Self Development (The Tree Of My Life)

In this day, Dr. Ann told a kind of self-development. The we are asked to draw aoyr story and mark specific in the time that important,a change, or impressed journey to learn. Here my drawing, I draw from the beginning of my life it start (time when I was born) until recently I am in Sydney. The line is going up year by year. I imagine that my life is like a tree, in the beginning like the grass and then bloomy flower, and finally like a coconut tree. But I wil tell it later..

Engaging The Curriculum in Higher Education (Book Resume)

Resuming from the book of “Engaging the Curricululm in Higher Education” by Ronald Barnett and Kelly Coate (2005) Chapter 10, written that unless curricula are in some way engaging the students for whom they are intended, nothing much will happen so far as the students mechanically to their surrounding; curricula cannot be realized as technical projects in which things are done to students. Students have to be personally involved in and committed to their own development.

If Higher Education curricula are going to help students develop the kinds of human qualities and dispositions that the twenty-first century calls for, we have suggested then students need to be understood as human beings are not own unfolding ‘takes’ on the world. A curriculum may seek to get students involved in, say, their own projects, group tasks, problem solving (in chemistry or business studies), researching a topic (in history), or a computational exercise. This is a kind of operational engagement, in which the student engages in the activity in question.
Unless the curriculum is designed to accord students space and time to come into a positive relationship with their experiences, the necessary commitment and engagement just will not occur. Here are some considering that there are three dimension to this educational aspiration :
First, the students have to feel that their learning is worthwhile in the sense that they are engaged in a worthwhile programme of study. Second, the students gas ti form a positive view about her learning. She will want to feel that she is likely at least to pass and may even want to pas at a high level. Lastly, the students will want to fell positively towards herself. Unless the student has a positive self-regard, it is difficult to see hoe her learning can proceed.
Engagement implies not just a coming together but an interaction. The student may be changed through the curriculum, but if the lecturers and the students are wise both they and the curriculum might also be changed by the students. This togetherness quality of a curriculum is crucial. A curriculum for engagement, therefore, calls for a teaching that is likely to engage, to connect, to lift, to enthuse and even to inspire. A curriculum for engagement, in other words, calls for a pedagogy for engagement. It is a pedagogy of deep and abiding respect for each student, of generosity and of space and time. As the tutors make their interventions in the spaces extended to the students, therefore, it is the students as individuals that have to be uppermost in their minds. A curriculum for engagement cannot rest with just being concerned with standards; it has to create spaces for affirmation and development. The self has continually to be nurtured through curriculum design as a creative but continuing process. The self is a long time in the making and a very short time in the dissolving.

(Wednesday, 26-Nov-2008)

Lecturer : Dr. Ann Cheryl Amstrong

SITE VISITING TO PRIMARY SCHOOL

In this day, we had some touring to several schools that divided into three groups, visiting primary schools, secondary schools, and special need schools. I go to the primary schools with another 7 friends who the same background, that is coming from primary teaching department. Time to go is for about 2 hours until we arrive in Bangor Primary School located in 130 Menai Road Bangor New South Wales. Still in the same area, the second school is Tharawal Public School which located in Gerald Road.
The principals of Bangor Public School, Mrs. Jenny welcomed us in morning tea while answering our questions. Afterwards, we asked to look around the school and met students. But unfortunately, no camera in school based on the rules. Bangor Public School was established in 1984 and boasts a visually pleasant, happy, and safe environment with modern, well resources solar heated classroom and building conducive to effective learning and teaching. It strives to ensure continual physical enhancements. In 2000 these include a computer network, sun shelter (COLA) and air conditioned demountable classroom, provides a demanding, well balanced and broad curriculum that ensures students are able to participate in activities that will challenge ad meet their particular needs and interest; deservedly enjoys an outstanding reputation for academic, cultural, and sporting excellence, aim for a learning environment encouraging the development of independent students who are self disciplined, creative thinkers and problem solvers.
Tharawal Primary School is a caring school which offers broad comprehensive curriculum. The school motto Respect and Responsibilit is upheld by the whole school school community. There is mutual respect between students, staff and the parent community, as they work together to educate the students academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. The responsibility to educate students to take responsibility for their learning Visitors note the excellent school tone with adherence t uniform and an expectation that students will learn. They also remark that Tharawal have a sense of fun.

(Tuesday, 24 Nov 2008)

Curriculum Evaluation and Curriculum Renewal

Copying from Dr. Lesleys paper, Brady and Kennedy (2007, p.220) stated that assessment involves gathering, interpreting, and describing information about student achievement. Evaluation involves making judgement of worth based on the information provided by the assessment process. Measurement is another related term which refers to the systematic classification of observation of student performance. Some approaches to curriculum evaluation and models of curriculum evaluation must be discussed within us. Get discussed about Tylers objectives model, we (me, Nur, and Dyah) identified some strenght and weakness, as follow:

The Strength of that model are :
- Very Simple
- Easy to follow
- Easily Understood

The Weaknesses of that model are :
- No classification
- Ignore value and context
- Not consider outcomes
- Inflexible approach to program evaluation

(Day 7 – Nov 18, 2008/Tuesday)
Lecturer : Dr. Lesley Harbon

Curriculum Implementation and Operationalization

From the conseptualized diagram of Fullan about the linier process of curriculum initiation can be described that curriculum starts from stage by stage. Those stages are divided into 5 stages. Then I fashioned it in our curriculum in my institution (Primary Teaching Education Department).
Stage A : Curriculum is designed by Higher Education board based on General Standard of Teacher Community products and thinking
Stage B : Curriculum continues into holding a kind of consortium within 5 universities in Central Java (UNY, UNS, UNNES, USD, and UKSW). We analyze what Higher Education and teacher community delivered about curriculum then we match into Primary Teaching Educationcurriculum as our objectives to teacher candidates
Stage C : After these 5 universities have a drat of curriculum, the Dean of our university obligate to make reports ad dissemination at national level (directing to government)
Stage D : The Dean and universities member deliver to all members in surrounding institution
Stage E : Stakeholders/governor/teachers are invited to let them understand about the new curriculum



(Day 6 – Nov 17, 2008/Monday)
Lecturer : Dr. Lesley Harbon

Curriculum Development

Two broad types of models for developing curriculum Brady and Kennedy (2007, p.161) are :
- the technical models (objectives and interaction model)
- descriptive models (based on deliberation)

The kind of question underpinning this models are:
- What educational purposes should the (institution) seek to attain? Answer: Objective
- What educational experiences can be provided that they are likely to attain? Answer: Content
- How can these experiences be effectively organized? Answer: Method
- How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? Answer: Evaluation

Steps in curriculum planning
1. Situational analysis
2. Stating objective and outcomes
3. Selecting content
4. Organizing the content for teaching
5. Method selection for teaching

In method selection for teaching, what teacher can do are:
- listing teaching method
- identifying teaching method
- matching teaching method and teaching content
- implementing in class
- evaluating all procedures

(Day 5 – Nov 14, 2008/Friday)
Lecturer : Dr. Lesley Harbon

Exploring Education and Curriculum Further

Based of Education
Today we discuss about didactic, authentic/progressive, and transformative teaching. The first discussion is talking about didactic teaching is like a classical class, conventional method, the teacher asks question and the student must answer. We answer it based on story of classroom. In this case, the role of the teacher is as guider and becomes the center of the classroom (teacher-centered) because she decided what the question are. The learners become object, they must be triggered to do something through a question. Unfortunately, it exists not only in primary schools but also in secondary even in higher education. Its look like just transfer knowledge.
From the second story, we know about authentic/progressive teaching. In this teaching , the situation of learning is more joyful, play, and fun, interactive within students and teacher is exist. Teacher is as a facilitator, she must organize and have wide experience. The class builds cooperation and communication not only inside the class but also outside in order to build creativity (montessory).
The third is transformative teaching. The teacher and students have the same object. Method is run by problem solving in peer assistance. Students as real learners and choose or arrange research. The teacher as a facilitator and designer.

Exploring notions of curriculum in higher education
Principles might be as good practice in undergraduate education has stated in Dr. Lesleys paper. We add some others as follows :
- nurture the learning of the undergraduate
- communicate regulation and expectations
- encourage a constructive approach
- encourage a peer assessment
- acknowledge to the reality

Who are the stakeholders of curriculum?
Student
Teacher/Lecturer
Parents
School/institution
Government (Ministry of Education)
Lobby group
Textbook Writer
Employers
Media
Education decision maker

(Day 4 – Nov 13, 3008/Thursday)
Lecturer : Dr. Lesley Harbon

Curriculum

Today our lecturer is Dr. Lesley Harbon, who run discussing method in her lessons within classmate and whole class. It let us always try to think, speak up, and share our experiences. In m opinion he teaches very well and I really enjoy in her class. This morning we discussed about the definition of curriculum. Copying by her paper on it, curriculum as it relates to pedagogy. A brief note that we adopted the definition of curriculum is an interrelated sets of plans and experiences which student completes under the guidance of the educational system, then we must also consider how a teacher enacts this. This art or craft or science of teaching and learning, often including notions of teaching strategies, is pedagogy.
Adapted from Marsh (1997), what curriculum is, I prefer the definition of it that curriculum is that which is taught both inside and outside of classroom and directed by the educational system. It seems to me that definition is appropriate what we face today, especially in my country. Curriculum is set to regulate the learning not only inside classroom but also outside. It consist of aim need objectives, content, method, and evaluation.
The model of curriculum probably consist of two groups. Those are objectives models, and interaction model. The sequence as follows :

Objectives Models: (1) Aim/objectives, (2) Content, (3) Method, and (4) Evaluation Interaction Models : (1) Content, (2) Method, (3) Aim/objectives, and (4) Evaluation or (1) Evaluation, (2) Method, (3) Content,and (4) Model

Based on those classifications, in my institution, we provide both of them. Implemented and printed in syllabus, sometimes we point out the aim/objectives but sometimes the content is in the first. However, rarely does the evaluation be the priority in making syllabus.

(Day 4 - Nov 13, 2008/Thursday)
Lecturer by Dr. Lesley Harbon

Portfolio

This day (Nov/11) is our first day of the Training of Indonesia Professional Development Program in Teaching Quality and Methodology. The class is taught by Dr. Ann Cheryl Armstrong, who also sit as Director of Division of Professional Learning in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. In my opinion, she is so briliant that often inspiring us to do something. I am really concern with the modules since I just have little knowledge and skill about education. I graduated from Gadjah Mada University where there is no educational subject to study. My Bachelor of Science comes from studying Geography for 5 years. Therefore this course will be something important for me as a lecturer in Primary Teaching Education Department. Modules and lessons consist of several topics that are new for me. Like in this morning, we learnt about portfolio. From this lesson, I can see that portfolio can be described as method of assessing to demonstrate achievement of outcomes and performances in real-life situation. Making our skill better to understand what is portfolio, Dr. Ann asked to the participants to write our daily experience into one page. We need to try in establishing critical thinking through portfolio. Besides critical thinking, portfolio has essence as a reflective piece, shows characteristics of effective work practice, and evidence of how person has demonstrated learning, skill, and understanding.
I have never experienced in writing portfolio journal so this is my first activity. For the first, it may be something uneasy to do. However, we will never know if we never try. This portfolio make my skill perfect, as Dr. Ann said, to foster self-assessment and reflection, to provide personal satisfaction, as empowering, and to promote collaboration. A set of my portfolio will be a learning journal. Learning journal can be defined as a systematic way of documenting learning and collecting information for self-analysis and reflection. This definition is taken from Kerka (1996) in Dr. Anns paper. Learning journal also be described as a collection of personal notes about observation, reading, and reactions. Learning journal is a tool during this course and I am eager to have it keep in a good one to bring back home.

(Day 2 – Nov 13, 2008 on Tuesday)
Lecturer : Dr. Ann Cheryl Amrstrong

DIKTI Shortcourse in The University of Sydney - BERMUTU 2008 Program

After arriving in Sydney Airport, we directly moved to our rent house in Hurlstone Park. The Project Coordinator International Research Grants, Thomas T. Soem picked us up by bus. We settle in an Indonesian couple's house, Mr and Mrs. Asa, 5 kilometers from the airport.
Today, I am in Sydney – New South Wales, Australia to follow the Primary Education Shortcourse conducted by DIKTI in The University of Sydney (Usyd) for 12 weeks. 20 participants comes from different LPTK: 8 lectures from UNY (Yogyakarta), 1 lecture from UNNES (Semarang), 4 lectures from UNESA (Surabaya), 2 lectures from UNJ (Jakarta), and another 5 lectures from UNIJA (Jambi). Schedule has been programmed that we are going to take lesson from November 10, 2008 until the end of January, 2009. Lesson is divided into 9 modules: (1) Principles and Practice of Teaching in Higher Education, (2) Curriculum Development, Planning, and Implementation, (3) Classroom Management, (4) Assessment and Evaluation, (5) ICT in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, (6) Teaching in Higher Education – Methodologies and Strategies, (7) Research Techniques, (8) Research Proposal Preparation, and (9) Report Writing. As proponent, there are visiting tour to elementary and special needs school in surrounding New South Wales and doing individual research. Later, before closing ceremony, we must provide individual presentation as evaluating all lessons and also planning in our institution.

Our first day was run by ceremonial party, touring around campus, and taking our pictures to be copied in our library card. From the touring we knew that Usyd is really concern with the heritage. No wonder that there are several museum inside: Macleay Museum, Nicholson Museum, Seymour Centre, Sir Hermann Black, Tin Sheds Gallery, and War Memorial Art Gallery. The architecture of the main building (Main Quadrangle) was design based on the British Colony, Cambrige and Oxford. In the afternoon, the lunch was held in Chedi Thai Restaurant, behind the Usyd along King Street.

In my opinion, this course will be beneficial, especially for those who are lectures from non-pedagogy background. Curriculum, classroom management, and assessment & evaluation are new for me but not for methodologies teaching and research techniques. I also wondering about Report Writing (module 9) since my English was rather unsatisfying. Therefore, I plan to explore all material to bring back home. Wish me luck!

Implementing Peace Education in School

It has been known that Indonesia has thousand islands which have many various customs. In fact, Indonesia is without doubt an epicenter of cultural diversity. It can be cited that the number of languages that are spoken in the different islands of the region is approximately 700 languages (Fox, 2004). In addition, there are 5 major religions that are embedded to their social structure such as traditions, moral, beliefs, and values. That is what we called multiculturalism, which it spread out widely to regions. What multiculturalism in our country denotes is a society in which there exist several cultures. That culturally diverse is also caused by separated regions and population movements such as inter group mixing contribute to its homogeneity. Those issues can be influenced on having such a peace culture to school. Seeing the dynamics of Indonesia composed of societies with a wide range of cultural diversities and some socio-cultural issues grasp the importance or the role played by education. Their vast different culture is presumably possible to contribute both an intensive interaction and some problems aim to conflict among students. We are facing many problems in the field of education such as criminality at schools, decreasing ethics between students to their teachers or the older people, have no responsibility along with tolerance, included some policies issued by the National Education Bureau to maintain life moral and values among students.

Growing life moral and values to students needs a leadership from parents, social community, and teachers. This is not only can be run at families and social community but also can be at school. Taken from what the aim of the national education is, providing student competency in order to be a faithful and pious to the God, good character, good health, learned, skillful, creative, autonomous, and be a good democratic as well as responsible citizen, the school plays an important role in generating students with good moral and values which aim to omit such a conflict. Having less subjects designed to that nationality purpose, school has a right to develop what we call local subject, this peace education may take apart.

Providing peace culture in school can not be separated having peace education, a subject matter that derives to be learned by student in acting morals and values. They duplicate on how their teachers react, if teachers act good, children will be do similarly. What we see today, it seems that a learning process only points in the term of cognitive aspect instead of affective and psychomotor. That the affective mode could be form into subjects matter in schools. It is not only be learned by students but also be given good character acted by teachers. Peace education is the process of promoting knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to bring about behavior changes that will enable children, youth and adults to prevent conflict and violence, both overt and structural; to resolve conflict peacefully; and to create the conditions conducive to peace, whether at an intrapersonal, interpersonal, inter-group, national or international level (UNICEF, 2007). Peace education is therefore both a philosophy and skill that prepares people, young and old, to negotiate on behalf of them and the world in a peaceful manner. It seeks to transform conflict using non-violent tools and bases itself in the values of compassion, interconnectedness, justice, and harmony.

Related to its subject, a peace culture forming education system into school is defined as a problem solving which allows student to keep peace and link an integrated thing respectively. Promoting peace education becomes an effort to build the awareness among ethnic groups in one space. School could begin to take steps toward the creation of a peace learning environment. However, the main issue is not simply a creation of peace to be put into one form but rather problems that have been engaged by the reasons. There are some difficulties and challenges facing its implementation. We must find many new strategies solving those facts. Therefore, through education or schooling policies throughout country could endeavor suitable ways to make the peace culture become a part of the student lives. It will be a great value to encounter some policies concerning to omit conflict found in every school in Indonesia.

Peace education in this country has not yet been developed by designing in the educational system. Some issues and problems will be put forward to understand the reasons.

Traditional cultures vs Technology development

Technology development makes traditional cultures may be lost. Discussing technology and tradition are incompatible. When we think about the lost of traditional culture, the main factor to be blame is technology. Let we share, technology first made people way into daily life, everyone believe that it would make people's activity easier. It was not expected that technology would eliminate traditional culture. People began to focus on the modern systems more than traditional. For example, I live in a village when community has still closed relationship within each other. When one's house broke because of rain, everybody would give their help. They directly wanted ti build the new one together with someone else who stay around our village. After working to build, they got to rest while discussing or talking about nothing. The social border grew around them.
However recently, the condition is rather different. When one's house getting worse, no body has a attention to fix it by calling the neighbours. It is better to call the tractor to solve that problem. As it is known that the power of tractor is thousand bigger that any other that of human. People have not to meet others anymore. That gives impact to their social relationship. Neighbour has less time to spend together. Day by day, they do not know each other, even who is in left side or right side. If somebody needs a help, no wonder no body can not be called.
Technology is something uninevitable for human in the world. The development of it will make everything quicker. Unfortunately, in the other hand, traditional culture which has been a habit turn to be engadered. For its better, people should think deeply about technology. Maintainng the traditional culture needa sacrifies many modern communities if they intend to be social creatures.