Wednesday, July 21, 2010

All Mixed Up!

Air is a mixture of gases. About one-fifth of air is oxygen. The remaining four-fifths are mostly made up of nitrogen and a small amount of carbon dioxide, water vapour, and some other gases.

Oxygen

Most living things need oxygen to stay alive. Living things take in oxygen in order to break down digested food to produce energy. This process is called respiration.

Living things on land take in oxygen from the air around them. In addition, oxygen dissolves in water. Animals and plants that live in water use this dissolved oxygen. Oxygen is also found in the soil. Animals living in the ground and roots of plants are able to use oxygen in the soil.

Oxygen is also needed for burning. When we light a candle, burn a piece of paper, or set fire to wood, oxygen is used up. A continuous supply of fresgh air rich in oxygen is needed to keep things burning.

Nitrogen

Although nitrogen makes up four-fifths of the air, this gas is not used by most living things. Only some bacteria living in the soil are able to use nitrogen from the air around them. Plants must have nitrogen to live, but they are not able to use nitrogen from the air. Bacteria that live in the roots of plants change nitrogen from the air that is in the soil, into a form plants can use.

Carbon dioxide, water vapour, and other gases

When living things respire or when things burn, oxygen is used up and carbon dioxide is produced. Carbon dioxide is important to plants. During the day, plants use carbon dioxide and water to make food in a process called photosynthesis. Oxygen is produced at the same time.

Apakah Anda Seorang Quantum Teacher?

Kemampuan Anda berkomunikasi, digabungkan dengan rancangan pengajaran yang efektif, akan memberikan pengalaman belajar yang dinamis bagi siswa. Tetapi, terlebih dahulu mari kita bahas apakah: Quantum Teacher itu dan apa yang dilakukannya. Apakah ciri-ciri seorang guru yang memperoleh hasil kuantum dengan siswa mereka? Sejenak bacalah daftar di bawah ini. Gunakanlah sebagai daftar pribadi.

Dalam skala 3 poin (1=rendah, 2=rata-rata, 3=tinggi) nilailah diri Anda untuk setiap ciri berikut ini:
a. Antusias: menampilkan semangat untuk hidup
b. Berwibawa: menggerakkan orang
c. Positif: melihat peluang dalam setiap saat
d. Supel: mudah menjalin hubungan dengan beragam siswa
e. Humoris: berhati lapang untuk menerima kesalahan
f.  Luwes: menemukan lebih dari satu cara untuk mencapai hasil
g. Menerima: mencari di balik tindakan dan penampilan luar untuk menemukan nilai-nilai inti
h. Fasih: berkomunikasi dengan jelas, ringkas, dan jujur
i.  Tulus: memiliki niat dan motivasi positif
j.  Spontan: dapat mengikuti irama dan tetap menjaga hasil
k. Menarik dan tertarik: mengaitkan setiap informasi dengan pengalaman hidup siswa dan perduli akan diri siswa
l.  Menganggap siswa "mampu": percaya akan dan mengorkestrasi kesuksesan siswa
m. Menetapkan dan memelihara harapan tinggi: membuat pedoman kualitas kerja yang memacu setiap siswa untuk berusaha sebaik mungkin.

Seorang Quantum Teacher mengorkestrasi pembelajaran sesuai dengan modalitas dan gaya para pelajarnya. Quantum Teacher mengajarkan keterampilan hidup di tengah-tengah keterampilan akademis, mencetak atribut mental/fisik/spiritual para siswanya. Quantum Teacher mendahulukan interaksi dalam lingkungan belajar, memperhatikan kualitas interaksi antarpelajar, antara pelajar dan guru, dan antara pelajar dengan kurikulum.

Ingatlah definisi kuantum: "Interaksi yang mengubah energi menjadi cahaya." Quantum Teacher menyingkapkan energi alamiah dalam diri setiap siswa dan mengorkestrasi interaksi yang mengubah energi tersebut menjadi cahaya bagi orang lain.

Apakah semua itu mengarah ke hal-hal ideal? Tidak realistis? Tidak juga. Banyak guru seperti Anda menampilkan sifat ini setiap hari. Pertanyaannya adalah, seberapa konsisten mereka menampilkan sifat ini? Memperoleh hasil luar biasa dari orang biasa memerlukan konsistensi dan kongruensi. Artinya, secara konsisten menyampaikan informasi dengan baik, dan membangun kongruensi antara keyakinan kita tentang kapasitas belajar siswa yang luar biasa dan cara kita membawakan kurikulum. Konsistensi dan kongruensi ini harus terjadi sepanjang hari, saat demi saat, agar dapat mengubah pengalaman sekolah sehari-hari menjadi peristiwa yang meningkatkan kehidupan.

Taken from: DePorter, B. dkk. 2005. Quantum Teaching: Mempraktikkan Quantum Learning di Ruang-ruang Kelas. Bandung: Kaifa.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Why? (Wonders of Science)

I know a curious little boy
Who is always asking, "Why?"
Why this, why that, why then, why now,
Why not, why by-and-by?

He wants to know why wood should float?
Why lead and marbels sink;
Why stars should shine and winds should blow
And why we eat and drink.

He wants to know what makes the clouds,
And why they cross the sky;
Why the sun sinks behind the hills,
And why the flowers die.

He wants to know whywind should come
From out the bellow's nose;
Why pop-gun should go pop and
Why the ocean ebbs and flows.

He wants to know why fish have gills,
And why boys cannot fly;
Why steam comes from a kettle's spout,
And rain falls from the sky.

He wants to know why coal should burn,
And not a bit of stone;
How seeds get in the apple-core,
And marrow in the bone.

He wants to know why ice should melt,
Why spiders eat the flies;
Why bees should sting and why the yeast
Should make the bread dough rise.

Some of this Whys are not too hard
To answer, if you try;
But others - no one ever yet
Has found the reason why.

_Anonymous_

A Bag of Laughs

1. What did one ear say to the other ear? Between you and me, we need a haircut

2. Why was the maths book sad? Because it had too many problems.. :)

3. What do you call a dinosaur that wrecks everything ing sight? A Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! (Rex)

4. Teacher: If you breathe in oxygen during the day, what do you breathe in at night? Pupil: Night-trogen! (Nitrogen)

5. I met a man who always wore a saucepan on his head. I asked him what he did it for. "I don't know why," he said. "It always make my head so sore. I am a foolishman. I should have left it off before and worn a frying pan"