Assessment “as”, “for”, “of” Learning

By: Annas Bentari

“HARD”. That was a morpheme that I could say to mean the differences among assessment as learning, for learning, and of learning. Those have their own characteristics and specification. Actually, I suppose that it should have additional class or perhaps needed additional subject to learn about this lesson. However, I think, Mrs.Mima had applied an instructional learning to teach about assessment. Mrs. Mima was like using group-interaction to show that in reading task, it would be better if all students were brave to express their comprehensive reading skill. Since I think that the material of assessment lesson is so much, then group sharing will help us understanding the meaning inside. 

I have a little note for class that what we have learned on PETA is our capital to go to the field later and we need to have a critical thinking to learn it. That’s why I have a bit suggestion for my beloved friends to be as if you are a teacher that will use those lesson’s theories in our teaching later. So, we will think hard to get our best I this course.

Now, I am trying to reflect it into my practice teaching during school experience and when I give a course to my private student. I try to apply what I have learned in PETA class, like how to use direct instruction to teach science lesson. My student was boring hearing my explanation. Even I know that he didn’t read the material before, however it still becomes my fault since I couldn’t find a new strategy to teach. Then, day after day I thought that what I have been learning in PETA class should be explored more and more.

Last words, designing assessment and determining assessment are not simple. Sometimes we have to see that assessment as training for students or strategy for teachers to enhance students’ understanding of the lesson. I want to learn about the differences assessment as, for, and of learning. Those are so confusing in the first time to distinguish among those. However, the most interesting sentence is coming from Mrs. Mima where the point is assessment will be less without suitable instructional teaching.

In short, I want to have an additional time to understand about what the differences among those kinds of assessment are.

  

Bertuhan atau Beragama?

Oleh: Annas Bentari

 Fondasi utama manusia beragama adalah rasa percaya atau iman. Iman mengantarkan manusia dalam tahta tertinggi kepercayaan terhadap Tuhan. Matahari, tata surya, binatang, tumbuh-tumbuhan, kelahiran manusia, kematian manusia, gejala alam, para nabi, malaikat, syaitan, dan kehidupan lainnya tidak muncul dan hilang tiba-tiba. Saya percaya ada sesuatu yang merencanakan dan mendesain kehidupan ini sebegitu teraturnya dan saling berkaitan satu dan yang lain. Pasti ada Dzat Yang Agung disana yang menjalankan itu semua. Apakah manusia masih enggan mengakui keberadaan Dzat Yang Agung itu?

Ketika muncul pertanyaan “Apakah Anda percaya Tuhan?” maka dengan tegas dan penuh iman saya akan menjawab “Ya, dengan sepenuh hati, saya iman kepada Tuhan”. Tuhan yang saya maksud disini adalah Tuhan umat muslim, Allah SWT. Allah SWT adalah Dzat yang gaib tapi nyata. Gaib dalam bentuk atau wujudnya yang tidak dapat dilihat oleh mata manusia dan tidak dapat dipegang bahkan dibayangkan sekalipun. Nyata dalam hal kasih sayang, kekuasaan, dan sifat-sifat keagungan-NYA. Betapa bodoh manusia yang masih tidak percaya Tuhan. Kenapa saya berkata seperti itu? Bukan bermaksud memberikan pandangan negative kepada orang-orang yang tidak beragama, tapi saya hanya ingin mengungkapkan logika-lgika berpikir saya tentang Tuhan.

Seandainya para atheis itu tidak percaya terhadap Tuhan, berarti mereka tidak meyakini kehidupan dan segala hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan hal-hal kehidupan. Logikanya mereka tidak mengakui kehidupan mereka sendiri. Jika para atheis mengakui diri mereka sebagai manusia tak beragama, itu masih menjadi hal lumrah. Agama hanya menjadi lingkup kehidupan rohaniah yang setiap individu dapat memaknainya masing-masing. Ada yang mengatakan agama sebagai ajaran atau kepercayaan dan pengertian-pengertian yang lain yang mungkin setiap individu bebas mengartikannya. Tapi jika para atheis tersebut mengaku tak bertuhan, maka itulah yang patut dipertanyakan. Bagaimana mereka mengakui dirinya sendiri sebagai makhluk ciptaan? Bagaimana mereka mengakui dirinya sebagai makhluk hidup jika mereka tidak mengakui Sang Pencipta? Bagaimana mereka merasionalkan gejala-gejala alam dan kehidupan sebagai bagian dari takdir dan ketentuan Tuhan? Seakan-akan mereka berjalan hanya di tempat yang buntu jika mereka hidup tanpa percaya Tuhan. Ketika mereka tidak percaya Tuhan, kenapa mereka masih percaya kepada unsur-unsur ketuhanan yang lain, seperti makhluk hidup dan kematian yang tidak lain adalah bagian rencana Tuhan. Bahkan para Yahudi pun masih mengakui adanya dzat yang agung diluar dimensi kehidupan manusia. 

Paragraf di atas adalah sebatas logika berpikir saya sebagai seorang yang beragama dan bertuhan. Saya percaya kepada Allah SWT sebagai Tuhan saya. Saya percaya kepada-NYA dengan cara selalu berusaha mencari keberadaan-NYA dalam sujud saya. Saya percaya dengan cara berusaha mendekatkan diri kepada-NYA. Tidak ada cara terbaik untuk mempercayai-NYA kecuali dengan mengimani-NYA dengan segala kekuasaan-NYA. 

Lalu bagaimana saya mengetahui kehadiran Allah SWT dalam diri saya? Jelasnya, saya tidak dapat merasakan secara langsung kehadiran Allah SWT dalam diri saya. Tapi saya jelas meyakini kekuasaan dan cinta-NYA di setiap detik kehidupan saya. Memang sulit dilogikakan dan dibuat nyata wujud kehadirannya. Mungkin keyakinan saya tidak berdasar. Tapi sebagi umat muslim, saya meyakini Al-Quran sebagai wahyu Tuhan yang jelas merupakan wujud kehadiran Tuhan yang nyata dalam diri saya. Penginderaan kita sebagai manusia tidaklah mampu menangkap wujud Tuhan yang sebenarnya. Bahkan pikiran kita pun sebagai manusia tidak dapat mencapai bukti-bukti kekuasaan Tuhan melalui gejala-gejala alam yang terjadi di sekitar kita. Alangkah arifnya kita sebagai manusia tetap meyakini dengan sepenuh hati akan keberadaan Tuhan sebagai Dzat Yang Agung tanpa merusak dengan mempertanyakan keberadaan dan mencari-cari wujud-NYA.

Understanding by Design in Teaching and Learning

                Second meeting in Principles of Effective Teaching and Assessment (PETA) class was so creative and interesting. By watching the given video about activities in the first grade that should be related with the learning objectives, it shows me that teaching the primary students is not really easy. How to control the students so that keep paying attention to the lesson and the teacher instruction is needed a big patience. How to make the primary students understand about the teacher’s instruction should be the concern of the teachers.

As the goal of teaching and learning is to reach the learning objectives and make the students get the knowledge well. On the recorded video, the performance of a teacher will bring the effect in students’ understanding. Performance here is not only about the model of the dress code or just how to get the best gesture. Both of them will be perfect if the teachers are mastering how to give an instruction well. That’s why here I want to say that teachers need to make “understanding by design”. By making a model of activities or design of understanding, teachers are hoped to give a fresh teaching style.

In the second meeting of PETA, we have been showed that, teaching is not started when teachers are delivering the material. In fact, teacher should plan and do the teaching well started from the opening until the closing. That’s called “the typical curriculum design” that consists of opening, activities, assessment, and closing. On the video, teacher was doing some indoor and outdoor activities. Teacher gave a question or problem in the opening and went to the field to observe a fruit plant. Till the end of the class, teacher gave a story telling to give the moral value to the students. Those activities were good, well-organized and interesting. Also the enthusiasm of the students was seemed during the class.

The addition is the teacher needs to pay attention her intonation and the firmness in sounding the instruction well. As one of characteristics of effective teacher is good intonation. Besides those things, teachers should concern of twin sins. The twin sins are activity-focused and coverage approach. The twin sins tell us that interesting and fun teaching is good, but it’s better if the understanding of the material is well delivered too.

I think that’s great of teachers who have prepared the lesson material and any needs in teaching. So, teaching will be interesting, fun, and meaningful. The most important thing that I’ve got of the second meeting in PETA is how to make our planning in teaching become real in the class (not only a written planning).

What is with my name?

                When a kid was born, one thing that parents would decide is what is the most beautiful name for their kid? So did my parents. Actually, I still don’t understand about the meaning of my name. I never asked to my parents directly about my name. However, I am certain that my name is given by them. I don’t know how come. One thing that I believe is my name is a good name. My name consists of two morphemes. The first morpheme is taken from Arabic. It is written in holy Quran on the last reading. In English it means human being. Perhaps, my parents hoped that I can be a real human being and a good moeslem. Eits, don’t under perception first. I am a human being since I was born. I mean today is so many human beings with the devil’s characteristics. That’s why I expect I won’t be like that.

                Even my name is related with holy Quran (Islam), I am still searching about Islam for my life. Even I say that I am a moeslem, but it’s not an easy thing to do what Islam has been teaching. I often regarded that Islam doesn’t sticky in myself even I usually call my name in my praying.

                The second morpheme of my name is so strange. Some people think that it is a little feminism. I never found about the real meaning of that name. Sometimes I think that my second morpheme is funny. Perhaps, it doesn’t exist in any language. It’s not drawing about cultural background or religion background. For me, the first and second morpheme of my name is like a hill and a valley. Both of them are so different. One is general enough and another is very strange. Perhaps, my parents would like to see their single son to be a different person (in goodness things).

A sad story happened when I did a school experience in an elementary school in Jakarta, it was an introducing session and a teacher called my name with “Ibu”. Oh My God, that was so embarrassing. I couldn’t complain at that time. I was only calm seeing my friends laughed on me, Oh God.

Whatever people think about my name, I feel comfort and proud having that name. Even I don’t know why it can be, I believe that my parents put a big hope for me. I never think about changing my name. I don’t want to change it into another. Perhaps, in the future I will name my children with my name too. I feel my parents and all of their biggest effort are in my name. It is also the symbol of my parents’ love. I am so proud having this name.

Expectations of Humanistic Studies

               

Humanistic Studies in general is about human and the culture inside of human itself as a social and plural society. However if we only limit that study on how human being should live, adapt, or just follow their culture as their ancient has done, humanistic will not increase as well. It’s just managing the human as individual. However in fact, the most complicated of human beings’ problems in daily life is how to know themselves in deep inside and how they behave in social culture. That’s why humanistic studies are so interesting to know in larger side and to guide us to overcome the problems in social life wisely.

My great expectation of learning this study is how I can challenge myself to understand the dynamic of society in groups that create a multiculturalism and able to analyze the concept of those cultures. By knowing that, we are as a part of human and its culture could appreciate to other cultures.

 Based on the module, the contents of Humanistic Studies that we will learn are about multiculturalism, the identity of the cultures, the form and the challenges. So that’s why this study is very interesting to learn. As a teacher candidate, we have to think critically and give a best solution of the problems that related to global culture issues. While we see the society error in appreciating, loving, and saving the neighbor cultures, actually we are faced to individual problem question. “Have you known your own culture?” that question will guide us to appreciate, love, and save the other cultures. Most of anti-culture persons don’t know their own culture as their identity as well. They only can judge towards the weakness things. However in fact, most of anti-culture persons are the educated persons. “But, why they do that negative thing? Don’t they learn how the diversity unites us?” That is why we need to study this course.

I expect by this course, I am able to analyze and apply about what we should do in the middle of various cultures to be wisdom in having a certain attitude and look outside the beauty or the uniquely of multiculturalism.

Hopefully this study will help the Sampoerna’s students especially and also society in general to understand how we live in culture. If we see in daily social problems, such as religion conflict, mass killing of a culture and the missing of good norms are caused of low teaching and learning to humanistic studies. Chopping wood and sea area destroying are also the daily problems because people recognize nature is not a part of their life. So, humanistic studies will teach us about inter-human relationship and environment-human relationship in a culture. Finally, we are not only being an educated person but also caring full person as a part of social culture.