JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach - 21
February 2022 - Hendra Budiono, S.Pd., M.Pd, a lecturer at the Elementary
School Teacher Study Programme
(PGSD) at the University
of Jambi (Universitas Jambi), and Facilitator of the Tanoto Foundation's PINTAR Programme for the Early Grades
has called for the utilisation of the Digital Big Book in Indonesia to improve early grade students' reading ability. Tanoto Foundation is an independent
philanthropic organisation founded
by Mr. and Mrs. Sukanto Tanoto.
Hendra
Budiono explains that reinforcing reading
together as a teaching method to enhance the students' reading proficiency has
been quite a challenge for early grade teachers during the pandemic. Teachers and students are not possible to read a big book
together in class as they usually do.
A solution for this
problem that will enable the teachers to teach reading to early grade students
in the current pandemic situation is the use of the digital big book. Digital Big Book, apart from presenting captivating pictures, also deliver
stories through the teacher's voice, replacing face-to-face communication. Of
course, this will motivate the students to listen to the story as it will treat
their longing for classroom interactions with their teachers.
A training programme is held for early grade elementary school teachers (group
learning) to achieve this goal. The prerequisite to joining this programme is that the participants must be able to operate the
Powerpoint (PPT) application.
The training includes
activities as follows:
1.
Analysing basic competence
The first step in creating a digital
big book is analysing the basic competence embodied in the big book. The
purpose of this analysis is to make sure that the story's content is in
accordance with the demands of competence set in the national curriculum so
that learning objectives can be achieved.
2.
Select an Interesting
theme for the story
After deciding the basic competence
included in the big book, the next step is to select an exciting theme for the
story. In doing so, participants should also consider the grade level being
taught.
3.
Writing story outline
After selecting a solid topic, the
participants will be asked to write a story outline and prepare a drawing plan
for each big book page. At this stage, participants can write and draw the
concepts on paper before applying them in the PowerPoint application.
4.
Using computer/laptop as
a medium for writing a big digital book.
At this stage, participants are
required to use a personal computer or laptop connected to the internet.
Participants can do simple research online before writing the big book,
searching relevant images that enrich the story. They can also search images
online during the big bookmaking process. The next step is using PowerPoint
(PPT) as a design template to insert images and story text.
5.
Writing the text and
inserting images using PowerPoint (PPT)
Participants can start inserting the
downloaded images and then save them and paste them into the template design
that we have prepared. The next step is to write the story's text at the bottom
or side of each image. Do these steps until the digital Big Book is completed according to the outline.
6.
Adding audio into PPT
The participant's/teacher's voice is
added into PPT according to the text of the story made. Before recording the
voice, make sure that the condition is silent enough so that the voice can be
heard clearly.
In the PPT application, select
insert, Audio, Record audio. Then start recording by clicking the red button.
When it is done, click OK. Do these steps for all slides that have been made.
You can check and listen to the recording first by clicking the dialogue box.
7.
Exporting PPT
presentation slides to Video
The next step is to export the
presentation slides to video format. Click file, select export, select create a
video, select computer and HD player, and select don't use recorded timings and
narration. Lastly, select create a video by naming the file and choosing
storage location. Wait until the video export process is complete.
8.
Uploading the video to a
YouTube account
To make it easier for students to
access the videos and start learning from them, it is advisable to upload the
videos to the YouTube page. The YouTube links can be shared with students
through their respective WhatsApp Group so that they can access the videos
anytime and anywhere.
The digital Big Book is convenient to use. For example, to improve vocabulary
mastery, teachers can mention the words on the digital big book repeatedly or ask the students to mention the words
written on the digital big book. And to make it more casual, it should be done as if the
teacher is talking to the students directly in the classroom.
In the voice recording
process, teachers must be able to express themselves in accordance with the
storyline of the digital big book, pay attention to punctuation and deliver clear intonation
so that students can listen to the stories and follow the instructions.
In order to improve the
reading skills, teachers can ask their students to retell the story in the big
book with the same punctuation, intonation and expression. Teachers can ask their
students to make a video while reading the book and send it to the WhatsApp
Groups for evaluation.
To help the students
understand the book's contents, at the end of the story, the teacher can give
some questions. And, of course, they can only be answered after the students
completely read the digital Big Book story from start to end.
Making the
powerpoint-based digital big book is quite interesting as it is proven to be a
solution made by teachers in overcoming students' low interest and motivation
in reading. The digital Big Book makes it easier for students to learn reading. And, of course,
it is more fun because they can also feel the presence of their teacher through
the narrator's voice.
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