MAGETAN: Creativity in the Use of Learning Media
'Energy from the Sun' and 'Fruit as a Source of Electricity'

Factors supporting the quality of teaching are not confined to the teacher, books and the curriculum but also need to take into account the use of other media. The choice of appropriate learning media to support the material which is to be taught in class should have a positive effect on the impact of the lesson in achieving its aims.

Bpk Sukamto, S.Pd. is a science teacher at SD Negeri Magetan 4. The use of several innovative media has made his students enthusiastic about and interested in learning science. Examples of media which he has used include using a bowl to gather energy from the sun and using fruits including tomatoes, tamarind and star fruits as sources of electricity.

The bowl to gather energy from the sun was used to demonstrate that the sun gives off an extraordinary amount of heat energy. The apparatus consisted of a shiny aluminium bowl in the shape of a parabola with the horizontal support made of copper wire. During the experiment the students measured the temperature of the sun's reflected rays and placed some paper in the bowl. When the paper was placed in the central focus it started to burn. Below is an explanation in pictures.

KABUPATEN SEMARANG Holds an Education Exhibition

As part of the celebration of national education day, Semarang district local government organized an education exhibition from 7 - 14 May 2006, which was opened by the Deputy Regent of Semarang District. In the exhibition MBE was honored by being allocated a large stand.

A number of other education institutions and stakeholders also took part. The theme of the exhibition was 'teaching aids'. Most of the participants displayed ready made laboratory equipment, but the MBE stand displayed a variety of children's work and several other learning resources which came from the environment.

The MBE stand was attended to by two MBE facilitators for the duration of the exhibition so that they could answer any questions. Visitors to the exhibition, especially teachers, were very interested in the model of teaching that is being applied in MBE schools and they would very much like to take part in PAKEM training. Some simple apparatus was also provided in the exhibition for visitors to try out experiments for themselves.

Pengunjung pameran terutama guru sangat tertarik dengan model pembelajaran yang telah diterapkan di sekolah binaan dan mereka mengharapkan dapat ikut peltihan PAKEM. Dalam pameran juga disediakan beberapa alat percobaan sederhana yang dapat dipraktikkan oleh pengunjung.

SUKOHARJO: After the Earthquake, Schools Merged During monitoring of the MBE program in Sukoharjo from 26 - 27 June 2006, Bob Cannon and Toto Purwanto were able to visit a part of the district which had suffered from the recent earthquake. The earthquake on 24 June 2006 was centered in Bantul, Yogyakarta but not only caused severe damage in Yogyakarta and Klaten, but also in adjoining districts including Sukoharjo. Above: Bob Cannon and Toto Purwanto talking to Pak Sarjito (left), a primary school supervisor in Weru Sub-District and Pak Bambang (second left), Head of the Community Empowerment Unit in Weru Sub-District during their visit to SD Tegalsari 3, which was hit by the earthquake. Below: An emergency school building at one of the schools which is to be merged In Sukoharjo two sub-districts suffered considerable damage as a result of the earthquake, these were Weru and Bulu sub-districts. In these sub-districts, as well as damaging local houses, the earthquake also damaged several schools, mainly primary schools. In Weru 17 out of 24 primary schools were severely damaged and in Bulu Sub-District five out of 34 primary schools were severely damaged. It will be very costly to repair the schools but in fact a not all of these schools were being fully used. Funds for repair are, of course, severely limited. So one solution has been to merge several schools into one school.