JOYFUL LEARNING IN PRIMARY EDUCATION : IDEAS FOR
environment in Gajahwong school, the researcher put some recommendations for Bangladeshi school leaders.
3. Findings and Ideas
3.1 Short description of Gajhawong School in Yogyakarta
Gajahwong School is a free pre primary school for the urban poor community in the Yogyakarta area. Gajhawong School is located beside the Gajah Wong river banks, in Ledhok Timoho . This school has some own aims which can lead this school as a creative way. The aims of this school are-
1. Giving space to play (education) for urban poor children of early age groups who have not had the opportunity because of many factors. For example cost, culture, consciousness, administrative structure and other things.
2. Providing awareness and education to the poor in the city about the importance of early childhood education.
3. For research, development and information about the methods of early childhood education (early Childhood development care resource center) 3.2 Joyful learning environment in Gajhawong
school in Yogyakarta in Indonesia
Gajah Wong school uses their learning method in such thematic areas art craft, painting, science, math literacy preparation, role play, computer, celebration, environment and the 3R concept. However, Gajhawong school instructors use these methods for achieving their own four aspects – physical, social-emotional, language and cognitive knowledge. Gajawong school measures their children‟s abilities by their own evaluation process (tahapan perkembangan anak-children development stage). By this evaluation process, they can measure from Language aspects- reading, writing, speaking, listening skill. From emotional aspects they can measure angry,fear,curious, happy and affection aspects. From cognitive skill they can measure memory, identification power skill. From physical aspects, they can measure children‟s motoric and sensoric skill. However, Gajahwong school instructors also uses the lowcost material for using their 3R concepts (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) . As Gajahwong school has built for urban poor students, this school has not enough teaching aids for teaching, so they use low cost material to build for teaching and joyful learning environment.
3.3 3.3. Ideas for Bangladesh primary school leaders by using low cost materials in primary school
Like Gajahwong school, Bangladesh primary school leaders also can use such thematic areas art craft, painting, science, math literacy preparation,
role play, computer, celebration, environment and the 3R concept in their primary school for making a joyful learning environment.
Art- craft and painting - As Gajahwong school, Bangladesh primary school leaders can use their art and craft class to make the joyful learning environment. School leader can give facilities for making the teaching aids by low cost material in art and craft class. School teachers can give instruction to their students for making their teaching aid according their lesson . Students can also apply their own thinking to make their teaching aids. In this way, students can build their creativity power and can enjoy the joyful learning environment.
However, teachers also can use their students hand-made teaching aids for explain the lessons in their class.
Laptop- As Gajahwong school, Bangladesh primary school leaders also can use their laptop to give lessons according their text book. However, primary school leaders also can use LMS(learning management system) system by computer. Teachers can arrange some movies and problem solving class for his students by LMS system. They can help their children to make some comments, discussions, and critical thinking. In this way, student can introduce with ICT and also can increase their cognitive power by solving the problem. However, teachers can help also to increase their leadership power by giving some group assignments.
Environment for science literacy - Like Gajahwong school, Bangladesh school leaders also can use environment or outgoing event for improving their practical knowledge with their theoretical knowledge. Rural school leaders can give facilities to make a garden by their students in their school. In this way, student can get help for their biology class from their school garden. Urban school leaders also can arrange some outgoing events to give knowledge for environment.
However, school leaders also can use the low cost teaching aid for giving the general science knowledge.
Role play –Role play is the most enjoying part of joyful learning environment of Gajahwong school. However, Bangladesh school leaders also can arrange some role play activities in their schools for making a joyful learning environment.
Bangladesh school leaders also can give permission to their school teachers to arrange some role play activities in their class time to explain their lessons.
Teachers also can arrange some " banning early marriage and banning dowry system" related role play activities in their school. In this way, students can learn from a joyful environment and teachers also can increase their social awareness.
Celebration- Celebration is the other joyful learning part of Gajahwong school. Gajahwong school has celebration day in their daily class
routine. Bangladesh school leaders also can celebrate some important celebration days in the year. School leaders also can celebrate the 21st February, 26 March, 16 December, world health celebration, world children‟s day, etc. However, in this way, student can get a clear conception about those days. Students also can understand their respect and responsibility on the country by joyful leaning environment.
3R concepts - Bangladesh rural primary school leaders can use the 3R concepts (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) like Gajahwong. As Bangladesh is a developing country and the rural primary education learning environment is not suitable and moreover , haS no joyful teaching-learning environment, school leaders can use this 3R concepts in their schools. The leader of the Gjawong school said, “ these low cost material facilities are very simple and students can bring it from them home or besides their home sides or their parents shop. Actually, this school is for poor community school, so this types of low cost materials help to make them joyful learning environment for children.”
4. Challenges for Bangladeshi primary school leaders
It is a question for Bangladeshi school leaders who have no building facilities for teaching their child “how they can give joyful learning environment” . For accessing this facilities every school leaders need –
Trained teachers . A laptop and projector .
Trained teachers : Trained teachers can help their students for using 3R concepts. Teachers can help their students in art-craft class for making teaching aids by low cost material. Trained teachers can help their students by introducing ICT . Trained teachers also can help for role playing . However, trained teachers also can help their students for making gardening to introduce with environment and science.
Laptop and projector: Nowadays computer is the one of most enjoying instruments for children. However, Bangladesh school leaders need a computer and a projector to make the joyful learning environment in primary school.
5. Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Recommendation for Remote areas, Village and Government Primary School Leaders A.In Bangladesh most of the village primary school leaders economic condition is not good. In fact, many school leaders have no ability to give their teachers salary every month. In this situation every school leaders, they can take help from rich village people or government or Upazila resource
center officer for providing ICT facilities and gives training facilities to any school teacher.
5.1.1 Electricity is one of the problems, which can make barriers for joyful learning environment.
They can change their schedule or they can use “Laptop engkel” to give the charge facility in their laptop. The figure can be shown by Figure
Figure 1. Laptop engkel
Figure 1 above shows, that “Laptop engkel”
can give electricity facilities. Bangladesh school leaders can give chargeby this “engkel” in their laptop.
5.1.2 It's not important to use the laptop and projector for everyday or for every lesson.
Teachers can download different data and movies from the Internet related with their studies.
They also can make some questions for their students according to their studies. Any computer literate person can do it easily.
5.2 Conclusion
Joyful learning environment is very important to build creativity and decrease study pressure. As Bangladeshi children can not get chance for playing, if Bangladeshi school leader can make a joyful learning environment, then they will be able to built a strong creative generation. Joyful learning system is very well known system for teaching children in Indonesia but it is also true that this system is not well known as primary level in Bangladesh. However, to see the real practises and the effectiveness of joyful learning system in Indonesian school of Gajahwong and to consider our country present situation, in this paper the researcher gives the ideas to Bangladeshi school leaders who will to make a creative children society by joyful learning environment to ensure the best quality of education in primary level.
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