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Teaching Writing by Combining Looping and Flower Writing Strategies for Junior High School
Oleh:
Monica *)
**) Siska Staff Pengajar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Dalam makalah ini, penulis akan menerangkan tentang pengajaran writing untuk anak-anak SMP dengan mengabungan dua strategi ‘looping’ dan ‘flower writing’ strategi. Tujuan pembuatan makalah ini adalah memberikan informasi tentang langkah - langkah pengajaran writing dengan menggunakan looping dan flower writing strategi yang bertujuan untuk menulis recount text untuk murid SMP. Looping strategi adalah menulis bebas dimana siswa yang tadinya tidak focus menjadi focus dalam menulis, karena siswa dibimbing untuk mengembangkan ide nya kedalam sebuah tulisan.
Siswa diminta menulis bebas dalam 5 menit dan setelah 5 menit berhenti menulis, siswa diminta meninjau kembali apa yang telah mereka tulis dan guru meminta siswa memilih point kalimat atau kata yang ingin mereka kembangkan dan melingkari kata atau kalimat tersebut, lalu siswa mengembangkan kata atau kalimat yang telah mereka lingkari tersebut. Sedangkan, flower writing strategi adalah strategi yang menggunakan gambar bunga yang terdiri dari beberapa bagian yaitu putik dan kelopak bunga. Dibagian putik adalah topic dan dibagian kelopak bunga adalah supporting details. Siswa diminta menuliskan topic dibagian putik bunga dan menuliskan ide- ide untuk mendukung topic tersebut dibagian kelopak bunga, selanjutnya dari beberapa ide dikembangkanlah menjadi paragraf yang lebih bagus. Strategi-strategi ini mampu membuat proses belajar maupun mengajar lebih effektif karena dua strategi tersebut menghasilkan model pembelajaran yang sangat bermanfaat, menarik dan berguna bagi guru maupun siswa. Tujuan dari penggabungan dua strategi ini agar siswa menjadi lebih aktif, dalam mengembangkan ide kedalam sebuah tulisan. Penulis mengharapkan agar penggabungan strategi-strategi ini bisa menjadi panduan bagi guru dalam mengajar menulis.
Key words: Writing, Looping and Flower Writing Strategy
*)Penulis
**)Pembimbing
INTRODUCTION
Writing is one of the important skills in English subject which require a wide creativity, idea and knowledge. Moreover, there are many reasons why writing is really needed by students. First, the students can develop their mind, knowledge and get information in learning process. Second, the students will give their experience for writing process. Therefore, writing skill is very useful for students to be an alternative way communication besides speaking. Then, writing is stated as writer’s activity to express their feeling, ideas, opinion, emotion, and thoughts so that readers can comprehend the writer’s work easily.
Based on Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP 2006) or school based curriculum, the aim of teaching writing for junior high school students is that the students are able to write many kinds of functional and monolog text. The functional text is a text that has purpose to persuade readers to give response about what the writer’s statement, for example announcement, brochure, invitation card, and letter. Moreover, monolog text is a text that has purposes to entertain the readers, it is usually to tell about the stories in the past or description about something, for example descriptive, narrative, and recount. In teaching process, the teacher should know about the
2 aim of teaching writing because it can influence to the result of teaching and learning process.
In fact, the students find some difficulties in writing process that influence on the students’ writing ability. Based on the writer’s experience in teaching practice, the writer found some difficulties. First, problems come from students. The students get difficulties to develop their ideas in writing.
The students do not have self confidence to write something in their book, they feel their ideas always fault so that they afraid to start and write. As the result, the students often give up before they did. Second, some students do not understand how to write well and what should they write, students do not know how to organize their ideas, because the teacher only explained about the material in the front of the class and give example of the text. In fact, the students need the teacher’s guide in writing process and also how to develop and to explore their ideas and how to write well. As a result, the teaching and learning process are not interesting for the students because the teacher only explains material of writing or gives task to them.
Based on the phenomena above, the teacher must be better to develop good teaching writing strategy in making the students understand about what they write.
The teacher has to find appropriate strategy that can be applied in order to be success in teaching and learning process. By using the appropriate strategy, the teacher can make students interested in teaching and learning process.
There are strategies that can be used by the teachers in learning proccess. looping strategy is a useful strategy to help students exploring their thinking through writing and this strategy also enable a student to move from unfocused to focused writing and flower strategy is to make a complete paragraph or essay more organize. It is used to help the students in writing paragraph independently.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Definition of Writing
Writing is one of important skills in English subject especially for communication.
According to Nunan (2003), writing is the Physical act of committing words or ideas to some medium, whether it is hieroglyphics inked onto parchment or an email message type into a computer. On the other hand, writing is the mental work of inventing ideas, thinking about how to express them, and organizing them into statements and paragraphs that will be clear to a reader.
Besides that, According to Hyland (2003), writing is a way of sharing personal meanings and writing courses emphasize the power of individual to construct his or her own views on a topic. The teacher sees their role as simply to provide students with the space to make their own meaning within a positive and cooperative environment. Because writing is a developmental process, they try to avoid imposing their views, offering models or suggesting responses to topics beforehand.
Based on explanation above, the writer concludes that writing is a media to communicate between the writer and the reader through text.. Writing is a process of expressing ideas or thought in words, sentence or paragraph. It is a process activity to need separate physical act. In this case, the writer can result a writing well and to find idea for determine topic.
Writing Process
Writing is a process, not product. It means that a piece of writing whether it is a composition for your English class and the writer must be careful in writing because writing have several steps to become a good writing.Oshima and Houge (1991) tell that there are four processes to start writing. They are prewriting, planning, writing and revising draft, writing the final copy to hand in. First, prewriting consists of narrowing a topic and brainstorming. It will help the students to focus on the idea. After the students have narrow or specify the topic, the students should generate it by brainstorming. It can help them to develop the topic with appropriate content. Second, planning is process that the students have to develop the ideas from brainstorming become an outline. It will guide them to categorize the main point, to organize the paragraph into an order which
3 makes sense, and to make sure that each idea can be fully developed. Third, writing and revising drafts. In this process, the students revise their writing through rethink, refine, and develop the ideas. The last, the students are ready writing the final copy to hand in.
Furthermore Harmer (2004) suggest that there are four steps in writing process;
they are; planning, drafting, editing, final version. First, planning, before starting to write, try and decide what the writers are going to say. This activity involves making detailed notes. When planning, writers have to think about three main issues. They are purpose of writing, audience, and content structure. Second, Draft is preliminary piece of writing. Writing more than once draft allowsthe writers develop their ideas and find the best way to present their ideas to the reader. A number of drafts may be produced on the way to the final version. Third, editing (reflecting and revising), this activity perhaps the way something is written is ambiguous or confusing. Editor may use a different form of words for a particular sentence. This activity involves looking at issues of general meaning and overall structure before concentrating on detailed features such as word choice and grammatical accuracy. The last, final version is the final activity in teaching writing process.
This activity involves editing draft, making the changes of considering the draft, and produces a written form.
In writing process above, the writer concludes that process of writing haveseveral steps that suggested by the expert. Teacher must be guides the students in teaching writing process. And it will help the students to develop their ideas in writing.
Teaching Writing
In the process of teaching writing, teachers no longer merely concern with the text produced by the students but also how this text has been produced to good text. Crovitz and Kirby (2013) defines that teaching writing is challenging; it may be one of the toughest jobs a teacher faces. If teacher are teaching in a middle school or a high school classroom, teacherknow the depth of the challenges that large classes, students whose firts language
isn’t english, and excessive absences-as well as the challenges we discussed previously- present for teaching and learning anything. It means that teaching writing is difficult activity that done by the teacher in the class, because the teacher guide and conduct the students success in writing.
Furthermore, Harmer (2004) states that teaching writing is a consideration which includes the organizing sentences into paragraph and how paragraph join together.
He also adds that coherent is important to make the connection of sentence become a good paragraph. In teaching writing, the teacher should help the students to consider about the organizing the sentences become a good paragraph. The paragraph should be coherence each other. Therefore, the teacher has a big rule to help the students in constructing their writing.
From explanation above, it can be concluded that teacher must give attention in teaching writing for student such as correction in writing text. Besides that writing is not easy when the teacher should focus for teaching writing so that students get material and understanding. In teaching writing, the teachers not only focus on content of writing, but also about organizing of writing.
Definition of Recount Text
In teaching writing skill, the teacher should teach recount text to the students.
Recount text is one of genre text that should be studied by the teacher to the students at junior high school. According to Davies (2000) recount recalls and reconstruct events, experiences and achievements from the past in a logical sequence. Some recounts will be purely informative, while others will aim to both inform and entertain. It means that recount is a text that retells the past event, such as past experience. It can be reader get information or entertain.In recount text the people tells about the past experiences in chronologicalorder, such their trip or holiday.
It is can also telling the daily activity in live that have a sequence of events.
Moreover, Hyland (2009) mentions that recount text is a text that tells about past experiences or events. It can be based on the
4 author’s personal experience (not always factual) or historical events.It means the recount text tells what happened of someone else. Recount text also tells about story that happened in live, it can be like happiness until sadness, and etc.
From the statements above, it can be concluded that recount text is a text that tells about the past event or experience, daily activity in a chronological order by using the simple past tense. The experience can like a happiness, sadness or etc. The purpose of recount text is to give the audience a description of what occurred and when it occurred. In recount text someone can get inspiration, value, and can idea and learn from someone’s experience to be future.
Generic Structure of Recount Text
In writing skill, the students know and learn about generic structure of recount text. According to Davies (2000) in learning recount text the students should learn three structures of recount text. The generic structure is orientation, series of events and re- orientation. The first, theorientation provides all the necessary background information to the students to make sense of the recount text.
The students need to give information about what happened on the story, who or what was involved, when and where the events occurred, and why the story happened. The second is series of events, it tells about what happened on story, action or activity in chronological order. The third is re-orientation, it is final section of recount text that telling about summarizing outcomes or result of the story, evaluating the topic’s importance or offering personal comment or opinion. It can also look to the future by speculating about what might happen next.
Moreover, Hyland (2009) supports that in recount text; there are three parts of the text that should be followed by the students.
The first, orientation, it tells who was involved in the story, when, what and where the story happened and why of the text are introduced.
In the orientation, the students explain about begin the story. The second is the series of events is important part of recount text, it tells what are going on it the story. The students
should tell important events of the story from the series of events, the students should know about what happened in the story. The third, re-orientation, it is conclusion of the story. It can be statement or the end of the story.
Based on the explanation above, the writer can concludes that the generic structure of recount text has a three part, orientation (beginning), events (middle), and conclusion (end). The first, orientationtells who was involved in the story and where and when the story happened. Second is series of events, it tells about the process of the story. And the last is re-orientation is a story that tells about the end of the story, it can be happiness or sadness, or etc.
Definition of Looping Strategy
Looping is one of the strategies that can be used in teaching writing. According to Leki (1998) Looping is similar to freewriting, but it is more focused. Looping strategy is a strategy that can help the writer focus their thought on a subject, find the core or center of your thought, and pinpoint a main idea on which to elaborate. It means that the writers focus on one subject and try to explore their ideas to make their writing be specific.
In the same case, Nazario, Borchers and Lewis (2013) defines that Looping strategy is a useful effective prewriting tool that helps the writer uncover ideas they never knew they had and permits they to explore and generate new ideas. It means that looping strategy can help the writers to explore their ideas and produce the new ideas that they have.
In conclusion, Looping strategy is a good strategy that can be used for the teacher in teaching writing process to explore and develop students’ writing achievement. The teacher can explores students’ ideas in writing and teacher enables student to move from unfocused to focused writing. It means that this strategy is useful strategy for the students when the students trying to write anything that they think in their mind. And this strategy is one of tool to help the teacher in teaching process.
5 Procedure of Looping Strategy
The procedure is an important way in teaching process to make easily the readers understand with this strategy. According to Nazario, Borchers and Lewis (2013) state that looping strategy is a strategy that has some steps, the first step is pick a topic and write it at the top of paper. It means that the students have a topic that will be write on the paper, so they will be able to use it as a topic for their writing topic. The second step, the teacher lets the students write for five minutes, after five minutes, stop and review that have been written. Then the students select and circle the centre of grafity sentence. It refers to students have to write everything that they have in their mind or free writing, after they write it, they should circle or loop the word or phrase that will be explored in the next paragraph. The third step, the student copy the word or phrase that has been circled or selected from loop one and free write on this key point for five minutes. After five minutes they stops and review what they have written. And then select and circle a different centre of gravity sentence. It means that students must do the same step with the second step, but they have to choose or circle a new centre of gravity sentence. Then, in the forth step, the students do the same step with the third step where they have to copy centre of gravity sentence from loop 2, and write on this key point for five minutes. After five minutes, the teacher lets the students to and reviews what they have written on the paper. At the end step, the teacher asks students to copy the centre of gravity sentence from loop three and write on this key point for five minutes, stop and review what they have written. And then the teacher asks them to circle a final centre of gravity sentence.
Advantages of Looping Strategy
The teacher uses strategy in teaching learning process to help them success in the learning process and make the students easier to get the lesson. One of the strategy can be able to make the students easier get the lesson is Looping strategy, the strategy that can help the students to explore their ideas in writing process where this strategy has advantages.
Leki (1998) defines that Looping strategy can help students focus their thought on a subject and pinpoint a main idea on which to elaborate. It means that, this strategy has advantages for the students focus with their mind when they will write everything that has in their mind.
Nevertheless, Gallagher (2006) defines that this strategy lets the students have the most potential in writing from unfocus become focus. So, this strategy can easy to apply for the students in writing process to explore their ideas while writing process.
Thus, make the students enjoy in learning process because this strategy is a free writing.
Definition of Flower Writing Strategy Besides Looping strategy can help the teacher in learning and teaching writing process, the teacher also can combine and applied the flower writing strategy. Burton (2006) defines that Flower writing is a writing strategy that involves writing down the central idea supported by the details around that have connection to make a complete paragraph.
This is writing strategy in flower form which can be used based on the students’ need that can help the students explore their critical thinking to make paragraph.
Besides, Jones (2011) explains that Flower writing strategy is a simple writing strategy makes the students construct a complete paragraph or essay by following the steps provided. It means that this strategy can help the students to develop and organize their ideas in making complete paragraph by the steps through guiding the teacher to find main idea and supporting detail that related to the topic that will write to explain the main idea.
In conclusion, Flower writing strategy is a strategy that is designed as a guideline for the students in constructing a paragraph, a text or essay based on the steps and point that is provided by this strategy.
Flower writing strategy is also one of a good strategies that can be used by the teacher toward students’ skill in writing and help the students how to write good sequence of text.
This is a simple and interesting strategy to be applied in classroom.
6 The Procedures of Flower Writing Strategy
There are some experts that suppose the procedure to apply flower writing strategy in teaching writing at the classroom.
According to Burton (2006) flower writing have several step. The first step is introducing the flower strategy in flower form before beginning the lesson. It is aimed to make the students understand how to use this strategy.
The form of the flower can be used depend on the material demand. In the other word, the chart of the flower can be varieties by the teacher depend on the students’ need. The second step is selecting the main idea/ topic that will be discussed. The students choose the certain topic in the middle of the strategy chart. The third step is finding the supporting details which are related to the topic. After finding the main idea/ topic, the students are asked to find the supporting detail and put it into around the strategy chart. The fourth step is constructing a good paragraph by combining the topic and detail to be an essay. Students are asked to write down and arrange the sentence into paragraph.
Advantages of Flower Writing Strategy Good strategy has advantages. Burton (2007), Flower Writing Strategy has advantages as an effective way to help the students in writing paragraph independently where the students write down the central idea supported by the detail to make complete paragraph. It means that this strategy asks the students to determine the topic that will be writing and supporting detail which related to the topic in order they can make a good paragraph through their critical thinking.
Additional information from Jones (2011) explains some advantages of Flower writing strategy. The Flower writing strategy is an easy writing strategy to be applied at any level. This strategy not only focus to certain level, but also can be applied to any level of students. Flower writing strategy can be applied in group or individually. Flower writing strategy can create an individual creative thinking of students to find the topic and supporting detail to make an essay. Flower writing strategy provides some simple steps to help the students in writing paragraph.
Based on explanation above, it can be concluded that by using Flower Writing Strategy teacher can help the students to explore, organize, and develop their ideas about the topic that will be written based on the steps that have been provided by the strategy in flower form. So that, the students get easy to follow the steps in developing their ideas in order the writing activity can be effective
DISCUSSION
Combining Looping and Flower Writing Strategies
In teaching writing at second grade of junior high school, the writer tries to combine between looping and flower strategy because it is appropriate to the student’s need and level in the teaching learning process. Combines these strategies make students explore their critical thinking and make a good a paragraph.
In looping strategy the writer chooses the procedures from one expert is Nazario et al (2013). In flower writing strategy the writer chooses the procedures from Burton (2006).
The writer uses some procedures and the same procedures from both of strategies are missed.
The combination of these strategies can help the teaching learning process in writing easily and to help the teachers guide the students to explore their idea in writing, so these are the procedures of the combination of both strategies:
1. The teacher introduces the flower writing strategy before beginning the lesson.
(flower’s procedure)
2. The teacher asks the students to pick a topic, and write it at the top of our paper.
(looping’s procedure)
3. The students find the supporting detail which is related to the topic. (flower’s procedure)
4. Loop #1: the students do free writing for five minutes. After five minutes, they stop and review what they have written.
Select and circle the center of gravity sentence. (looping’s procedure)
5. Loop#2: the students copy the center of gravity sentence from loop 1, and freewrite on this key point for five minutes. After five minutes, they stop
7 and review what they have written. Select and circle a new center of gravity sentence. (looping’s procedure)
6. Loop #3: again, the students copy the center of gravity sentence from loop 2, and freewrite on this key point for five minutes. After five minutes, they stop and review what they have written. Select and circle a different center of gravity sentence. (looping’s procedure)
7. Loop #4 on final time, the students copy the center of gravity sentence from loop 3, and freewrite on this key point for five minutes. After five minutes, they stop and review what they have written. Select and circle a final center of gravity sentence. (looping’s procedure)
8. The students construct a good paragraph by combine the topic and details to be an essay. (flower’s procedure).
CONCLUSION
Based on previous chapter, it can be concluded that writing is the important and difficult activity for students. Some students get problems in expressing their ideas. They do not know how to explore their ideas. It is caused by the students not have a self confidence to start in writing and they do not interact in writing and do not try to write something.
To help students have a good writing, the teacher can use an effective strategy. Teacher can use one strategy or combining strategies to apply in teaching learning process. The teacher can combine looping strategy and flower strategy to help students explore and develop in writing and to help students produce a good writing. Advantages of this strategy is it can be used by the teacher toward students’ skill in writing, this strategy is easy to be applied for the students in writing process to explore their ideas while writing process and help the students how to write good sequence of text.
Then, the writer combines looping and flower strategies at junior high school. These strategy are purposed to increase student critical thinking to exploring their ideas in writing and this strategy give an effective way to help the student in writing paragraph independently.
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