Happy arrange group :)

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In teaching learning process, sometimes we do individual task and group task. Individual task is very common in Indonesia especially. I remember start from elementary until graduate from secondary school I often got individual task. How about group work? Sometimes we use this method right? Do you know to assign students to make a group have an art? There is some strategies to make assign group interesting for students.

 1. Turn to your partner

This is the first way to make a group. Student just share/ discuss with her/ his friend beside her/ him.

2. Number off

In here students are numbered off' according to the group size/ number of group required. Then all students with the same number will be in the same group.

3. Lines up/ count off

Students line up in order, using given criteria. For example the house number, the birth day, weight etc.

4. Match up

It is quite similar with the previous strategy (Lines up/ count off). this way is student find other people who share a given criteria. For example; eye or hair color, number family member or color of clothing. And students who have similar criteria will be in the same group.

5. Grouping card

Students need to matching cards. It could be a symbol, color, the similarities of part of speech or something like that.

6.Round the clock

Student are each given a clock face. They organize the partner for each of the 12 hours on the clock.For example, the teacher said 'Mira (who is stand on 3 o'clock) work with your 5 o'clock partner'.

7. Jigsaw pieces

Every students are give a piece of puzzle of picture then they have to find the remaining of picture or puzzle. The picture also can be relate to the topic, that we will discuss.

8. Lucky dip

Teacher bring a box that collected of objects that can be grouped, such as color buttons. Students select them 'lucky dip' style and then students who get the same color will be the same group.

9. String partners

The students hold a pile of lengths of string in their hand (held in center so that both of string can be pick up by students). The number of string should be equal to half the class. if the class consist of 30 students so the number of string should be 15. Students pick the string, if they get the same string means that they are in the same group.

See, there are so many strategies to grouping and make it different and more interesting for students. Some strategies above are not familiar in Indonesia. On the other hand I have consult with my lecturer with this topic and she said that "grouping strategies is not familiar for Indonesia because teachers in Indonesia is very rarely to assign student to make a group, because they think that work in group are noise, wasting time, and just some students will work in their group. But actually it depend on how teacher conduct the lesson it self". Then I totally agree with her.

So, for all of you are teacher or teacher candidate happy arrange group in your class :)

Technology to support teaching learning at SMAIT NURUL FIKRI

For the period of teaching assistant I observed the islamic secondary high school (SMAIT NURUL FIKRI) which is located in Depok. This school has many facilities to support teaching learning process. It has e-learning room, laboratory and LCD that are available to use.

In two weeks actually, I just observed X-D class. In that grade all of students are learned about text procedure. In the first week they had cooking demonstration and the second week they have test to cover the materials.

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During those two weeks I just saw a stove as a technology that they used in the classroom. The stove was very safe because the fuel is gas and it is "portable" so we can take it wherever we go. This stove is not use a tube to distribute gas from the gas itself to the stove, but the gas is put in the side of stove. The packaging of gas itself is in the bottle, so it is not like a stove in our house. This stove also easy to use so that all students can demonstrate it well.

Personally I think, the usage of this stove is effective because it can help students to visualize how text procedure is, if we apply it in the real life situational. By this technology students not only get the knowledge about text procedure but also get the experience about text procedure in the daily life.It so interesting and all of my students in my class (X-D) are excited and they pay attention when their friend told them how to make something. Basically the goal of cooking demonstration is to assess the speaking skill of students. That's why my master teacher makes it like cooking TVshow program. It has done!! They still cook and in the same time they explained the ingredients and steps for the audiences. So the use of stove is effective in this case because the expectation of my master teacher was reached.

The using of stove is also appropriate because in the proper condition. My master teacher brought it to explain text procedure which tells about how to do something and possible for her to ask students for explaining how to make something (cook).

If I were a teacher in that school with the same condition maybe I will maximize the use of LCD because my master teacher didn't explain what is text procedure, what is the differences if we compare to the other text. I want to maximize the use of slide presentation to explain the lesson so that my students are not only capable in practical but also in the knowledge of lesson. On the other hand, I think it's wasting time if we talk about text procedure in two weeks although many kinds of text that we have to cover it in a semester. I think if we use slide presentation effectively and explain about all of the text and divided students into groups, then each group have to expert in one kind of text, it is more effective. I said that because the students have prior knowledge about the text since the were in the junior high school. I want to make them expert in one text and to make them also capable on the other text. I want to make it like a jigsaw or gallery work so that all group will cover all of the text during two weeks. To explain the text, students are allow to use song, or the other kind of tools to make it easier to understand. The last is because this school has e-learning room, I want to maximize the using of this room. I want to take online discussion or online quiz or something like that to engage and make them understand about kinds of text.

Five Helping Behavior to Effective Teaching (Burden & Byrd, 2007)

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Last post, I wrote about five key behaviors to effective teaching.  Now, I want to mention five helping behaviors to effective teaching.

1. Using students ideas and contribution

In this part teacher cover many things such as: acknowledging, modifying, applying, comparing and summarizing students response. By this helping teacher can encourage students participation and promote the goal of lesson.

For example:

Teacher: Jane, what is procedure text?

Jane: A kind of text which tell how to do something.

Teacher: Good Jane!

             Let's take a look this poster, it is an example of procedure text, tell how to do something like Jane said. Text procedure divided into three parts the first is goal (The title of text), the second is mention about material/ ingredients and  what is the next Nurul?

Nurul: The last is part which is showing procedure text, it is mention the process how to make.............

Teacher: So, text procedure have three parts the first is title as a goal, ingredients/ material and the last is mention the process. Then if you want to make text procedure you have to make sure those part within the text.

First by putting Jane's response, the teacher applied Jane's answer by taking it to the next step. Second, by repeating what Jane said, teacher did acknowledge. And the last is by having another response from students teacher made a summary so that, the concept was provided.

2. Structuring

In short is, take the material in the last meeting as a hook and continue it to make a coherence in what will be going in the classroom and at the end teacher give a summary.

In this part we have to know the differences between content questions and process questions

Content question: an example is when teacher want to know the understanding of students or recall last material.

Process question: The question that focuses on how and why. you need to analyze and synthesize information. Not a question that has one word answer. Process question also has different purposes for which questions can be asked. to problem-solve, to guide, to arouse curiosity, to encourage creativity, to analyze, to synthesize, and to judge.  For these goals, content is not and end itself but a means of achieving higher-order goals.

4. Probing

Probing is keep asking students until you get the idea.

Probing may take the form of general question or can include other expressions that elicit clarification of an answer, solicit information or redirect students response.

Generally, students achievement is greatest when the eliciting, soliciting and redirecting occur in cycles. The purpose of this cycle is to promote inquiry or independent discovery of the content of the lesson. This helping behavior usually used to shift a discussion to some higher thought level.

5. Enthusiasm

Teacher enthusiasm in the classroom also influence the students.

Enthusiasm is the teacher's power, energy, participation or contribution, excitement and interest during the whole lesson. Enthusiasm including the teacher's gesture, eye contact, her/ his vocal and animation. A teacher enthusiasm was found to be related to student achievement (Bettencourt, Gillet, Gall, & Hull, 1983; Cabello & Terrell, 1994).

Five key behaviors to effective teaching (Burden & Byrd, 2007)

As a teacher we have to consider about our behaviors, the way we deliver knowledge and anything else in the classroom. We have to consider all of them because it will give impact to our students within learning process. Now, I want to explain about five key behaviors to effective teaching (Burden & Byrd, 2007).

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1. Lesson clarity --> This is the first part that we have to be expert. When teacher explaining the lesson they have to be clear about lesson and instruction. Then, we have to deliver the lesson step by step so that students can follow it smoothly. and the last is our voice must be audible to all of students.
2. Instruction variety --> Refers to variability and flexibility of delivery of lesson. In this stage you (teacher) may relate with the multiple intelligences and variety of teaching methodologies.
3. Teacher task orientation --> As a teacher, you have to maximize the time. Try to do not waste a time and provide students with the greatest possibility to learn and to practice the materials.The clue is if you can see and feel as a teacher, students are engaging the lesson it means the learning happens.
4. Engagement in the learning process --> To engage the learning process, you must make a strategy to explain the idea (e.g. make a game). Again, you have to be careful when deliver the materials. Make it easy to follow for students (step by step). If students talk to each other, read a magazine or leave the room means that they are not engaged in instruction.
5. Students success rate --> Refer to the rate students understand and correctly complete exercise and assignments.

Well, these are five key behaviors in effective teaching. Hopefully it will be useful for you.

Good luck, to make us under-construction.
:)