Go Go Go Green!!!

1. Do not leave appliances on standby
2. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
3. Move your fridge and freezer
4. Take a shower instead of a bath
5. Use less hot water
6. Buy organic foods as much as possible
7. Be sure you’re recycling at home
8. Recycle your organic waste
9. Reuse your shopping bag
10. Plant a tree
11. Eat less meat
12. Fly less
13. Buy locally grown and produced foods
14. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
15. Switch to green power

Fast food is any food that is quick, convenient, and usually inexpensive. You can buy fast food just about anywhere that sells food and snacks. fast food is inexpensive because it is usually made with cheaper ingredients such as high fat meat, refined grains, and added sugar and fats, instead of nutritious foods such as lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Junk foods are typically ready-to-eat convenience foods containing high levels of saturated fats, salt, or sugar, and little or no fruit, vegetables, or dietary fiber; junk foods thus have little or no health benefits. Common junk foods include salted snack foods (chips, crisps), candy, gum, most sweet desserts, fried fast food and carbonated beverages (sodas) as well as alcoholic beverages.

So, do you think they are same???


There is no such thing as a “bad” food. All foods can fit into a healthy meal plan. It's true that fast food is usually high in fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium, but eating fast food every once in a while is not going to cause you problems. If you eat too much fast food over a long period of time, though, it can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.


Is junk food bad?
Source:

http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/fast_food.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_food

Tepat 19 tahun 9 bulan 10 hari saya berada di muka bumi ini. Saya merasa sangat beruntung dengan apa yang telah saya dapatkan, orangtua yang sangat pengertian, keluarga yang harmonis, teman-teman yang baik, pacar yang setia, dan tentunya nama yang mengandung arti yang baik. Tidak seperti kebanyakan teman saya yang lain, yang tidak memahami betul apa makna nama yang mereka punya, saya telah mengetahui sejak kecil sejarah bagaimana nama saya dibuat, siapa yang membuatnya, dan apa arti nama saya itu.
Oke, saya mulai cerita ini dari siapa yang berperan besar dalam pemberian nama saya. Awalnya orang tua saya sempat bingung memikirkan nama yang cocok untuk saya, yaa wajarlah karena saya anak pertama mereka. Ayah saya sempat berpikir memberi saya nama Desi karena saya lahir pada bulan Desember. Tetapi, Ibu saya menolaknya karena menurutnya nama itu kurang bagus. Setelah berpikir cukup lama, datanglah kakek saya tercinta yang memberikan nama  yang ‘berbau’ bahasa Arab. Namun , paman saya, yang kebetulan hari itu ada bersama orangtua saya, menambahkan satu kata lagi di belakang nama yang telah diberikan kakek saya. Hasilnya…..sangat bagus. Nama saya menjadi lebih bermakna dan menurut saya makna itu adalah doa yang dipanjatkan orangtua,kakek,dan paman saya.



Nama saya berasal dari bahasa Arab apabila diterjemahkan kedalam bahasa Indonesia memiliki arti seribu amal kebaikan atau seribu angan-angan yang baik. Kenapa bisa memiliki dua arti? Karena dalam bahasa Arab pelafalan huruf sangat penting, apabila huruf yang dilafalkan salah akan membuat arti kata itu berubah. Nah…karena kebanyakan orang Indonesia males mengucapkan nama orang dengan baik dan benar akhirnya nama saya mengalami perubahan arti dari arti sebenarnya (duuhhh…apaan siii???? Mentang-mentang anak jurusan bahasa?????)
Arti sebenarnya adalah seribu amal kebaikan yang menurut saya lebih baik dibandingkan seribu angan-angan yang baik. Sesuai dengan arti nama saya itu saya berharap bisa menjadi orang yang selalu memberikan kebaikan pada orang-orang sekitar saya.

  Actually, I don’t have the most favorite teacher. Every one of them has a unique way (it could be a good or a bad way) to teach me. Actually I had some criteria to make them be my favorite teacher. First, he/she has to be friendly to me. Second, he/she has to know my name. I didn’t like a teacher who called the students by ‘kamu’. For example ‘hey kamu yang duduk di depan, bla bla bla….. Third, she/he gave a clear explanation in giving the material. Fourth, she/he has to praise me when I did a good job or when I got a good/best score in the class ^.^


When I was in elementary school, I didn’t have a teacher like that but I enjoyed the lesson and the class because I had a nice friends. When I was in junior high school I had that kind of teacher. She was my English teacher. A lot of my friends said that she was ‘killer’ but I didn’t think so. She was friendly and kind to me because I always got a high score in her lesson. I was happy for that but sometimes I thought it was not good if she did that too much. I was afraid my friends became jealous to me and I didn’t want it happen. So, I tried to have a gap to her by did some naughty things, one of it was didn’t notice her explanation during her lesson. But, it didn’t work. Then, I only could be grateful to my God to have that kind of teacher (hehe).
When I was in senior high school, I saw a favorite teacher in different way. My favorite teachers at that time were they who had a teenager spirit (it was had by young teacher). So, my favorite teacher at that time was my Bahasa Indonesia teacher because he was still young (26 years old). He was not too handsome but he could make a song because he was a personnel of a group band.

In this occasion I want to share you about my second week doing teaching and research experience. But, first I want to tell you a little about the school I was in because I forgot to do this in my first reflection paper. The school I meant was SMAN 54 Jakarta. It is located in East Jakarta, exactly at JL. Jatinegara IV, Rawa Bunga.At the first time I saw the school, I was amazed because it has a big enough building and it was very clean place. The principle of the school told me that the school is Sekolah Kategori Mandiri (SKM). It has cooperated with SMAN 68 Jakarta which is Rintisan Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional (RSBI). SMAN 54 got a lot of knowledge from SMAN 68 how to develop the school to be an RSBI. SMAN 54 has Sistem Kredit Semester (SKS) which is use Indeks Prestasi (IP) as the way the score given. The school uses moving class method.




In doing teaching experience and teacher assistant, I had to have a master teacher to guide along two weeks. Because I’d like to teach English, so my master teacher was an English teacher. She was Bu Anna Koes Endah or the students usually called her Mam Anna. Bu Anna have been teaching English for about 31 years. Bu Anna is a kind person, I think because she guided and helped my partner and I with pleasure. She introduced us with anything about being a teacher, for example about Perangkat Pembelajaran comprise Minggu Efektif, silabus, Renacana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran (RPP), Program Tahunan, Program Semester, etc.
In this week, I had no observation activities in the classroom. On Monday and Tuesday, I did lesson planning with my partner and of course with Bu Anna. Based on the plan, we would taught XG students. We asked her what topic in the text book that haven’t discussed in the class. Bu Anna suggested us to teach about Quantifiers. That topic was taught for 2 meetings, on Wednesday and Thursday, and each meeting had 2x45 minutes. At the first day we taught, we used deductive method by explaining them about quantifiers. Below are the activities my partner and I did on the first day:
•    Opening activities
We began the lesson with greeting and did ice braking by 3S (Senyum, Salam, Sapa) and Update Status like Pak Iwan usually did. We expected the students didn’t know about 3S, but they have knew before about it. Although, they’ve knew about it before, they were still exciting. We’re happy about it.
•    Main  activities
My partner began the lesson by asking them a question, she tried to use open question which is the one of process question ’ Have you heard about quantifiers?’, ‘What do you know about quantifiers?’. She tried to make the students answer her question no matter it’s wrong or right. Using slide show, then she continued by explaining quantifiers using direct method. Direct instruction make the students more active, not passive (Leindhardt,2001). I agree with it. As I observed when my partner taught almost of them answer a quiz that her gave. I continued explaining about quantifiers. Same with my partner I used direct method, I asked the students to give an example about something, called their names to answer my question, explaining every sentences in the slide show, etc. We decided to use direct instruction because quantifiers is a new thing for them. It’s like what Paik (2003) states that effective direct instruction should consist 6 activities one of them is presentation of new content and skill. Then we asked them to make a list as many as they can with noun phrase consist of quantifiers for example ‘many students’. After the class finished we corrected their answer and gave them a feedback. Based on Paik (2003) corrective feedback and instructional reinforcement is one aspect that make direct method effective.
•    Closing activities
One of activities that Paik (2003) states should consist to make an effective direct instruction is clear teaching, daily review, and homework checks, so I tried to do review about the lesson they have learned today by asking them some question about quantifiers. I also gave them homework, print out of the slide show and did evaluation by asking them what did they think about our teaching. Many of them said that it was fun but a few of them that it was flat.
In the second day we taught we tried to do something different by provided them a game. Below are the activities we did in the second day:
•    Opening activities
It was same with the first day. We did greeting, warming up (3S), review yesterday lesson about quantifiers.
•    Main activities
I started the lesson by asking them whether they have some homework or not. Then we discussed the homework one by one. I can say that our teaching a day before  was effective because when we discussed it together in the class, they answer every question well and could explain why they chose the answer. After that we did a game. We assigned them to make a group of 10 person so we have 4 groups. We tried to use collaborative instruction approach here. We assigned the students to make a list of sentences that consist of quantifiers noun phrases as many as possible. As I observed they seem exciting with the game, even though they didn’t know they would got a present if they won. We discussed the game and the winner was group 1. They was very happy when I gave them a pack of chocolate as the present. I can say that they have understood well because only a little they did mistakes.
•    Closing activities
We gave them an evaluation by asking them to answer the question wroten in the whiteboard in the a piece of paper. And for the reflection we asked them to draw an emoticon whether they were happy, so so, or boring during our teaching. We’re so happy when we corrected the evaluation task because almost of them got a good score.
In the last day I was in SMAN 54, Bu Anna taught my partner and I how to give score and how we know whether or not our teaching was success.  And I was so happy knowing that about 83% students got a good score by calculating a formula.

For this two weeks I went to SMAN 54 Jakarta to do teaching experience, but I don’t want to tell about the experience became teacher assistance and teaching experience in this occasion, I’ll share you about the technology exist in that school, the use of it in that school by the teacher, and what my suggestion is about it.
Based on the headmaster of the school explanation, almost all of the classrooms have LCD and projector to support teaching and learning process, but there is no laptop or computer in each classroom because they still can’t afford it. When I observed some classrooms one by one, I found that each classroom has two Air Conditioners (AC), almost all of the classrooms have an LCD and a projector (there are a few classrooms have no LCD and projector), there is no laptop or computer in each classroom, it means there is no speaker to support the use of LCD and projector, the speakers are available in each room only for announce information from announcement room. If the teacher wants to show the students a video using LCD and projector, the teachers should lend the speakers from computer laboratory to make the video audible. The teachers also have to bring their own laptop. There is no language laboratory in that school only computer laboratory is existing. In computer laboratory there are about 40 computers. When I came in the teacher room, I saw there were 4 computers, a television and three Air Conditioners. There is no speaker in the teacher room. In second week I found interesting thing. In some spots I found cctv. I think those technology was new because when I was there in first week, there is no cctv at all at the school building.

As I observed, almost all of the teachers there didn’t use the LCD and the projector to support teaching and learning process, they only use textbook and the whiteboard. But the situation was different when I saw some teacher candidates from UNJ did teaching experience, they really utilized the LCD and the projector in the classroom. In teaching, they always use slide show to explain the lesson and some of them use video in teaching.

When my friend and I taught a class, we have planned to use slide show in giving explanation. We had difficulties because we had to lend the remote of the projector officially to the teacher (it became a problem because in my campus I don’t have to do it, the remote always available in the classroom), and bring our own cable plug. My friends faced difficulties too in using LCD in that school. Some of them had to use plan B which was a conventional way in teaching because the LCD didn’t work. Some of them could handle it by asked first with the school staff about the problem.
I have a suggestion for the situation happened in that school. I think it will be better if the teacher engage more the technology to make the learning and teaching process more interesting so the students won’t feel bored.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2064681.htm

My friend ( Umi Faridha) told me about 'Lubang Biopori' and I am interested and now I want to share you little about it.

'Lubang Biopori' ( I don't know the English) is a hole has diameter about 10-30 cm and the deepness about 30-100cm that covered by organic waste that used to collect over loaded water if raining especially, so the water can be source of water supply for the soil and the plants surround it and help weathering the organic waste that can be used for compost (organisasi.org).

'Lubang biopori' inspired by the hole in soil that made by earthworm or other ground animals and plant roots. This hole can be a solution to make a free flood area ( good idea to apply in Jakarta!! ).
How to make 'lubang biopori'?
1. Make a hole diameter 10-30 cm and depth 30-100cm
2. Space out 0,5-1 meter between hole
3. Fill the hole with organic waste, like garden waste and kitchen waste
That's all. It is easy isn't it??

The suitable place to make 'lubang biopori' are:
1. The house sewers, the office sewers, and the school sewers
2. The ground around the tree

The other advantages of 'lubang biopori' beside prevent the flood are?
1. Make the natural compos from organic waste
2. Prevent the ground erosion
3. Maximize the absorbing of water to the soil so it increase soil water
4. Decreasing the puddle
5. Maximize the function and work of ground flora and fauna.

Actually, in some areas in Jakarta, since 2008, have made 'lubang biopori' but why Jakarta still get flood when rainy season? Because it's still very little 'lubang biopori' in Jakarta. The development of 'fly over' and 'skyscraper' is higher than the development of infiltration field. So, I think the government has to focus in the project of 'lubang biopori' to make a better Jakarta. :)


References:
http://organisasi.org/pengertian-biopori-cara-membuat-lubang-resapan-biopori-air-lrb-pada-lingkungan-sekitar-kita
http://khazanahpikir.blogspot.com/2008/04/hari-bumi-yuk-membuat-lubang-biopori.html
http://hienviro.blogspot.com/2010/01/creating-free-floods-environment-by.html

I believe that all of you know how important water is for our life. Water is vital thing, you can't live without it. How much water do you use everyday? 10 liter? Or 20 liter? Or 50 liter? Or may be more than 50 liter water you use everyday for support all your activities. From early morning you take a bath until late night you go to the bed, you need water, a lot of water actually.

From now on you have to consider about how much water you use everyday. Use the water wisely because now we face the water crisis.
The problem of water that we face is not about the lack of amount of water but the access of the clean and save water. Ironically, the water that we use nowadays is polluted.
Here some facts about the water crisis in the world (from water.org):
1. 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people.
2. 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.
3. The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
4. Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
5. An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.
6. Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.
7. In just one day, more than 200 million hours of women’s time is consumed for the most basic of human needs — collecting water for domestic use.
8. Over 50 percent of all water projects fail and less than five percent of projects are visited, and far less than one percent have any longer-term monitoring.
9. Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.
After you know those facts you have to think wisely to use water. You do not want the things in the 2070 movie become reality right??

These are some ways to use water wisely:
1. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
2. Some refrigerators, air conditioners and ice-makers are cooled with wasted flows of water. Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings.
3. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
4. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk and save water every time.
5. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.
6. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
7. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
8. Water your plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance.
9. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.
There are a lot of things to do to save the water. Do it now or never!

References:
http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water
http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php