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An Old School with Up-to-Date Teaching
SDN Ambalresmi 1 may be the oldest MBE target school because it was opened on 1 May 1869 and you can still see the student register from that year. Even though its building is ancient - its timber is still from the year 1869 - the learning is was very much up-to-date.
Ibu Handayani, a grade 6 teacher, organizes many active learning activities. In one such activity, her students made a study visit to a watermelon farm to view it and listen to the farmer's explanations about watermelon cultivation. The students then wrote books about what they had learned. The books, one of which is pictured on the right, are lengthy and have technical explanations, appropriate to the ability and understanding of grade 6 students.
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Comment: The task of obtaining information about watermelons from the farmer was very interesting for the students, and what the teacher asked of them matched the abilities of grade 6 students. The students enjoyed making their reports because they were given the freedom to make a book themselves.
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Primary School Students Speak English
Besides teaching the core subjects, Ibu Handayani also teaches English. When Mr. Stuart Weston, the MBE Program Chief of Party, visited Ambal he was given some student's writing in English. One piece of writing is shown on the below
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Comment: During their study of English the students learn to use English as a means of communications. They use English to convey their opinions. Often the abilities of students is limited to a number of basic sentences like, ‘My name is ...' and they are rarely capable of the sort communication seen in the photo on the right. (b)
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1.The first student register of SD Ambalresmi 1, student records from 1869.
2.The students learning about watermelon cultivation directly from the farmer.
3.Ibu Handayani, grade 6 teacher (second from left), listening to the information from the farmer.
4.The work of Rahyu, a grade 6 student. She wrote 6 pages about her visit. to the watermelon farm.
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a.: Siti Nur Jannah's writing in English
b.: Grade 6 students communicating in English with Stuart Weston
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