I Believe in God as Islam Tells Me, What about You?

Let’s read a story before I share you my opinion about God’s presence! I found an interesting story. I think it is a common story. However, here is the story;

There was a scientist had a conversation with a religious man, say a kyai.

Scientist   :    I have been study abroad for a long time and I have questions still unanswered. I have three questions about God and those questions have never been able to be solved even by famous, smart scientists in this world. First, why do people believe in God but actually the case is God has never been formed? Second, what is destiny? Does it exist? Third, if evils made from fire, why God will put them into the hell also made from fire? It must be not hurting evils because both of them made from same materials. Have your God never thought that?

Suddenly that kyai slap him right on his cheek three times.

Scientist   :    What did you do? Why did you slap me?

Kyai         :    Those three slaps answer your three questions.

Scientist   :    I really do not understand.

Kyai         :    How was my slap? What do you feel?

Scientist   :    It hurts, I feel pain.

Kyai         :    So you believe in pain, don’t you?

Scientist   :    Of course!

Kyai         :    Show me the form of the pain you believe!

Scientis    :    I can’t.

Kyai         :    That is the answer for your first questions. We feel the form of God without be able to see His form.

                     Did you have a vision that I will slap you? Have you ever thought of it?

Scientist   :    No.

Kyai         :    That is called with destiny.

                     What do my hand made from? What do your cheek made from? Do both of them made from same materials?

Scientist   :    Yes, of course. They are made from flesh with skin covers them.

Kyai         :    How was my slap?

Scientist   :    It hurts.

Kyai         :    See? My hand with the same materials can hurt your cheek. If God want to, hell can be the most hurting place even for evils.

Finally the scientist said nothing in silence.

From the story above, I can get the lesson that God exists though he never appears. I just believe like any religious one believe in Him. I feel His presence both in my head and heart. I feel the peace when I do the task He ask like sholat five times a day, do fasting, and read Al-Quran. In the other hand, I feel the fear when I do not do that task. I feel something is missing when I forget Him. Maybe Islam has already controlled me, my head, and my heart. However, it is fine if it controlled me to the good way, to be better myself.

For the first time, I believe in my God because I want to, but as long as I learn it, I believe in God because I have to. I believe my God just the way I believe. Though my parent never teaches me about my religion, Islam, I learned a lot from others such as my Islam teacher in school or someone who taught me how to read Al-Quran when I was child. I wonder what I believe if I school in Christian school. Do I still Islam or convert into Christian like my mother? All I can say is I do not know.

Islam tells me that Islam is the only religion that God bless, everyone who possesses other religions are not going to feel heaven. However, I do not want to blame the others who do not have. I think other religions say it so to its members. I want to respect them who have other religions as long as they can be good at me and do not disturb me.

At the end of this reflective paper, I conclude that having a religion is a right for human mankind. We cannot force everyone to believe what we believe. Just do what we believe! However, God is here, in my head and my heart, directs me on the right path, to the better myself. I believe it.

Reference:

http://www.mindtalk.com/ch/StoryOfHendhi#!/post/4ed76734f7b730138a003f80

Fusioning Social Network and Learning Activity

Let’s talk something that we, digital natives, cannot through even a day without it, social network. Now social network is more popular than Lady Gaga or Cherrybelle, in fact, social network helps them to become popular. Almost everyone in this world has an account in social networking (I bet you have), especially teenagers, a lot of them like to spend their time to access social networking. Then what is the relation between social network and activities in the classroom?

Social network attracts the students, it will be interesting way for students to learn in the classroom. Learning becomes fun because students are close with social network. However, how we can integrate social networking in the class. One more time, in this situation have to think creatively.

I am going to talk about an example of social network, Facebook. We can make one special account for our class. In that account, we can make forum to talk about some lesson outside the class, students can give their opinion or comment. I this account maybe we can share something that will support our leaning in the class, like educational link, video, or anything. This account can also use to spread information about the class.

For real example, if there is group drama presentation, the teacher can record it. Then teacher put all video on the Facebook. And each group has to assess the other group performance by watching the video on Facebook. Make the report in Ms Word and sent it to email. That is the simple way to empowering Facebook to support classroom.

Actually, we can develop the social networking better, all we need is just creativity. So don't forget to be a creative teacher!

Go Get Practicing Your English Through Games!

I found a web for English Game practice. I tried some of those, it was really nice. This is the web: http://www.mrshurleysesl.com/englishpractice.html

In this web,  the game were classified by grade, difficulty, and type of lesson. There are so many game, for English activities, include reading skill, writing skill, listening skill, but I am not sure about speaking. I have explored most of them but, i did not find any game for speaking, Maybe you can explore by yourself. and tell me if you find something great. This game can be eliciting in the class, we can use it for the opening the class, before we start the lesson. All game in this web also related with English lesson, for example, there are games for type of text, tenses, ect. I think that it is really useful. The good news is, there are games for math, so you can share it to your friends, math teacher candidates. I will explain some games for writing and reading.

I have tried Wacky Web Tales. This is a game for reading, lesson about narrative text. In this game, firstly, you are asked to fill in the blank for some words, 16 words that consists of many kind of word, it will ask, adjective,adjective, pet name, animal (singular), body part(plural), plural noun, foreign language, body part (singular), color etc. After you fill all of it, click the link below. Then surprisingly, there is a narrative text that made based on the word that you fill in the blank before. Ask students to read it carefully, because we can analyze from that text, structure, language feature, etc. Check this out: Wacky Web Tales

The other game I have tried is Digital Dialects. It is purely listening skill practice, actually there is no something special. I think this game is appropriate with elementary students, because this game also to practice our vocabulary. There are many kind of type, like animal, food, number, color, verb infinitive etc. And the best thing is there are many of picture in there. When we click that, the sound appeared. That's why i recommend this game for elementary students, it will interest them. This is the link: Digital Dialects