Developing Students? Writing Skill on Recount Text by Using Photograph and Group Grid Technique

Kemampuan menulis adalah kemampuan yang sangat sulit bagi para murid Sekolah Menengah Pertama. Mereka kesulitan untuk menuliskan ide-ide mereka karena mereka merasa tidak percaya diri dalam menulis kalimat berbahasa Inggris. Olehkarena itu, peneliti menggunakan teknik group grid dan media foto untuk merangsang para murid mendapatkan ide-ide mereka dalam menulis bahasa Inggris.Penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menulis para murid dalam menulis teks recount dengan teknik group grid dan media foto. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian tindakan kelas. Peneliti menggunakan dua siklus. Setiapsiklus terdiri dari empat tahap yaitu perencanaan (planning), tindakan (acting), observasi (observing), dan refleksi (reflecting). Metode yang digunakan dalam pengumpulan data adalah tes, observasi, wawancara, dan kuesioner. Penelitian inimenggunakan teknik group grid dengan menggunakan media foto untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menulis para murid dalam menulis teks recount serta untuk mengetahui pencapaian dan respon para murid selama proses pembelajaran.Temuan dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada peningkatan dalam penguasaan murid dalam menulis teks recount. Hal itu dapat dilihat dari nilai rata-rata murid dalam pre-test yaitu 40.56. Kemudian, nilai rata-rata di posttest 1 adalah 72.93, dan nilai rata-rata post-test 2 adalah 78.12. Persentase kelas untuk murid yang nilainya diatas KKM dari post-test 1 adalah 53% dan post-test 2 adalah 84%. Respon para murid dalam implementasi teknik group grid dan media foto sangat bagus. Hal tersebut juga dapat dilihat dari hasilkuesioner dengan persentase nilai total tertinggi 96% dan nilai terendah 70%. Ratarata persentase yang didapat adalah 84%Berdasarkan perhitungan dari hasil data, bisa disimpulkan bahwa implementasi teknik group grid dan media foto dapatmeningkatkan kemampuan para murid dalam menulis teks recount

Reflective writing: a management skill

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze students' reflective writing in terms of identifiable outcomes and explore students' thoughts on reflection and reflective writing as a process. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach is taken with a qualitative analysis of 116 written reflections from MA Librarianship studying management over an eight-month period. A quantitative statistical analysis assesses the relationships between reflective writing and a number of possible outcomes identified from the literature. Findings – A significant relationship is found between seven of eight outcomes tested; academic learning, the need for self-development, actual self-development, critical review, awareness of ones' own mental functions, decision making and empowerment and emancipation. There is some evidence of a relationship between non-academic learning and reflective writing, but it is not significant. A number of themes emerged from the reflective writings regarding reflection itself, with students seeing reflection as a positive activity, with benefits for the individual, groups and in the workplace, and identifying reflection as a skill that can be practiced and developed. Practical implications – Reflection and reflective writing as a management skill has potential benefits for personal and professional development and improving work-based practice. Originality/value – This paper differs from the previous literature in presenting statistical evidence to confirm the relationships between reflective writing and a range of potential outcomes

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL USING A FOUR-PHASE TECHNIQUE

This article describes a classroom action research held in writing class using a four-phase technique to improve the eleventh grade students’ writing skill and improve classroom situation. The method used in the research is classroom action research was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle included four stages: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. The research data were collected by using observation, interview, document, photograph and test (pre-test and post-test). The data were analyzed through descriptive analysis which consists of assembling the data, coding the data, comparing the data, building interpretation, and reporting the outcomes for the qualitative data and descriptive statistics for the quantitative data. The research findings show that a four-phase technique is able to improve students’ wriitng skill and classroom situation. It shows that there was an improvement of the students’ writing skill before and after the research. Key words: classroom action research, writing skill, a four-phase techniqu

USING DIARIES TO IMPROVE ENGLISH WRITING SKILL FOR THE THIRD YEAR STUDENTS OF SMPN 1 LAMONGAN

English is an International language that has important role in the world of knowledge and it is used for communication. In Indonesia, English belongs to a foreign language and it is taught from elementary school to university. In language teaching process, writing is a subject which gets least attention from the teacher and the learner. Whereas, writing, especially in English, is an important subject to master. To solve that problem, one of the efforts which can be done is through writing diaries. This study investigated can diaries be used to improve the students’ writing skill for the third year students of SMPN 1 Lamongan and how effective can the diaries improve the students’ writing skill for the third year students of SMPN 1 Lamongan. The purpose of this study was to find the answer whether the use of diaries can improve the students’ skill or not and to describe how effective the diaries can improve the students’ writing skills for the third year students of SMPN 1 Lamongan. In conducting the study, the writer employed a quasi-experimental design. The subject of this study was one class which consists of 44 students. The instruments used to collect the data were pretest and posttest, then the scores were calculated by using t-test formula. The result of this study showed that there was a significant different between the scores of pretest and posttest. Besides, the result of the calculation of t-test showed that the pretest and posttest already make a significant progress. It means that the end of the study the both tests were significantly different. So, it can be concluded that the diaries can be used to improve the students’ skills in writing and effective to be used to improve the students’ skills in writing

A Writing Revolution: Using Legal Writing\u27s \u27Hobble\u27 to Solve Legal Education\u27s Problem

The attached article responds to a 2011 article by John Lynch, published in the Journal of Legal Education, that urged legal writing faculty to return to an outmoded and ineffective writing pedagogy, the “product approach,” on the grounds that it would make teaching legal writing easier. This article builds on the work of Carol McCrehan Parker and others interested in writing across the curriculum and argues that the only way to reduce legal writing’s “hobble” and to solve legal education’s problem is to create a six-semester writing requirement. The reason law students are graduating without adequate preparation for practice is that law schools have failed to commit to teaching writing. Most law students graduate having been required to take only an introductory course that teaches practice-related writing skills and an upper-class seminar with a scholarly writing requirement. Law schools can no longer afford to rely on a small percentage of faculty or externships to teach the most important skill law students have to offer on graduation. Because matriculating students have less writing skill and experience than they did even a decade ago, the need for a six-semester writing requirement is that much greater. This article then discusses a proposed writing curriculum that would not unduly burden law schools or their faculty and concludes with additional, specific recommendations for incorporating writing across the curriculum—in doctrinal and writing courses—to improve students’ metacognitive skills and their ability to transfer those skills to practice

A CORRELATIONAL STUDY BETWEEN WRITING INTEREST, VOCABULARY MASTERY, AND WRITING SKILL OF THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMA NEGERI 1 KARANGANYAR IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2012/2013

The objectives of this research are to find out the correlation between (1) Writing Interest and Writing Skill; (2) Vocabulary Mastery and Writing Skill; (3) Writing Interest, Vocabulary Mastery, and Writing Skill. The study was carried out in May 2013 at SMA Negeri 1 Karanganyar. The method used in this research was a correlational study. The population in this study was all the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Karanganyar which consist of nine classes. The total number of the students was 378 students. The sample was 34 students taken by cluster random sampling technique. The instruments in collecting the data were questionnaire and tests. The questionnaire was used to collect the data of writing interest; while the objective test was used to collect the data of vocabulary mastery; and the essay test was used to collect the data of writing skill. The techniques which were used to analyze the data were Pearson Product Moment and Multiple Correlations. The result of this study shows that (1) there is a positive correlation between writing interest and writing skill (rx1y = 0.680 >rt = 0.339); (2) there is a positive correlation between vocabulary mastery and writing skill (rx2y = 0.846 >rt = 0.339); (3) there is a positive correlation between writing interest, vocabulary mastery simultaneously and writing skill (Ry12 is 0.889 and Fo = 58.692 > Ft = 3.32). Based on the result of the study, it is known that the first hypothesis saying that there is a positive correlation between writing interest and writing skill is accepted. The second hypothesis saying that there is a positive correlation between vocabulary mastery and writing skill is also accepted. Meanwhile, the third hypothesis saying that there is a positive correlation between writing interest, vocabulary mastery simultaneously and writing skill of the tenth grade students of SMA Negeri 1 Karanganyar in the academic year of 2012/2013 is also accepted. The result of the research shows that writing interest and vocabulary mastery are important variables for writing skill. Both writing interest and vocabulary mastery have positive contribution in writing skill. Therefore, writing interest and vocabulary mastery should be considered in increasing writing skill, although the factors are not only come from those variables. Keywords: Correlation, Writing Interest, Vocabulary Mastery, Writing Skil

Writing Groups: An Analysis of Participants’ Expectations and Activities

Writing groups are a valuable way for writers to improve their writing, receive feedback, gain accountability, and increase their motivation. However, groups are only beneficial if participants decide to join one, stay in it, and are satisfied with the outcome. Much of what guides these decisions is based on what participants initially expect from a group. Little is known about what potential writing group members believe they will do in a group. The current study offers data about writing group expectations and satisfaction rates gathered from surveys and interviews with writing group participants. Findings suggest that expected writing group activities fell into four separate categories: skill-based, draft-based, timebased, and emotion-based activities. Recommendations for writing groups are offered based on these trends.University Writing Cente

What is the impact of blogging used with self-monitoring strategies for adolescents who struggle with writing?

Plan B Paper. 2012. Master of Science in Education- Reading--University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Teacher Education Department. 28 leaves. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 25-26).Writing is an onerous task for those who struggle with the skill. The basic prerequisites of organizing thoughts, transcribing thoughts into words, and writing down those words is fundamental to the more advanced skills of developing a sense of audience, writing with voice and applying conventions. Without proficient skills, students who cannot write, do not write. Positive attitude toward the process of writing suffers. Time spent on actual writing is limited. As a consequence, writing skill does not develop. Students who struggle with writing can be supported in their skill development through self-monitoring strategies. Self-monitoring strategies for writing give students a systematic process to know how to approach a writing task. The clear step-by-step process breaks down difficult skills and allows students to build proficiency through guided practice and eventually, independence. This action research project explored the impact of using self-monitoring strategies with the 21st century skill of blogging within a Writer's Workshop instructional model. Sixteen students (eleven males, five females) in grades 6-8th participated in a twelve week study. Target writing skills of fluency, stamina, motivation, awareness of audience and participation in peer review were measured for changes over the course of the study. Students were instructed in the use of self-monitoring strategies focusing on increasing word counts in correct word sequence timings, on-command prompt passages, and formal writing process pieces. Blogging was introduced and used to apply target skills to a digital writing setting. Each student learned self monitoring strategies to compose posts in personal blogs and to read and comment on other students' blogs. Pre-and post-writing attitude survey, correct word sequence timings and writing samples were taken throughout the study to assess each students' skill level and attitude toward writing. The group showed average gains of 34% in correct word sequence and 66% in word counts of process writing pieces. Qualitative data and quantitative data demonstrate that writing skills and attitudes toward writing also showed positive development when self-monitoring strategies were used to support the writing tasks of blogging in a Writer's Workshop model