Reflection #2

The Different Between Traditional Method of Teaching and Innovative Approach of Teaching Learning Mathematics

On Monday, February 25^th, 2013, Mr. Marsigit tells us about traditional method and innovative approach of teaching leaning mathematics. Firstly, he draws the illustration of traditional way to teaching Mathematics like in below.

Traditional method is teacher just transfer knowledge to the student or teacher centered. In traditional method, the teachers behave as if theyare only one resources of learning Mathematics and play dominant in all activity and initiative. The students is like empty barrel then they just receive from something that the teachers deliver, give and transform the knowledge to the students, so it is also called deliver method transfer of knowledge method or transfer of knowledge approach. From this situation, they able two character the teacherbehavior, the student behave and the situation in the class. Traditional method is very easy to do but it has many impacts for the students. The students will not be happy but they will feel bored.

Innovative learning is very different with traditional method. In this method, students are more active and the teacher just as facilitator. The teachers facilitate the students need. Students play dominant in all of activity and initiative. The students also can construct their knowledge so not only use formula from the book but they can find the knowledge by themselves. In below, there is an illustration of innovative approach.

In Indonesia, many teachers still use traditional method. Whereas, the innovative learning is important so implement. Easy to speak but it is too hard to implement because it not yet our culture, in primary, junior, still traditional method, in international. It is so bad for education in Indonesia.

The good teacher is the teacher that can facilitate. In order to facilitate, the teachers need tool, technology, or equipment, facilitation and students worksheet. Technology is very important to facilitate, and for primary and junior, the more important is student’s worksheet.Student’s worksheet can be online study or IT or web blog anddeveloping web blog. This is the part to develop material to teach. In here, the students need to construct their own knowledge, language, and mathematics. If you have timeline, so in the end your timeline is you can achieve in TOEFL as the formal criteria for English.

To achieve it, we must have need motivation, fell happy, positive thinking, enthusiasm and trust, because of it have influence to the way getting knowledge the speed, the outcome, and the process. The big problem in Indonesia, now, is how and what kind that I can implement, develop this kind method of teaching learning mathematics. We need to understanding for example the nature of mathematics, school mathematics, student learn mathematics, all aspect of teaching learning process. We must also know that there are two kinds of mathematics, that is, formal Mathematics and school mathematics. Formal Mathematics contains axiomatic, definition, theorem, and etc. These kinds of school are for senior high school and students in university. However, school Mathematics contain the nature of mathematics. School Mathematics is for junior high school and elementary school. The problemsof teaching learning process of Mathematics at primary schools are mostly coming from theteacher not from the student, because theydo not understand the nature of mathematics.

According to Ebutt and Straker (1995), teachers do not use axiomatic Mathematics definition, but they must use Mathematics as school mathematics. With this definition, the student will like mathematics. The following is the nature of School Mathematics by Ebutt and Straker :

1.    Mathematics is a search of pattern or relationship

In this point, the student should be motivated to determine their pattern or relationship between in material to the other material. Therefore, the students have a freedom to determine their own pattern or relationship with their method. In the last, the student will be more understanding with the teacher’s explanation.

2.    Mathematics is problem solving activity

What is the goal learn mathematics? The goal of learning Mathematics is to find the solution of each problem. As we know that Mathematics happen in daily life situation, inevitably and in real life situation, pencil and paper do not always come in handy. Therefore, learning must be meaningful, so number should be make useful and sense. However, remember when the students solve the problem, they have another way to solve it. Therefore,these activities are useful to develop the student’s thinking.

3.    Mathematics is investigation activity

What do you think about Mathematics as investigating activity? It means that to solve the problem of mathematics, we must investigate it. When investigating it, the students have many ways to solve the problems. They use their pattern or relationship that it depends of their understand about the material. So this activity will develop the student’s creativity, so many ways that they can use. These activity can make the student think that Mathematics is so easy and not rigid or limited with one ways, but Mathematics can be solve with many ways.

4.    Mathematics is learning of communications

Mathematics as learning of communications works to:

a.         Encourage students to make examples of the nature of mathematics

b.        Encourage students to explain the nature of mathematics

c.         Encourage students to justify the need for mathematics

d.        Encourage students to discuss mathematical problem

e.         Encourage students to read and write mathematics

According to the nature of school Mathematics in above, teacher must know about the nature of student learn mathematics. So what is it?

1.      Mathematics students learn effectively is by  good motivation and perception

How can the student get a good motivation and perception? It depends of the teaching method. The teacher must inspire, challenge, and stimulate the students by the teaching method. However, we must know the psychology of our student because students have different character so the teacher must different way to be motivated each student.

2.      Students learn Mathematics individually

Students examine their own mathematics. He studied according to his understanding. Sometimes he is abstracting events in everyday life into the concept of mathematics. Every student has different ways of learning mathematics. It can be seeing directly when the students solve with a case of mathematics. It will be looked different way of solving the problems between students with the other students. This is not blame for Mathematics is essentially investigative activity.

3.      Students learn Mathematics in collaboration with the other

Learning Mathematics with the other can make us more expected to understand mathematics. In-group, the students can exchange their ideas and if they have some problem, they can solve it together.

4.      Students learn Mathematics contextually that bound by space and time

Students will be better understand mathematics if teachers pass them contextually. Young student learn about something concrete and daily living that close to them. With the experience, they develop their ability to understand abstract concept, axiom, prove, reason logically, manipulate symbol and generalize. Teacher can give the example that close to daily live so the student know the application of Mathematics in daily live not only just calculate the formula.