EMPOWERING BLOG AS AN INTERESTING MEDIA FOR LEARNING
Abstract: The progress of technology in communication and information is growing more rapidly, as well as the utilization. This progress has spawned various types of activities which is based on the Internet network, such as e-government, e-commerce, e-learning and more. One obvious example of the development of information and communication technology in education is the implementation of e-learning. This proves that the utilization of information and communication technology today has become a necessity in a learning process in schools, especially for learning English.Social Media is an online media, with users able to easily participate, share and create contents include blogs, social networks, wikis, forums and virtual worlds. One social media which is suitable to be used as a medium of learning English is Blog. Blog is a web based application that resembles the form of writings (published as a post) on a common web.With the facilities provided by blog, there are some benefits that can be obtained, namely: the first benefit, using blog as a learning center. The second benefit, as the source to search references from internet sites that match to the material taught in the class, or to find other websites that are useful to expand the global knowledge of the students. And the third benefit is that blog can be used as a place to share opinions between student and student or students and teachers. The step is to make a Blogger community between classes.
Keywords:English Language, education, blog, social media, e-education, empowerment.
individuals collecting, processing and exchanging information with other individuals. The impact of communication technology is the change in individual behavior which includes knowledge, attitudes, or actions that occur as a result of the delivery of the message communication (Rogers, 1986).
These developments widely affect many aspects of life, including in the field of education (Wardiana, 2002). One obvious example of the development of information and communication technology in education is there are many High Schools which has provided internet network trying to implement e-learning. E-learning (electronic learning) is one example of the applications of information and communication technologies in educational institutions. E-learning is defined as the delivery of learning content or learning experiences electronically using a computer and computer-based media (Smaldino, 2005).
There has been a lot of high school students who are familiar with this internet-based technology development. Their enthusiasm is also very high, making the installation of Internet networks facilities in their schools are warmly welcomed. By installing the Internet facilities, it can facilitate the school to catch up their lag in this globalization era. In addition, the school can also get advantage to support teaching and learning in school. As an impact, today there are many schools trying to use the Internet to be able to enjoy easier access to get information via internet. This proves that the utilization of information and communication technology has become a necessity in a learning process in schools, especially for learning English.
INTERNET USE AMONG SMA WIJAYA PUTRA SURABAYA STUDENTS
SMA Wijaya Putra is one of the few high school in Surabaya, which has been able to provide internet facilities (wifi) for their students. SMA Wijaya Putra Surabaya, is one of private high schools in Surabaya, East Java. The school, formerly known as Karman Amat High School and was renamed SMA Wijaya Putra in 2004.
internet connection to play games or just to simply open a social media through their gadgets.
According to Ally (2009), wireless, mobile, portable, handheld device is slowly developing and diversifying education in various sectors, both in the developed and the developing countries. This fact proves that SMA Wijaya Putra are required to be able to follow the development of information technology. The development of information technology is so fast and it automatically will also demand the capabilities of the teachers. Teachers at SMA Wijaya Putra, as facilitators, are expected to have such kind of new, creative and more exciting models of learning English. One media that can be used by teachers in order to attract student interest in learning English is to use social media. It also will be a solution of the aforementioned problems, which is to direct appropriately the use of school facilities among Wijaya Putra Surabaya students. One media that can be made by teachers in order to attract their student interest in learning English is to use social media.
Learning media are all tools or objects used in the teaching and learning activities, with a view to convey the message (update) learning from the source (the teacher and other sources) to recipients (students or learners). Message (information) that is delivered through the media, in the form of content or teaching materials must be received by the recipient of the message (protégé), by using one or a combination of several of their sensory organs. Even better, when all of the sensing devices owned is able to be able to receive the content of the message (Latuheru, 1988).
Heinin, Molenda, Russell, and Smaldino (2002) define media as a channel (channel) communications. Meanwhile, the channels of communication are tools that carry messages from one individual to another (Rogers: 2003). Furthermore, the media is also seen as forms of mass communication that involves a system of symbols and equipment production and distribution (Palazon, 2000). While instructional media, instructional media, is the physical equipment that can be used to deliver learning materials to learners (Reiser & Dempsey, 2002). Comprehensive and thorough conversation about learning media cannot be separated from the initial development of learning technology. Departing from the theory, it can be concluded that social media that is becoming a trend now will be able to become an interesting learning media among high school students.
SOCIAL MEDIA BLOG AS A TREND AMONG TEENAGER
Picture 1. Various Social Media logos
One example of social media that is very popular and suitable to be used as a medium of learning English is Weblog. Weblog or more commonly known as
Blog is a personal writing on the Internet that contains information in chronological order and can be updated. Blog is currently popular among young generation, especially for students as a medium to express themselves. According to Wikipedia, the term blog (short for weblog or web log) is a web based application that resembles the form of writings (published as a post) on a common web. These writings are often published in the reverse sequence (the latest content comes first and then followed by the older content). Creating a
blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to the blog has been known as "blogging". Each of these articles on a blog are called "blog posts," "posts" or "entries". People who write or insert and maintain a blog post called "blogger". A blog consists of text, hypertext, images, and links (to a web page and video, audio and other files). Blog uses documentation with a conversational style. Some blog platforms that have been frequently used such as blogger, wordpress, blogdetik, kompasiana etc. can be used for free.
Picture 2.Blogger logo
SOME BENEFITS THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE EMPOWERMENT OF BLOG AS LEARNING MEDIA
informations, there is a place for visitors who have seen the contents of Blog in websites that match to the material in the class or other websites that are useful to expand the global knowledge of the students. In addition, the media is also very suitable to give a homework, so that students do not just use their smartphone or laptop for less useful activities.
The third benefit is using blog as a place to exchange opinions between students and students, and students with teachers. The step is to make a Blogger community between classes. Furthermore, Bloggers from several classes in the school will make a blog that is used as an information center. Teachers and students from various classes who are joined into one Blogger community can exchange information, share experiences, discussions and make connections. Teachers also can provide a problem related to lesson in school to the discussion.
The benefits of using Blog as learning media are:
1. As a web-based learning media, Blog has a high degree of flexibility, meaning the media is accessible to students anytime and anywhere.
2. Blog is a web that can be built easily, it does not require special programming language. So that even if the users are high school students, they can easily operate it.
3. Blog is a web that can be built with no cost. Surely it would be very inconvenient if the media that will be created becomes burdensome for students financially. Because Blog is free, the students will not hesitate to use it.
Based on the big opportunity of using social media is blog; a learning media, encouraging the idea of creating a new learning method that is more interesting to students in SMA Wijaya Putra Surabaya. The realization of this idea, namely: creating new learning method using Blog as the media should be able to encourage students to be more active in learning, especially in English subject. Furthermore, it is expected that this idea could be useful in making the use of information technology in SMA Wijaya Putra become more appropriate.
Things to consider in this method are the ability of the teachers of the schools where the learning method is applied. For example, the ability to use devices, such as: the use of application programs in a computer, the use of internet technology, as well as the way of maintenance and taking care Blog
regularly. This will be the main focus in this article. The author realized that the problem is a problem in implementing learning method based on information technology. Therefore, this article is expected to be a guide and information provider related to learning method, and to be the trigger of a variety of similar studies related to the empowerment of social media, particularly Blog, as a medium of learning for teachers in other schools. Diagram of notion framework of empowerment Blog as a medium to learn English is depicted as follows:
Picture 3. The framework of empowerment Blog is media to learn English.
THE CONCEPT OF APPLYING BLOG INTO ENGLISH BASIC SKILLS
Students can access the site through https://www.blogger.com. Blogger is a blog publishing service created by Pyra Labs and acquired by Google in 2003. Generally, Blog which is hosted by Google is under subdomain blogspot.com.
Picture 4. Blogger homepage display
Next, the teachers will design the concept of learning method that are appropriate to the medium, in this case the Blog, to trigger the students’
interest. The series of completely new and exciting activities and tasks will be designed. For that, if necessary, the teacher can also make an early version of
this learning method (prototype) in order to evaluate the extent of students’
interest that can be produced by the activities that have been put in his blog. Teachers will present a series of activities such as reading problems as well as the initial sample which is then followed by a variety of advanced instruction. Students will be asked to work on the problems that have been created and uploaded to the blog.
1. LISTENING SKILL
Picture 5. Examples of listening skill activity
2. SPEAKING SKILL
Picture 6. Examples of speaking skill activity
3. READING SKILL
For reading skill, the teacher can provide examples of short readings in English. Topics of readings may be free or in accordance with the curriculum that is being taught in class. Is advisable to choose the topic that are being hot issues at the moment. This is necessary so that students are able to think critically and are concerned about the problem that is happening in the environment. At the end of the reading session will be given a number of questions related to the contents of the reading, it is to evaluate the students' level of comprehension (Reading Comprehension).
Picture 7. Example of reading skill activity
There are many forms of activities using Blog as the media to improve
students’ writing skill. One simple example is to have the students write essay.
The first step is to provide feedback to the students. For example, by selecting the topic of "movie", and then the teacher will instruct students to write their essay related to a given topic. Students can freely put their ideas about their favorite films, and give their opinions on a movie by reviewing. Obviously it is not difficult to implement since the fact that basically Blog is a place where people expressing ideas, as well as their thoughts through writing. Besides, the teacher can use this media as a place for student to express their artistic soul in the form of poetry, prose, or even create drama text which would then be posted to the blog. For the assessment, can be done by seeing how the number of visitors who like the posts (giving like). It can grow students’ confidence in exploring their artistic soul. For writing, deepening of grammar (grammar focus) can also be included. Examples of grammar questions can be as follows:
1. Gap Filling (fill in the blank).
2. Scrambled words / jumbled letters (reassembling a word or phrase into the right pattern).
3. Change the verb of the present tense (tense) into the form of other appropriate tenses.
4. Changing the form of affirmative sentence (statement) to the negative and interrogative sentences (questions).
5. Writing Question Tags, etc.
Picture 9. Example of grammar skill activity
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
Based on the big opportunity of using social media blog as a learning media, encouraging the idea of creating a new learning method that is more interesting to students in SMA Wijaya Putra Surabaya. The idea is to empower social media Blog as a medium of learning English. Blog is a web-based application which contains writings (published as a post) on a public web page. By using blog, teachers can post material that they consider useful for students. While the students are able to participate actively in order to develop their thinking critically. Various references, journals, as well as the subject materails can be easily downloaded from Blog. In addition to saving energy and money, this new learning method is also more flexible because it can be accessed anywhere and anytime. The Blog that are made must be qualified and attractive,
as well as the materials and any tasks assigned according to students’ interest in
order to encourage them to learn English better.
and anywhere, Blog is a web that can be built easily and it does not require any special programming language, and a blog is a web that can be built at no cost at all (free).
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