The Controversy of Teacher Certification in Indonesia-Argumentative Essay

In some points, teacher certification in Indonesia is beneficial for stake holders such teachers, education institutions, and the government, but it is a kind of dilemma because the disadvantages are higher that its benefits in practice. Since article no 19 year 2007 from ministry of Indonesian education has been implementing a new standard of certification for teachers, they assert that this assessment result a significant achievement of their teaching performance. On the other hand, some observations conducted to check the real significances in the field show the controversy.

It is doubtful that government succeeds in making competition through this kind of intelligent game “certification”. Instead of improving the teachers’ personality, the teachers are blissful to submit a pile of portfolio from regional, national, or international seminars or institutions for the shake of points. In fact, the certificates have diverse value, thus the teachers need to run until reaching 850 point to get the title of certified teachers. Surprisingly, some friends of mine even asked me whether I had some certificates which are anonymous so they can use that. In addition, the others are willing to pay Rp 50.000,- for such a piece of paper. In result, the condition above shapes goal oriented culture within teachers do not respect the process of getting something but solely how to achieve the goal using any methods, no matter what they are – good or bad.

Money used as a reward is still a controversial phenomenon in any fields. This is what is happening now in Indonesian education. Clearly, on the article is stated that teachers will get profession allowance if they are certified. Nevertheless, in some cases the certified teachers do not have parallel relation to their teaching qualities like what had happened in East Java that the number of failed students slightly increased. In addition, the certified teachers are found still lazy, monotonous, not professional and indiscipline. The reality shows that some teachers are not studying continuously because what they find in the class is a daily routine and they have memorized everything consecutively for years. They may say that there is nothing new. When the government launched the certification program, teachers have external motivation to show their achievement through pile of portfolio. Apparently, external motivation temporarily affects their achievement.

The assessment to portfolio is merely based on examining of material and physical. It is injustice condition because 20 year experienced teachers can not be certified due to incomplete data. They are professional in practice but they do not have good management in keeping the certificates, published papers, teaching experience letters and so on. In addition, teachers who live in disaster area such as in Aceh complain that they can submit nothing because all they have been swept away by tsunami in 2004. In contrary, the fresh graduate teachers who diligently attend meeting, seminar, and other events have ample requirements to be certified. Astonishingly, they are marked as professional teachers due to material and physic examination.

To summarize, this kind of certification must be changed into new method. The method must be based not only on material and physical evaluation but also conscience. It means that the government must give consideration for certain real conditions that happens toward teacher personally. Eventually, the government must supervise the program periodically, thus the teachers will keep their teaching performance as the profession allowance is ongoing.

Manual and Digital Learning-Comparison and Contrast Essay

Students with back packs and piles of books are common sight in the last 2 decades. Nonetheless, during 21st century, considering the needs of effectiveness, human run to leverage time into more valuable than 24 hours in a day. Computers and various wireless tools invade human life without any exclusion. Education field becomes more and more innovative by new hybrid net and note books within implanted learning system. Science e-book clung together with Macintosh smart phone is a new life style and learning culture nowadays. This condition results in challenges and disadvantages concurrently. Students may choose the most effective way in learning by comparing and contrasting manual and digital learning from some diverse points of view.

In student-centered learning theory, the most important part in teaching learning process is the students themselves. They must have internal motivation to use all the resources in order to achieve their determinations. Tools are external motivation to stimulate students’ passion for better learning. In addition, both manual and digital learning must provide certain structures; school, building, classroom, table, chair etc. and infrastructures such as books, computers, teachers, curricula and so on. Structures and infrastructures are means to ease students getting the knowledge. Further, they are set in a mutual relationship which one depends on the other. In this case, it does not mean that using solely digital learning tools will have more significant achievement if it is not united with other aspects especially students’ motivation.

Teachers play the important roles in facilitating students to rocket their potentials. People may say that they learn dependently through internet or educational software, but in certain time they must need tutors, peer teachers, facilitators, or what ever another term of teacher. Apparently, students cannot study alone even they have complete facilities or even they have their own schools. The main point in learning is the word “transfer” which means that there must be resources and receivers. In this way, teachers transfer their knowledge to the students as receivers and direct them into certain behaviors.

From these points of view, manual and digital leaning looks alike, but from the others, they are quite different in the term of economical value and effectiveness.

In long term, digital learning has more economical value than manual one. However, students must make investment to buy some peripherals such as computers, gadgets, head phones, android smart phones and so on. This fact is on the contrary with manual learning which does not need such an investment. For recent Indonesia condition, manual learning is still the favorite one; meanwhile, the digital learning is sneaking behind.

Digital learning is still in the first place for the value of effectiveness. For an example, the use of technology CALL (computer assisted language learning) promotes students to learn individually on their own pace. It means that they may choose the material level on the computer they want to. Even the class contains a big number of students, the teachers will be able to manage it because they play as facilitator who assist the teaching learning process. Different from the manual learning, the material is based on the excerpts in the modules or books. The teachers conduct the teaching learning thoroughly and must pay attention to the students one by one. Moreover, students cannot jump to the next material before the teachers finish the current one.

The most important thing in learning is students themselves because they are the actors who can release the power in them. External factors such as teachers, structures, and infrastructures including manual and digital learning also have important roles to promote students learning. In former cases, manual and digital learning are alike, but in later ones, they are quite distinctive. In practice, manual and digital learning walk together, but sometimes they are tilt in different areas based on the availability of information access.

1. Academic Journal
2. English Grammar Online
3. Online Collaboration Writing
4. Reading 4 Pleasure
5. Writing and Reading free essay, summary, and article
6. CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) 
7. TED

The Effect of TPR (Total Physical Response) Methodology toward Language Performance -Cause and Effect Essay

Methodology of English language teaching has evolved over centuries since it becomes the second of the biggest language users which has 500 million speakers around the world after Mandarin for 1.5 billion ones. Surprisingly, among 6912 languages English is accepted widely as international language and set as a standard of language proficiency to enter universities, job markets, graduation requirements, or life styles. In Indonesian school, English subject has been implemented as main or supplementary subject from kindergarten to university level. In practice, the methodology is always adjusted toward consideration of age (young learners, teenagers, or adults), goals, time limit, or curriculum. On the other hand, the TPR methodology result better language performance and other advantages based on recent observation.

TPR (Total Physical Response) methodology was popular in 1970 after being developed by Dr. James J. Asher as a way to teach students of other languages. Active physical movements dominate the classroom interaction as responses of spoken words, phrase, or sentences either form tutors or tutees in the form of games, imperative, role play, peer teaching etc. This methodology sheds grammar and structure instead of active interactions. This method tries to answer the dead methodology which is one way teaching into two ways of teaching and learning. The most advanced language performances achieved by this methodology are listening and speaking rather than reading and writing because chiefly both senses, hearing and mouth, are used through all classes.

Based on my recent observation, which was conducted through afternoon intensive English classes toward adult learners who are teachers of 2 Junior and 1 Senior High School in Semarang Regency, almost 100% learners claimed that TPR is an effective methodology and favorable. In addition, they found themselves more energetic and passionate because the classroom activities insisted them to move and active in listening and speaking. Such class activities killed their boredom after daily routine teaching. Through monthly questionnaire and supervision, the data showed that there are two main advance achievements; speaking performance and self confidence. Self confidence rocketed because the learners ignored the grammar, structure, or any written expressions spinning in their mind while they are thinking. They were free to express what they wanted to and any responses would be appreciated as worthwhile efforts.

To summarize, TPR has a great amount of results in speaking and self confidence as mentioned previously. Unfortunately, the objects of observation were adult learners in some formal schools in certain place which means that there might be possibilities of different results when the observation is performed in different area and with different learners such young learners or teenagers.