Improving the Students’ Interest in Teaching Reading Skill by Using Power Point

Improving the Students’ Interest in Teaching Reading Skill by Using Power Point
Lecture: H. Cunong Suraja
Writing for Academic Purposes
Name : Fanny Handayani
NPM : 07211210259
Class : 6-C
ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM
FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION
BOGOR IBN KHALDUN UNIVERSITY
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Introduction
English is the foreign language given in formal school in Indonesia. The aim of teaching English at school is to introduce and to get language skill. English is used as tool to understand the contents of scientific books, as well as a means of communication in international community.
There are many aspects of English that must be learned by the students such as writing, reading, speaking, and listening. Reading is one of easiest skill from other skills, but in the fact, many learners English still face problem in reading. The problems which always appear is mastering words getting the main idea, to glance at something, to scan something, to skim something, to flick something through something, etc. Those problems can be minimized by using the accordance technique or method and teaching media as bridge to make easier for the learner in learning English. There is a technique to improve the students’ interest in teaching reading skill, such as using a computer, especially PowerPoint. PowerPoint is one of computer’ programs. PowerPoint is used to help the teacher and the students in teaching learning process. The use of PowerPoint can be one of alternatives to lead the teaching in classes. It is also makes the students feel more fun in learning English, so that the atmosphere of the class is more conducive. This way can be used to reach the goal of learning language reading skill.
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Theoretical Foundation
Indonesian as other countries needs to have contract with the countries which have various culture and language background. In other to achieve such purpose, we are demanded to learn international language. That is English. Besides English is needed in many fields such as; science, technology, politics, education, culture, and commerce. In Indonesian, English is the first foreign language that considered very important for science development of technology and culture. Therefore, English becomes one of the compulsory subjects that function as to develop student’ skill. They can grow into educated, intelligent, and having personality and also they can use English as their aid in study.
The growing of English as international languages makes many language teachers concerned to help their students develop their ability to use the foreign language. Teacher has a role to develop it. It is important for the teacher to have as wide range of sources as possible in the classroom so that the students can have stimulus for this development. One of the sources is PowerPoint. After all verbal language is only a part of the way we usually get meaning from contexts. Things we see play on enormous part in affecting us and in giving us information, deduce and infer, not only from what we wear and read but from we see around us and from what we remember having seen. The teaching material or media should be appropriate with using of teaching language. Through this paper, the writer used PowerPoint as teaching media in order to improve students’ interest in reading skill. PowerPoint has a major role play in the development of students’ skill in reading.
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Definition of Reading
By definition, reading is complex activity depends upon the thinking and language skills of the reader. Reading actually is thinking the meaning of the words we looking at, in practical term. In a second language, reading is usually taught to the students who are already literate in the source language. Reading English is very important for students since they learn not only how to pronounce English words correctly but also to increase their vocabulary. Through process of reading students can identify, interpret, and evaluate ideas.
Reading is an activity which is aimed to understand a text or what the author’s meaning is. Through understand a text means that a reader has gotten the point or main idea of text, so that a reader can retell the context of a text.
Definition of Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint is an application program of presentation that is found in Microsoft Office. The biggest benefit of this program is that the teacher does not need to buy new software because it has been included in Microsoft Office program. Other advantages of this program are many icons used very simple because the icons are similar with those in the Microsoft Word, so the users can create an instruction of language without studying this program previously. PowerPoint is also fun to be applied and fun to watch. PowerPoint is not hard to learn, it takes about one hour to learn. PowerPoint allows users to reflect on a lesson and correct any changes. Finally, we can create the perfect lessons and are being able to print them out.
Besides of the advantage, PowerPoint also has limitedness, because using this program in the classrooms needs large monitors or projectors to display presentations. But with simple VGA Card, it can be easily accomplished. With its debility. This program really offers the teacher to create language instructional program easily and more interesting.
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FINDING DATA
Improving Students’ Interest in Reading Skill
To improve students’ interest in reading skill, the teacher should make the lesson more interesting and efficient to decrease the students’ difficulties. Therefore, the teacher needs a suitable method. The suitable method has an important role in determining the success of teaching learning process. According to Sanjaya
“Metode adalah cara yang digunakan untuk mengimplementasikan kegiatan belajar mengajar agar tujuan dapat dicapai secara optimal.” (2007:147)
It means that the method can be used for gaining success in learning.
According Sanjaya’s statement above that to gain success in learning there were many kinds of method for teaching, among other are:
1. Explanation Method
This method means as a way of teaching which is orally or through direct explanation to the students. This method is very simple because the teacher can convey content of lesson, and the lesson can be emphasized by the teacher based on the purpose of study that will be gained.
2. Modeling
Modeling is a way to convey of learning by using tools or aids. This method requires the students to involve in the process of learning related to the topic. Using this method, the teacher will help the students to be interested in the topic because they are not only listening the explanation of the teacher but also they can watch the function of the tools or aids directly.
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Besides a method, the teachers are able to choose an appropriate strategy when they are teaching their students. In this case Robbins said that,
“Effective strategies instruction is not extra activity or even a separate part of the regular language class; it is used to support content learning and to accomplish the goals of the curriculum” (2007:42).
Therefore, to make effective strategies instructions, Robbin explained:
“The teacher pours a foundation for preparing students to learn. This can be accomplished by including the planning and learning sequences.” (2007:47).
According this statement, the steps of the planning and learning sequences can be described as follows:
- Preparation
As the class begins, give the students a broad outline and activities so they know what to expect. Help the students focus on the subject by electing their knowledge of the topic.
- Preparation
Move from preparation into presentation of teaching compounding sentence, presentation is designed to make the students comfortable in producing specific items recently introduced.
- Practice
In this part of lesson, the focus shifts from the teacher as the presenter to the students’ ass the completers of a designated task. The teachers observed the students’ act as a resource when students have questions that they cannot be resolved by themselves.
- Evaluation
There were kinds of reasons why the evaluation is done. Evaluation is useful for reinforcing the material that was presented in the lesson. It provides an opportunity for the students to raise questions of usage; it enables the teacher to monitor the students’ comprehension of learning.
- Expansion
Expansion activities allow the students to apply the knowledge that they have gained in the classroom. Expansion activities include out of class
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observation assignment, in which the teacher asks the students to find examples of something or to use a lesson outside the class and then report back.
Microsoft PowerPoint as Teaching Media
Media in teaching learning is one of the common things to achieve the goal of learning. Using media in teaching learning should be made more interesting moreover efficient to decrease the difficulties of the students and some difficulties can be minimized by selecting the tools or aids that is possible to bring in the classroom. Sanjaya said:
“ Media pembelajaran adalah semua alat yang dapat digunakan untuk mencapai tujuan pembelajaran, seperti radio, televisi, koran, majalah, dan sebagainya, semua alat tersebut jika digunakan untuk pendidikan maka merupakan media pendidikan”(2007:163).
In addition, aids are the resources and equipment available to us in the classroom, as well as the resources we can bring into the classroom. They include cassette recorder, CD players, video recorders and overhead projectors. We select and use aids by thinking carefully about the main items and the subsidiary aims of a lesson, and choosing the most appropriate ones.
In teaching learning activities, there are many available techniques to transfer the teaching points to the students, such as by using technology. Inspired by the rapid development of technology, indeed technology has been around in language teaching for decades, computer has now become an influential component of language learning. Harmer said that:
“The use technology in the classroom does not replace using tradition material such as a black or whiteboard or a course book, technology tools are used to complement and enhance regular classroom work”. (2007:10)
Based on the opinion above, technology can be used to enhance in teaching learning. There were many kinds of technology that can be used by teachers for delivering of a lesson to the students. Therefore PowerPoint is used as media for English learning process by the writer.
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Allan M. Jones in the use and abuse of PowerPoint in teaching and learning in the Life Sciences, http:/bio.its.ac.uk/journal/vol2/beej-2-3.pdf explained:
“The advantages of using PowerPoint are that it is not too hard to learn, PowerPoint allows users to reflect on a lesson and correct any changes, besides it can create the perfect lesson and the teachers are being able to print them out.”
In addition, PowerPoint is also as an application program of presentation that is found in Microsoft Office, so it is not difficult to find in software of the computer.
Improving students’ interest in reading skill by using PowerPoint will involve knowledge around PowerPoint itself. When preparing a lesson the writer used many kinds of elements in PowerPoint such as hyperlink, action button, textbook, and animation.
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Analyzing
There is a technique to improve students’ interest reading skill, such as using a computer. In this case, the writer wants to try using PowerPoint in teaching reading. PowerPoint is used to help the teacher and the students in teaching learning process. The aims of this paper are to improve students’ interest in reading skill by using PowerPoint. The writer provides advantages and disadvantages of using PowerPoint in the teaching learning and the difference in achievement between the students who were taught by using PowerPoint and who were taught without PowerPoint.
Based on the explanation above, improving students’ interest reading skill should be made more interesting moreover efficient to decrease difficulties of the students. Some difficulties can be minimized by selecting the aids that is possible to bring in the classroom.
It means that using aids is one of the factors that can support students’ ability to overcome their difficulties.
The use of PowerPoint in class makes the students feel more fun in learning English, so that the atmosphere of the class is more conducive. This way can be used to reach the goal of learning language skills as reading, writing, speaking, and listening. But the writer emphasizes the main of this title is to focus in reading skill. The teaching material or media should be appropriate with using of teaching language. Through this paper, the writer used PowerPoint as teaching media in order to improve students’ interest in reading skill. PowerPoint has a major role play in the development of students’ skill in reading. The meanings we derive from words are affected by the context they are in; PowerPoint can represent or contribute much to the creation of context in the classroom. If the students can respond to a text non-verbally, PowerPoint has picture that provide
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an opportunity to non-verbal response. Pictures have a role to play in the teaching of meaning. A central role of the teacher is to help the students develop their skill and fell confidence in searching for meaning themselves.
Reading is a very complex activity that involves almost all psychological processes including sensation, perception, motor behavior, motivation, attention, emotion, cognition, and all kinds of memory. Since these psychological functions are far from perfectly understood, a true understanding of the reading process must wait the further development of psychological and linguistic knowledge. So, students’ interest should be created and coped by the teacher in teaching learning process, because in teaching involves relation of psychological between students and the material. If their interest has developed, they will emotion, sensation, attention and they will be ready to receive the materials. If this condition has been shaped, the students’ achievement will appear.
In other word that if the students’ interest in learning something has been shaped and existed in their soul, they will give their achievement as better as they can. Indeed, to avoid those problems of reading skill, PowerPoint will give a new paradigm for the students in learning reading. They will point out to the PowerPoint which is shown by teacher and their imagination open up after their look at the PowerPoint. It will give a solution for the students in overcome the difficulties or learning reading. The PowerPoint will stimulate students’ interest, moreover shown interesting pictures. If they interest have appear, they will be ready to receive the material, explore their idea and getting what the point is. So that their achievement and encouragement will be exist. This condition will create students achieve in their learning.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using PowerPoint
1. The advantages of using PowerPoint
There are several of advantages of using Microsoft PowerPoint for teaching learning process, among others is:
a. PowerPoint encourages and suppurations’ teaching learning process by facilitating the material presentation. The template provided is designed to
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default to good presentation criteria such as the number of lines of information in each slide and appropriate front sizes. The use of the default templates can improve the clarity and the arrangement of presentation. It helps the teacher avoid the common use of excessive text often found on OHV (Over Head Projector)
b. PowerPoint is able to perform a variety of manipulations, such as editing text before printing it out, and the teacher can add new slides for adding new materials.
c. PowerPoint is an application program of presentation that is found in Microsoft Office. It means that we did not need to buy new software, because it has been included in Microsoft Office program.
d. This program is also advantages in the sense that the icons used are very simple because they are similar with those in the Microsoft Word. In this way, the users can create an instruction of language without studying this program previously.
e. PowerPoint is also fun to be applied and fun to watch. It is not hard to learn in one hour. It allows the users to reflect on a lesson and correct any changes, and they create the perfect lessons and are being able to print them out.
f. Using PowerPoint improve the students’ learning motivation, increasing authentic materials for study, encouraging interaction between the teacher and the students
2. The disadvantages using PowerPoint
There are several risky factors associated with the using of PowerPoint, among others are:
a. Equipment failure
The component system sometimes does not work as expected. The main failure in projector is rate but possible. The solution here is to have alternative activities, for example good preparation.
b. File corruption
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This damage caused by magnetic or physical damage so that the presentation will not run. To overcome this problem, CD (compact disk) which is unaffected by magnetic field can be used.
c. Incompatible media
Incompatible media means the incompatible the system available. The best solution is to be aware of the systems to use our own laptop.
d. The most common abuses
The most common abuses in PowerPoint use for teaching and learning include visually poor or boring slide. Too many texts on the slide do not support good reading text, other abuses for example, inappropriate use of multimedia options, for example too much animation or over use of slide transitions. Further, many teacher do not have enough basic knowledge in applying PowerPoint in teaching learning. In addition, PowerPoint cannot handle unexpected situation because PowerPoint is unable to handle the students’ question immediately as the teachers do.
The Differences of Students’ Learning by Using PowerPoint and without PowerPoint
Since the teaching reading by using PowerPoint influences positively toward the result of the students’ achievement. Based on the data above, it means that PowerPoint is an effective method that can be used in teaching English. In teaching learning process especially to improve students’ interest, the teacher should be able to stimulate the students so that they can express their ideas. The teacher should make them to be communicative with the teacher. While the students’ learning without PowerPoint will be bored. There is no creativity from students and they left information in technology.
The teacher should apply technology as media of teaching learning especially using of PowerPoint, because the media is proven affective for students’ achievement in learning reading. The teacher have to be given training
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how to use PowerPoint. Although this media is very simply, in the fact, many teachers felt difficult to apply it.
Conclusion
After carrying research the materials, the writer concluded as follows:
The writer considers that teaching reading by using PowerPoint is one of teaching technique which is created to make students active in learning. Students’ interest will arrise and appear if the teacher stimulate them with a suitable way. If the students have interest toward something, they will encourage their achievement as better as they can. Using PowerPoint as media in teaching reading helped the students to decrease their problems in understanding the text.
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References
Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2003. Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional
Harmer, Jeremy. 2007. How to Teach English. Edinburgh: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
http://www.actden.com/pp/htm
Jones, M, Alan. 2003. The Use and Abuse of PowerPoint in Teaching and Learning in the Life Science. http//bio. Itsn. Ac. Uk/Journal/Vols/Beej-2-3.Pdf
Mastur, Muslich. 2007. Pembelajaran Berbasis Kompetensi dan Konstektual. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara
Oshima, Alice. 2006. Writing Academic English, fourth edition. New York: Pearson Education
Sanjaya, Wima. 2006. Strategi Pembelajaran Beroroentasi Standar Proses Pendidikan. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group
Spratt, Mary. 2005. Teaching Knowledge Test. Cambrige: Cambrige University Press
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