Various tools are now available in the world of education, from the era of blackboard until the era of the internet. All of them are very helpful for teacher around the globe as aids to create an active classroom interaction. Blackboard and calk or whiteboard plus marker might always available in every class, but now is the era of internet where many countries has using it as a new aid in teaching learning process. Recently, several countries like Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina and Taiwan has using internet—blog—as a new media in English classes. Now, we will see how they apply this sophisticated media in the learning process.
Students in Brazil use blog as the way to express themselves. They also can communicate with other friends and teacher as well as with other people from around the world. By doing so the communication and interaction can still continue though there was no class. However, challenge always appear, not all student in Brazil could access the internet.
In Argentina, the students use blog to communicate with their own friends, uploading photos and sending comments. Teachers also use blog to help them in giving assignments. Their student could work in join project assigned by their teacher. Through blog they can improve themselves, but like Brazil, Argentina has the same problems.
Taiwan is a small country and their students have a better facility in gaining internet access. That’s why the student and teacher can optimize the internet—blog—to help the teaching learning process like what have done by a teacher in that country. She used blog to put her recorded presentation, and the students were asked to watch the video and make the report in their own blog. Thus, the teacher can use the blog to evaluate her students’ work.
How about Indonesia?
This is a breakthrough for Indonesia when they use blog as a learning media in the teaching learning process. There is a technique can be use in making blog as a new learning media; students were asked to read a blog and then they’re asked to make comment in their own blog. This was intended to increase students’ reading and writing skills. They will have their own writing is published and read by the whole country in the world. Somehow this can motivate the student to improve their reading and especially writing skills. However, there still challenge in implementing internet—blog—as media; internet is not yet available in whole parts of Indonesia because no supporting infrastructures.
So, for those who have the facilities...don't waste it!
