The ideas related to the questions and expectations from mathematic lecturing at 11th November 2008 from Kurnia Hidayati

The ideas related to the questions and expectations from mathematic lecturing at 11th November 2008 from Kurnia Hidayati
The ideas given by Sabina Ndiung

1. What is the best mathematic learning which appropriate to be applied for elemantary school?
Response:
If we correlate with the figure of Realistic Mathematics Education, mathematic is like human’s activity (freudenthal, 1977). According to him, mathematic must be correlated to the real thing, close to the student experience and relevant to the society which aims mathematic becomes the part of human activity. Besides mathematic as the subject to be transfered, Frudenthal emphasises mathematic idea as the part of human actiity. Mathematic learning must givethe chance to the learner to be “guided” and “refind” learning mathematic by doing it. That is whay a teacher must know the give steps learning activities systematically, like what has been said by (Zulkardi, 2002) the steps of realistic mathematic learning activities are as follows:
1. Preparation
Beside we prepare contextual problem, a teacher must understand the problem and have any strategies that maybe applied by students in solving the exercises
2. Pre-activity/ opening activity
At this part, students are introduced by learning strategy/method that will be used and introduced the real life problem then ask the students to solve the problem by their own concept.
3. Learning process
Students personaly or group try to solve the problem based on their own experience, then each student or group presentates their working to their friends in front of the class and friends give the response or ask related to the result of group presentation. Teacher observes the running of class discussion and give the comment while guide the students to get the best strategy and find the general concept or pattern
4. Post-activity or closing activity
After getting the compromised about the best strategy through class discussion, students are invited to take the conclusion from that lesson. At the end of meeting students must do the evaluation exercises in form of formal mathematic. So, in my understanding, from some cases above indicate that there is no best strategy in learning mathematic except if we want to become the best in process of becoming the best. Someone never stopping to learn and always inovate to find the best choice to be done by her/him. That is why, let’s always prepare and ready to accept related to the change and also we have to love our profesion and love our students as we love as ours.

2. The truth of school mathematic?
Response:
The general of truth mathematic emphasises to students to be possessed by the students as follows:
1. The ability related to the mathematic which can be used to solve the mathematic problem, other lessons or the other reality problem.
2. The ability of applying mathematic as the tool for communication
3. The ability of applying mathematic as the logical reasoning which can be changed to use for every situation such as critical thinking, logical thinking, systematic thinking, objective, honest, discipline in understanding and solving the problem (PUSKUR, 2002)
If we look above abilities, can be used to the higher education and useful to daily life in society including as the preparation related to our job.
3. The student truth of learning mathematic
Response:
Curriculum center (2006) implicitly at the Based Competence Curriculum the student truth of learning mathematic is student has to have the ability to use logical way, making mathematic manipulate in doing generalization, construct the prove or explain mathematic concept arrange students logic thinking and also crate a good personality and the implementation of mathematic in solving the problem. I think, someone learns anything must have the aim. Likewise, for the student who learns mathematic by learning it can become customized for them to think crittically and systematicaly. By customizing they think critical, it is easy for them to solve the problem. Communicate their ideas and also can develop their competence autodidactly.

4. The traditional and progressive differences of mathematic
Response:
I think, traditional and progressive mathematic if we understand from the terms are not so different each other but if we understand from the process certainly different. If we understand traditional mathematic means we understand from our tradition in learning mathematic. But if we understand from progressive poin of view means want to change a tradition become better understand concept and we want to move from traditional mathematic understanding. Meanwhile, according to Paul Ernest from his writing about The Philosophy of Mathematic Education said that traditional mathematic is like true pattern and progressive mathematic is the process of understanding. If we correlate with the mathematic learning in this era, we still find many teachers/lectures still keeping traditional mathematic understanding just because of their tradition.
5. The ways to explain fraction by appling media
Response:
If we want to go forward, the teachers/lectures should not have the problem in the process of learning especially in explaining the material. Why do say like that? Because each teacher has his/her own strategy in giving the material based on the indicator and the aim of our subject/course. According to me, by applying the medias students can understand easly our explaination. Consequently, of this teacher must choose the appropriate medias to demonstrate in front of the students in order they are not wrong to understand the concept given by the teacher. At the explain the topic tought, example fraction number which one of the competence to be achieved is “explain the meaning of fraction and compare, so as the teacher may use the circle and thin cake like Serabi or the same big circle form paper (Yusuf Hartone, 2007:7-21).
pay attention to the following steps:
• Preparation
As the preparation, early learning done by teacher is the meaning of fraction and the way to arrange. After deciding contextual problem which will be applied to start learning teacher prepares everything needed. This case, we will ue the problem devide the Serambi cake, so teacher must prepare circle form of some papers which the same size as the model of Serabi Cake. Then, teacher prepares learning scenario which will be used in the classroom. There are many posibilities strategies are applied by student in learning activity and teacher should have anticipated this problem. Thus, teacher can manage teaching learning process in the classroom.
• Opening/pre-activity
At the early activity, a teacher tells to the stdents about the old mother gives 3 pieces Srabi cake for 4 her children and each child gets the same size of cake gotten. After that, teacher group the students and each group consist of 4 students. Each group gives 3 the same size circle form paper as cake model and one scissors and they are asked to devide 3 circle form paper among them so each member accepts the same size of the cake. Teacher gives the chance to each group to solve the problem based on their own concept. After time finish, each group gives the chance to solve their problem and other groups give them critical and suggestion. Then teacher devides the into group again and each group consist of 5 members and they are asked to devide 3 circle form paper become 5 part at same size like before. Next, students are asked to compare which pieces is bigger than other pieces ( 3 circle form paper is devided 4 or 5)
• Closing/post activity
As the closing, students are asked to do the exercises and give them the homework which correlated with comparation material of fraction. At the end of lesson, teacher invites the students to take the conclusion together what the students have done at that time.
Expectations :
1. Can convey the knowledge that we got to the students
Response:
Teaching does not move the knowledge from teacher to student, but it is an activity which possible for the students to construct their own knowledge, make the meaning, ask the clear information and become critical to judge. So, teaching is the way form itself (Bettencourt, 1989).
Based on constructivist principle, the role of a teacher is only as the mediator and facilitator who help the student learning process. Thus, the emphasis is at the students themselves not based on the discipline of the teacher or teacher’s way to teach.
As a teacher needs to know the ways of student’s thinking in order can help the students to understand event, from the way they think to solve the problem and ask them how to find the of your answer. This is the best way to find their own concept and find the way why is an answer not to apply for certain condition (Von Glasersfield, 1989).
Teacher needs to understand students’ mistake. Knowledge development full of mistaken and error. Error is one part of the construction from all knowledge that we can not avoid it. Sometimes error indicates students’ logic which is used to solve the problem
Based on Von Glasersfield, teacher needs to let the students find the appropriate way to solve the problem. If a teacher does not respect to students’ way in finding their own concept means that teacher out of science development, which also start from the mistake (Von Glasersfield)

2. Become a professional teacher of mathematic
Response:
A professional can be said if we are realy expert on it. But if we analysis the phenomenon that apper during reformation process, we need to consider that the aim of education in the future, firstly is educate the human being become democratic person, respect to the differences and live together without having worry and be afraid. This can be achieved if since the child students are given the opportunities to explore their thinking without having any worry and get the bad treat from her/his society just because of the differences among them (Marpaung, 1998:1). This problem is the difficult task run by the teacher and make a good personality of her/his students and easy to crate their cognitive competence. If all the learning components teacher is able to run and able to identify what become the problem at his/her teaching, we can say that it is professional.

3. Become easy to learn mathematic for the students
Response:
It is realy difficult for getting the meaning of the term easy, because I think student still find the dificulties for new relative lesson them. In order to achieve this aim a teacher must change the paradigm of thinking to the students. Teacher must change the teaching paradigm becomes learning paradigm. If we still applying the teaching paradigm, consquenly students are as the passive receiver or a teacher is as the center of knowledge/information. Generally as we know, a teacher really wants students must be active in finding the information not always depend on learning condition especially how to understand the knowledge. Teacher is hoped invite their students become independent learning, productive, creative or apply various ideas in learning something. Every student has different each other and has different ability of course ahs different concept to answer teacher’s question but event they are different each other the most important thing is they have the same aim that is to answer the same question from the teacher (Marpaung: 1998). The change of paradigm in teaching from teacher center becomes students center as the effect of the constructivist method accepting and developing (Ernest, 1991; Von Glaserfeld, 1989, 1992; Paul Suparno, 1997 in Marpaung, 1998)




4. Every student loves mathematic/no student hates mathematic
Response:
Talk about mathematic means talk about myth that everybody frightened mathematic for the students who hate mathematic. Based on the experience, many elementary students force their parents to find the school which does not have mathematic lesson, of course this problem makes the parents real confuse and panic how to solve the problem of their child who hates mathematic. This problem actually appear from the parent themselves who never introduce a little bit about their best understanding of mathematic knowledge that is mathematic is like a game such as when we want to calculate our savings in the bank. So, I think we have to delete the students’ frightening of mathematic by applying learning mathematic which based on students’ characteristic and their own real experience.
Commented by SABINA NDIUNG, ELEMENTRY MASTER PROGRAM, YOGYAKARTA STATE UNIVERSITY.