iEARN has really the best place for ICT in Indonesia.
In order to
evaluate the benefit of iEARN in Indonesia. I organized a
workshop on the benefit of on line collaborative learning through iEARN.
for teachers in 10 Provinces in Indonesia on 23-24 November 2007 I
invited US Embassy but she could not come, but the person from UNESCO
came and appreciated the workshop ..
I requested
teachers to write what benefit they got from being an iEARN member. I was supported by 8 Indonesian
facilitators who have been sent to USA or have taken on line courses. .
Teachers
in Indonesia think very highly about iEARN. As the follow up of the
project one school in Jakarta request me to train 25-30 teachers
on Sunday 2 December.and 9 December 2007.
So I
am very busy to plan more workshops for Indonesian teachers together with iEARN
faclitators. iEARN has really the best place for ICT in Indonesia.
Hasnah
Gasim
iEARN
Indonesia Representative
November 2007
Learning is not only read and write.
Learning is also take and give other something valuable
Through iEARN,
I may give the best
for myself, my
family, and my students.
IEARN gives teachers new energy for learning
1. I have a
vision to the future
2. It gives
bridge to new world, not only
about
English but I can learn about
other
subjects
3. I learn to
manage students
4. I learn to
make use of computer
5. I have a dream to be a better teacher
NUR ARIFAH
DRAJATI
Sma Labschool Jakarta
ASPnet WORKSHOP ON THE BENEFIT OF ON-LINE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING THROUGH iEARN
Bumi Karsa Hotel, 22 – 24 November 2007
Oo Harsono, Al-Izhar Islamic Senior High School
BACKGROUND
Regarding to our school policy on curriculum development, the teachers must develop the curriculum content. One of my concern on curriculum development is how to using project based learning.
Fortunately, I got invitation to involve in workshop about collaborative learning through iEARN. I decided to attend in the workshop because I have known that iEARN facilitate the project based learning networking.
ABOUT WORKSHOP
The content of the wokshop are:
iEARN
Benefit of involving of iEARN
Testimony from the teachers and students who have actived in iEARN Project
iEARN Themes
Learning circle
Making action plan for iEARN project
The workshop inspire me to develop some student project in our school. Regular student project can be collaborated with others school facilitated by iEARN. I try to make planning to realize involving our school in iEARN activities. The activities are:
Making action plan of some project: solar cooking project, water habitat project, student unlimited
Sharing with my colleague to develop project based learning
Invite the expert in iEARN to our school to make all of teacher fully understand about iEARN
Participate in iEARN actively
The Benefits of joining iEARN
Before talking about the benefit of joining iEARN for me as a teacher, I’d like to reveal what I felt about 3 years ago. I still remember being called by the vice headmaster as one of the participants to join iEARN work shop. I objected cause I could not play computer, I said many times that it was impossible for me to learn computer. But He tried to make me sure or he convinced me that it could run well if there was a willingness.Thanks God, there was miracle, although it was just sufficient for the simple form. iEARN made me work with ICT before my friends. Why? Because all the teachers had to follow the computer training as one of the requirements to get international standard of our school. How lucky I am. Now we will come to the point about the benefit of joining iEARN
.
First : joining iEARN has changed my mind set, having taught for 23 years , I considered my self as a senior teacher, but then I realized that I was senior in old age not as a teacher. Knowledge moves faster while I just stand still, how to attract the students attention if I live in my own world. I ask my self “ Is it fair if my students just come to my way? It seems egoist ,ofcourse. Through iEarn, I am not only bring the book as the only source of knowledge as I did before but I also bring the laptop to browse the material for my students. Very Nice
Second: There is a belief in my religion that the God creates humanbeings with theirs own tribes and nations in order to know each other. Here is the right place to know some one with whom we can share our problem. The safe place where we can talk about things related to our professions. The place to minimize diversity, through writing in iEARN, cause we talk about the positive thing.
Third: as approve that I ive in global era, there is no border. I can meet some one in Egypt, in Iran, in America without fear and I don't worry to visit them whenever I want. By spending little time and money, we can meet each other, although it is not face to face, but I think “writing” is language from heart. Saying hello in iEARN is not only a lip service, I think.
Fourth : as a way to motivate the students, based on my experience, the good treatment from the teacher about the student’s work will make them do better .By sticking their assignment in a school billboard which can be read by their friends make them satisfied with themselves. Now we make theirs works which can be read by the peoplel around the world . Imagine how happy they are and how proud I am. Meaningful learning, really meaningful. It will be exist during the life of the project. Alhamdulillah, I am as a member of this world community.
By: Khairan
Deslina
SMKN 27 Jakarta
As a new
participant, after following this workshop of course I have known much about
iEARN, so I plan to choose my students especially International Class
Students to involve
in iEARN, but I’m still thinking what project is suitable for them. So I have
to browse very often first to see and learn more about what other people have
done. I’m very pleased to get the suggestions from the coordinator and
facilitators about a good project to involve in iEARN for my students. I’am an
English teacher at Vocational High School in Tourism Department. The students
are Hotel Acomodation and Food & Baverage department, so they have two
skills and consists of 17 students. As an English teacher, I am interested in
language, but I want to relate it to my students’ major. I try to choose “Culture
Recipe Book” as
my project in my school. But if this project is not available anymore, I would
like to change it with “ Future Citizens”.
After I
know much about iEARN, I intended to do something involving my students to make
them know many things. As we know that Vocational High School students tends to
be considered as low economic level students and it is the fact. But I want to
try to make them realize that they are also potensial and able to do something
to show to the world.
I
think it’s what I can express in
this occasion, thank you very much.
I’m looking forward to receiving more information about this program.
Dra. Numalina ZA
SMA N 3 Banda
Aceh
THE BENEFIT OF
iEARN
iEARN is an
interactive Forum. I knew this forum from Ibu Hasnah who visited some Senior
High Schools in Banda Aceh that hit by Tsunami. The Schools are SMAN 3, SMAN 7,
SMAN 6 and SMA Modal Bangsa. Knowing the fact, Ibu Hasnah gave her attention to
help especially education to the teachers who can’t operate computer even
internet.
Three
months after her visit in Banda Aceh, we were invited to attend *Workshop* related to ASPnet in Cisarua Bogor for
two days. Since then Ibu Hasnah registered us as a member of iEARN. As a member
I was advised to collaborate with other teachers and also my students. There is
an interactive forum to contact
one another. How interesting it was.
The follow
up of the workshop was the participants
should prepare its project. I chose ‘National Disaster’ to my project that I
myself had already got that experience.
Mr Suparno,
the teacher of Lab School in Jakarta asked me to join his program. Luckily, we
were invited to attend symposium in Wakayama, Japan entitled ‘National Disaster
Reduction’. Mr. Suparno and I were adult accompanying 4 of our students. It was an unforgettable experience I’ve
never dreamt before. As common teacher, going to Japan with my own fund is
impossible. Apparently, By joining iEARN program I could go to Japan without
paying anything. In Japan I met 8 ASEAN countries, Thailand, Philipines, India,
Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Langka, Banglades and Japan as the host.
Furthermore iEARN gives meaningfulness to enlarge the knowledge, to get the latest information easily and swiftly. iEARN not only gives the benefit of on-line collaborative but also gives current information needed.
The BENEFIT of INVOLVING in iEARN
I am a new comer in the iEARN activities (the workshop), but I have already got the benefit. The benefits are:
Enhance my knowledge about project based learning
Improve my understanding about how to be the student project meaningful
I can make action plan for iEARN project
Enlarge my networking with iEARN membership
Exercise english
After this workshop, I hope I will get benefit as well as the others.
Let us make a better place through iEARN
By R. Imran Hamid
English teacher of SMKN 4 Malang
No one of us – both teachers and students of SMKN 4 Malang – had ever imagined a new teaching and learning process which was totally different from what we had done for years: teachers sold exercise books to students, while the students had to study the topics in the books and did the exercise Students who did al the exercises were considered diligent and smart while those who did not were considered lazy and of course this condition affected their mark for the related subject. What made the situation – learning process – became worse and worse was even an English teacher asked the students to write. Once a week, four periods of time, students were assigned to write tenses, vocabulary, grammar, elliptical structures, question tags, adjective clauses, and many other English topics that ended in the students’ books.
Although there were teachers providing new learning environment for students by using ICT, they still used their old style: they took the material recourse from internet to be practiced in the classroom without considering that students needed to confront with their real world, not an artificial one they found in the classroom. In this condition, teachers were not really considered innovative teachers.
Since there was fast growth of Information Communication technology (ICT), many forums established debating the importance /significance of using network media into students’ learning process. “I am worried that students will get accustomed to the copy and paste habit without involving filtration process for every information they get”, said a physics teacher teaching an international program in SMKN 4 Malang. Another argument arose when this learning innovation was offered to a very senior entrepreneur teacher who would retire in no time. “Why should I bother myself doing such kind of complicated things? I will retire in two years. I just want to spend the remaining time enjoying my job”. The other interesting opinion also came up from a part time teacher who had not been promoted into government employee. He said,” Why should I force myself trying new learning process? I have tried to find out new challenging environment for my students to learn but I still remain a part time teacher for years”. This condition had happened in our school for years. We almost decided that this “style” of teaching and learning process was the only thing we could provide to students. Moreover, the school did not pay much attention to English teachers since they had not won any prestigious prizes for English, even in Malang.
However, God seems doesn’t let this declining process happened continuously. He wants to remind the teachers what they are assigned for. “Where there is a will, there is a way”. The way for our innovation started with iEARN. iEARN provides teachers and students a new environment to interact with people all around the world directly by using English while at the same time both the teachers and the students are trying to make the earth into a better place to live in. Projects such as “let’s live without problems”; “electronic school magazine”; “side by side”; “music around the world”; “my country”; and others are presented in more interesting way and let the teachers and the students all over the world cooperate ourselves to make the earth better place. iEARN reminds us, teachers, and students of SMKN 4 Malang, that knowledge is important, but what is more important is the chance for us to apply our knowledge into our real life. Through iEARN, we will learn responsibility, confidence, cooperativeness, and commitment. We will make the earth become a better place that what we have thought before. Through iEARN we will reach the highest stage of learning, understand. “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will know. Involve me and I will learn”.
There are no promises we give to the policy makers of iEARN. However, let us see what we can do after this workshop. Let us do our best, and God will do the rest, for iEARN, for our better future….
Let’s make a better place……
For you, for me, and the entire human race….
There are people dying when we cannot make for the living…..
Make a better place for you and for me…
For you and for me…
(by Michael Jackson)
By Marius
Suliarso (marius_suliarso@yahoo.com )
SMA Bina Bangsa Sejahtera Bogor
Since I have joined iEARN, I got a lot of benefits. The knowledge that I got a long iEARN meeting has been applied in my daily activities including teaching.
I included the knowledge in the lesson plan of guidance and counseling like “Umbrella Perception” I applied it when I was teaching in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade with the topic of diversity, were my students were asked to draw the umbrella from different view. The moral value that I want to deliver to my students was that we couldn’t force our will to some body else to act or behave just like we do, because we are different, different culture, knowledge, religion, ability, economic etc. This material I gave to all classes, even I could share this information in meeting with my fellow teachers (counselors) in Bogor city.
There are some methods that I got form iEARN which I tried to apply in the classroom, when I was teaching the material that I gave to my students is not felt boring and the methods can facilitate the students with different abilities.
I understand about multiple intelligences which I got from one of Saturday meeting with iEarn. The method that I like so much is “walk to the museum”, where the teacher only plays a role as a facilitator because this method is more about to explore information from the students themselves.
There is also Project Based Learning method that I applied when the students were learning the Indonesian language. I collaborated with Indonesian teachers to assign our students with different topics that they were going to discuss and it will have a result as scientific work.
Once we had gathered all teachers to talk about the teaching methods above with hope that they can apply them in their daily works, because I thought this method would be very helpful when they were teaching so that the students would be more active with the way their teacher taught them.
I’m so grateful to iEARN for having taught me all of these materials. I hope I could do better for the progress of my students in the future.
Ani Rohaeni
SMAN 2 Cibinong – Bogor
Actually my school has joined with iEARN for some months ago, but we are not an active participant, just as a non active one. This is because of some reasons. One of the main reason is my school hasn’t had Internet yet. We’ve just had it since three month ago.
And now we’ve got the invitation from iEARN for three times (in the third invitation, I replace Mrs. Endang SW who has joined with iEARN before). I come to the meeting of iEARN in Bumi Karsa Hotel, Jakarta because I really want to know what is iEARN and what is the benefits of joining with iEARN , not only for me but also for my students and my school.
After getting information about iEARN from other participants who have experiences in it and hearing their testimony from iEARN teachers and students, I got many information that there are many benefits by joining with iEARN .
According to me, iEARN is:
Ø A net work in which teachers and students can communicate on line throughout the world.
Ø Enable us to develop our English skills especially in reading and writing.
Ø A media of discussion and sharing about any kinds of subject/project like language, culture, art, science, environment, technology and so on.
To develop our ideas through ongoing projects.
Ø Giving us a chance to go abroad and meet them (other participants in other countries) and know them closely.
Ø Knowing that more benefits that we will get from joining iEARN, I’m very interested in integrating this project. I’ll share the programs of iEARN to my teacher mates (not only English teachers but also the other ones) and students. I’ll collaborate my school activities with iEARN especially for The Indicator Class (the best class) . I hope I’ll be interested in it and want to join with me as a school team. Because I’m a new comer , I’m eager to know more about iEARN by keeping in touch with other participants in Indonesian and in this planet and always contacting them to discuss everything related to iEARN. I hope one day I and my students will go abroad…..I hope a lot…..I’m sure Dream will come true soon. Amien.
Ø Always support me, ok!
Benefit of iEARN for me
Hanny Atie Sumarni
SMA DIPONEGORO 1 Jakarta
Diponegoro 1 high school is being introduced to iEARN on April 2007. I was one of the participant that time. On May I became member of iEARN. But still I was not doing anything yet, just browsing the iEARN site. I went to the teacher interactive forum. It opened my mind that a lot of teacher outside Indonesia are willing to give ideas, suggestion, information and many more.
I learn a lot from the interactive forum. It motivates me to become a better teacher. For example, I read about how to “Manage a Large Class”. In Diponegoro High School we have large class. One class contain 40 students.This is my fifth year in Diponegoro but still I don’t know the strategy how to manage the large class. From the forum , I realize that I’m not alone dealing with the problem. The suggestion from others teacher about controlling and manging large class help me a lot.
On August 2007, iEARN Indonesia gave me the chance to go abroad. I went to Egypt attended iEARN 14th International Conference. I met a lot of nice people there and also learn much from them. I also knew there are a lot of interested projects in iEARN. I started picking a project. I’m quite interested in “Year 1945” project.
Back to my school, I began to concentrate starting a project. And than I’ve got the chance participated in “ONLINE PROFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE”. I choose Social Studies at the course.
iEARN ONLINE Course makes my step easier because I began to know iEARN much more. I started to contact other teachers from the online course to work in a project. I get through working in my project step by step correctly.
The Local History become my first project. I choose the project because it fits to our local history and anthropology (my major) curriculum. So it is very suitable to enrich my material and also make my students actively involve through iEARN project.
The Benefit of iEARN for me is :
Ø Make my English better (because I’m not an English teacher and I never take an English course)
Ø It improves my writing skills
Ø Got ideas and information from teacher interactive forum and also online course
Ø Enrich my materials
Ø Meet a lot teachers from around the globe
Ø Face to face workshop enables me to meet better teacher and it motivates me to be better like them.
Ø I’ve go a lot from iEARN
The Advantages Joining iEARN
The question why I join iearn program is because I like the new things in improving the way I present materials to my students. I explore the methods which are essential in learning teaching strategy. I sometimes find teaching a static and exhausted activities more over I have to teach more than 24 hours a week with no day offs. When I was introduced to iEARN projects it is so challenging although I am not so active in participating in this work. And I have some activities to handle the students’ extra curricular out of class in the afternoon and it takes time as they have taken part in competitions. And it is time consuming as well. Some obstacles I got in connecting to the internet and lack of my knowledge to the terms used in operating it. But now I have collaborated in my hero.com I have upload some students’ works there. It works well as they appreciate what they have done. I always try to encourage my students to see my blog that I have kept my students’ works too. I have collected my students ‘works and I want to upload them in some projects in iEARN. When I got the book distributed by the committee it empowers me to do so. I want to invite my students joining the project again. As it gives some benefits in teaching and learning process. The problems that I find is when I want to invite my students to do the work in computers they have to skip their class or the have to do out of class and the have other activities after class is over. I do it in the afternoon and some of my students get extra lesson. If I ask them in class I am afraid it makes other students do nothing. Now I teach in acceleration class consisted of 23 students it makes me easier to conduct the works hopefully. And of course it must be myself to be spiritful cause it depends on me to do this. I hope it well done.
Wiwin Herawati
SMA Negeri 3 Bandung
ALL ABOUT iEARN
IN MY SCHOOL
Firstly, i knew iEARN from my friend who ever followed the ICT workshop. Mrs. Elo gave me Mrs. Hasna’s phone number and then my school was invited to follow the workshop of iEARN at Pitagiri – 2006. It’s a nice and useful workshop that I ever followed, because I got many things from there,I can enlarge my knowledge and got many experiences.
At that workshop my school which included in PEACE Group got the project “Domestic Abuse” My students very interest for this program and thanks to the Almighty God that we have done the project until the publication phase even though we have main problem about the internet connection. The internet connection in my region is still in bad condition. Hopefully, what the Indonesia Coordinator said yesterday will become true, so our program will run well...
After we followed the workshop at Pitagiri, my friends and I who followed the workshop and we back to our school, we made the socialization. Firstly for all the teachers in my school and secondly, we invite the English and IT teachers from the other school and the last we have the chance to socialize iEARN to all the headmasters in senior high school in my province in one of their meeting.
In this chance I just want to inform you that my headmaster supports us in joining this program, I hope that iEARN will always exist in my region
SALHAN ASTUTI IBRAHIM (NITA)
SMAN 3 GORONTALO
THE BENEFITS OF IEARN
IEARN, a global network providing a number of various projects designed to make a difference in the world, has given contribution in empowering the people around the world, especially teachers and youth (students). This forum has given many valuable things for me as a teacher in my beloved city “ PADANG”. Frankly speaking, there are several benefits I obtain due to the involvement in this forum ardently.
First, IEARN has truly motivated me to improve my competence in technology such as my computer skill. By joining IEARN, I’m encouraged to figure out several problems dealt with computer like in creating website, block site which is used to publicize the projects which have been conducted. So, I learn more about computer technology that can assist me in getting and transferring my ideas and my teaching materials.
Second, IEARN has developed my creativity through Project Based Learning implemented in my class. Through the harnessing of technology used by IEARN, it enables me to be engaged in several meaningful educational projects with different themes such as culture, environment, health, etc. Thus, I can learn more about how to integrate this internet technology into my teaching and learning process appropriately.
Third, IEARN has enriched my teaching techniques and also has helped me in driving my students to give more attention to the lesson by reason of various activities that have been implemented and contributed to the students’ life. For instance, I tried to ask my students to watch a movie in form of legend instead of reading a text book related with Narrative story. Here, I could drive students to write a narrative text based on the short movie that they had seen. Besides, I asked my students to review this short movie (third grade) they had watched. So, I’m not only focus on the book they students have, but also through the audio visual tool available at my school used in teaching, particularly in motivating students to write a text.
In addition, my involvement in IEARN, has inherently broadened my perspective and I become more concerned with the latest global issues which can stimulate my thinking skill with the existence of different projects at www.iearn.org / www.iearnindonesia.org.
Honestly, IEARN has provided me the experience in investigating, analyzing, evaluate, and reflect something.
Furthermore, IEARN as a forum for teachers and students has improved my foreign language skill, because in IEARN we have several foreign languages such as English, Spanish, French, and so forth. So, I can practice using these foreign languages to keep in touch with the people around the world.
And last but not least, by joining IEARN, I can promote my culture and the interesting places that can be visited by foreigner in my country that can give the income to my country if the someone in IEARN interested to the places that I and my students promoted before. Through IEARN, I also got opportunity to visit foreign country directly like partaking in international conference in Egypt, 2007. This activity truly gave me valuable experience contributing to my professional skill.
To put something in a nutshell, I downright believe that IEARN as interactive network, has provided me worthy experience pertaining several aspects of my life including my teaching strategy. So, it’ll be useful if all the teachers in our beloved country Indonesia join IEARN.
IEARN-THE BEST ALTERNATIVE OF LEARNING & TEACHING ACTIVITIES
By Nuni Yohaningsih
SMAN 6 Tangerang
I was introduced to iEARN when joined ASPnet in Cisarua in 2005. Automatically the participants of the workshop were approved to be the members by Ms. Hasnah Gasim, the coordinator of iEARN in Indonesia.
At the first year of becoming an iEarner, I was still confused what to do with iEARN project, although I was full of ideas after coming back from the first workshop. So what I did was joining the interactive forum in www.iearn.org . Moreover it’s difficult for me to have a collaboration with other teachers because they didn’t know about iEARN yet. Based on the reason, Mr. Yanner (vice headmaster) asked me to hold a workshop at our school in which we also invited teachers from other schools in Tangerang. On the workshop Ms. Hasnah, Mr. Suparno and Miss. Ira socialized iEARN to about 20 teacher in Tangerang. However, due to the bad connection of internet at my school we got trouble in registering the participants to be the member.
In September 2006 our school got invitation for the second time to joined iEARN workshop in Pitagiri Hotel. There are 4 teachers from our school sent to the workshop. On that occasion, we practiced how to join learning circle in a group on iEARN Indonesia. As a result, it made me clear what to do along with my students on iEARN forum. We were involved in peace group facilitated by Miss. Ira.
From the experience above, even though I participated a little bit. Joining iEARN community gives advantages for me, my teaching activities and of course to my students.
As for me, I become aware of my weakness on computer skill. I am motivated to improve and practice my computer skill, especially browsing the internet through iEARN web.
In addition, By browsing the web of iEARN I get many ideas to be implemented for my teaching material. Therefore I don’t need to count on too much on the textbook. Since becoming a broadminded teacher is a requirement in this ‘information era’, browsing internet is a need. Sharing ideas in teachers forum contribute a solution to problems I meet during my teaching activities. At the end, I found the change of my teaching to be enjoyed by my students.
The last. For my students, It brings a new horizon for them . They’re more enthusiastic than in doing LC than learning with regular method. They also become aware of the values of peace since we involved in the group.
The Evaluation of iEARN at SMA Negeri 6 Makassar
By H. Muhammad Amin Syam
First of all, I want to say thank much to Mrs. Hasnah Gasing and all the facilitators of iEARN who have given me chance to be a member of iEARN since September 2006.
I want to report the benefit of joining iEARN, namely:
Firstly I though iEARN was “I earn” when I read the invitation to atennd the workshop of iEARN from KNIU in September 2006. Fortunately, my misunderstanding of what iEARN is and what the member can get through iEARN. At that workshop I not only became a member of iEARN and was also trained how to handle a project through learning circle but I knew little. And when the facilitator assigned me and my team from SMA Negeri 6 Makassar, I was worried either I could handle the project. Because that was the first and the facility of my school on ICT was not good and complete, especially internet connection. But of the helping and guiding from the facilitator, Mr. Amani, the frightening became little and little and the end we could finish of what my responsible. Even though it was not so good, especially the publication. The publication that I prepared in two versions, in word and power point, only one I could submit through email namely in word version. The power point version and the photos of students’ activities could not be attached or posted. I did not know why. I did that twice.
In doing learning circle, we (I, my team and students) got some benefit. We got some info and ideas from the group of learning circle on what we want to know about HIV/AIDS. And it is also made us be care to all people and not be fear to the victims or sufferer of HIV/AIDS. Not only that we got info or knowledge from SMA Negeri 13 Jakarta how to prevent ourselves from the bitten of mosquitoes.
For the students, what I could cover, in learning circle they were motivated and prod because what they knew they could share to other students especially from other school out of their city. And also they could get some knowledge because they discussed with their friends and searched from some resources, i.e. internet, even though they should go to ‘warnet’.
The next, my team and students were proud very much when we got the publication made by SMA Negeri 13 Jakarta that put my students’ idea about eradication of dengue fever. We never appreciated like that before, because our thought can be read through the world.
Sorry for not evidencing what my students think about iEARN because they did the project not used internet directly but they just read the print out what I took from the forum. At that time my school had no Internet connection but now it is preparing it because of the supported fun from the government. And hopefully in the future we can do the project and ask the students actively and directly operate the computer or internet. This is all I can report as the evaluation of the benefit of iEARN. Thank you very much.
Suwinarni
SMA Negeri 8 Yogyakarta
THE BENEFIT OF iEARN
I knew the term iEARN when I joined Information Technology Upgrading held at PPPG Bahasa Jakarta. At the time, Miss Hasnah, Mr Saparno and Miss Ira informed us about iEARN. It was very interesting and challenging but I just knew the surface. There the participants were asked to work in groups doing a kind of learning circles activity, we enjoyed discussing it then we made a conclusion of what my group discussed then I presented the result of the discussion in front of the audiences. By doing a such thing, the member in every group had a chance to express and share his experiences and knowledge he had already got. Then we could collaborate with others and made a conclusion. That was the first time I recognized iEARN. In my teaching sometimes I apply it to my students, I didn’t think further about this activity though I have already registered and have already been as the member of it. The annoying problem was I didn’t know how to have an access in joining a kind of project. Actually, some of my colleagues were invited for iEarn program, unfortunately, when they went back, they never socialized it to other teachers or students.
However, though I just knew a little bit about iEARN I have asked one of my students who has joined ASPnet Exchange program to Korea, Ekabudi Pancasakti to join in interactive Forum with a topic A Place to Meet Other People.
Otherwise, After I attended the invitation and now I’m sitting joining ASPnet workshop on the benefit of on-line Collaborative Learning through iEARN with its presentations, I begin to wake up from my sleep, open my eyes and get high motivation to be active joining this program and I will socialize and support my students to involve it starting from students from international programs to regular ones.
Enforcing and encouraging my students I will invite Mas Feisal who stays and studies in Yogyakarta to share his experiences to my students.
Anyway, I still have a problem that I have no adequate experience in access of iEARN project though I’m interested in it. I’m willing and eager to participate to get some knowledge, improve my English and my teaching, enlarge my vocabularies, enhance my experience via network, to know culture from other countries, to have more colleagues around the world. So through iEARN I can be more innovative, knowledgeable, creative and professional besides participating as environmental caretaker and the last but not least contributing in saving the world.
NAZIRAWATI
SMA DIPONEGORO I JAKARTA
My name is Nazirawati from SMA Diponegoro I Jakarta. My school, especially my friend; Hany has been registered and active in IEARN. But frankly speaking, I did not know much about it because of a classic reason, being busy. I am a teacher of 2 different schools and teach 2 grades as well. Hany has also many activities, so we had no more time to talk about IEARN comfortably. But deep in my heart, I have great desire to know and to take part in IEARN more. And thank to God, I got invitation from Indonesian Commission for UNESCO to join this workshop where I could gain many information and which makes my unclear description and image of IEARN really clear, because the facilitators having more experiences elaborated their projects they have done , answered questions and problems we might have when we are on line. Now, I know what IEARN is and also its objectives. And the most impressive thing I felt is my meeting with other teachers all over Indonesia. We can share , not only about IEARN but also about everything we regard problems in our school. It makes me realize that I am nothing among others. The workshop also motivates me to learn more and more. It really enables me to better my way of teaching. Direct consultation with Mrs. Hasnah emphasizes my understanding.
Before I joined this workshop, (this is the first time for me ) I thought IEARN was absolutely complicated. But this moment, after reading some papers we got, it seems to me that it is really visible to do. Now there is something in my mind to develop through IEARN.
One of IEARN’s projects “ GOOD DEEDS “ attracts my interest. There are so many little things we can do and they can be regarded as good deeds. I can inform my students about this. “ GOOD DEEDS “ are around us, even at school. Keeping everything clean, throwing rubbish or even used candies plastics into dustbin are among good deeds. So simple ! “ GOOD DEEDS “ is in harmony with my school effort to create nice, friendly and clean
GREAT THINGS OF BECOMING AN iEARN MEMBERS
By : Drs. A. Suarta, Senior High School 1 Bogor
First time I joined iEARN, I felt so happy to think about having new friends, knowing much about teacher as a profession from the other perspective of life from people all over the world, and sharing what problems which we had in our own school in iEARN Teacher’s Forum. I never thought it could be more than that. I never imagined what iEARN could give further to us, until I conducted a project and explored more about the website.
Before joining iEARN, I did my works as teacher just like the other common teachers do. I came to school, delivered the materials and went home afterward. It was boring and not challenging. Working as a teacher was just a routine activity day by day.
The important day finally came. In 2005, I got the invitation to attend the iEARN workshop. I met other members of iEARN in Pitagiri hotel, Jakarta (Frankly speaking, it was my first stay in my life at the hotel, what a shame on me!). It was such a great happiness for me to meet new people with the same profession, and the situation was even better when I registered myself to be a member of iEARN.
I read “Teacher’s Forum” and I found out that there were many dedicated teachers from all over the world sharing many aspect of education. It was very inspiring, why I never asked myself about what I could contribute to my students for their progress in achieving a better result of study, or what I could share to my fellow teachers to make the lessons more interesting and easy to be learnt by our students, or even what I could contribute to my school to increase its quality.
Suddenly my point of view about my profession changed. Being a member of iEARN was a kind of a “wake up call” for me to do something for my school. I conducted an HIV/Aids project, and it brought my students to a new atmosphere of study. They were so excited to find out the new ways of learning. They were so happy to be able to express their ideas, to write better in English using the right grammatical orders and the right composition, and the important thing is that they could share and communicate with other students around the world through the project which was being conducted at that time.,
The effect was not only what I mentioned above. The result of their study especially for English lesson also showed a better improvement, they could pass the national examination with satisfying grade and they could be accepted in notable university.
I’ve been more and more aware that there are many things I can do in many aspects for my school improvements after becoming a member of iEARN.
THE BENEFITS OF IEARN
IEARN, a global network providing a number of various projects designed to make a difference in the world, has given contribution in empowering the people around the world, especially teachers and youth (students). This forum has given many valuable things for me as a teacher in my beloved city “ PADANG”. Frankly speaking, there are several benefits I obtain due to the involvement in this forum ardently.
1. IEARN has truly assisted me to improve my competence in
technology
2. IEARN has developed my creativity through Project Based Learning implemented in my teaching.
3. IEARN has enriched my teaching techniques and also has helped me in driving my students to give more attention to the lesson by reason of various activities that have been implemented and contributed to the students’ life
4. my involvement in IEARN, has inherently broaden my perspective and I become more concerned with the latest global issues which can stimulate my thinking skill
5. IEARN as a forum for teachers and students has improved my
foreign language skill, because in IEARN we have several foreign languages such as English, Spanish, French, and so forth
6. At last but not least, by joining IEARN, I can promote my culture and the interesting places in my country which can give contribution for the income
7. Increase the sense of friendship.
In short, I downright believe that IEARN as interactive network, has provided me beneficial experience pertaining several aspects of my life including my teaching strategy. So, Let's join IEARN!,
"THE FORUM FOR FUTURISTICS TEACHERS"