a. The Definition of Media
Media as teaching aids are needed to help students’ understanding and to increase the effectiveness in the communication betweeen teacher and students in teaching and learning process. It also used to stimulate the students’ motivation and students’ interest to the lesson.
Media is anything used to send message(s) from the sender(s) to the receiver(s), it can be aroused the learners’ thought, feeling, and interest to gear the students’ learn.20 According to Bates, “medium is a form of communication associated with particular ways of representing knowledge.”21 Furthermore, ahmad stated that media usage in teaching and learning intend to motivate students, coupled with attractive multimedia use, causing the students’ convenience and enjoyment in learning.
20 Nuhung Ruis, et.all, Instructional Media, (Jakarta: Bermutu, 2009), p.2.
21 Bates, A, W, Technology, Open Learning and Distance Education, (London:
Routledge, 1995), p.2.
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Thus, it can be concluded that media is everything connecting and delivering messages purposively from teachers to students in order to bring in controlled instructional environment.
b. Kinds of Media
There are so many instructional media are used in teaching that starting from the simplest or cheapest ones to the most complex ones, without the need of the electricity, up to the most expensive ones which needed the electricity.
Vernon states that there are six kinds of media:
1) Drawing or teacher mode drawings
This media can be constructed and supported the topic which is being taught. The teacher can prepare it at home and apply it easily in the class to achieve the goals of the taching and learning.
2) Still picture
This media can be shown into the real objects or the events of outside the class. A still picture is a record or a copy of a real object or event which may be linger or smaller than the real object or events, for example: potograph, bulletin board material, brochure, etc.
3) Audio recording
Recording is a mode of magnetic, on disc, or on motion picture soundtracks. This is the reproduction of actual event of
sound effects. Sound is presented in the sequence in which they actually happen unless the recording is edited. Audio recording may be used individually or displayed directly to the audience.
4) Motion picture and TV
A motion picture or video tape recording is a moving image on color or black and white produced from live action or from graphic presentation. Objects or events may be in normal motion and edited for abbreviating or high lighting. It can be silent or having sound. All types of audio-video electronic system can be appeared on a cathode ray tube or TV monitor.
5) Real object, simulation and models
This category includes people, events, objects and demonstration. Real obects as contrasted with other media are not substituted by the artificial obects or events. They are, in fact life, often in its natural setting. There are countless real objects in the immediate community. As long as they are readly and economically available, use them. Simulation is the replication of real situation which has been designed to be as near actual events or process as possible. A model is a replica or reality. It is often in sclae and may be in miniature, exact side or an enlargement.
6) Programmed and computer-assisted instruction
Programs the example of a computer-assisted instruction are sequences of information which are designed to elicit
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predetermined response. The most common examples are programmed text books or instructional programs prepared for computers.
There are also visual media that can be effectively used by teachers in the classroom. Those media are as follows:
1) Pictures
They can be photographs of people, places and things which used in magazines, newspapers or calenders.
2) Realia or real objects
Realia means real things, objects such as coins, tools, plants, animals, or collection of artifacts that teachers can bring into the class room to illustrate the meaning of the teaching material to be more clearly, meaningful and memorable.
3) Drawings or teacher-mode drawings
Drawings are quick to do. They should be simple but show a lot of information.
4) Chart, poster and cartoon
Chart is a drawing which shows information in the form of a diagram, a map of the sea, or the sky, etc. Poster is large printed picture or notice in a public place, often used to advertise something. Cartoon is a funny drawing especially one in a newspaper or a magine that makes a oke about current events.
5) Black board or white board
The black board or white board is the most important visual media which most of the classrooms have. The board can be used for presenting drawings, diagram and written language. It is always availabe for various purposes without special preparation.
6) Audio media
As well as the board, the tape recorder has come to be valuable media to the language learners and teachers.
7) Over Head Projector (OHP)
Over head projector is very useful for large classes. Teacher can face the class freely. Teaching by using sn OHP is less messy than using chalk.
8) LCD Projector
LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. It is similar with an OHP. It must be connected to the computer to display teaching materials to learners.22
c. Factor in Media Selection
Media selection typically include three categories of factors constributing to the narrowing of choices. These are (1) phisical attributes of the media, (2) task characteristics, and (3) learner characteristics.
22 Nuhung Ruis, et.all, Instructional Media, p. 4-9.
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1) Physical Factors
Media differ from each other in terms of the phisical characteristics of the communications they are able to display,.
Some media permit visual displays, and other do not.the property of visual display is obsiously of use in teaching the identification of concrete concept (shapes, objects) and spatial relationships (locations, distances). Generally, media are caple of representing verbal displays, either as printed text or as audio message.
2) The Learning Task
In choosing media for instruction, the type of performance expected of learners as a result of instruction (the learning outcome) needs to be considered with some care. Perhaps the most obvious media differences arise over the interactive quality.
3) Learner Variables
Characteristics of learners must be considered when selecting media. Research on aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) has revealed the effects of instruction on learners differing in such traits as anxiety and locus of control.
4) The Assumed Learning Environment
Another set of factors in media selection is based on administrative considerations rather than techncal ones. The
practicality of using media varies with such features of the learning environment as (1) size of school budget; (2) size of class; (3) capability for developing new materials; (4) availability of radio, television, and other media equipment; (5) teacher capabilities and availability for an instructional design effort; (6) availibility of modular material for individualized, performance-based instruction; (7) attitudes of principal and teachers toward innovations; and (8) school architecture.
5) The Assumed Development Environment
Obviously, it would be useless to plan to design a delivery system (and the attendant media) if the design and development resources were not adequate for the task. That is, the time, budget, and personnel available will influence the probability of success in designing specified delivery systems.
6) The Economy and the Culture
In designing an instructional system, one will wish to choose media that are acceptable to the users and within the budget and technology resources availabe. Attitudes toward various media may differ between urban and rural people or among ethnic or socioeconomic subgroups.
7) Practical Factors
Assuming that the media under consideration are acceptable to the users and are within their capabilities, a number of
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detailed practical factors remain to be considered in order to select media that are effective and also convenient.23
2. The Concept of Word Walls Media a. Definition of Word Wall
Jeane Shay Schumm states that a word wall is an effective tool to provide additional study time for words and word pattern.24Moreover, Julie Jackson and Rose Narvaez has argued that word walls are teacher- generated, unorganized lists of words that are posted on classroom walls.25It means that using of word walls in the classroom can help student because the word walls not just decor for the classroom but as a tool to help them from the difficulties of the lesson.
A word wall is posted list of words used for student’s reference.
Stephanie stated that word walls is buletin board display of key vocabulary or concept words.26 Seeing words on the wall helps the students become exited about words and understand that the words are important and can be used over and over.
From the explanation above, it could be understood that word walls is designed to be a tool for students or other to use, not just a display, and
23 Robert M. Gagne, Principals of Instructional Design, Fourth Edition, (USA: Harcourt Brace Colledge Publisher, 1992), p. 211-216.
24Jeanne Shay Schumm, Reading Assessment and Instruction for All Learner, (New York:
The Guilford Press, 2006), p. 171.
25Julie Jackson & Rose Narvaez, Interactive word walls: Create a tool to increase science vocabulary in five easy steps, (Science and Children, 2013), p. 43.
26 Stephanie Macceca, Reading Strategies for Social Studies, (USA: Shell Education, 2007), p. 25.
contains a list of words that can be used by individuals or as a tool for cooperative learning and can be used to learn vocabulary.
b. Word Walls Media in Teaching Vocabulary
Teaching media is one of the important things in education. Word wall is a media that makes students more interested in the learning process.
According to Eeasterbrooks & Alvarez, using word wall media is one of the various ways to increase vocabulary.27 It means that one of beneficial media in improving students’ mastery of vocabulary is the word wall.
These word walls usually include a visual representation of the word and a vocabulary label to accompany it.28 Furthermore, Julie states that word walls serve as visual scaffolds and are a common classroom tool used to support reading and language arts instruction.29
Result from the statement above that word walls is an effective media and interesting way to teach vocabulary. By applying word wall, students can remember the vocabulary without feeling that they are very serious in studying. Through the habit such as looking the word wall, indirectly they remember the vocabulary.
27 Easterbrooks S.R & Alvarez J.B, Literacy Instruction for Student who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, (USA: Oxford University Press, 2013), p. 5.
28Julie K. Jackson, “Interactive, Conceptual Word Walls: Transforming Content Vocabulary Instruction one Word at a Time”, International Research in Education, (Texas State University: Macrothink Institute), Vol. 2, No. 1/ September 5, 2013, p. 24.
29Julie K. Jackson, “Interactive, Conceptual, p. 24.
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c. The Implement of Word Walls Media
Harmon mentioned steps instructional sequence for using the word wall:
1) Selecting word to teach 2) Introducing words
3) Making connection to the words 4) Using the words in meaningful ways 5) Sharing the word meanings30
Furthermore, Dugan said the strategy of increasing the science based vocabulary using the word wall media with steps as follows:
1) Decide science based vocabulary words that will be used, 2) Write down any vocabulary on the board,
3) Writing vocabulary on a piece of paper/card,
4) Request the participation of students in making word wall
5) Word wall should be added and modified pepending on the theme or material covered
6) Directing students to use the word wall as a medium for understanding new vocabulary
7) At the end of the lesson ask the students how display of word wall that had been made and wether helping them for learn and remember new vocabulary.31
30 Harmon, et. al, Promoting Vocabulary Learning with the Interactive Word Wall, Middle School Journal, vol. 40/no. 3, 2009, p. 42-49.
31 Chistine Dugan, Strategic for Building Academic Vocabulary in Science, (Huntington:
Shell Education, 2004), p. 50-51.
d. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Word Walls 1) Advantages using word wall:
a) To support the teaching of important general principals about words and how they work.
b) To foster reading and writing.
c) To promote independence on the part of young students as they work with words in writing and reading
d) To provide a visual map to help students remember connections between words and the characteristics that will help them form categories.
e) To develop a growing core of words that become part of a reading and writing vocabulary.
f) To provide refence for students during their reading and writing.
2) Disadvantages of using word wall:
Learning use word walls strategy will require a long time and needs a lot of equipments and colors. Imagination and creativity needed to produce good word wall.32