Suja's Discussion Text

Homeschooling vs. Public School

      In this modern life, homeschooling is legal in many countries such as Indonesia, even countries with the most prevalent home education movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The United States. Homeschooling is education system for children at home, typically by parents or by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Moreover, homeschooling is a legal option for parents that allowing them to provide their children with a learning environment as an alternative to public or private schools (homeschooling). However, the different views between pro and con about homeschooling are still raising up.

      In one study, many people do not agree with homeschooling system. They said that homeschooling is not an effective way in learning because its learning process is not as good as at public school. In the public school, we get the knowledge through interaction and socialize between teachers-students and students-students, which involve asking and giving opinion each other. Through this process, we can develop our cooperative sense on it. Meanwhile, in homeschooling, it is a little bit less of cooperative because the homeschoolers do not have any friends to discuss and share with. As a result, they only increase their individualism.

In the different study, homeschoolers are not as creative as students in the public school. Staci Eastin, a mother of homeschoolers and a teacher of homeschooling said, “It is the same thing with education. In the past week, I have attended a public school track meet, band concert and a choir concert. All of those are things I could not duplicate in my home-school community.” Likewise, we can say that homeschooling do not have any activity which increase students’ creativity like a regular school have.

      On the other hand, homeschooling is one of educational processes to explore the knowledge. Holt, an American author (1980), said ”I want to make it clear that I do not see homeschooling as some kind of answer to badness of schools. I think home is the proper base for the exploration of the world which we call learning or education. Home would be the best base no matter how good the schools.” In other way, home is the first best base place to learn or educate, no matter how good the schools.

In the same way, by using homeschooling as a system of learning, the homeschoolers also have a chance to be nearer with their family, especially their parents because they just need to study at home and teach by teachers or parents. It will be an easy way for parents to control their children and avoid them from negative acts. Most of parents have their own reason why they choose homeschooling.

In short, homeschooling can be more profitable and useful for many people, especially parents, rather than in the public school. Even though homeschooling is not as good as public school, in some cases it makes many parents who home-school their children would be easier in controlling their children. I prefer to study at public school than homeschooling because it is capable to raise up student’s creativity, socialization and interaction in their life.

References:

Eastin, Staci. 2013. Homeschool Versus Public School: A Few Thoughts. http://writingandliving.net/2013/04/24/homeschool-versus-public-school-a-few-thoughts/. (retrieved on April 24^th, 2013)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling

Suja's Narrative Text (Kumala Sari)

Kumala Sari

      Long time ago, in a village, lived a poor family that had a doughter named Kumala Sari. This family lived in a house that was made up from woods and it was very uncomfortable to be lived. The father’s named Tatang and his wife named Nining. Mr.Tatang worked as a gardener in a rich family’sgarden while his wife was a housewife.

      Kumala Sari, who called Lala, is a famous girl in her village because of her appearance. Lala had a lot of friends in her neighborhood and most of them were in the school. Lala did not continue her study to Senior High School because of economic problems. As we know, her father worked as a gardener and he only got low wages. Beside that, her mother did not have a job, but sometimes she helped her husband in the garden.

One day, Lala wanted to go downtown to look for a job because she thought that she could change her life if she had a job. At night, she told about it to her parents, but they did not allow her to go downtown. It really made Lala sad and locked herself in her room. Actually, Mr. Tatang and Mrs. Nining had their own reason why they did not allow Lala to go downtown. They did not want their only daughter far away from them, but Lala did not know about it. She mantained not to eat even though her parents had been asked her to eat for many times. It made her parents felt so sad.

      Mr. Tatang and Mrs. Nining understood how their daughter’s feeling. They had done their best to make Lala understood , but Lala never believed them. Therefore, they decided not to bother Lala and let Lala locked herself  inside of her room.After several days, around two days, Lala got stomachache and she must go to the doctor. Her parents, Mr. Tatang and Mrs. Nining, did not have enough facilities such as money and transportation to bring Lala to go to the doctor. They were absolutely panic and did not know what to do. As a result, Lala brought to an old man that was a paranormal. He live in a old house which was made from woods. They told him about her daughter’s illness and that old man gave several suggestions about it. Mr. Tatang and Mrs. Nining did all paranormal’s suggestions to cure Lala.

In fact,Lala’sstomachache could not be cured. It made Lala could not eat and do anything well because of  her illness. Sometimes, she got anger to her parents and asked them why they did not bring her to the doctor. She did not understand about her parents’ condition. Her parents became more panic and asked to the paranormal why her daughter could not be health. They had already brought her to him for many times. That old man could not do anything because he had done his best to cure Lala, but it was failed. Lala’s parents prayed for their daughter’s health everyday even almost every time. They hopped their daughter got well as soon as possible because they loved Lala very much.

Next day, a grandmother came to Lala’s house. Tatang and Nining did not know where the grandmother came from, but they allowed that grandmother to came in. After talked for a while, the grandmother asked them whether her daughter was sick or not. Tatang and Nining invited her to see Lala’s condition in her room. After looking at Lala for several seconds, the grandmother asked Lala to ask for apology to her parents because she often made her parents felt very sad.

Finally,Lala could be cured after she asked for apology to her parents. They could understood with their daughter’s behavior  which often got anger at them. Lala promised that she would not make her parents sad anymore. She loved her parents so much and so did her parents.

-the end-

This story is based on my true experience in my neighborhood. When my writing 2 lecturer asked me to write down my own story, I immediately remember with my neighbor who has a daughter named Lala. In this story, I did not write it exactly the same to the real one, but I added some fiction sense on it.

      Let’s begin to the real story. Lala was a 15 years old who did not continue her study to Senior High School bacause of economic problems. She came from a quits poor family. Her father works in the rice field while her mother as a housewife. However, in my story, I wrote that her father worked as a gardener in a rich family.

      Another one is the illness that Lala has. In the real one, Lala did not got stomachache but cancer which had attacked her since she was in elementary school. In my own story, I wrote that Lala got stomachache because I did not want to make she sad if she read this story.

      Actually in real story, Lala’s parents brought Lala to the doctor and they had enough money for it. While in this story, I write that lala’s parents did not bring Lala to the doctor because they did not have enough money. It is bacause I want to emphasize that Lala’s family is really poor.

      Whenever I read this story, I always remember my family and miss them so much. By reading this story, I hope we can get the moral value that is presented on it.

Suja's Memories and Double Hopes

Memories

       Have you had some memories with your lecturers? If you say yes, so do I. I am Mega Gusna Yenti, a student of English Department in UNP, have some memories with my lecturers in writing 1. I am majoring in English Education Program and join in K.1 class. Last semester, I studied writing 1 with Mr. Saunir who is one of my favorite lecturers. Every Tuesday morning, at 07.00 a.m. until 08.50 a.m, he always taught us writing 1. During studied writing 1 with him, I got much new knowledge from him about how to write kinds of text. Beside that, there are several experiences in my memory that appeared in my mind about Mr. Saunir; come on time, saying hello during the class and my embarrasse moment.

      He always asked us to come on time. Mr. Saunir could not keep up with latecomer. He was known for his discipline, because he had already arrived at the campus around 06.30 a.m. -thirty minutes before the class began. It caused me got up early in the morning because I do not want to come late to the class. I used to got up at 06.00 a.m. Since I studied with Mr. Saunir, my life changed to be more discipline. As a result, I always got up at 05.00 a.m. in the morning and never came late to the class.

      He always said hello during the class. It was very useful because it could make the class more interesting and not boring. When we began to feel boring, he suddenly said “hello” that was mean we must replay with “yes, sir”. Once, I ever felt sleepy in the class and laid my head down on the table. Suddenly Mr. Saunir said “hello” loudly and it woke me up and paid attention to the lesson that was going on. I never found this trick from other lecturers before, so I could not forget it in my mind.

Talking about Mr. Saunir, remainded me with my embarrasse moment in writing 1 class. During a whole semester in writing 1 class, Mr. Saunir asked us to make kinds of text based on the syllabus and presented it in front of the class. It was my turn which talked about descriptive paragraph and my home town, Bukittinggi, as the example. At first, I told about it proudly then he asked me “ Did you come from Bukittinggi?” and I answered “No, sir. I am from Baso”. After that, he laughed while saying “Why did you say that your hometown is Bukittinggi? You are wrong. The true one is you are from Bukittinggi Coret”. It caused everyone in the class laughing, too. It was really embarrassing me, so I could not erase that moment from my memory. Since that time, I always introduce my self come from Baso.

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Double Hopes

In our life, we never skipped away from hopes. All parts of our life let us to have hopes as many as we want. It give me a hint that is possible for me to have several hopes by studying writing 2 in this semester. Even though I have already finished writing 1 in the last semester, I  am still have some difficulties in writing. Based on those difficulties, I have several hopes, which are called Double Hopes, in writing 2 in this semester that are related with learning process and  getting knowledge.

First, it is about hopes that are related with learning process. In writing 1 last semester, the lecturers –Mr. Saunir andMr. Hafiz- explained the lesson by using projector. I like their ways in teaching, but I would prefer the lecturers explains the lesson by using whiteboard than projector. Therefore, in this semester, I hope the lecturers -especially in writing 2- explain the lesson by using whiteboard because it can make me more understand to the lesson.

Second, it is about hopes that are related with getting knowledge. I hope I can get more new knowledges in writing 2 which can make me more understand and able to write in English. I hope  I can get the solution for my problems in writing such as can find the inspiration to write, because I used to lose idea whenever I want to write.

In conclusion, those all are my hopes –my double hopes- that I want to reach in this semester. I want to be more understand to the lesson in order I can be able writing in English without loosing idea anymore.