#4th Humanistic Reflection

A confession letter for God

Dear God,

Now I am writing all about you. I know that the word ‘you’ is not appropriate but I know you know that I am definitely respecting you most. God, someone asked me a lot about you and my conviction but it will not decrease my faith to you, I am promise. I have no rational answer to describe my faith to you. I do not know what I should write whereas you are an abstract, just like the wind; I can feel it but I can’t see it. I have my own faith and I do believe in God, I know you do. God creates me and I am here because you have an intention to do that. God already had settle plans for my life and no one can ruin it and guess what will happen to me. All the graciousness in this universe showed me that you have a power to create something huge and perfectly beautiful then why that’s should be a hesitation about God? I put no doubt on it.  I am Moslem, and the God I believe is Allah SWT. I do ‘Shalat’, fasting and read your love letter “Al-Qur’an”, that’s how I believe in God. I believe that Muhammad is the last prophet and Al-Qur’an is the guidance for me to live my life. When I saw the others whom exactly can see the presence of their God then I begin asking about you, God. Why I cannot see you meanwhile the others can? Sometimes I try to capture about your presence, but I am so sorry for my presumption to think about that. I often saw that many people used “him” to capture your presence, so is that you? Are you a man? I know that you are not woman and man also but sometimes I think that a man has more power than woman, just like you. In my mind I capture you as a big, very big man with white long hair, white long flowing robe, you are shiny and you are sitting on a cloud. That was very silly things to think, I know that. It’s too complicated to think about you in logical minds and I do not want to try to capture your presence again. Is it sin right? So, whatever people said and try to provoke me to put you in doubt, I swear that I will just close my minds from that. From the deepest of my heart I wish that I am belongings to lucky people who can see you God and also the sublime prophet, Muhammad SAW when my time comes.

Reflection as a teacher candidate

Through this reflection perhaps this course expected me to be a teacher who has open minded toward the diversity of religion.

#3 Humanistic Studies

Personal identity among other’s identity

By: Rahma Chintia/Section C

The others’ view of my personal identity

I was born in Jakarta and most of the time of my life was spent in this city. It makes me often labeled as Jakartanese. My family’s background culture is Javanese although my mom is Betawi the Javanese culture is the dominant one in my family. My parents threated me with all manners in Javanese culture, all the things that I did should as a truly Java woman: full of politeness culture. In sort, Javanese culture takes a big role in my family with its rules. In fact, it is really contradicted with my friends’ perception toward me. They assumed that I really look like Javanese woman with my behavior but instead of that, they tend to labeled me as Jakartanese because they looked at my personal characteristics such as high living style-hedonism, consumptive, and mingle to everyone. I took a conclusion that they labeled me as a Jakartanese because of the strength point in me which is refers my life style. Could it be accepted? Somehow, I wonder if there’s any rubric to labeling our identity.

The others’ identity on a view of me

I am Moslem, but I have many friends who are not same with me. Both of me and my friends, we have own faith, we believe in God but maybe we have different ways to communicate with our God. Sometimes, I really adored my friends whom are Christians or Catholics because they really proud of their faithfulness. They were pray wherever and whenever they wanted to tell anything to God. They really believe that God always listened to their pray or their problems then God will give them a miracle, hopes, joyful and peaceful. Once, my friend ever told me that we are as a human cannot merely trust or rely on other human one hundred percent because one day they will make you disappointed, but whatever  God did to you, even it was worst, He will never make you disappointed because He has a good planning for you. I was stuck on my mind at that time, the words were hypnotizing me and forced me to recall about how deeply my relation with God. They really nice to me and I love making friends with them. Sometimes I was thinking about who will be in heaven and hell. Is that true that heaven is for Moslem only? Then, how about my friends who are not Moslem? Will God put them in hell? When I was thinking about that it was like I have to do something for my friends. They are nice persons and I love making friends with them, I want to tell them about the truth but it’s going to be radical if I judge about their doctrine. I don’t want to let them placed in hell. I wonder that perhaps several of them knew about this issue; heaven and hell, but why did they don’t want to accept the only God in this universe is Allah SWT instead of their God?

#4th TLL Reflection Journal

Getting Easier To Teach Listening and Speaking Via Technology

Wow, technology is really help teacher in order to make teaching and learning process become more fun and educative. I think, the development of technology in language learning really make teacher’s job become easier. In this reflection I will try to recall what I’ve got about technology to teach listening and speaking skills.

1# Pedagogical of Listening

Just to remind you all that although the development of technology is rapidly develops but kindly tells you that pedagogy is come first before the technology in order as a guide to know what we should do with the technology itself. So the umbrella for this listening skill is natural approach and total physical response or we know as TPR. Those are supported by Krashen’s monitor model of second language acquisition. The natural approach itself focuses on comprehensible input and optimum affective state of the student. It’s mean that students are given so many input but it doesn’t necessary to absorb all inputs. The students studied without any exposure. The important thing is the input must be comprehensible for students just like “i+1” in Krashen’s input hypothesis. So it can conclude that comprehension first, instead of production. Meanwhile the optimum affective state is when the students in good condition, without anxiety, high confidence so those condition will make the students can received the input optimally.

The use of computers to teach listening skills

1.      Computers facilitate teachers to add some features such as video in order to provide meaningful learning and comprehensible for the students.

2.      The computers can do repetitions as much as needed until the students feel crystal clear about it.

3.      Computers also provide good environment for learning because it provide nonjudgmental feedback for students. 

2# Technology to teach speaking skills

Well, I do not remember at all about this one. As I knew that it’s better for teacher to use some teaching methodologies and variety of teaching tools such as videos and etc. in order to know different students’ need in teaching speaking skills.

The use of computers to teach speaking skills

1.      Computer used as a tutor (human to machine interaction). It’s like when you are personally using computer and do interaction with that. Just like drilling with one website related in speaking.

2.      Computer used as an instructional tools (human to human interaction via the computer in classroom. If I not mistaken, it’s like when we are in the lab computer and have a chat in one same media and a Mr. Teguh act as a server.

3.      Computer used as communication medium (human to human interaction via computer outside the classroom). It’s like a distant learning, teacher and students are communicate using email or chatting via chat room such as facebook or MIRC.

For the additional you can try this websites:

·         http://englishclub.com

·         http://kalinago.blogspot.com

·         http://international.ouc.bc.ca

·         http://schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu

·         www.voicetrhead.com

#3 TLL Reflection

This is MALL version TLL class

Going to MALL(Mobile Assisted Language Learning)

What are words that come up firstly when you heard MALL? Shopping and take branded wedges, clothes or even PGC? Nope. We will not in it, but in language learning revolution. So what are the majors will be talking about? Let’s check this one quote:

Trifanova et al. (2004 p.3) define mobile devices as “...any device that is small, autonomous and unobtrusive enough to accompany us in every moment”.

blog.mippin.com

Do you agree with that statement? I do agree with that, how about you guys? Well, the portable device is a main reason why people can say is enough to company them in every moment. It is practice and offering some benefits also to help in acquiring language learning. In the previous session my class had a group presentation about kind of devices in language learning. Here I will make it brief conclusion.  

• Mobile learning: learning mediated via handled devices and available anytime and anywhere. It is portability and provides distant learning with feedback and assistance. We can use it for vocab learning, quizzes and surveys.  
• Personal digital assistants (PDAs): the primary function is as translator devices. It’s also called as smartphone because it consists of video clips, exercises and glossary. Besides that PDAs also offering internet and wireless access which is make it possible to do file sharing between teacher and student and among students itself. 
• iPods: actually I only know that it can provide us media for listening music but in another case I found in one study case that students in Spanish class used iPod to respond to verbal quizzes, submit audio assignments, record audio journals and received oral feedback from their instructor meanwhile students in Turkish class used it to listen to authentic material such as news, songs and poems and to the instructor’s vocabulary and translation (Belanger, 2005).

Those are the advantages that we can take from the technologies while about the disadvantages please find it out ^^. Anyway have you ever heard about mobile phone is make getting closer who are in distance and make a distance between who are in innermost? Yup, that’s right I thought. I often faced the situation like that around me. Somehow human cannot be replaced by the technology even the most sophisticated one. Social interaction is equally important guys!

Source: http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num1/emerging/

3# PETA Reflection

#3 Reflection

Models of Instruction

This is quite hard to understand, maybe because among each models of instruction looks like similar except the one model which is group interaction.  Now, I try to review what I’ve got on previous session based on my understanding.

There are 4 models of instruction:

1.      Guided discovery

This model refers to scaffolding and it can enhance students’ intrinsic curiosity in the topic being studied. The main phases or I called as a point which is make it different with others is in open-ended phase where the teacher provide the material first including the examples and commonly teacher ask students to compare or make an observation then the students will construct their knowledge. And the convergent phase, actually I do not really understand about it but here is what I knew. In this phase the teacher will guide the students based on schema and the pattern that has been forming and focus on social interaction among them.

2.      Lecture discussion model (LDM)

Well actually this model is good for beginner teacher because of this model is pretty easy to practice. Besides that, this model is flexible and easy to planning. LDM is focused on how make students can connect their prior knowledge and the new information/material and make it stay in long term memory. So, the phase itself is just repetition schema. In a point of mine, LDM is not good enough because the teacher just asking the questions to student, actually those questions are to stimulate the students’ cognitive but it seems that the teacher put students in passive role and commonly students become overload. But there are also good points from this model which is the teacher can expose students to different point of view, besides that this model help students to integrate the new information and their prior knowledge.

3.      Direct Instruction

This model is quite similar with two above but this model a bit authoritative because the students are under high teacher’s control and guided. Maybe the difference with LDM is because of this one providing students’ involvement on their academic task or the simple word, students are practice and do activities.Teacher emphasizes on how students can understand, therefore the teacher should describe and model the skill also explain the examples of the concept clearly. The students will practice the skill meanwhile the teacher will provide scaffolding.The flow is like this:

1.      Introduction and review, connect it to the prior knowledge

2.      Tell the objective

3.      Presentation of new material

4.      Guided student, assessment

5.      Independent practice

4.      Group interaction

Students’ involvement is the main point. It needs individual accountability and collaborative skill. To make group interaction become effective, we have to pay attention on three basic principles.

1.      Meaningful learning takes place within a social context

2.      Knowledge is co constructed as more knowledgeable others interact with and share their expertise with others

3.      The culture that a person grows up in provides “cultural tools” or ideas that help make sense of the world.

(Retrieved from PETA S3.ppt)

And the next meeting I and my friends have to presenting role play based on lesson plan that has been made before and use one of four models of instruction. Hopefully I and also my friends can apply it appropriately.

2# Humanistic

2# Humanistic Reflection

http://www.google.co.id/image

More than just a “name”

I never think before that someday the little things like my name is really has a place to discuss.  Everyone has their own name and the name itself represents our identity.  But mostly people do not really care why I have a name like that or why my parents gave this name to me, because it was just a name. You know what, a name itself has something unique to explore which is the meaning. Even the anonymous, he/she has a name but because of something they finally appear as unknown. For me, it doesn’t matter whether it sounds obsolete or funky name, because I still believe that there’s something unique beyond my name.

RAHMA CHINTIA RESKI. This is my name, sounds not really funky for nowadays, right? Ok, now I will tell you the brief history about my name J

            Who gave my name? When I asked that questions to my mom, she said that was my dad who gave that name. I think there’s no special reason why it should be him. Actually my mom wanted to give me a different version of my name but she told that my dad did not agree with her suggestion. In my mom version, she suggested Rahma Cinta Rizkia as my name, but then my dad told that was so childish so he decided to make it simple as Rahma Chintia Reski. If I can choose, I prefer to vote my mom’s version. It sounds more lovable name ^^

Find out the meaning of..

It’s not difficult to find the meaning of my name. Even I shouldn’t ask my parents, I have known the meaning. My first name is Rahma. The word Rahma is retrieved from Arabic terms Rahman which is has a meaning as a person who loves other, meanwhile Chintia it doesn’t have a meaning because my dad just like with that name so he put it as my middle name. And my last name Reski also retrieved from Arabic terms Rizki and rezeki in bahasa which is has a meaning as prosperity. So, just like that they gave a beautiful name for me. Maybe they expected me to be a lovable person and life in prosperity. Thank you mom, dad, I hope I’ll be like what you expect.

I think my name is appropriate for me and there’s no reason to change it. I have a complete name, which is consist of first, middle and last name. I also have cool nick name. I am proud with my name because it reflects myself. Unconsciously I grew up to be a lovable woman just like what my parents expected.^^