My English Paper

STIMULATING TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS BY USING LAUGH: ALTERNATE METHOD TO ACHIEVE THE HAPPINESS OF MATHEMATICS LEARNING

Seto Marsudi
Yogyakarta State University

Introduction

There are so many inventions about how to teach mathematics to students so that they will understand the material. There are so many teaching methods, teaching media and aids that are involved in order to get this goal. However, the mission has not accomplished yet. Mathematics is still assumed as the object that is scarier than Bali Bomb. 

Probably, the teachers forget about something that is so important in learning mathematics. The forgotten thing is fun. Fun brings happiness, and happiness brings an easiness to understand something, not only for mathematics material but also everything. Imagine that you enter the class where students are learning mathematics and laugh is occurred there. Do you think that a discipline is broke there? Or maybe you will think, “Oh, the mathematics learning process is going well.”

Peter Kline said some words that should be something to be concerned by any teacher in this world. He said in his book The Everyday Genius that learning was the most effective when it’s fun. Not only those words, but he also said that school had to be the most pleasure place in every town and children would learn so fast if they were guided to find the principles of learning by themselves.

Laugh is something that is fun and also make healthier. Laugh indicates that a pleasant condition is worked. Nobody will reject that assumption. Humor and jokes are not forbidden thing and even something that is needed to make a pleasant condition.

How do students see mathematics? Have students felt that learning mathematics is a pleasant activity? Mostly, students will assume that mathematics is the subject that has to be avoided because their assumption that mathematics is difficult to be understood, boring, and very hard. Being able to make a pleasant condition in learning mathematics is a challenge for every single mathematics teacher in this world nowadays.

A Traditional View about Mathematics

We think that mathematics is important. We know that mathematics is an important subject to be taught. However, only a few people among us who understand what is mathematics itself. We only think, “I will not ever be good at mathematics. “ How come that point of view happens in our society?

The answer of that question could be found at traditional approaching in teaching mathematics. Traditional teaching usually starts from the explanation about ideas that are on page that students learn then followed by showing students how to answer the questions on the book. The main focus of the teaching learning process is how to get the answer. Students depend on their teacher how to get the answer. Students who got this kind of experience tend to assume that mathematics is a subject that has no clear term, the only term is an abstract pattern that is brought by the teacher.  The result is, students become dependent and their rights to get really good learning sources are taken.

That kind of view is wrong view about what mathematics is actually and how mathematics should be taught in the class. They who are learning about terms will get a good score, but they are not good thinker in the class. Traditional view gives students a good chance to learn mathematics through terms that are brought by teacher, but torture them from the freedom to think in learning mathematics.

Why Laugh?

Everybody loves to laugh. Laugh is something that is natural, universal, and gives good effect both physically and psychologically. Laugh brings some kind of hormone like endorphin and serotonin which made a person feels better. Laugh also brings a positive side into any kind of condition. Melting the hardiness at a social condition where a lot of people involved.

Junior High and Senior High students who are youngsters also love to laugh. They love to make any jokes that make them laugh. It is natural for their age. It is so pleasant for them to laugh together with each other. How if whenever students learn mathematics they can laugh together in class? How pleasure can it be for them? Is the success of teaching mathematics probability high?

Learning mathematics is an activity where emotion is fully involved. In learning mathematics, we can bring up motivation, self confidence, frustration and happiness. Mathematics teaching learning process is not a strict activity, full of laws, and soulless, but it is something brought up the strongest emotion at the soul like depression or even anger. This condition often occurs whenever learner faces something that is difficult like integral and concept of limit. On their cognitive scheme, they tend to think that they will not ever understand the material even whenever they have not studied it yet! Teacher has to be more aware from this kind of their scheme in order to help their students to get out from this condition and change that kind of cognitive scheme.

The usefulness of laugh is not only for killing the torturing condition or maybe only for filling up the spare time in the middle of teaching mathematics but moreover it also the effort to gain joy and attraction of learner into the material that is taught. By the resurrection of attraction, the next process will lead to make a learning condition that is full of happiness.          

Bring Up Laugh into Classroom

Teacher ought to understand about the basic concept in learning mathematics. The basic law in learning mathematics is that mathematics is understandable and it makes sense! Teachers have to stop their traditional way in teaching mathematics by informing all of the information to students and teachers have to start giving chance to students to understand the mathematics that they learn.

 Teacher should start from their own lesson plan on teaching mathematics. Teacher should start involving humor, jokes, or any stimulation that can bring laugh inside classroom. When the planning is well-prepared then the teaching learning process will go well also. Because the lesson plan is teacher’s detailed description of the course of instruction for one class, the lesson plan between each class will vary. Although that is not easy to determine the set, the instructional component and maybe the time requirement for involving the humor or jokes inside the class, it will be a good challenge for every teacher so they can develop a well-prepared lesson plan on teaching mathematics which is included laugh inside of it.

The next step is how to manage the class. It requires various interaction by teacher when faces various condition of the class. Interaction among whole class, small group of students and individual are different. We know that by ordinary teaching learning process, the interaction among these conditions is not easy. How if we add some laugh inside of it? Well, it is not easy too but it will bring another pleasant interaction between teacher and students. The jokes or humors for whole class may be different for small group and individual learner. Teacher can manage the jokes or humor and still stand at a goal of the effort, to bring joy.

Humor or mathematical jokes are another various teaching method so that student can think individually and then find the meaning of the jokes. Teacher has to be more aware of this. A joke can not be funny if we can not understand the meaning inside the joke, what that joke wants. Students are asked to find the meaning by themselves so they can laugh together so teacher has to prepare jokes based on cognitive scheme of the students. The jokes have to be accepted by students’ apperception. The jokes have to be linked with students’ previous knowledge and experience. Teacher can not bring up the jokes about logarithm if students have not studied it yet.

Type the keyword “mathematical jokes” on Google and teacher can find a lot of jokes that are mathematical and also funny. Teacher should be more aware to choose the appropriate joke to be brought in front of class. Although there are only a few mathematical jokes from our country and based on our culture, teacher can modify the jokes into appropriate jokes for students. Here is an example:

A museum visitor was admiring a Tyrannosaurus fossil, and asked a nearby museum employee how old it was. "That skeleton's sixty-five million and three years, two months and eighteen days old," the employee replied. "How can you know it that well?" she asked. "Well, when I started working here, I asked a scientist the exact same question, and he said it was sixty-five million years old – and that was three years, two months and eighteen days ago."

The joke is that the employee fails to understand the scientist's implication of the uncertainty in the age of the fossil and uses false precision.

The other alternate jokes is question-answer form. This is really flexible form. Teacher can melt the situation and condition especially when students are feeling so bored about the course.

Q: What does an analytic number theorist say when he is drowning?

A: Log-log, log-log, log-log, ….

It is so useful to melt the condition in the middle of learning logarithm, which students think so hard to be understood.

There are also jokes based on logical expression. Be aware of this jokes because this form of jokes sometimes make students confused.

Theorem. A cat has nine tails.

Proof. No cat has eight tails. A cat has one more tail than no cat. Therefore a cat has nine tails.

Another method is by managing small group discussion. Teacher can ask students to make their own jokes based on the material that is previously or on going learned. Teacher can ask student to make presentation or reflection in front of class so that they can also learn how to make other people think and laugh. This method allows students to think creatively because making other people laugh is not easy task to do. Moreover it has to be expressed mathematically, it will bring challenge to students and they will think wildly. Whenever some students express their joke in front of class, ask other students to give their conclusion about what their friend’s said. It will make the situation of the class become life because other students must listen and comprehend what their friend’s said. 

As for student’s worksheet, teacher can also insert some puzzle about mathematics into the worksheet so that students can also do some pleasure work to solve the puzzle brought by teacher. It is not easy also for teacher to arrange such a kind of worksheet that included a mathematical puzzle inside of it. For answering the puzzle, teacher can give a gift or reward for this to every student who can solve the puzzle as soon as possible. It will stimulate them to pay attention to their worksheet.

Various teaching aids and media can be used in order to get the goal to show up laugh inside of class. For example calculator, there are a lot of jokes using calculator that can make student realize that learning by calculator can also be fun. Here is the example how to use calculator to make joke:

There are 15 burglars that is being chased by 2 polices. Twelve of them are successfully captured. Then one police asks, “Where are the other three?” Teacher can type this number 152121 : 3  which result is 50707. Turn the calculator upside down and that will be read as LOLOS (fly away).

Another media of teaching can also be used to bring the jokes inside of class. Teacher can use LCD projector or model tools to show the jokes, not only by teacher’s explanation. Teacher can also show various movie clips that include the mathematical jokes inside of it because students love to watch movie. It will make the teaching learning process more attractive.

Teacher can make a good assessment about the progression of the class and every student. Creativity and participation of every student will change due the change of method from traditional one into laughing one. The assessment between both methods will be different. If there are no significant progressions or enhancement of students’ joy or activeness, teacher ought to make reflection to the learning process activity in the class. Whether the jokes are inappropriate? Whether students do not understand the jokes? All have to be recorded by teacher to make a good next move in teaching.

Conclusion

Leaning is a challenge. Teaching is also a challenge. Combine them effectively is a challenge. Being a humorous person is a challenge. However, laughing is simple and easy.

Mathematics is seen as boring, strict, and even torturing kind of subject. A really hard subject added with being taught by really weird people. Change those assumptions by various ways and one of them is including humor and jokes into classroom by any creative activity which can make teacher and learner laugh together. The goal is to make the mathematics teaching learning process becomes more attractive, understandable and bring happiness for all.

Resume of KEGIATAN PENELITIAN SEBAGI USAHA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PROFESIONALISME GURU MATEMATIKA

KEGIATAN PENELITIAN SEBAGI USAHA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PROFESIONALISME GURU MATEMATIKA

Oleh:

Dr. Marsigit

Jurusan Pendidikan Matematika, FMIPA Universias Negeri Yogyakarta

Reviewed by: Seto Marsudi (09301241009)

Mathematics Education Regular 2009
(http://rasamalaempat.blogspot.com/)

Teachers or prospective teachers of mathematics as a researcher may deliberately make changes in learning mathematics in school by doing various experiments; so it comes the scientific method. Approach to mathematics education research can be done in such a way various quantitative research. Quantitative research relies on the scientific method of learning mathematics to find the rules, laws and principles regarding the reality of learning mathematics in school. The laws are found either by way of deduction or induction. The reality of mathematics education can be broken down into sections that apply to the entire law that describes the mathematics education also apply to its parts. Quantitative research considers that learning mathematics is objective and measurable. Experiments can be done by manipulating the variables that can be measured quantitatively in order to look for relationships between different variables of teaching and learning mathematics.

 

If teachers want the renewal of mathematics education research mathematics education will become a necessity. Apart from the formal legal aspects of mathematics education research activities either by teachers, lecturers as well as by prospective teachers will give many benefits. With the study of mathematics education we can know the existence of differences in individuals or groups to study the mathematics, we can determine the position of students in the group, can compare learning outcomes between groups.

Based on the suppression of certain aspects of it by adapting Joyce and Weill (1986), can be developed several models of learning as a context of doing mathematics education research activities, for example: The Concept Attainment Model; Model Exercise Research; Model Sinectic; Model Class Meeting; Model Investigation Group; Model Research jurisprudence; Model Exercise Laboratory; Model Social Research; Model Self-Control, and Simulation Models. In various models that were developed then indeed a teacher will always be between the two poles between which the paradigm of learning mathematics teacher-centered approach and student-centered. Has generally been understood that mathematics education in the future will be more student-centered learning where the student is the center, student is more active, take initiative and responsible to the learning process. Students are also expected to be more autonomous. Thus the role of the teacher acts as facilitator and dynamist learning mathematics.

We can also do a match between objectives and results of learning outcomes: whether the standard of competence or basic competence has been achieved? Research results can be used for refining the program, mentoring, giving information to the public. Besides that we also can do a comparison between the performances and the criteria for each dimension of the program as well as refining the program and the inference results of mathematics education as a whole. Then we can conduct studies on the implementation of the program, the influence of the learning environment, the influence of the program, curriculum or syllabus of learning outcomes, and ultimately used for the improvement of mathematics education program as a whole.

Resume of PENDEKATAN MATEMATIKA REALISTIK PADA PEMBELAJARAN PECAHAN DI SMP

PENDEKATAN MATEMATIKA REALISTIK PADA PEMBELAJARAN PECAHAN DI SMP

Dr. Marsigit

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Reviewed by: Seto Marsudi (09301241009)

Mathematics Education Regular 2009
(http://rasamalaempat.blogspot.com/)

Realistic Mathematics emphasizes the construction of the context of concrete objects as a starting point for students to acquire mathematical concepts. Concrete objects and environment objects can be used as a context for learning mathematics in building mathematical connections through social interaction. Concrete objects manipulated by the student within the framework of efforts to support students in the mathematization process concrete to the abstract. Students should be given opportunities to construct and produce mathematics in a manner and language of their own. Required reflex activity of the social activity that the integration and strengthening of relations between subjects in understanding the structure of mathematics can be occur.

In the curriculum development guidelines stated that in learning mathematics can be started with an introduction to issues appropriate to the situation (contextual problems). By asking a contextual problem, learners are gradually guided to master math concepts. The purpose of learning fractions in school can stated as follows:

1. Solve problems and find the concept of fraction numbers from contextual problems are solved.
2. Understand the concept of fraction numbers out, explain the link between concepts and apply the concept of fraction numbers, flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately, in solving problems
3. Using the reasoning on the pattern and nature, to manipulate and make generalizations about the fraction numbers.

4. Communicating the concepts and use fraction numbers

5. Have respect for usability of fraction numbers on daily life

The third type is the type that has realistic characteristics bottom-up approach in which students develop their own models and then the model is used as the basis for developing formal mathematics. There are two kinds of models that occur in the process that is a model of the situation (a model of situation) and for the mathematical model (a model for formal mathematics). In the realistic model emerged from students' informal strategies in response to real problems for later formulated in formal mathematics, this kind of process in accordance with the historical development of mathematics itself.

Reflecting the above activities in learning the Numbers Fractions through PMRI presumably can be concluded:

Student:
1. Students should be given opportunities to explore and reflect on alternative concepts about ideas that affect learning fractions later.

2. Students should be given opportunities to explore and acquire new knowledge about fractions by establishing that knowledge for themselves.

3. Students should be given opportunities to acquire knowledge as a process of change that includes the addition, creation, modification, refinement, and rejection realignment.
4. Students should be given opportunities to acquire new knowledge of fractions built by students for themselves derived from a set range of experience

5. Students should be given opportunities to understand, and implement work fractions.

Teachers need to revitalize themselves so that:

1. Set himself as a facilitator

2. Be able to develop an interactive learning

3. Be able to provide the opportunity for students to be active.

4. Be able to develop curriculum and syllabus and curriculum actively associate with the real world, both physically and socially.

5. Be able to develop learning scenarios:

a. Interaction scheme: Classical, Group Discussion, Individual Activities
b. Scheme Achieving Competency: Motivation, Attitude, Knowledge, Skill, and Experience

Resume of The Iceberg Approach of Learning Fractions in Junior High School: Teachers’ Simulations of Prior to Lesson Study Activities

The Iceberg Approach of Learning Fractions in Junior High School: Teachers’ Simulations of Prior to Lesson Study Activities

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By Marsigit, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia

Reviewed by: Seto Marsudi (09301241009)

Mathematics Education Regular 2009
(http://rasamalaempat.blogspot.com/)

Matematika di Sekolah Menengah Pertama memiliki fungsi untuk mendorong siswa untuk berpikir logis, analitis, sistematis, kritis, kreatif dan mampu mengkolaborasikannya dengan yang lain. Kompetensi-kompetensi tersebut dibutuhkan para siswa agar mereka bisa mendapatkan, mengakses dan menggunakan informasi untuk mempertahankan hidup mereka yang melibatkan penggunaan simbol, tabel, diagram dan sumber-sumber lain di lain bahwa siswa mampu memecahkan masalah mereka. Para siswa perlu mengembangkan keterampilan pemecahan masalah yang mencakup masalah tertutup dan terbuka. Dalam memecahkan masalah, siswa perlu kreatif untuk mengembangkan banyak cara dan alternatif, untuk mengembangkan model matematika, dan untuk memperkirakan hasilnya. Disarankan bahwa dalam mengajar belajar matematika dasar, siswa memiliki kesempatan untuk mengidentifikasi masalah matematika kontekstual dan realistis. Pendekatan kontekstual dan realistis disarankan untuk dikembangkan oleh guru untuk mendorong pemikiran matematika di sekolah dasar. Dengan pendekatan ini, ada harapan bahwa siswa langkah-demi-langkah belajar dan menguasai matematika dengan antusias.

Banyak siswa yang tidak bermasalah dalam pemahaman informal tentang pecahan untuk instruksi mereka dalam matematika, namun, seringkali sulit bagi siswa untuk mengintegrasikan instruksi formal dengan pengetahuan informal mereka. Masalah tambahan dalam representasi dari angka-angka pecahan meliputi kurangnya pemahaman bahwa pecahan dapat mewakili bagian dari satu set serta sebagai bagian dari seluruh unit, dan bahwa pecahan mewakili sejumlah bagian yang berukuran sama. Guru juga harus diingat bahwa representasi pecahan bisa menjadi tugas yang sangat abstrak dan sulit bagi siswa yang kadang-kadang di luar kemampuan bahkan guru mereka.

Ada 6 (enam) kelompok untuk guru mengembangkan Model Iceberg untuk mengajar pecahan di SMP.  Setiap kelompok terdiri dari lima guru. Berikut ini adalah karya-karya mereka:
Kelompok 1: Pengurangan Nomor Pecahan

Masalah yang diberikan:

Agus telah membeli Kue Tart. Dia memotongnya menjadi delapan bagian yang sama. Dia dan tiga adik laki-lakinya masing-masing akan mengambil satu bagian dari itu. Dan dia akan menyimpan sisanya. Berapa banyak bagian dari kue Agus yang ia simpan?

Kelompok 2: Persentase dan permil

Masalah yang diberikan:

Dua sepertiga dari belahan bumi terdiri dari air. Nyatakan jumlah air tersebut ke dalam persentase?

Kelompok 3: Bandingkan Pecahan

Masalah yang diberikan:

Bandingkan pecahan berikut: 2 / 3 dan ½

Mana yang lebih besar?

Kelompok 4: Pecahan Desimal

Masalah yang diberikan:

Tulis 0,35 menjadi bentuk sederhana dari pecahan?

Grup 5: Nomor Campuran

Masalah yang diberikan:

Tulis nomor campuran berikut 1 ¾ sebagai pecahan sederhana?

Grup 6: Pembagian Pecahan

Masalah yang ditimbulkan:

Lima belas kilogram beras akan dimasukkan ke dalam beberapa wadah yang berukuran ¾ kg. Berapa

banyak kontainer yang dibutuhkan?

Banyak guru membawa banyak pemahaman informal pecahan pada usaha mereka dalam mengembangkan model gunung es untuk mengajar pecahan. Dalam mengembangkan model gunung es dari mengajar, para guru diharapkan ada kecenderungan bahwa siswa mereka akan mempertimbangkan tidak hanya sebagai pecahan seluruh nomor tetapi juga proporsi atau bilangan rasional. Meskipun model gunung es memperkuat siswa untuk membangun konsep-konsep mereka sendiri dari pecahan, masih ada kesulitan bagi siswa untuk memecahkan masalah diungkapkan secara simbolis. Namun, mereka mampu memecahkan masalah yang sama dinyatakan dalam konteks situasi dunia nyata. Sebagian besar guru mengakui bahwa representasi pecahan bisa menjadi tugas yang sangat abstrak dan sulit bagi siswa. Sementara itu, mereka juga menemukan bahwa model gunung es adalah pendekatan yang sangat penting dan berguna untuk mengajarkan pecahan di SMP.