Self Introduction

Sorry for being late :)

Dear everybody,

Let me introduce myself. My full name is Muhammad Hamdan Fakhrudin. People usually call me Hamdan. I have lived in Malang since I was born on August 1, 1985. I have one father and one mother :)  I have also one elder sister and one younger brother. My hobbies are concerned with soccer and music. I used to love poetry but now I am used to loving my wife :) My favorite color is blue because I always feel good when I see it. My motto is the more you learn many things, the more you know everything. Therefore, since I was a student at senior high school 4 Malang (now it is the place where I have been working) I joined a lot of extracurricular activities. A few years later, when I was taking D3 and then S1 degree in UM, I joined The Community of English Department Students (Legato) at campus, The Youth Organization (Karang Taruna) and Mosque Teens (Remas) in the neighborhood. In working area, I still want to learn many things. In 2009, when I had just graduated, there was an offer to be a teacher in Percobaan 2 elementary school. Then I took the chance as somebody told me to start everything from the bottom. For the first year there, I taught the 1^st and 6^th grade students. It was so amazing and challenging, wasn’t it? In 2011, I decided to move from the elementary school and try another chance, teaching at senior high school 4 Malang. For the first year there, I was offered to be the staff of Wakakur and I took it. I have learned many things as there are always many things to do related to school academic  business. That I often went home at night and sat in front of the computer in hours made me very tired at that time. So, I talked to the principal to find the solution. And then he offered me to be the staff of Wakasis. I said I would take it and until now I feel comfortable with my position. I think I am not proud of what I have got in my life. I just feel thankful for the chances that God has given to me. I just feel that there are still many things to learn about, including my English skills. Well, I think that is it. Thank you :)

Week 1 November

Hi everyone!

Thank to those of you who posted their self-introductions in the blog in October. It would be great to hear from the rest of you in November. When working in online groups like this one, a little bit of personal information and a photo makes a big difference! It was very exciting to see the first blog entries with your reflections on the article about “Less Teaching, More Learning”. I can’t wait to see the rest of your introductory posts and comments on the readings soon!

Since you are now in the middle of the semester, it must be almost time for mid-term tests. This makes your next reading by Dave Dodgson very relevant, as it discusses the issue of how a test may be more of a hindrance rather than a help (http://www.davedodgson.com/2011/12/another-failure-for-exam-based-system.html).

In this article, Dave was talking about one of his students, *Sarah (not her real name). She was upset and told her parents that she did not want to do her English homework anymore. She believed that she was not doing well in her English class. Why did she feel that way? What did Dave do to overcome the situation? What did he learn from the incident? 
Note: Please read the full article in the link provided.

Sounds familiar, isn’t it? It will be great to have your thoughts and comments on this article. Please post them in the next two weeks. Once you have written your own blog post, please read other posts on the topic and continue the discussion by adding comments, or even creating another blog post. Let’s get blogging!

Please remember that your active participation in this blog will be used to issue a certificate of participation at the end of the study. You also go in the draw to win one of four autographed-books by Professor Paul Nation - a world-renowned TESOL schoolar. The first book will be drawn at the end of November.

Here are the prizes that you can win if you actively participate in the study:

Paul Nation's books

As usual, if you have any problems or questions, please do not hesitate to let me know!

Why should it be "Less Teaching More Learning"?

The idea of Less Teaching More Learning has challenged teachers to do better in their class. Teachers are not only supposed to explain and drill the materials, but also to guide students on how to solve problems. Meanwhile, in reality, it can be seen that teachers only teach materials that later will be used in examinations. Like the old days, students only listen to the teacher’s speech in class, and they are rarely included in the discussion. This is actually the main obstacle of the teaching activity in Indonesia because the teacher is not the center of the teaching and learning activity, but the students are. Therefore, it is expected for the students to be active and critical in class. There are several reasons why teachers should agree with the idea of Less Teaching More Learning in class.

Firstly, teaching is not merely about the materials or competences. Teaching is about giving the students something meaningful, so that they both learn the materials and the values on related subject. If the students are able to achieve the good values in certain subject, they will posses a better behavior in their society.

Secondly, teaching is about guiding students to follow their curiosity. What Indonesian students need the most is the critical thoughts and creativity. By feeling curious and having a lot of questions on their head, the student will enhance their creativity and their critical thoughts by their own. Here, teachers’ role is to become a guide for students to help them find the answers to the questions.

Finally, the teacher’s role in class is to become the facilitator for the students. Teachers could provide students some questions that will lead them to understand certain materials. The questions may relate to the students’ daily activity or their behavior. Here, students not only learn how to solve some problems but also how to reflect their daily behavior related to the problems.

Therefore, Indonesian schools can start implementing the Less Teaching More Learning by providing two teachers or more in one class. It would be beneficial because the students will have more facilitators to help them in class. Moreover, Indonesian students like to be appreciated. Teachers can appreciate the students’ work by providing students with some rewards or honors.

The 31st of Sabhatansa (SMAN7) Anniversary

It is not young anymore and it is not too old to perform its existence. Yet, it is strong enough to appreciate its performance to be the objection when ones want to continue their study from the junior high school.

                At Sabhatansa, ones can learn many things beside academic lesson such as sport-wrestle, football and karate. As a splendid education (adiwiyata), Sabhatansa involves its students to keep the school comfort and conducive by having the area clean, green, fresh, and healthy. To keep the school remains clean and fresh Sabhatansa creates cafeteria free from plastic wrapping.  Getting the environment green, healthy and nice to be looked, there are many colorful orchids, trees, and any other growing flowers neatly arranged. On every Friday morning before attending the class for some lesson the students do the gardening.

                Sabhatansa school garden trains the students to grow several organic vegetables and teaches them how to manage the business dealing with vegetables, fruit and medicine trees (toga). Hydroponic system is also trained to the students to rich their knowledge on farming.

                There is something important to add the students’ views in splendid education such as biopori, composing fertilizer and recycling. To apply the recycling, Sabhatansa calls its people out to collect their household rubbish to submit to Sabhatansa rubbish bank on every Friday.

                In celebrating the 31^st Sabhatansa anniversary, the students create any kinds of competition such as bazaar, students’ band, and jogging in special dress code just for relax and joy. All classes are registered as the jogging participant. While jogging, the students are shouting orally their yels.

                The following is one of the examples of the students’ yels:

Let’s build our earth Sabhatansa

Combine the fingers to get the spirit

Glorious Sabhatansa , Sabhatansa loves environment

One heart, one soul

 With Sabhatansa, we apply our creation

Together we are one

Sabhatansa keep the environment

Sabhatansa …… yes!

Healthey environment …… ok!