
Diantara guru-guru yang belum lagi mampu memperlihatkan kreativitas, kita juga melihat guru-guru yang kreatif. Meski mengajar banyak, namun karena kreatif mereka tetap tampak ceria dan segar dalam mengajar.
Kreatifitas seseorang, juga guru, sangat ditentukan oleh keleluasaan dan kedalaman pengetahuan dan wawasan. Oleh sebab itu menjadi guru ideal haruslah selalu membiasakan untuk membelajarkan diri. Adalah sangat tepat bila seorang guru selain memahami bidang studinya juga mendalami pengetahuan umum lainnya sebagai khazanah dirinya. Guru yang luas wawasan dan ilmu pengetahuannya akan tidak pernah kehabisan bahan dalam proses belajar mengajar. Kalau sekarang ada ungkapan yang mengatakan bahwa mengajar itu adalah seni, maka mustahillah guru yang kering akan ilmu dan sempit wawasan dapat mengaplikasikannya sebagi seni.
Mengikuti program penyegaran dalam bentuk kegiatan penataran, musyawarah kerja, dan program peningkatan kualitas lain sungguh tepat. Sayang selama ini terlihat kegiatan-kegiatan penyegaran yang ada belum dikemas secara profesional. Dengan arti kata selama mengikuti program penyegaran, guru-guru hanya terlihat secara pasif dan paling kurang bertindak sebagai pendengar abadi. Itulah dampaknya setiap kali seorang guru selesai mengikuti MGMP dan penataran lain, misalnya, seolah-olah tidak membawa perubahan dalam proses belajar mengajar. Terasa seakan-akan apa yang diperoleh selama mengikuti penataran-penataran digambarkan dengan ungkapan “masuk telinga kiri keluar telinga kanan saja.”
Melatih diri untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berbahasa dalam bentuk berpidato atau berceramah untuk masyarakat dan menyempatkan diri untuk menulis artikel-artikel adalah bentuk lain dari pengembangan kreativitas guru.
Mendalami psikologi remaja sehingga guru dapat memahami meningkatkan kreativitas guru dalam bertindak. Rata-rata guru yang kreatif adalah guru yang kaya akan ide-ide dan menerapkan bentuk nyata. Dalam realita tampak bahwa kreativitas dapat mengatasi rasa bosan.

Marjohan

Self-Regulation: The Key to Successful Students?

2009-12-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

New research suggests that children who learn to mind their P’s and Q’s may also have an easier time learning their ABC’s and 123’s. In a new study conducted by the University of Virginia’s Claire Cameron Ponitz and Oregon State University’s Megan McClelland, the researchers found that kindergartners who had high levels of "self-regulation" in the fall did better on tests of reading, vocabulary, and math in the spring when compared to children with low levels of self-regulation.

What is self-regulation? According to Dr. Ponitz, self-regulation is the ability to control and direct one’s own feelings, thoughts, and actions. It can be as simple as a child raising his hand when asking a question in class, or as complex as a child controlling her feelings when frustrated or angry. “Self-regulation underlies our daily decisions and long-term behavioral tendencies,” Ponitz says. “When people make poor choices - for example about health, school, work, or relationships, it is usually because of a failure of self-regulation. With regard to early development, children who learn to control themselves and make good choices do better socially and academically than children who are overly angry, aggressive or impulsive.”

While the ability to self-regulate has long been considered an essential part of a child’s healthy emotional development, self-regulation is increasingly being seen as a good predictor of a child’s academic success. According to Dr. McClelland, a number of studies have found that self-regulation significantly predicts literacy outcomes in children. In their own research, McClelland and Ponitz found that aspects of self-regulation not only predicted literacy outcomes in preschool and elementary school, but also predicted the gains in literacy children made during that time. In specific, they found that children who showed improvement on a simple task designed to measure self-regulation skills also showed improvement in emergent literacy, vocabulary, and early mathematics skills. “We think it's because the skills in the task-- remembering instructions, stopping yourself, and paying attention-- are also important in school,” Ponitz says.

Good self-regulation skills are also important for a child’s social development. “Self-regulation helps children succeed in classroom contexts,” McClelland says. “The children who can successfully navigate these learning environments have better relationships with their teachers, are more liked by their classmates, and do better academically. They are also more motivated to achieve because of these skills.”

Both Ponitz and McClelland believe parents and teachers play a crucial role in the development of their children’s self-regulation. “Parents and teachers are critically important guides and models for children as they learn how to control themselves,” Ponitz says. “At home and in the classroom, providing organization, consistency, and structure seem to be important predictors of children's self-regulation. For example, following through with rules provides children the chance to practice controlling themselves.”

McClelland agrees that self-regulation is a learned skill. “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that self-regulation can be taught in children.” As an example she points to an intervention aimed at improving self-regulation in preschoolers. “In one recent study,” she says, “we found that a series of classroom games in preschool designed to help children practice paying attention, remembering instructions, and demonstrating self-control significantly improved self-regulation skills, especially for children with low self-regulation.”

The good news for parents and educators is that easy ways to help children develop self-regulation skills may be as close as the local playground. Both Ponitz and McClelland suggest that classic games where children must follow directions and wait to take turns may be be particularly suited for the development of self-regulation. Specifically, they recommend:

* Red Light, Green Light. One child is the stoplight, the other children are the cars. When the stoplight yells “Green light!” the children run towards the stoplight. When the stoplight yells “Red light!” all the children must stop. If a child doesn’t stop, they must go back to the starting line. A popular variation is to include a “Yellow light!” where children must walk instead of run. Excellent for developing self-regulation skills because children must learn to pay attention, follow directions, and wait their turn.
* Simon Says. When Simon says, “Simon says jump!” the children must jump. But if Simon only says, “Jump!” and somebody jumps, that person must sit out for the rest of the game. The last person standing becomes the new Simon. Another excellent game for developing self-regulation because children must listen carefully, pay attention, and follow directions.
* Hide n’ Seek. One child is “it” while the other children hide. After counting to ten, the “it” player must look until all the other children are found. The first player found becomes “it.” Good for developing self-regulation because children must learn to wait patiently and quietly.
* Role Playing. Ponitz believes that role-playing games in which children pretend to be another person for an extended period of time may also provide opportunities for children “to think about their choices and not give in to their immediate impulses.” For example, have one child pretend to be the teacher while the rest of the children pretend to be the students.

To make the games even more challenging, McClelland recommends adding rules that require children to pay attention, remember new instructions, and do the opposite of what they are used to. For instance, instead of having children follow commands when a person says “Simon says...” do the opposite and have them follow commands when the phrase isn’t used. Be creative! As research increasingly shows, simple games can be more than mere child’s play when it comes to helping children develop valuable skills that will serve them well later in life.

Todd Hoffman

Todd Hoffman has worked as an assistant preschool teacher, a freelance children's writer, and an educational consultant. He is currently a graduate student in the Cognitive Studies in Education program at Columbia University.

Pengajaran yang Menyenangkan

2009-12-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

Dengan aktif melibatkan anak-anak dan menghanyutkan mereka dalam pengalaman konkret, subjek yang diajarkan dapat dimengerti anak-anak. Pada akhirnya, hal ini dapat meningkatkan daya minat anak-anak, membangun rasa percaya diri mereka dan selalu bersemangat untuk terus belajar
Yudhi
Pengajaran yang Menyenangkan
MAHA Suci ALLAH yang telah memberikan kita akan keindahan hidup di dunia, kasih sayang, kebaikan, kecerdasan dan nikmat-nikmat lainnya yang mana tidak dapat kita hitung berapa besar jumlahnya. Teriring Shalawat serta Salam semoga selalu tercurahkan kepada junjungan Nabi kita yaitu Nabi Muhammad SAW, para keluarganya, sahabatnya, dan pengikutnya yang dengan baik mengikuti jejak sunnahnya hingga Yaumil akhir nanti. Amin ya Robbal a’lamin.

Saat ini, system pendidikan di Indonesia cenderung menganggap siswa-siswi sebagai bejana kosong yang perlu diisi, bukan membangkitkan semangat agar para siswa-siswi bergairah dalam belajar. Karena tujuannya untuk mengisi bejana, maka siswa-siswi sering diberikan dengan berbagai materi pelajaran sebanyak mungkin.

Waktu disekolah 6-7 jam sehari, serasa belum cukup, sehingga para siswa-siswi perlu diberikan PR yang memerlukan waktu sampai tengah malam untuk mengerjakannya. Sistem pendidikan seperti ini membuat api “gairah” anak-anak untuk belajar menjadi padam sebelum dewasa, apabila tidak ada semangat, kegairahan serta rasa cinta untuk belajar, maka harapan untuk membentuk generasi unggul yang cerdas budi dan akalnya, kreatif dan inovatif, serta mampu memberikan solusi berbagai masalah kehidupan akan gagal pula.

Sebetulnya, setiap manusia dianugerahi instink (kecerdasan alami) untuk belajar. Belajar adalah proses alamiah seperti halnya bernafas. Menurut seorang pakar pendidikan, Peter Kline, manusia sejak lahir dianugerahi dua instink salah satunya yaitu instink belajar. Kline mengibaratkan seorang bayi yang cepat sekali belajar bahasa dan mengenal lingkungannya walau orang tuanya tidak menginstruksikannya secara langsung.

Ia belajar dengan bereksplorasi yang melibatkan seluruh aspek inderanya; mencium, meraba, mencicipi, merasakan, merangkak, berbicara, mendengar dan betul-betul terhanyut dalam proses belajar tersebut. Anak-anak kecil begitu tertarik dengan segala yang ada didepan matanya. Kalau menurut Bob Samples, “sebelum kita bisa berjalan, berbicara atau menulis kita bisa mengisi diri kita dengan kegembiraan belajar yang luar biasa”.

Mengapa instink cinta belajar sirna begitu saja dalam kehidupan manusia? Menurut Kline, sumber kesalahan ada pada orang tua. Mereka salah dalam memotivasi anak-anaknya. Hal ini diperparah oleh system pengajaran di sekolah yang tradisional, telah mematikan instink ini. Belajar penuh eksplorasi telah dibunuh di lingkungan rumah dan sekolah dengan cara belajar yang terstruktur dan di paksakan. Anak hanya duduk diam, sehingga proses belajar menjadi tidak menyenangkan.

Kondisi ini sangat terlihat pada system pendidikan usia dini (dibawah umur 9 tahun). Anak-anak hilang masa bermain dan bereksplorasi sehingga mati instink belajarnya.

Pengajaran Menyenangkan

Bagaimana agar anak-anak dapat belajar dengan tetap mengembangkan instinknya? Salah satu caranya adalah mengembangkan “kurikulum Pembelajaran Terpadu”. Tujuannya agar anak-anak bisa menjadi pembelajar seumur hidup (Lifelong Learners) seorang pembelajar dapat berfikir kritis, imajinatif, dapat memberi alternative solusi, menghargai perbedaan, dapat bekerjasama dan mampu menjadi insan peduli.

Dengan system ini, anak-anak dijadikan pusat kegiatan. Mereka “terhanyutkan” dalam pengalaman konkret, sehingga dapat mengoptimalkan seluruh potensi yang dimilikinya. Dengan aktif melibatkan anak-anak dan menghanyutkan mereka dalam pengalaman konkret, subjek yang diajarkan dapat dimengerti anak-anak. Pada akhirnya, hal ini dapat meningkatkan daya minat anak-anak, membangun rasa percaya diri mereka dan selalu bersemangat untuk terus belajar.

Eva Reeder, seorang guru matematika dari Mountlake Terrace High School di Washington dapat menjadi contoh. Ketika para siswa-siswi diberi pelajaran membuat grafik, para siswa-siswi diajak ke lapangan dan disuruh membuat garis koordinat X dan Y. Kemudian setiap siswa disuruh berdiri diantara kedua koordinat tersebut satu persatu (ibarat membuat titik plot dalam grafik ) sehingga mereka berpura-pura menjadi titik-titik dalam sebuah pola garis.

Cara ini telah terbukti lebih efektif, dalam sehari para siswa-siswi mampu memahami konsep grafik. Sedangkan belajar dengan cara tradisional yang memakai gambar grafik dalam buku teks, memakan waktu satu bulan untuk bisa dipahami para siswa-siswinya.

Dalam system pengajaran tradisional yang satu arah, dimana anak-anak hanya diberikan instruksi, materi yang mampu diserap hanya sepuluh persen saja. Bahkan menurut Benjamin Franklin, anak-anak akan lupa atau tidak menyerap sama sekali. Sedangkan apabila anak-anak terlibat aktif, dengan mendapatkan pengalaman konkret, daya serapnya semakin tinggi.

Mengajarkan Berfikir

Keunggulan system pengajaran terpadu ini adalah membiasakan anak-anak berfikir Holistik ( menyeluruh ) tidak Fragmented ( melihat masalah dari satu sisi saja ). Sistem pendidikan konvensional yang ada di Indonesia adalah dengan melihat masalah dari satu sisi saja.

Anak-anak diberikan mata pelajaran terpisah, antara satu pelajaran dengan pelajaran yang lain tidak saling berhubungan. Padahal, dalam kehidupan yang nyata setiap fenomena tidak dapat dilihat dari satu sisi saja. Sistem ini bisa di lakukan dengan pembuatan tema, misalnya Saya— dapat dilihat dari sisi ilmu sosial, ilmu pengetahuan
alam, agama, olahraga, matematika dan sebagainya.

Dengan system seperti ini, anak-anak di harapkan dapat mengerti bahwa di dalam setiap kegiatan, pasti ada nilai-nilai moralnya. Cara ini akan mendorong anak-anak untuk menyadari bahwa setiap aspek moral harus di terapkan dalam kegiatan sehari-hari dan semoga kedepannya akan lahir para generasi yang berprestasi dan berinsan mulia dengan mengoptimalkan seluruh kekuatan kecerdasan Intelektual, kecerdasan Emosional dan kecerdasan Spiritual. Wallahu a’lam (*)

Anbar Saputra

7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens

2009-12-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Pria Berusia 110 Tahun Punya Anak Lagi

2009-12-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

SANA'A—MIOL: Seorang pria lanjut usia (lansia) berumur 110 tahun berhasil mendapatkan bayi lagi dari seorang istri termudanya berumur 22 tahun dan kini bergabung dengan 36 orang anak lainnya.

Dengan kelahiran si bayi itu, si lansia, sebut saja namanya Al-Musin, yang tinggal di daerah Turba, Arab Saudi, seperti dilaporkan Harian Al-Madinah, Jumat (11/5), maka jumlah anaknya menjadi 37 orang laki-laki dan perempuan dari empat orang istri.

Lansia tersebut merencanakan untuk mencerai istri yang sudah tidak bisa melahirkan lagi untuk mencari gadis lainnya agar bisa memperoleh anak lagi.

Al-Musin yang memiliki 40 cucu itu hidup penuh bahagia dengan keempat istrinya, terutama istri termuda yang dapat memberikan anak lagi.

Meskipun telah berumur lebih dari seabad, Al-Musin masih sehat dan mengendarai kendaraan roda empat sendiri. Makanan utamanya adalah gandum, minyak samin, madu, susu, kurma, dan menolak makanan kaleng dan olahan. (Ant/OL-03)

A Math Game for Reinforcing Computation Skills

2009-11-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

Subjects

* Educational Technology
* Mathematics
--Algebra
--Applied Math
--Arithmetic

Grade

* K-2
* 3-5
* 6-8
* 9-12

Brief Description

This dice-and-math game provides practice in a wide variety of math skills at all levels.

Objectives

Students will

* follow the rules of the game.
* perform math operations.
* keep track of their scores.

Keywords

dice, math, add, subtract, multiply, divide, practice, compute, computation

Materials Needed

* dice (two per student pair for the simple version of the game; for a more complex game, add more dice)
* index cards (optional)
* blank dice (optional)

Lesson Plan

This game can be adapted in many ways to reinforce simple or complex math. You will find instructions below for a simple version of the game (for basic math facts) and two adaptations (for more complex math). All versions of the game are best when used in small groups of two to four students; the larger the group, the less math practice each participant will get.

Simple Version of the Game
Assign an operation -- addition, subtraction, or multiplication -- to be performed in this game. Play continues as in the following example, in which addition is the operation of choice:

* Player 1 rolls the dice and adds the two numbers that appear. For example, rolling a 3 and a 5 results in a total of 8.
* Player 2 rolls the dice and adds the two numbers that appear. For example, a 2 and a 5 make a total of 7.
* Players 3 and 4 (if included) roll the dice and record their results.
* The player with the highest score in the round earns a point. In the example above, Player 1 had the higher score and earned a point.
* If two or more players roll the same high total, neither player earns a point.
* The game ends when time is up (the player with the most points wins) or when a player reaches a score of 10.

Simple Adaptations
You might adapt the simple game above in the following ways:

* Roll three dice (or more) instead of two and add to find a total.
* Roll three dice and add two numbers, then subtract the number on the third die.
* Roll two dice and add the numbers; keep that sum in mind as you re-roll the two dice and add the numbers. Multiply the first sum times the second sum.
* If you have access to blank dice/cubes, the game will not be confined to the numbers 1 to 6. Write numbers such as 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 on one die and the numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 on another.

More Complex Adaptations
Create a stack of at least 12 index cards. Write two math operations on each card. For example,

* + and X (addition and multiplication),
* + and / (addition and division), and
* X and / (multiplication and division).

Player 1 rolls two dice and performs the first operation on the card. Then Player 1 re-rolls one die and performs the second operation. For example, if Player 1 draws a card from the top of the stack that has the signs + and X on it, the player

* Rolls two dice. If the player rolls a 2 and a 5, she/he adds those two numbers to get 7.
* Then the player re-rolls one die and multiplies the sum from the first step by the number on the die. For example, if the third die comes up 4, the player multiplies 7 (the sum from step 1) times 4 for a total of 28.
* Player 2 takes a turn.
* The player with the higher total earns a point.
* Then Player 2 chooses a card from the stack to reveal the two operations the players will perform in the next round. The game continues�

Assessment

After practicing basic math operations in the game, provide students with ten problems to solve that involve the same math skills practiced during the game. For example, students who played a 3-dice addition game might solve equations such as the following:
4 + 6 + 3 = __
4 + 3 + 6 = __
2 + 1 + 4 = __

Older students might solve algebraic equations that involve multiple operations, such as the following:
(4 + 6) � 3 = __
(4 + 6) X 3 = __
4 + (6 - 3) = __
4 + (6 X 3) = __

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Science Standards

2009-11-28T00:38:00.000-08:00

National Research Council's Role

"The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and a National Academy of Sciences president's discretionary fund provided by the Volvo North American Corporation, The Ettinger Foundation, Inc., and the Eugene McDermott Foundation." --NAS

Project 2061

"In 1985, as Halley's Comet last neared the earth, Project 2061's creators considered the scientific and technological changes that a child just entering school would witness before the return of the Comet in 2061-hence the name. Since then, Project 2061's two landmark reports-Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy-have greatly influenced the national reform movement by articulating principles to guide their efforts and setting specific goals for student learning. In particular, Project 2061's work has been essential to the development of the national science content standards released in 1996 by the National Research Council.

Project 2061's focus for more than a decade has been on reforming the science, Science, and technology curriculum, and our recommendations reflect that unique perspective. The project's goal of science literacy for all Americans goes far beyond high scores on tests, more hands-on activities for students, or more attractive textbooks, particularly if none of these reflect curriculum and classroom teaching that are designed to promote science literacy."

Pendekatan dan Strategi Pengajaran Tematik

2009-11-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

APAKAH PENDEKATAN DAN STRATEGI PENGAJARAN TEMATIK?
• Pokok perbicaraan/topic utama contoh tema alam semula jadi, tema perpaduan kaum
• Tema dipecahkan kepada sub-topik untuk perbincangan
o kumpulan pelbagai kebolehan
o sama kebolehan
• Tema yang sama dibincangkan oleh
o kumpulan pelbagai kebolehan
o sama kebolehan
• Tema yang berbeda tetapi saling melengkapi
o kumpulan pelbagai kebolehan
o sama kebolehan
• Selepas perbincangan, dapatan-dapatan dibentangkan oleh wakil kumpulan
• Membuat rumusan

Pendekatan dan Strategi Pengajaran Induktif & Deduktif

2009-11-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

APAKAH PENDEKATAN DAN STRATEGI PENGAJARAN INDUKTIF?
• Mengumpul dan mentafsir maklumat-maklumat kemudian membuat generalisasi/kesimpulan
• Bermula dengan memberi beberapa contoh yang khusus
• Contoh-contoh mempunyai prinsip yang sama
• Murid dibimbing memikir, mengkaji, mengenalpasti & mentafsir maklumat untuk membuat generalisasi/kesimpulan
• Matematik, bahasa dan sains banyak menggunakan pengajaran induktif
• Kaedah inkuiri-penemuan diamalkan apabila mengajar sains
o Contoh kusus ikan emas, udang, sotong, berudu
o Memerhati & mengkaji – bernafas melalui insang
o Mentafsir dan membuat generalisasi – Haiwan hidup dalam air mempunyai insang untuk bernafas.
• Prinsip Penggunaan Strategi Pengajaran Induktif
o Sediakan contoh-contoh yang sesuai
o Soalan-soalan disediakan untuk membimbing membuat kesimpulan
o Guru tidak menghuraikan isi pelajaran, murid dibimbing untuk mencari kesimpulan
o Jenis contoh khusus dipelbagaikan tetapi mengandungi ciri yang sama
o Contoh-contoh khusus yang dipilih haruslah sesuai & mencukupi.
o Murid-murid digalakkan memberi contoh yang sama
o Guru tidak harus memberi contoh sekaligus
o Sediakan alat bantu mangajar
o Penggunaan deria-deria murid dalam aktiviti – lihat, dengar, hidu & sentuh.
o Pengajaran mengikut urutan yang tepat – contoh-contoh spesifik membawa kepada kesimpulan umum.

APAKAH PENDEKATAN DAN STRATEGI PENGAJARAN DEDUKTIF?

• Strategi Pengajaran Deduktif merupakan kaedah mengajar yang kompleks kerana murid perlu memperolehi kefahaman yang mendalam /mencukupi serta berupaya memilih rumus, hukum, teorem, peraturan yang telah dipelajari dengan tepat untuk diaplikasi pada contoh-contoh khusus.
• Bermula daripada berberapa rumus, prinsip, hukum, teorem/peraturan
• Digunakan kesimpulan baru, generalisasi baru daripda rumus, hukum, peraturan
• Proses pengajaran:
o Prinsip/rumus
o Kaedah deduktif
o Aplikasi rumus/prinsip
o Mendapat rumus baru, prinsip baru dsb.
o Guru memberi tahu murid objektif pelajaran pada peringkat awal,
o Murid dibimbing mengingat kembali hukum, prinsip, teori, peraturan bagi mendapat kesimpulan yang baru/ menyelesaikan masalah.

Penilaian Berbasis Kelas

2009-11-28T00:16:00.000-08:00

Sekarang sudah kelas berapa ?
Nanti kita belajarnya di kelas yang mana ?
Wooyy... kita ntar nggak ada kelas. Dosennya kagak masuk... cihuyyy... asyiiikkk

Itulah sedikit contoh dimana kata kelas biasa ditempatkan dalam kalimat atau perbincangan. Nah, sekarang apa yang bisa dijawab bila ditanya tentang apa definisi kelas dari kalimat-kalimat tersebut ?

Ruangan, tempat belajar, atau sekelompok peserta didik yang dalam waktu yang sama, menerima pelajaran yang sama dari pengajar yang sama pula.

Mana yang menurut kamu tepat ?

Pasti akan jawab yang terakhirkan, secara lebih panjang gitu loh kata-katanya... hehehe

Yups benar banget, kelas adalah sekelompok peserta didik yang dalam waktu yang sama, menerima pelajaran yang sama, dari pengajar yang sama pula.

Kalau sudah tahu definisi kelas, sekarang apa coba penilaian berbasis kelas (classroom based assessment) itu ???

Penilaian berbasis kelas adalah penilaian yang dilakukan oleh pendidik untuk mengukur seberapa besar peserta didik telah menguasai materi yang telah diajarkannya. Bukan berdasarkan penilaian pendekatan norma, tetapi menggunakan penilaian acuan kriteria dan standar yang merujuk pada standar kompetensi, kompetensi dasar, dan indikator yang telah ditetapkan sebelumnya.

Tujuan Penilaian Berbasis Kelas
Seperti telah kita pahami bersama bahwa penilaian merupakan tangga yang harus dilewati seorang pendidik sebelum dia melakukan pengambilan keputusan pendidikan, yang biasa dikenal dengan evaluasi.

Tidak ubahnya dengan tujuan penilaian pada umumnya, penilaian berbasis kelaspun bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemajuan dan hasil belajar peserta didik, mendiagnosis kesulitan belajar, memberikan umpan balik/perbaikan pembelajaran, serta memotivasi dan merangsang peserta didik untuk melakukan usaha perbaikan.

Fungsi Penilaian Berbasis Kelas
Telah disampaikan sebelumnya, bahwa penilaian berbasis kelas merupakan hasil pergeseran paradigma dari pendekatan pendidikan. Dari pendekatan pendidikan yang berorientasi masukan (input oriented education) ke pendekatan pendidikan yang berorientasi hasil atau standar (outcome based education).

Unjuk nyata kompetensi, itulah pesan moral yang sebenarnya ingin disampaikan oleh paradigma baru ini. Dimana hasil belajar seorang peserta didik dapat langsung dilihat secara kasat mata dan praktis, bukan berhenti hanya pada tataran skor yang tertera manis dalam kertas saja.

Yah... intinya dengan menggunakan paradigma ini, paling nggak orang tua dan masyarakat tidak lagi berjudi saat memasukkan anaknya ke institusi pendidikan dan tidak membeli kompetensi dalam karung. Karena penilaian berbasis kelas jauh lebih transparan dari segi penilaian dan kompetensi yang akan dihasilkan pun akan jauh lebih teremboss (baca : terlihat).

Peserta didik dan orang tua dapat berkolaborasi untuk menciptakan hasil pembelajaran atau kompetensi yang optimal dengan merujuk pada kriteria yang telah ditetapkan dalam setiap kompetensi pembelajaran yang akan dihasilkan.

Itulah fungsi yang ditawarkan oleh penilaian berbasis kelas.

Prinsip Penilaian Berbasis Kelas
Ini dia nih rumusan yang harus dipegang seorang pendidik agar penilaian berbasis kelas yang akan dilancarkan dapat berjalan secara optimal.

1. Motivasi. Penilaian berbasis kelas hendaknya dipandang sebagai upaya untuk mengenal kekuatan dan kelemahan yang dimiliki oleh guru maupun peserta didik. Untuk mengenal kekuatan dan kelemahan tersebut, diperlukan usaha perencanaan terhadap perbaikan kegiatan pembelajaran secara terus menerus. Hal yang lebih penting, tujuan akhir penilaian berbasis kelas bukan terletak pada pencapaian angka yang tinggi, melainkan terletak pada cara bagaimana memotivasi peserta didik sehingga diperoleh hasil yang maksimum.
2. Validitas. Harus menjamin tercapainya standar kompetensi, kompetensi dasar, maupun indikator. Kesesuaian antara penilaian berbasis kelas dengan tujuan akan meningkatkan validitas. Dengan demikian maka validitas merupakan suatu hal yang sangat perlu diperhatikan.
3. Adil. Penilaian berbasis kelas menekankn pada adanya perlakuan yang adil kepada semua peserta didik. Artinya, semua peserta didik harus mendapat kesempatan yang sama untuk dinilai tanpa membedakan latar belakang sosek, budaya, bahasa, dan jenis kelamin.
4. Terbuka. Menekankan adanya keterbukaan, dimana semua pihak baik pendidik maupun peserta didik perlu mengenali kemampuan masing-masing, jenis penilaian, maupun format penilaian yang akan digunakan.
5. Berkesinambungan. Harus dilakukan secara berencana, bertahap, dan terus menerus untuk memperoleh gambaran tentang perkembangan belajar peserta didik. Hal ini dilakukan untuk melihat kesinambungan antara materi pokok yang satu dengan materi pokok yang lain.
6. Bermakna. Penilaian berbasis kelas dapat melihat perkembangan kemampuan peserta didik secara holistik. Selain itu, penilaian berbasis kelas dapat ditindaklanjuti oleh semua pihak, terutama pendidik, peserta didik, dan orang tua.
7. Menyeluruh. Penilaian berbasis kelas dilakukan dengan berbagai teknik dan prosedur untuk menjamin tersedianya informasi yang utuh dan lengkap tentang kinerja peserta didik, baik yang menyangkut aspek kognitif, efektif, dan psikomotorik. Jadi, sangat tidak mungkin jika pendidik hanya terpaku pada satu jenis penilaian saja, tertulis misalnya.
8. Edukatif. Penilaian berbasis kelas tidak dimaksudkan untuk membuat keputusan akhir tentang nasib peserta didik atau hal-hal lain yang dapat menurunkan motivasi peserta didik dalam belajar. Pelaksanaannya didasarkan pada pertanyaan yang sangat mendasar, yaitu : bagaimana peserta didik memperoleh hasil belajar yang lebih baik dibandingkan dengan perolehan hasil belajar sebelumnya ? dan bagaimana guru mengajar lebih efektif dibandingkan dengan pengajaran sebelumnya

Karakteristik Penilaian Berbasis Kelas
Penilaian berbasis kelas memiliki karakteristik istimewa, yaitu :

1. Pusat belajar dan berakar dalam proses pembelajaran
Perhatian utama penilaian berbasis kelas tidak terletak pada perbaikan mengajar melainkan pada perhatian pendidik dan peserta didik dalam perbaikan hasil belajar. Adapun apabila guru melakukan perbaikan program pengajaran, tujuannya tidak lain adalah dalam rangka memperbaiki hasil belajar peserta didik.

Penilaian berbasis kelas dapat dipandang sebagai suatu usaha untuk membangun pembelajaran yang lebih baik yang salah satunya dengan melakukan umpan balik pada belajar peserta didik, agar lebih sistematik, fleksibel, dan efektif.

Penilaian berbasis kelas memberi suatu cara untuk melakukan penilaian secara menyeluruh dan sistematik dalam proses pembelajaran di kelas. Dengan demikian, penilaian berbasis kelas senantiasa berakar dalam proses pembelajaran. Karena difokuskan pada belajar, maka penilaian berbasis kelas memerlukan partisipasi aktif peserta didik. Dalam hal ini pendidik terus menerus memotivasi peserta didik agar hasil belajar mereka meningkat.

2. Umpan balik
Penilaian berbasis kelas dapat juga diartikan sebagai suatu alur proses umpan balik (feedback loop) di kelas. Pendidik maupun peserta didik dapat dengan cepat dan mudah menggunakan penilaian berbasis kelas sebagai umpan balik.

Penilaian berbasis kelas bukan hanya untuk memberi nilai atau skor (grading) peserta didik, tetapi juga untuk mendapatkan informasi bagi perbaikan mutu belajar peserta didik.

Tak kenal maka ta'aruf... kalau sudah kenal maka proses selanjutnya adalah paham... ujung-ujungnya mudah-mudahan akan timbul keterikatan batin dan kepala dengan penilaian berbasis kelas ini. Semoga saja....

Sumber :
Arikunto, Suharsimi, Suhardjono, dam Supardi. Penelitian Tindakan Kelas. Jakarta :
Bumi Aksara, 2008.
Surapranata, Sumarna dan Muhammad Hatta. Penilaian Portofolio : Implementasi
Kurikulum 2004. Bandung : Remaja Rosdakarya, 2004.

What Did You Do in School Today?

2009-11-28T00:04:00.000-08:00

"Parents had been asking their children, 'What did you do in school today?' and they always heard back, 'Nothing,'" Kathleen Eveleigh told Education World. "Now they have a lot of information to talk to their children about."

Students raise their hands to contribute to the daily update.

Eveleigh is a looping kindergarten-first grade teacher at Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a focus on technology, and all the teachers have Web sites and are required to publish some information online. On her site, Eveleigh posts classroom news with her students' help each day.

"I didn't want to do just the minimum," explained Eveleigh. "I was more interested in making my Web site both interesting and meaningful for the parents and the children. I heard that other teachers were putting a few things about each day on their sites, and that sounded like the way to go for me. I already did a community circle at the end of the day to talk about what happened during the day, so this was taking it a step further and doing it on the computer."

Eveleigh has kept the project simple so it's easy to manage and complete everyday. She varies the experience to maintain student interest and make it fun.

Class watches as update appears on screen.

"At the end of each day, we gather at a place in our reading center where everyone can see the television monitor," said Eveleigh. "I bring up the Web page on a computer that's connected to the television and use a large font. The special person of the day gets to pick the color for the text. Then the children raise their hands and tell me what they want me to type. After everyone has contributed, we reread and edit. Then the special person of the day gives me a final sentence -- we call it the punch -- and it is usually something like, 'We had a super fantastic wonderful day.' Then all the children put their hands up and say 'abracadabra,' and the font goes back to regular size. They think it's magical!"

The children love the daily update. They often receive e-mail from members of their extended families and visitors to the Web site, and they use that as an opportunity to learn about other places in the United States and around the world. Parents seem to get the most out of the opportunity to communicate with their children about specific classroom activities each day, however. (A Bell South grant makes it possible for Eveleigh's school to place a computer in every home, so no one is without a computer and Web access.)

Special person of the day gives Eveleigh her selection for the color of the day's text.

"One father came to see me shortly after we started the Web site," reported Eveleigh. "He said with tears in his eyes, 'I am so busy with work. I want to be there and see what my son is doing during the day. Now I can look at the Web site before I pick him up from after school care, and I know all the little things you've done -- whose birthday it was, what was in the mystery sock, and what the word of the day is. We are talking like we never did before, and the funny thing is that my son can't figure out how I know all this. It is so much fun. Thank you for this gift.'"

Eveleigh added, "I am thrilled with how this activity gives me a very special connection with my student's families -- even my Mom reads our update every day!"

Kontak Kami

2009-11-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Find the Math Fact Family

2009-11-19T04:50:00.000-08:00

Are you staring at another long packet of your third-grader’s math facts wondering how she (and you) will ever stay focused long enough to finish it? More often than not, practice of math facts is limited to timed drill sheets and flashcards. But third-graders are more likely to tune into math facts if practice is presented as a game. In addition, the practice session flies by because you and your child are having a blast! Here's an activity that puts it all together.
What You Need:

* paper
* pencils
* fact family strips

What You Do:

Step 1:
Cut paper and make several (20-30) “fact family strips” that contain four numbers - three numbers in a fact family and one number that doesn’t belong. See examples of fact families below.

Step 2:
Before beginning the game, review basic fact families with your third-grader. Explain that a fact family is a set of three numbers that are all “related” by multiplication and division. For example, 5, 8 and 40 are a fact family because 5 x 8 = 40, 8 x 5 = 40, 40 ÷ 5 = 8, 40 ÷ 8 = 5. Provide several examples of fact families before starting the game. Write down the fact family and ask your child to tell you the multiplication and division facts that can be made with the numbers.
Examples of Fact Families:

2, 4, 8 6, 7, 42 2, 5, 10 3, 5, 15

3, 6, 18 7, 8, 56 3, 9, 27 6, 8, 48

4, 5, 20 8, 9, 72 4, 6, 24 7, 9, 63

5, 6, 30 9, 10, 90 5, 7, 35 8, 12, 96

Step 3:
Explain the rules of the game to your child. She will be given a group of four numbers, three that make up a fact family and one that doesn’t belong. She must correctly identify the number that doesn’t belong and then state a division fact using the numbers in the fact family. Set a timer for 2 minutes and begin. Encourage your child to work through as many “fact family strips” as possible in two minutes. At the end of two minutes, count the number of strips in which she correctly identified the fact family and stated a division fact using the numbers.

Step 4;
Challenge your third-grader to beat her record. For example, if she identified 8 fact families in 2 minutes, give her a new goal of identifying 10 fact families in two minutes. Set the timer and begin. Offer a small reward if she beats her record. Shorten the time to one minute and repeat the process. Continue shortening the time and setting new goals for your third-grader.

This game can be on-going over several days. Keep track of the time and records your child sets identifying fact families. Each night, challenge her to beat her record before she begins her math homework. This can serve as a great energizer!

Note:
An alternative way to play “Find the Fact Family” is to have your child “face- off” with a friend. Place the fact family strip between the two players and the first player to correctly identify the number that doesn’t belong wins the strip. The player with the most strips at the end of two minutes wins the round.

by Brigid Del Carmen

Math for Preschoolers: More Than Just Counting

2009-11-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

Preschool-age children are ready to explore more than one might think! Parents often focus on counting from one to ten, but there are many other skills that children are ready and able to investigate.

Familiarity with Numbers

This includes the basic counting aloud, but also identifying printed digits and practicing one-to-one correspondence (pointing to actual objects and counting aloud one by one). Before a car ride, give your child a paper with a number (0-9) printed on it. Then challenge him to find as many of that number as he can during the ride, on signs, billboards, license plates, etc. One-to-one correspondence can be practiced during most snacks by counting crackers, fruit snacks, or carrot sticks.

Number Operations

We're not looking at E=mc2 or multiplication tables yet. Joining sets and dividing groups is age-appropriate. This can be as simple as counting a pile of red blocks, then a pile of blue blocks, then counting them all together. Or taking six cookies and dividing among three friends.

Measurement

No rulers required. To introduce time, make reference to clocks and calendars and talk about "today, yesterday, and tomorrow." For comparisons, a child can pull all the socks and underwear out of her drawer, then count each group. Which group has more and which has less? (Bonus: the drawer is organized when everything goes back in!) Help children use non-standard measurements by asking questions such as, "How many spoons long is the table?"

Shapes

Beginning geometry is simple shape recognition. A grocery store is the perfect place for a shape search. Look for rectangles, triangles, circles, squares. There are also many good games and books available to work on this concept.

Patterns and Sorting

Preschool children can make simple patterns and repeat them, using shapes and color recognition skills to guide them. When putting toy cars into a row, encourage a pattern, such as "blue, blue, red, yellow, blue, blue, red, yellow." Make a game of sorting toys and household items by attributes such as size, color, shape, etc.

Preschool isn't just about 1, 2, 3s and A, B, Cs. It's about teaching your child to take joy in learning, and to recognize that the world is full of fun lessons waiting to happen!

by Jen Sherwin

KONSEP SISTEM KELAS

2009-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sistem Belajar:
1. Guru memasuki kelas, deskripsikan materi, kemudian beri soal (semuanya dilakukan secara RPG)
2. Siswa menjawab soal, jawaban tersebut dikirimkan langsung ke PM guru yang bersangkutan dengan batas waktu yang telah ditentukan.
3. Jika guru yang bersangkutan mengehendaki RP di dalam kelasnya, maka murid wajib mereplay dengan RP pula. (Tergantung kebijakan masing-masing guru).

PERATURAN TUGAS RUMAH:
1. Jawaban menggunakan kalimat sendiri, jangan mencontek. Kami menghargai originalitas dan tidak mentolerir adanya copy/paste.
2. Dilarang meng-copy dan paste jawaban langsung dari materi pelajaran. Hal itu kami kategorikan mencontek.
3. Jangan menggunakan kalimat lengkap. Gunakan bahasamu sendiri, rangsang kemampuan linguistikmu.
4. Pelanggaran sekaitan hal-hal diatas akan mengakibatkan pengurangan poin maupun pengosongan nilai. Tergantung kemurahan hati guru yang bersangkutan.
5. Kumpulkan tugas tepat waktu. Yang terlambat tidak mendapat nilai.
6. Ada pertanyaan? Layangkan OWL ke meja gurumu masing-masing.

CARA PENILAIAN:
Jika guru memberi 10 soal, maka maksimal poin untuk masing2 siswa adalah 10 poin. Namun, soal yang ditanyakan adalah soal sederhana yang tidak membutuhkan pendapat (kata lain; ada di materi semua). Diperbolehkan menyertakan extra credit atau soal tambahan untuk menutupi jawaban yang salah atau kosong, sehingga nilai bisa tetap sempurna atau bahkan bertambah dari jumlah maksimal.

Contoh Soal 1(masing2 soal bernilai 1 poin):

Quote:
1. Apa singkatan HPR? Harry Potter RPG
2. Siapa Kepsek HPR? Prof. Julia Felder
3. Sebutkan salah satu prefek Raven! Laura Cleveland
4. Dimana kamu bisa menemukan cumi-cumi raksasa? Danau Hitam
5. Apa menu minuman favorit penyihir? Butterbeer
6. Apa nama desa murni penyihir di dekat Hogwarts? Hogsmeade
7. Dimana kamu mendapatkan barang-barang kebutuhanmu? Diagon Alley
8. Dimana kamu menginap sebelum berangkat ke Hogwarts? Leaky Cauldron
9. Dimana kamu menyimpan semua galleonmu? Gringgots
10. Siapa penyihir paling agung? Merlin

Benar semua = 10 poin
Jawaban kosong atau salah = 0 poin
Total = 10 poin

Contoh Soal 2 (dengan poin extra):

Quote:
1. Apa singkatan HPR? Harry Potter RPG ( 2 poin)
2. Siapa Kepsek HPR? Prof. Julia Felder (3 poin)
3. Sebutkan salah satu prefek Raven! Laura Cleveland (2 poin)
4. Dimana kamu bisa menemukan cumi-cumi raksasa? Danau Hitam (2 poin)
5. Apa menu minuman favorit penyihir? Butterbeer (1 poin)

Jelaskan mengapa menurutmu Voldemort tidak bisa mengalahkan Harry Potter? (5 poin)

Benar Semua = 10 poin
Jawaban kosong atau salah = 0 poin
Poin ekstra = 5 poin
Total = 15 poin

Contoh soal 3

Guru yang menghendaki muridnya ber-RPG dipersilakan untuk membuat tugas ber-RPG jika diperlukan. Dipersilakan tetap menyuruh murid mengumpulkan nilai tambah dengan mengerjakan PR atau essay.

CATATAN:

1. Bagi pelajaran yang mengharuskan adanya sistem RPG atau Essai, maka sistem penilaian berdasarkan Outstanding, Exceed Expetation, Acceptable, Poor, Dreadfull, dan Troll tetap berlaku.
2. 10 poin Pekerjaan Rumah akan di akumulasikan dengan Outstanding, Exceed Expetation, Acceptable, Poor, Dreadfull, dan Troll untuk nilai rapot. Tergantung penilaian guru yang bersangkutan.
3. Setiap Pekerjaan Rumah yang kalian kumpulkan akan di akumulasikan di poin asrama.

sumber : Behind The Magic RPG Forum

SISTEM PENGAJARAN DAN PENILAIAN KELAS

2009-11-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

* Setiap siswa diwajibkan mengikuti kelas tanpe terkecuali. Rentang waktu pelaksanaan kelas adalah satu minggu (7 hari).

* Penilaian yang dilakukan adalah RPG siswa selama mengikuti kelas dan bagi yang tidak mengikuti kelas diwajibkan membuat essay sebagai nilai pengganti.

* Setiap guru yang mengajar di kelas berhak memberikan sistem pangajaran tersendiri, misalnya, bagi yang mengikuti kelas masih wajib membuat essay.

*

Sistem penilaian bagi RPG maupun essay adalah sebagai berikut :

O (Outstanding) : 10 Point
E (Exceed Expetation) : 8 Point
A (Acceptable) : 6 Point
P (Poor) : 3 Point
D (Dreadfull) : -2 Point
T (Troll) : -3 Point (hanya untuk siswa yang tidak masuk kelas dan tidak membuat essay)

* Setiap nilai yang didapatkan akan diakumulasikan ke point asrama sehingga menunjang atau malah membahayakan point asrama.

* Ini RPG, silahkan bereksplorasi. Jadi, jangan takut jika karaktermu selalu mendapat nilai kecil. Jika itu memang sudah kerakteristiknya--apa boleh buat, kan?

* Nah, selamat ber-RPG.

Sumber : Behind The Magic RPG Forum