ust trying to be...
Not even expect the result
It's an expression, and that's it!
How could we lose those
of what we really are
under dictation and power?
You and me is human
no more no less
no above no below
it's flat! That's how it should be..!
Poetic! My piece of emotion!
The only effort I can have
As you are leveling yourself
And I don't want to be dragged in
Be there as you wish
I will see and wish the best for you
Leave me here...
Leave me here...
Poetic! That's it!
Rabu, 06 April 2016
Journey is a friend
Unlike Lenka’s song, I replace
trouble to accompany the word to our friendship. The more than just 240
hours memory with any of you has shaped another box of my life-time
timeline.
This is around 4 AM in the morning, very close to the last day of our pre departure training before pursuing our individual dreams and future. I failed to obey the IELTS guidance book advice to not to get to bed too early, and as a result, I woke up too early.
I might be sentimental, but trust me I am not one of ‘Bracherianism’, if you know what I mean. This is just another genuine feeling to represent my gratitude to our relatively new bound of friendship on top of writing piles, reading assignments and karaoke nights. The Pecutan travel, the saman dance, the win and loss in the pro evolution 2013 soccer games, and many more stories to tell our grandchildren later or our grandparents at any time in near future (if they are still around of course).
I don’t know what to call this sort of writing. This is too long to call as poetry, and is too short to call as a short essay. This does not meet the requirement for 150 words academic task 1 essay, moreover the 250 words of task 2 essay! So, let’s call it my sincere gratitude. And let’s begin cherishing the friendship! Adios mi comrade! Until we meet again!
Denpasar, 18 October 2013
Goa Gajah
Bon Odori
Pecatu Hills
The boys minus Joze
Karaoke girls
Lunch at home
Happy couple
Pecatu walk
This is around 4 AM in the morning, very close to the last day of our pre departure training before pursuing our individual dreams and future. I failed to obey the IELTS guidance book advice to not to get to bed too early, and as a result, I woke up too early.
I might be sentimental, but trust me I am not one of ‘Bracherianism’, if you know what I mean. This is just another genuine feeling to represent my gratitude to our relatively new bound of friendship on top of writing piles, reading assignments and karaoke nights. The Pecutan travel, the saman dance, the win and loss in the pro evolution 2013 soccer games, and many more stories to tell our grandchildren later or our grandparents at any time in near future (if they are still around of course).
I don’t know what to call this sort of writing. This is too long to call as poetry, and is too short to call as a short essay. This does not meet the requirement for 150 words academic task 1 essay, moreover the 250 words of task 2 essay! So, let’s call it my sincere gratitude. And let’s begin cherishing the friendship! Adios mi comrade! Until we meet again!
Denpasar, 18 October 2013
Goa GajahBon OdoriPecatu HillsThe boys minus JozeKaraoke girlsLunch at homeHappy couplePecatu walkHow does it feel to settle?
It’s the banner at the
Daceyville avenue that reminds me of a date, a date which indicates
another sooner time to move. Sydney is just another host for our
temporary settlement, yet the feeling to leave it is becoming harder
from time to time. Another destiny to explore. Another friends and
families to bound, hopefully.
Yet I understand the philosophy of moving, like water. A running water enables fishes to breed, allows organism to grow and makes life cycle possible. Like life and death, both have to be around human history, to ensure mankind existence and emergence of dynamism. Like a volcano that explodes larva, it ‘kills’ itself to enable farmers cultivate their crops.
Perhaps, the analogy is the same to love, too. Like marriage amidst conflict and turbulence. Perhaps it will take the married couple to a stage where old ideas and norms are no longer relevant to this dynamic of life. Like what I do and what my father did not do, in the contemporary gender role terms.
One thing I know for sure before death restricts me to predict, that tomorrow is another sun to rise. It will always be set for moon to light. That there will be Monday after an easy Sunday. There will be babies after fetuses. There will be butterflies after caterpillars. It’s like mom’s love, too. It is eternal, it is forever and it is never be enough for you to repay it, until death restricts you to do so.
After breakfast In the middle of assignment due, 28 August 2015
Yet I understand the philosophy of moving, like water. A running water enables fishes to breed, allows organism to grow and makes life cycle possible. Like life and death, both have to be around human history, to ensure mankind existence and emergence of dynamism. Like a volcano that explodes larva, it ‘kills’ itself to enable farmers cultivate their crops.
Perhaps, the analogy is the same to love, too. Like marriage amidst conflict and turbulence. Perhaps it will take the married couple to a stage where old ideas and norms are no longer relevant to this dynamic of life. Like what I do and what my father did not do, in the contemporary gender role terms.
One thing I know for sure before death restricts me to predict, that tomorrow is another sun to rise. It will always be set for moon to light. That there will be Monday after an easy Sunday. There will be babies after fetuses. There will be butterflies after caterpillars. It’s like mom’s love, too. It is eternal, it is forever and it is never be enough for you to repay it, until death restricts you to do so.
After breakfast In the middle of assignment due, 28 August 2015
Vernacular education
“You have to go to school in French. If you learn in Mandika or Peul,
you’re not educated,” said a father from a village in Senegal during
Victoria Baker survey in 1989. Although many studies across the world
present advantages for children educated in native/mother tongue, the
resistance is often coming from the very people who may benefit from the
intervention (Baker, Victoria, 1996). This raises the question if the
Indonesian government who govern more than 700 active spoken languages
(UNESCO, 2005) need to allow schools teaching their students in the
language that children consider as their mother tongue. The author of
the essay will elaborate his stance why he proposes to apply vernacular
education approach for primary schools in Indonesia.
It could be argued that the Indonesian government should allow teaching-learning processes in the classroom held in the local languages, in particular for primary school students. First of all, this is because second language acquisition largely starts to develop after the first 6 to 8 years of their studies (Magga, Ole Henrik et.al, 2004). This logic leads to the need of delivering learning processes in the language that is considered as the students’ first language, so that learning expected outputs will be ensured. Both students and teachers comprehend larger lexical resources in their first languages to ease key subject terminologies introduction. However, Victoria Backer (1996) argued that language usage will not sustain when its use is limited in modern economy. She claimed that no single model of vernacular education is proven sustainable, including in learning, when they are not used in daily economic activities. Thus teachers and parents are reluctant to agree on it. Counter objection is claimed by Ole Henrik Magga et. al (2004). They emphasize that language is not only meant as media of interaction but also method to convey values and knowledge contained in it. Therefore, learning in vernacular approach is not only teaching students to tune in with the learning but also to understand the essence of the learning itself.
Second support of the preposition maintains that vernacular education approach is proven to give greater academic achievement results. Deep and large studies across the continents have been conducted for many years. Including those conducted by Skutnabb-Kangas (1987) on minority immigrant worker group of Femmish in Sweden, Saikia and Mohanty (2004) on minority Bodo tribe in Assam, India, and Thomas and Collier (2002) on minority tribes and races across USA. All lead to the conclusion that all students from such groups are proven to achieve greater academic results compared to their fellows whom are taught in non native languages. The academic output is particularly astonishing on Math and Literature. It has been argued elsewhere that, however, teacher training efforts are more determinants to quality education than vernacular language medium. The two issues are however cross cutting in themselves so that the logic of vernacular education contribution on academic achievements is undeniable.
In addition to the previous two major preposition reasons, Ari Lestyorini (2008) emphasizes that Indonesian constitution year 1945, article 32, is legally guaranteeing the importance of preserving local language(s). Legal basis on the efforts is another mandatory obligation on why the government must allow vernacular education approach. Indonesia is among countries that ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989) that mandated the governing countries to uphold the right of children from indigenous and minorities on attaining education in the language that their mothers speak. This is deemed important by law, as it is leading towards end of poverty actions.
“What is the most critical (and cost effective) input to change the conditions of poverty, or rather to expand human capabilities?” “There is a ‘general consensus’ among the economists, psychologists and other social scientists that education is perhaps the most crucial input” (Misra & Mohanty, 2000).
However, budget allocation to implement the efforts is enormous, claimed Backer (1996). In the case of the government of Papua New Guinea for example, although have been passing the law to endorse teaching in vernacular language, myriad of resources development must be funded and therefore is expensive. Yet, I believe the importance of preserving the values within the language exceeds the budget. Therefore, vernacular education will need to implement.
Bibliography
Backer, Victoria. 1996. Native Language versus National Language Literacy: Choices and Dilemmas in School Instruction Medium. Eckerd College. Florida, USA
Lestiyorini, Ari. 2008. Eksistensi bahasa daerah dan bahasa Indonesia sebagai alat komunikasi dalam persaingan global. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Magga, Ole Hendrik. Ida Nicolaisen, Mililani Trask, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and Robert Dunbar. Indigenous children’s education and indigenous languages. Expert paper written for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
It could be argued that the Indonesian government should allow teaching-learning processes in the classroom held in the local languages, in particular for primary school students. First of all, this is because second language acquisition largely starts to develop after the first 6 to 8 years of their studies (Magga, Ole Henrik et.al, 2004). This logic leads to the need of delivering learning processes in the language that is considered as the students’ first language, so that learning expected outputs will be ensured. Both students and teachers comprehend larger lexical resources in their first languages to ease key subject terminologies introduction. However, Victoria Backer (1996) argued that language usage will not sustain when its use is limited in modern economy. She claimed that no single model of vernacular education is proven sustainable, including in learning, when they are not used in daily economic activities. Thus teachers and parents are reluctant to agree on it. Counter objection is claimed by Ole Henrik Magga et. al (2004). They emphasize that language is not only meant as media of interaction but also method to convey values and knowledge contained in it. Therefore, learning in vernacular approach is not only teaching students to tune in with the learning but also to understand the essence of the learning itself.
Second support of the preposition maintains that vernacular education approach is proven to give greater academic achievement results. Deep and large studies across the continents have been conducted for many years. Including those conducted by Skutnabb-Kangas (1987) on minority immigrant worker group of Femmish in Sweden, Saikia and Mohanty (2004) on minority Bodo tribe in Assam, India, and Thomas and Collier (2002) on minority tribes and races across USA. All lead to the conclusion that all students from such groups are proven to achieve greater academic results compared to their fellows whom are taught in non native languages. The academic output is particularly astonishing on Math and Literature. It has been argued elsewhere that, however, teacher training efforts are more determinants to quality education than vernacular language medium. The two issues are however cross cutting in themselves so that the logic of vernacular education contribution on academic achievements is undeniable.
In addition to the previous two major preposition reasons, Ari Lestyorini (2008) emphasizes that Indonesian constitution year 1945, article 32, is legally guaranteeing the importance of preserving local language(s). Legal basis on the efforts is another mandatory obligation on why the government must allow vernacular education approach. Indonesia is among countries that ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989) that mandated the governing countries to uphold the right of children from indigenous and minorities on attaining education in the language that their mothers speak. This is deemed important by law, as it is leading towards end of poverty actions.
“What is the most critical (and cost effective) input to change the conditions of poverty, or rather to expand human capabilities?” “There is a ‘general consensus’ among the economists, psychologists and other social scientists that education is perhaps the most crucial input” (Misra & Mohanty, 2000).
However, budget allocation to implement the efforts is enormous, claimed Backer (1996). In the case of the government of Papua New Guinea for example, although have been passing the law to endorse teaching in vernacular language, myriad of resources development must be funded and therefore is expensive. Yet, I believe the importance of preserving the values within the language exceeds the budget. Therefore, vernacular education will need to implement.
Bibliography
Backer, Victoria. 1996. Native Language versus National Language Literacy: Choices and Dilemmas in School Instruction Medium. Eckerd College. Florida, USA
Lestiyorini, Ari. 2008. Eksistensi bahasa daerah dan bahasa Indonesia sebagai alat komunikasi dalam persaingan global. Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Magga, Ole Hendrik. Ida Nicolaisen, Mililani Trask, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and Robert Dunbar. Indigenous children’s education and indigenous languages. Expert paper written for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Academic Debate in Formal Education; Why Bother?
Questions like “Is nuclear power safe?” or “What costs will people pay
higher if cheap cars are in the market?” endorse the need for critical
attitude development. However, the need to build critical attitude
through academic debate in formal education system yields controversies.
Many educators believe that critical attitude is the natural process of
people growing older and the direct result of people’s exposures to
education (Greenstreet R., 1993; pg. 22). The imposition of debate in
formal schools and universities as means to build critical attitude will
just be additional burdens for both teachers and students. However,
studies on the benefit of academic debate upon students and teachers
prove to give significant difference of critical attitude between those
who are engaged in debate and those who are not. Debate compulsory
course in the University of Alberta-Canada, Science and Education
Program Studies in 2003, for example, has helped the students and
teachers to not only being critical about science theories and science
related discoveries, but also to be more responsible on the application
of science in the society (M. Gunn, Thelma et al, 2008, pg.168). The
university stakeholders claimed that the incorporation of debate course
has helped their graduates and lecturers to not only acquire higher
level of intelligence but also to be ethically responsible of technology
and science application offered to the world (M. Gunn, Thelma et al,
2008, pg. 175). Chien-Hui Yang, a PhD researcher from Singapore Nanyang
Technological University (2012), further emphasized that 80.4% of
teachers agreed that debate help them to make connections between the
subject matter and the real life experience, and Munakata’s (2010) study
proved that students engaged in debate are encouraged to be active
participants in their fields. This paper, therefore, presents further
reasoning on why debate in formal education system is essential and what
skills can students and teachers / lecturers acquire if debate is
mandatorily applied in their curriculum.
Academic debate attempts to be defined as a school or college activity where students engage in debate on two opposing sides. The students on each side try to persuade a judge or panel of judges to support their side of an issue (The Dictionary of Forensics 3.0a, 2009, pg.5). There are certain rules and regulation applied during the course of a debate, including time allocation per speaker, objections’ and rebuttals’ manners, relevancy of arguments, and so on. While the rule is set firmly for every discipline of studies, the topics in debate accommodate the wide range of field of studies to allow wide participation of students and teachers from various academic disciplines.
Firstly, it could be argued that critical attitude is already the direct result of exposure to education and part of the natural process of growing up of age (Greenstreet R., 1993). Vygostky (1978, 1986, 1987) further classified critical attitude as experiences that someone or group of people gain collectively, and as experience that someone acquires individually, which both can create and alter somebody’s logical schemata. Relying on these theories, many argued that the higher the level of somebody's education, their mental and physical age, the more they are exposed to the need of thinking and behaving critically. This is because people with higher education and more mature mental and physical age meet more various opportunities of life-related questions. In addition, as part of the natural process of critical thinking development, human start to develop abstract thinking by the age of 11 and continue to develop. (Piaget J.,1970). However, significant difference is found on the study between the non-debating societies and the debating societies. As a result, teachers and students who are engaged in academic debating activities are less reliance on given textbooks and lectures, but more on synthesizing original and objective ideas. This is due to the fact that these students and teachers/lecturers need to prepare themselves with background reading on variety of views to consider as objective and more valid arguments before a debate. And this background reading allows students and teachers to avoid bias and personal beliefs which can dictate the objective arguments.
Secondly, it was argued elsewhere that academic debate is not essential for every student. Students who study natural science do not need debating skills, as they may lack the need for dissenting opinions. This group of natural science students claims that scientific theories and findings are based on scientific and reliable method. Therefore, there is very little room to debate upon a scientific research. However, natural science is as dynamic as social science following human development needs. Similar to any academic field, natural science is not absolute. Newton’s theory of relativity, for example, is in contrast with Einstein’s. Old astronomers used to believe that the world was flat before Christopher Columbus’ sail around the world, when he returned to the same spot where he started it, indicating that the globe is round. In addition to these, natural science must prioritize the creation of foundation for proficient and ethical consumers of scientific change. Human can always offer new technology for example, but the technology must consider appropriateness within societal context to become sustainable. Thus, debate is equally essential for both natural science studies and social science studies. Another opposing view to rebut upon the opinion that natural science students do not need academic debate is that all academic disciplines require students to maintain theories they adopt as reference at various levels of use. Thelma M. Gunn, Lance M. Grigg, and Guy A. Pomahac (2008), professors in bioethical sciences at University of Lethbridge, maintained that “science curriculum now emphasizes the importance of learner's metacognitive awareness by attending to declarative (i.e what), procedural (i.e how) and conditional knowledge (i.e when)". Therefore, there are always layers of scientific research can be debated upon before they actually be shared as the ‘latest’ finding.
Additional opposing proponents of debate in formal education states that critical attitude development has been integrated in the existing subjects. This group argues that the status quo subjects already require students to expose theories in balance of opinion. However, the opposition proponents negate the fact that a non-mandatory approach as provided by the current status quo of formal education subjects fail to respond to the development of a critical attitude. Examinations using questions taken from source of text / information (content-based instructions) are more easily be found than questions which require students to have analysis before the answer (inquiry-based instructions). The majority of teachers, university lecturers and students opt for rote and reproductive learning styles, simply because they find rote and reproductive learning a lot easier to hold. In addition to this, when debate is not applied as a mandatory approach, teachers, lecturers and students do not make efforts to apply the debate. They do not see any additional rewards imposing debate in classroom, because the debate non mandatory initiatives will not be taken as academic credit. As a result, Omelicheva (2005) studied 130 online syllabi for undergraduate political science courses and found that only three incorporated debate, despite the universities’ suggestions about imposing debate in class rooms.
Finally, debate proponents’ reason on why we need to apply academic debate is that debate provides hands-on tools to practice critical skills. A debater can comfortably express dissenting ideas in an academic atmosphere, as he finds certain rules and regulation are set which people must obey during the course of a debate. The rules and regulations set include managing emotion when paraphrasing opinions, arguing a claim, objecting to logic, etc. In addition, academic debate facilitates two ways of interaction that enables everybody to participate, because debate regulates the domination of opinions expressed during the course of its conduction. Although failure to balance domination of opinions can always occur in the hand of a weak facilitator, however, debaters can easily find common ground as a more valid reference. This is due the nature of every intelligence proves that “rational argumentation is the absolute result of critical thinking which every intelligence nurtures” claimed Patterson and Zarefsky (1993). They further emphasized that “the development of arguments... encourages critical thinking because it consistently demands the questioning, examining and restructuring of knowledge according to the laws of validity and warrant."
In summary, imposing academic debate in formal education system is not an additional burden for both teachers/lecturers and students. Critical attitude as offered in an academic debate practice is implementable to all disciplines and contexts with hands-on tools and experiences. The stimulation to analyze, synthesize and therefore view perspectives in valid and warrant reasoning is a definite result of a debate activity. This in both immediate and long term will create a long lasting critical attitude among students. Moreover, studies across the globe have been widely conducted and consistently yielded significant difference between debaters and non-debaters, in terms of their critical attitude and positive contribution to the society. Thus, why not bother?
References
Hall, Dawn, BS, MPT, PhD, 2011. Debate: Innovative Teaching to Enhance Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Healthcare Professionals. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Science and Practice, Vol. 9, No. 3, pg. 1 – 8
Hanson, Jim et al, 2009. Dictionary of Forensics 3.0a, West Coast Publishing
Greenstreet, Robert, 1993. Academic Debate and Critical Thinking: A Look at the Evidence. National Forensic Journal, XI (Summer 1993), pg. 13 – 28
Gunn, Thelma M., Lance M. Grigg and Guy A. Pomahac, 2008. Critical thinking in Science Education: Can Bioethica Issues and Questioning Strategies Increase Scientific Understandings?. Journal of Education Thought, Vol. 42, pg. 165-183
Warner, Ede Dr. and Dr. Jon Bruschke “Gone on Debating:” Competitive Academic Debate as a Tool of Empowerment for Urban America.
Yang, Chien-Hui, PhD and Enniati Rusli, M.Ed, 2012. Using Debate as a Pedagogical Tool in Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers’ Learning and Critical Thinking. Journal of International Education Rsearch, Volume 8, Number 2, pg. 135 – 144
Academic debate attempts to be defined as a school or college activity where students engage in debate on two opposing sides. The students on each side try to persuade a judge or panel of judges to support their side of an issue (The Dictionary of Forensics 3.0a, 2009, pg.5). There are certain rules and regulation applied during the course of a debate, including time allocation per speaker, objections’ and rebuttals’ manners, relevancy of arguments, and so on. While the rule is set firmly for every discipline of studies, the topics in debate accommodate the wide range of field of studies to allow wide participation of students and teachers from various academic disciplines.
Firstly, it could be argued that critical attitude is already the direct result of exposure to education and part of the natural process of growing up of age (Greenstreet R., 1993). Vygostky (1978, 1986, 1987) further classified critical attitude as experiences that someone or group of people gain collectively, and as experience that someone acquires individually, which both can create and alter somebody’s logical schemata. Relying on these theories, many argued that the higher the level of somebody's education, their mental and physical age, the more they are exposed to the need of thinking and behaving critically. This is because people with higher education and more mature mental and physical age meet more various opportunities of life-related questions. In addition, as part of the natural process of critical thinking development, human start to develop abstract thinking by the age of 11 and continue to develop. (Piaget J.,1970). However, significant difference is found on the study between the non-debating societies and the debating societies. As a result, teachers and students who are engaged in academic debating activities are less reliance on given textbooks and lectures, but more on synthesizing original and objective ideas. This is due to the fact that these students and teachers/lecturers need to prepare themselves with background reading on variety of views to consider as objective and more valid arguments before a debate. And this background reading allows students and teachers to avoid bias and personal beliefs which can dictate the objective arguments.
Secondly, it was argued elsewhere that academic debate is not essential for every student. Students who study natural science do not need debating skills, as they may lack the need for dissenting opinions. This group of natural science students claims that scientific theories and findings are based on scientific and reliable method. Therefore, there is very little room to debate upon a scientific research. However, natural science is as dynamic as social science following human development needs. Similar to any academic field, natural science is not absolute. Newton’s theory of relativity, for example, is in contrast with Einstein’s. Old astronomers used to believe that the world was flat before Christopher Columbus’ sail around the world, when he returned to the same spot where he started it, indicating that the globe is round. In addition to these, natural science must prioritize the creation of foundation for proficient and ethical consumers of scientific change. Human can always offer new technology for example, but the technology must consider appropriateness within societal context to become sustainable. Thus, debate is equally essential for both natural science studies and social science studies. Another opposing view to rebut upon the opinion that natural science students do not need academic debate is that all academic disciplines require students to maintain theories they adopt as reference at various levels of use. Thelma M. Gunn, Lance M. Grigg, and Guy A. Pomahac (2008), professors in bioethical sciences at University of Lethbridge, maintained that “science curriculum now emphasizes the importance of learner's metacognitive awareness by attending to declarative (i.e what), procedural (i.e how) and conditional knowledge (i.e when)". Therefore, there are always layers of scientific research can be debated upon before they actually be shared as the ‘latest’ finding.
Additional opposing proponents of debate in formal education states that critical attitude development has been integrated in the existing subjects. This group argues that the status quo subjects already require students to expose theories in balance of opinion. However, the opposition proponents negate the fact that a non-mandatory approach as provided by the current status quo of formal education subjects fail to respond to the development of a critical attitude. Examinations using questions taken from source of text / information (content-based instructions) are more easily be found than questions which require students to have analysis before the answer (inquiry-based instructions). The majority of teachers, university lecturers and students opt for rote and reproductive learning styles, simply because they find rote and reproductive learning a lot easier to hold. In addition to this, when debate is not applied as a mandatory approach, teachers, lecturers and students do not make efforts to apply the debate. They do not see any additional rewards imposing debate in classroom, because the debate non mandatory initiatives will not be taken as academic credit. As a result, Omelicheva (2005) studied 130 online syllabi for undergraduate political science courses and found that only three incorporated debate, despite the universities’ suggestions about imposing debate in class rooms.
Finally, debate proponents’ reason on why we need to apply academic debate is that debate provides hands-on tools to practice critical skills. A debater can comfortably express dissenting ideas in an academic atmosphere, as he finds certain rules and regulation are set which people must obey during the course of a debate. The rules and regulations set include managing emotion when paraphrasing opinions, arguing a claim, objecting to logic, etc. In addition, academic debate facilitates two ways of interaction that enables everybody to participate, because debate regulates the domination of opinions expressed during the course of its conduction. Although failure to balance domination of opinions can always occur in the hand of a weak facilitator, however, debaters can easily find common ground as a more valid reference. This is due the nature of every intelligence proves that “rational argumentation is the absolute result of critical thinking which every intelligence nurtures” claimed Patterson and Zarefsky (1993). They further emphasized that “the development of arguments... encourages critical thinking because it consistently demands the questioning, examining and restructuring of knowledge according to the laws of validity and warrant."
In summary, imposing academic debate in formal education system is not an additional burden for both teachers/lecturers and students. Critical attitude as offered in an academic debate practice is implementable to all disciplines and contexts with hands-on tools and experiences. The stimulation to analyze, synthesize and therefore view perspectives in valid and warrant reasoning is a definite result of a debate activity. This in both immediate and long term will create a long lasting critical attitude among students. Moreover, studies across the globe have been widely conducted and consistently yielded significant difference between debaters and non-debaters, in terms of their critical attitude and positive contribution to the society. Thus, why not bother?
References
Hall, Dawn, BS, MPT, PhD, 2011. Debate: Innovative Teaching to Enhance Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Healthcare Professionals. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Science and Practice, Vol. 9, No. 3, pg. 1 – 8
Hanson, Jim et al, 2009. Dictionary of Forensics 3.0a, West Coast Publishing
Greenstreet, Robert, 1993. Academic Debate and Critical Thinking: A Look at the Evidence. National Forensic Journal, XI (Summer 1993), pg. 13 – 28
Gunn, Thelma M., Lance M. Grigg and Guy A. Pomahac, 2008. Critical thinking in Science Education: Can Bioethica Issues and Questioning Strategies Increase Scientific Understandings?. Journal of Education Thought, Vol. 42, pg. 165-183
Warner, Ede Dr. and Dr. Jon Bruschke “Gone on Debating:” Competitive Academic Debate as a Tool of Empowerment for Urban America.
Yang, Chien-Hui, PhD and Enniati Rusli, M.Ed, 2012. Using Debate as a Pedagogical Tool in Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers’ Learning and Critical Thinking. Journal of International Education Rsearch, Volume 8, Number 2, pg. 135 – 144
Munajat
Kantukku terbawa teguk kopi tadi malam. Tidak penat rasa mata bahkan
selepas 6 paragraf tugas yang aku salin di laptop tua kami. Gundah apa
yang membawa puisi sukma ini, menerawang wajah mu mama dan belahan jiwa
Sekonyong konyong lelah raga tertumpah dalam bulir air mata. Konflik yang cukup lama tak mampu terseka peluh raga ini.
Entahlah, aku rindu masa di mana muram durja bukan teman hari dan malam bathin ini. Sesak sesekali mengupat, mengkhianat nikmatNya.
Allah Tuhan yang Maha kuasa, sandarkan hamba di ketentuan sejatiMu.
Ridhoi pinta hamba Tuhanku yang Maha Agung lagi pengabul doa
29 Agustus 2013
Sekonyong konyong lelah raga tertumpah dalam bulir air mata. Konflik yang cukup lama tak mampu terseka peluh raga ini.
Entahlah, aku rindu masa di mana muram durja bukan teman hari dan malam bathin ini. Sesak sesekali mengupat, mengkhianat nikmatNya.
Allah Tuhan yang Maha kuasa, sandarkan hamba di ketentuan sejatiMu.
Ridhoi pinta hamba Tuhanku yang Maha Agung lagi pengabul doa
29 Agustus 2013
Sabtu, 11 Juni 2011
Reunian
adi malam aku dan beberapa teman sekolah waktu SMP dulu bertemu kembali.
Luar biasa luapan perasaan dan rasa kangen yang tercurahkan. :) "Sejak
tamat SMP baru ini kami jumpa, dulu waktu istriku di Yogya dan terkadang
aku mengapelinya aku pun tak sempat bertemu dengan kawanku ini", kata
kawanku yang ada tadi malam juga berkumpul. Tentu saja, banyak perubahan
di dalam hidup kami yang sekarang di banding 13 tahun yang lalu; ada
yang sudah sukses membuka usaha warnet dan komik sendiri sekaligus juga
menjadi pegawai di sebuah BUMN, ada yang aktif ke sana-sini menjadi
trainer dan menghandle acara-acara sebagai EO, aku sendiri masih bekerja
di Lembaga Swasta sebagai pekerja sosial.
Kami bebas saja bertukar cerita, mulai dari tanya-tanya kegiatan yang dilakukan sekarang, sampai menyentil sedikit cerita-cerita konyol tentang kami atau pun kawan-kawan lain masa-masa sekolah dulu. Di dapur istriku dan Kak Ina menyiapkan makanan 'mewah' zaman SMP; intel (indomie telor) serta seteko capuccino dingin; junk food yang sangat lezat. Hehe...
Beberapa 'junior' kami juga ada berkumpul, sebagian besar malah baru kenal setelah tamat dari sekolah itu. Waktu Intel terhidang, kami pun langsung melahapnya dan tak putus masih melanjutkan cerita-cerita. Istriku bergabung setelah anak kami tertidur dan megajaknya turut larut dalam percakapan.
Kawanku yang trainer membagikan banyak informasi baru tentang sebuah Pelatihan yang dia sebut sebaga Neuro Lingusitic Programming (NLP). Kurang lebih di dalamnya dia bercerita bahwa ini adalah pendekatan psikologis untuk menumbuhkan dan mendorong terjadinya motivasi dan fikiran positif dari diri kita. Dia bilang, akan berbeda efek psikologisnya ketika kita bilang "Saya tidak ingin sakit" dengan "Saya sehat". Aku bergumam ke diri sendiri "Hm...Super sekali!" Hehe..
Terus terang saya dapat merasakan energi positif yang kawan trainer saya coba tularkan. Bagai menyirami kembali jiwa dan fikiran ke arah positif seperti efek sehabis membaca cerpennya Martin Siregar yang berjudul kawan kentalku Bason.
Pukul 10 malam, kawanku pemilik warnet dan pegawai di BUMN minta izin pulang karena harus menjemput pakaian untuk wisuda anaknya hari ini (wisuda TK). Kami pun mengizinkannya pulang dan melanjutkan pembicaraan dengan adik-adik junior yang ada datang tadi malam.
Kawan trainerku melanjutkan percakapannya tentang NLP. Adik-adik junior kami banyak yang tertarik untuk meminta kawan trainerku memberikan mereka ilmu hipnotis (untuk cari cewek barangkali) Hehe..
Kawan trainerku hanya menjelaskan logika hipnotis yang adalah percampuran dari banyak ilmu-ilmu empirik; fisika, kimia, bahasa, dan lain-lain. Tak puas, adik-adik junior kami minta untuk diajarkan caranya langsung, kawan trainerku bilang "Itu butuh lebih dari 16 SKS" Hehe.. (yang ini aku ngarang). Kawan trainerku menjelaskan bahwa ilmu di NLP bisa dipakai untuk kegiatan sehari-hari, misalnya merayu cewek (karena kebetulan audience yang tinggal kebanyakan anak-anak kuliah yang sulit dapat pacar). Kawan trainerku bilang coba aja analisa apa yang biasanya cewek yang akan kalian dekati ucapkan kalau kalian bertanya. Misalnya, " kamu suka jalan-jalan ke mana? dan kenapa?" Kalau dia jawab saya suka ke gunung karena suka lihat pemandangannya berarti ini cewek tipe visual. Kalau dia jawab saya suka mengahdiri konser musik dan merasakan hiruk pikuknya semangat musik ini berarti tipe cewek kinestetis. Dan kalau si cewek menjawab sukanya di rumah aja dengar radio, ini berarti tipe auditori. Jadi, jangan mengumbar gombal ke cewek visual karena dia tak suka mendengarkan gombal, atau sebaliknya tidak terlalu penting berpakain bersih dan rapi atau memberikan bunga yang indah dipandang mata ke cewek yang tipe auditori, dan seterusnya. Begitu kata kawan trainerku.
Di ujung percakapan kami pun memulai pembicaraan untuk mengadakan pelatihan satu hari untuk anak-anak SMA di Banda Aceh pada beberapa waktu mendatang. Muncul usulan untuk mengadakannya pada momen anak-anak masuk kembali ke sekolah dan akan ditarik bayaran untuk peserta.
Ah..Sungguh indah reuni yang singkat tadi malam. Mudah-mudahan bisa lebih sering kami lakukan.
Untuk kawan-kawan yang berkumpul tadi malam
BNA, 11 Juni 2009
Jam kantor bikin cerpen
PSB
Kami bebas saja bertukar cerita, mulai dari tanya-tanya kegiatan yang dilakukan sekarang, sampai menyentil sedikit cerita-cerita konyol tentang kami atau pun kawan-kawan lain masa-masa sekolah dulu. Di dapur istriku dan Kak Ina menyiapkan makanan 'mewah' zaman SMP; intel (indomie telor) serta seteko capuccino dingin; junk food yang sangat lezat. Hehe...
Beberapa 'junior' kami juga ada berkumpul, sebagian besar malah baru kenal setelah tamat dari sekolah itu. Waktu Intel terhidang, kami pun langsung melahapnya dan tak putus masih melanjutkan cerita-cerita. Istriku bergabung setelah anak kami tertidur dan megajaknya turut larut dalam percakapan.
Kawanku yang trainer membagikan banyak informasi baru tentang sebuah Pelatihan yang dia sebut sebaga Neuro Lingusitic Programming (NLP). Kurang lebih di dalamnya dia bercerita bahwa ini adalah pendekatan psikologis untuk menumbuhkan dan mendorong terjadinya motivasi dan fikiran positif dari diri kita. Dia bilang, akan berbeda efek psikologisnya ketika kita bilang "Saya tidak ingin sakit" dengan "Saya sehat". Aku bergumam ke diri sendiri "Hm...Super sekali!" Hehe..
Terus terang saya dapat merasakan energi positif yang kawan trainer saya coba tularkan. Bagai menyirami kembali jiwa dan fikiran ke arah positif seperti efek sehabis membaca cerpennya Martin Siregar yang berjudul kawan kentalku Bason.
Pukul 10 malam, kawanku pemilik warnet dan pegawai di BUMN minta izin pulang karena harus menjemput pakaian untuk wisuda anaknya hari ini (wisuda TK). Kami pun mengizinkannya pulang dan melanjutkan pembicaraan dengan adik-adik junior yang ada datang tadi malam.
Kawan trainerku melanjutkan percakapannya tentang NLP. Adik-adik junior kami banyak yang tertarik untuk meminta kawan trainerku memberikan mereka ilmu hipnotis (untuk cari cewek barangkali) Hehe..
Kawan trainerku hanya menjelaskan logika hipnotis yang adalah percampuran dari banyak ilmu-ilmu empirik; fisika, kimia, bahasa, dan lain-lain. Tak puas, adik-adik junior kami minta untuk diajarkan caranya langsung, kawan trainerku bilang "Itu butuh lebih dari 16 SKS" Hehe.. (yang ini aku ngarang). Kawan trainerku menjelaskan bahwa ilmu di NLP bisa dipakai untuk kegiatan sehari-hari, misalnya merayu cewek (karena kebetulan audience yang tinggal kebanyakan anak-anak kuliah yang sulit dapat pacar). Kawan trainerku bilang coba aja analisa apa yang biasanya cewek yang akan kalian dekati ucapkan kalau kalian bertanya. Misalnya, " kamu suka jalan-jalan ke mana? dan kenapa?" Kalau dia jawab saya suka ke gunung karena suka lihat pemandangannya berarti ini cewek tipe visual. Kalau dia jawab saya suka mengahdiri konser musik dan merasakan hiruk pikuknya semangat musik ini berarti tipe cewek kinestetis. Dan kalau si cewek menjawab sukanya di rumah aja dengar radio, ini berarti tipe auditori. Jadi, jangan mengumbar gombal ke cewek visual karena dia tak suka mendengarkan gombal, atau sebaliknya tidak terlalu penting berpakain bersih dan rapi atau memberikan bunga yang indah dipandang mata ke cewek yang tipe auditori, dan seterusnya. Begitu kata kawan trainerku.
Di ujung percakapan kami pun memulai pembicaraan untuk mengadakan pelatihan satu hari untuk anak-anak SMA di Banda Aceh pada beberapa waktu mendatang. Muncul usulan untuk mengadakannya pada momen anak-anak masuk kembali ke sekolah dan akan ditarik bayaran untuk peserta.
Ah..Sungguh indah reuni yang singkat tadi malam. Mudah-mudahan bisa lebih sering kami lakukan.
Untuk kawan-kawan yang berkumpul tadi malam
BNA, 11 Juni 2009
Jam kantor bikin cerpen
PSB
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