TEACHING WRITING BY COMBINING
LEARNING LOG AND DISCUSSION WEB STRATEGIES FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Oleh:
Suri Yufina *)
**) Armilia Riza, M.Pd.Staff Pengajar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Makalah ini ditulis bertujuan untuk membantu mengatasi permasalahan siswa dalam pengajaran menulis pada tingkat Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA). Masalah yang dihadapi siswa SMA diantaranya adalah siswa sulit membuat teks dengan baik karena mereka sulit menemukan ide ketika menulis. Kemudian, ide yang mereka tulis tidak tersusun dengan baik. Mereka jarang melakukan pengeditan dan revisi tulisan mereka sendiri sehingga mereka tidak bisa menghasilkan tulisan yang baik. Selain itu, makalah ini juga bertujuan sebagai masukan bagi guru-guru bahasa inggris dalam melaksanakan pengajaran menulis sehingga siswa tertarik dan termotivasi untuk belajar menulis. Dalam makalah ini penulis membahas dua strategi yang dikombinasikan untuk membantu siswa menulis yaitu strategi Discussion Web dengan strategi Learning Log. Strategi ini mempunyai langkah-langkah yang sistematis dalam penerapannya. Di mulai dengan topik yang menarik dan sesuai dengan apa yang akan yang akan dikembangkan menjadi sebuah teks. Sebelum menyusun kalimat, siswa menggali informasi yang berkaitan dengan topik melalui pertanyaan dan mencari makna dari kata-kata yang didapat. Setelah itu siswa menyusun kata-kata itu menjadi sebuah kalimat lalu menjadi teks dilengkapi dengan kata penghubung yang sesuai. Akhirnya teks dilakukan pengeditan dan revisi seperti penggunaan huruf kapital, kerapian, tanda baca, dan ejaan.
Adapun kelebihan penggabungan strategi ini adalah siswa akan memiliki kemampuan menulis secara individual berdasarkan langkah-langkah yang jelas dan dibantu dengan diagram yang menarik dalam menulis sebuah teks yang benar.
Key Words: Learning Log, Discussion Web Strategy
*) Penulis
*) Pembimbing
INTRODUCTION
Writing is one of the important skills in English, and it can help the students in learning and developing their English by expressing their knowledge, experience and so on. It can be expressed in form such as essay, paragraph, letter, short story.Writing is very important for this time, and no one can obtain success without having this ability. Writing is one difficult lesson in English for the students, especially for senior high school students. The ability to write involves specific skills, such as; the use of punctuation, structure of sentence, vocabulary, and organization of paragraph. In writing process, learners will always deal with the process of putting ideas into word, then putting words into sentences and putting sentences into paragraphs until they can create a piece of writing.
Based on writer’s experience when teaching practiced at SMA 1 Kecamatan Simalanggang Payakumbuh, the students got problem in writing a text or essay because they learn writing without a good approach and treatment.
They were just asked to write based on topic that had been prepared in the text book without checking their ability in mastery aspects of writing. In the teaching English, especially teaching writing, students are very boring and stiff because the students only and write down what they heard. The students didn’t understand about certain instruction of text for example the generic structure, purposes, language feature of the text.
The students also didn’t really know how to correct their own writing because they had gotten the correct answer from their mistakes, but most of the corrections only for the correction in punctuation and spelling without giving correction in organization, language use, content of writing and vocabulary. The students often make errors grammar, such as errors in the choice of tenses, nouns, pronouns and vocabulary. It was happen
because they are rarely done in writing exercise. In learning language, writing helps the students reinforce the grammatical structure, idioms, and vocabulary. When the students write they also have change to be adventurous with the language, to go beyond that have just learned to say, to take a risk. In other words, they become involved with the language. Talking about writing, teachers may have assumption that this skill is the last skill possessed by someone compares to the other skill. In detail, teachers may have assumption that the first skill porcess or the first process undergone by someone is listening because this process is experienced by someone from the early time before she is able to speak at all.
Sometimes the students could not write their ideas in paper. There are many aspects making the students could not write, the students do not know how to start their writing, they do not have enough ideas to write, they could not generate their ideas, or probably they understand what must they do. Free writing exercise helps the students generate, organize and express their own sentences by making a paragraph of letter and a long composition or essay. It is expected that students can express their ideas, thoughts, and feeling he had after undergoing a learning process in various types of writing, both fiction and nonfiction.
There are many strategies which can be used and might be combined by the teacher to teach writing.
First,Learning Log strategy. This strategy is a flexible alternative to convensional note taking, but they offer latitude than journals. It is a good way to help students develop ideas, and words to express ideas separating the creating stage of writing from editing stage. Second, Discussion Web. It gives all students not just verbally talented students an opportunity to assume responsibility and share their ideas in discussion after reading a common text. Discussion Web activities are an excellent way to help students of
all ages improves their writing and creativity. It encourages them to express their feelings, explore questions big and small and learn more about themselves, others and the environment around them.
Third, STAD is one of strategies to build a cooperatively work among students. It is not completely strategy yet because students are ore individually without checks one another work. Last, Teamwork is a strategy – a way of working together to accomplish something that we believe is work doing.
A team takes seriously that rope that connects members, understanding that strong relationships support shared purpose
Writing
Writing ability is very important for this time, and no one can obtain success without having this ability.
Writing is one of the most difficult aspects of language skills.Writing is one of the ways for people to transfer the idea with write. By writing practice, students at any level are able to answer question in English. It means that writing is used to send information, news, ideas or opinion with write.
Dealing with this, Alamargot and Chanquoy (2001:1) state that writing is a complex task that needs a coordinated implementation of a large set of mental activities. It means that, the students have to clearly delimitate the nature, the goal and the communicative function of the text. They have equally to control the text topic so as to generate or to specify the text content. In addition, they must sometimes clarify the message, reorganice, modify and articulate ideas, while controling the whole text coherence.
According to Richard (2002:29) definition of writing is activity that requires the ability to use the words or sentences appropriately in writing. It means that, writing is the skill to express the message, ideas, and suggestion to other by writing. It gives students to share ideas in writing. For instance, it can
helps students to transfer their ideas with writing.
Then, Brown (2004:1p28) states that writing is an interactive procces of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving, processing information. When student write, they do not only produce the message or information but they also receive and process that information. In this, writing can identifying a central idea, outlining, drafting and editing.
Then, Based on the explanation above, the writer can conclude that writing is the final product of several separate acts that are hugely challenging to learn simultaneously. In the result, the reader can understand to read the information . By writing, human can connected each other with well, both of reader and listener can share idea or information that they needed.
Learning Log Strategy
Learning Log strategy is a strategy in teaching writing to help improve students’ writing skills. Carty (2005:129) defines that Learning Log is foster reflection on content and on students’ own reading ang learning processes. It means that, the students may on how they feel, but it is always in relation to the academic content studied in class. Students should be encouraged to express their thoughts both verbally and visually.
Meanwhile, Urquhart and Mclver (2005:140) define that Learning Log is a flexible alternative to conventional note taking, but they offer less latitude than journals. Learning Logs specifically focus on content covered in class. It means that, the content from the student logs can also alert a teacher to students’
thinking.
In applying Learning Log Strategy, the teachers should follow several steps. Urquhart and Mclver (2005:140) divide the procedures of Learning Log are 1) Designate the duration for keeping the log and the total
number of entries. Schedule days in the schools’ computer lab accordingly, if computers are not otherwise available. 2) Review and discuss recent readings and learning activities with students. 3) Allow students time to think and consider their entries and then give them time to create word processing documents and write freely. 4) Make time in class or lab a regular basis, for students to read their e-learning log entries and reflect on how their ideas have changed as the have learned more. These mean that, teacher designate the duration and review or discuss the text then give a time to students for thinking, they read their e- learning.
Learning Log is strategy to help improve the students’ writing skills. In here, this strategy give advantages to allow students the safety of sharing responses with peers prior to sharing answer in writing. This strategy makes students get the creativity in connecting the text content and other connections.
Make the students comprehend the information of the text then they can write the information. Besides that, this strategy also makes students grow their writing ability. It can make the students comprehend the sentences well that they made. Therefore, Learning Log strategy is useful to be applied in classroom because it has so many advantages for the learners. According to Bennett (2001:112) Learning Log has advantages, they are: a) To encourage students to share ideas and come to a consensus on a topic. b) To activate the sharing of background knowledge among student. c) To help students share problem solving techniques in English. d) To take group notes during video or oral presentation. These mean that learning log can help students to share their idea or their problem solving in English.
Discussion Web Strategy
A problem can be defined as a situation where there is a strategy between reality and situation that we
hope. Problem can be viewed as a task where a thinker tries to find solution and think critically to the task. Guzzetti (2002:146) defines that Discussion Web is a graphic aid embedded in a discussion format that encourages students to look at opposing viewpoints before determining their own conclusions. It means that, it gives all students the ability to form opinions and share them with a peer. Its’
activities are an excellent way to help students of all ages improves their writing and creativity. It encourages them to express their feelings, explore questions big and small and learn more about themselves, others and the environment around them.
Discussion Web strategy is a strategy can help students to give opinion. They can give opinion with critical thinking in writing. Besides that, it also assist students to making decision and they can analyzed. After that, they make evaluation. By Discussion Web Strategy, sudents can develop ideas with using a graphic.
In applying Discussion Web Strategy, according to Crawford et.al (2005:96) procedures of Discussion Web are: 1. The teacher prepares a thouhtful binary question. A binary question has two possible answer. It might be answered “yes’ or “no” with support; 2.
The teacher asks pairs of students to prepare a Discussion Web chart. The chart looks like the one on the next page.
Each of those pairs of students take four or five minutes to think up and list three reasons that support both sides of the argument. They list those argument on one Discussion Web chart; 3. Each pair of students joins another pair. They review the answer they had on both sides of the issue, and add to each other’s list;
4. The four students argue the issue through until they reach a conclusion.
That is the four students reach a position they agree upon, with a list of reasons that support it. They enter their position in the box labeled conclusion on the discussion web sheet; 5. The teacher calls on several groups of four to give brief
reports of their position and the reasons that support it. The teacher can invite the group to debate each other, if they took different sides of the argument. These mean that, teacher provides a question, students joins with another pair and they argue their the issue.
Furthermore, there are several advantages of Discussion Web strategy, the writer knows advantages of Discussion Web strategy is to develop writing skills. According to Bono (1985:64) defines that advantages of Discussion Web are fosters analytical thinking, useful in many content area, promotes different points of view, and application to group process. It means that, it can students to express the ideas depend on points of view. They also can give opinion written.
DISCUSSION
In helping students to comprehend writing text, teachers should prepare several preparations. First, prepare lesson plan which will help teachers to organize the learning process.
Second, prepare the interesting and familiar material for the students. Last, media is prepared to help students comprehend the text well.
However, there are three parts of applications in teaching reading by using both of strategies. First, pre-teaching activity. In this part the teacher greets the students, checks the attendance list and also asks the students’ readiness before starting the lesson. There are some activities must be done by the teacher before teaching. Then teacher shows the picture and gives the text related to the picture.
Second, based the description and discussion in the second chapter, there are some steps in the procedures of teaching writing by combining Learning Log and Discussion Web Strategies, they are: teacher designates the duration for keeping the log and the total number of entries then review and discuss recent readings and learning activities with
students. The teacher prepares a thoughtful binary question. Then the asks pairs of students to prepare a Discussion Web chart and then give them time to create word processing and write freely.
Each pair of students joins another pair.
Make time in class lab, on a regular basic, for students to read their learning log entries and reflect on how their ideas have changed as they have learned more.
The four students argue the issue through until they reach a conclusion. The teacher calls on several groups of four to give brief reports of their position and the reasons that support it.
Post-teaching activity is the activity to closing the material. The teacher concludes the lesson. The teacher asks the students about their difficulties in understanding the words and phrases and even in discussion. The teacher evaluates teaching learning process. This activity aims to know how far the students comprehend about the lesson.
The teacher asks the students if they do not understand about the lesson. The teacher gives homework for the students for the next meeting. The teacher ends the lesson.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Writing ability is very important for this time, and no one can obtain success without having this ability.
Writing is one of the most difficult aspects of language skills. The ability to write involves specific skills, such as; the use of punctuation, structure of sentence, vocabulary, and organization of paragraph. In writing process, learners will always deal with the process of putting ideas into word, then putting words into sentences and putting sentences into paragraphs until they can create a piece of writing. In order to have a good quality of writing, there are some special considerations that have to be taken into account by the writers.
Writer can answer the question in the formulation of the problem, how to teach writing by combining discussion
web and learning log for senior high school students? Discussion Web is gives all students not just verbally talented students an opportunity to assume responsibility and share their ideas in discussion after reading a common text (Alvermann, 1991). Discussion Web activities are an excellent way to help students of all ages improves their writing and creativity. It encourages them to express their feelings, explore questions big and small and learn more about themselves, others and the environment around them. Second, Learning Log strategy. This strategy is a flexible alternative to convensional note taking, but they offer latitude than journals (Urquhart. Vicki, 2005). It is a good way to help students develop ideas, and words to express ideas separating the creating stage of writing from editing stage.
So, the writer can conclude that the combining of two strategies are discussion web and learning log is making them able to connect the information of the text based on their background knowledge, then put them in higher thinking of teaching and learning process. In this case, the teacher should be creative in combining the variety of strategies and be able to make writing becomes an interesting and enjoyable activities for the students. As the result of the discussion show that the combination of Learning Log and Discussion Web strategies are more effective for students, as the result the writer suggests to applying it at Senior High School Students.
REFERENCES
Alamargot, Denis and Lucile Chanquoy.
2001. Through the Models of Writing. Netherlands; Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Barbara J, Guzzetti. 2002. Literacy in America. United States of America;
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data.
Bender, Tisha. 2005. Discussion Based Online Teaching to Enhance Students Learning. . United States of America; Open Society Institute.
Carty, Maria. 2005. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas. Canada;
Stenhouse Publishers 480 Congress Street.
Crawford, Alan. 2005. Teaching and Learning Strategies for The Thinking Classroom. New York; The International Debate Education Association.
Urquhart, Vicki and MonetheMclver.
2005. Teaching Writing in the Content Areas. United States of America; ASCD Publication.
