Wonderful Day

What a wonderful day, I got my monthly stipend from AusAid. Hi2... this just a joke. I'll give you another story later because I am in the middle of the computer class now.

A journey to Taman Anggrek Mall.....

I wake up late that morning. I have a date with Elis and Wulan (my pre-departure program classmate at IALF) to go to Taman Anggrek Mall. But unfortunately Wulan must look for a boarding house for her sister. I went to Sarinah Plaza by busway and met Elis there. That was the first time I use busway. It was a first good impression about Jakarta's transportation. Maybe this was a good decision made by "Bang Yos" to develop a mass transportation.
Finally, we met at Sarinah Plaza and continued our travel to Taman Anggrek Mall. Firstly we go to Ratu Plaza by taxi and then we use the "kopaja 66" bus to Komdak (it's a place near the Metropolitan Police Department). We change our first bus with other bus to go to Taman Anggrek Mall. It was an interesting place because it was a big Mall and I have never seen it before in Semarang. (hem, so poor I am)... Just walking around and we not found any laptop store there cause Elis need to buy a new laptop. We just share about anything and it made me comfortable to this city.
We went home at 3pm but I decided to go to Ratu Plaza and walk around to look for a card reader and buy my daily needs.
Hem it was a good journey for me. That was my first experience take a walk in Jakarta. It was my first experience to go by bus in Jakarta (or maybe in other city because I usually drive my own car).
At least I have a good impression about Jakarta in terms of friendship and transportation....

see you in my next journey....

Critical thinking

As a students, sometimes we must summarize a book, article or anything. After summarizing, we must write our opinion to that article or book and this opinion will be discussed later in the class.
To write a good opinion to an article or book isn't easy. We must try to understand the writing rationally, objectively and maybe subjectively according to the author's aim. We need a critical thinking ability in this term.
There are so many definitions of critical thinking. Complete definitions is :

"Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness"
(A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking Instruction, http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.shtml)

This definition sounds hard to understand, but actually by learn it day by day and implement it in every situation, we will train our critical thinking ability.

So, critical thinking is not only for understand an article, or a book? No, we can use it for any situation. Listening a headline news, watching TV, film, etc. The first thing we must do in critical thinking is focus to what we want to learn. Focus means give a full attention. After that, we can try to make some questions or arguments about what we learn. Questions or arguments not only for what we don't understand, but maybe if disagree or agree with the statement. Of course, we must do it in the rational and objective way when we try to analyze a case.

Sometimes we can try to think in the way of constructive skepticism. Constructive means that the aim what we want to do is give a positive effect to the author. Critic not always give a negative sides. So think rationally and objectively be a key in constructive skepticism.

(This writing based on my discussion in the IALF course)

== Beside critical thinking, there is critical literacy, I'll discuss it as soon as possible ==

Great Discussion About Plagiarism

Today's session is about Plagiarism. Our English lecturer, Michael, gives us a reading material about plagiarism fact in a University. This reading material shocked me because there are a lot of people that do plagiarism and now they become a professor. I shocked because a thesis supervisor whom he's a professor, do a fatal plagiarism when he did his thesis to get master degree.
I realize that culture on aware and avoid plagiarism still hard to follow in Indonesia. But why? Who's wrong if a lot of students in Indonesia just stealling idea or words from other people's works?
Maybe there's no education about plagiarism in formal school?

Plagiarism is about honesty and morality....
I learn much from this day's discussion.

Rainy day in Jakarta

It was two days ago since Jakarta cooled by the water from rain. Everyday always rain here, morning, noon, or afternoon. A lot of effects caused by this situation. Flood in same places, "kaki lima" food seller become more dirty, etc. It's not comfortable to take a walk in some lane specially arround my boarding house. The positive effect is the wether is cooler now compared with the average wether.

I really want to give you some picture of the condition, but unfortunatelly I don't have usb cable for my camera. Anyone have it?

Two biggest Linux groups merge to be Linux Foundation

www.chinaview.cn 2007-01-23 09:30:28

BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- The two biggest supporters of Linux software have merged to form the Linux Foundation.

A San Francisco non-profit, the Free Standards Group, have merged with Open Source Development Labs of Beaverton, Ore., the organizations said on Tuesday in a joint statement.

The Linux operating system competes with Microsoft Windows and Unix as the computer platform for other software programs to run on. It is open-source software, which means the code is publicly available and can be changed by anyone.

The Linux foundation's members include major technology companies such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Oracle, as well as the two largest Linux makers, Novell and Red Hat. It will be led by Jim Zemlin, former executive director of the Free Standards Group.

The new group will defend Linux vendors and customers against intellectual property lawsuits. It also plans to help increase usage of Linux by aiding development of the software and helping the operating system work with open-source and proprietary software.

(Agencies)

from http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/23/content_5640559.htm

From me :
Indonesia has a lot of capable and competent person to develope many open source system. Unfortunatelly, The government not too concern about this. Government of Indonesia must pay a lot for proprietary software. It doesn't mean that we can't use the propietary software, but there are a lot of software that can be used freely to support their work.
I'm wondering if all of intelectual in software engineering work together with government to use and develope a cheap software...... hem... maybe I can join it.

Mandala Airlines, what happens?

I have reserved ticket to go to Jakarta long before the day I want to go. I reserved one ticket for me, and one return ticket for my viansee. The flight was delayed at 18 January 2007 from 18.25 to 21.00. It's so long even there were an announcement about this problem early in the morning before I went to airport.
I enjoy the flight at night, and I arrived to Jakarta almost at 10pm. But unfortunatelly, a day before my viansee flight at Sunday, 21 January 2007, Mandala call us and said that all flights at 21 to 25 January was cancelled beacuse the planes not suitable to fly. Hem, I'm dissaponted but it's Ok because it's better that they cancelled the flights then there would be another risk.
This announcement is too late. We were confused because there's no airplane ticket alvailable for the next day because it's a holiday, there's no agent that give a service (or we don't know).
My viansee's brother helpe us to fine the ticket via online service, and finally we got the Garuda ticket....

Hem, a nice experience. this night, my viansee must be in the midlle of her profession examination. I hope that you successfuly past the test.

My First day in IALF

I've been in Jakarta for one week, I stay in Jl. Setia Budi Tengah 10A Jakarta Selatan. This is my first day in my course at IALF. What a huge facilities here (free and fast internet, a lot of collection of book, many television connected to satellite, hotspot, exclusive class, native teacher, etc). I'm wondering that some of you (PAK MUL Community) increase your English ability to get an Australian Government Scholarship.
Actually, the English requirenment is not too high, only 500 (TOEFL) or 5.0 (IELTS). It's easy to reach if you learn hard.

Hem, Cakil has came to my boarding house last day, he came accompanied by his girl friend. We plan to go to Frater Sigit's house and maybe Jonte's house if the busway project is finished. I don't know yet about Komeng's house. I'm sorry if I can't go to your places because I have no car or motorcycle.

Good bye 2006

2006, year that full of colors. awarded an Australian scholarship, engaged. But a year that full of disaster too. Earthquake in klaten and yogya, tsunami in pangandaran, mud flood in porong sidoarjo, etc.... A lot of people died caused by that disaster. I hope we can find the "Blessing in disguise" from 2006.

2007, started with some transportation accidents, such as airplane and ships. A lot of people must die in that accidents. Who's fault? weather? navigation? human error? Until now, there are a lot of people still missing in the adam air accident and km senopati. hem, is this a sign for us?

My Engagement

November 25, 2006 become my memorial day. I have engaged with someone... At first, it's so strange when I must use a ring in my finger. It's because I never wear acessories in my body. I like a freedom, free to choose someone that I love, free to express my passion. I'm happy with all of this. Try to keep the faith...

Happy B'Day for me

I'm 25 years old now, I'm happy for it. many friends call or sms me and say "Happy B'day". Thank you for all my friend, my brother, sister, my beloved, for all of your support. I hope I could improve myself to be better, to have more in quality......

God bless us

Five Steps of Ignatian Paradigm in Teaching and Learning

As a lecturer, I found a lot of problems in teaching and learning process. Not all of students have high motivation in learning, especially in the class. Only about 30% students can reach the aim of the subject. The other 70% do not have efforts to get the subject's aim. I try to observe why they aren't have interest to the subject. I teach a subject that have lack of theory, and students being bored with that. It's a big problem for me as a teacher.
I found a book from Jesuit community about how they design the teaching and learning method in the class. This method is called Ignatian Pedagogy. There are five important steps in this paradigm:

1.Context of learning.
Fundamental theory and the aim of the subject must be introduced to students in the beginning of the class. Knowing the aim and fundamental theory, students are motivated about the importance this subject to their future. I try to design the simplest fundamental theory so it can be understand by students easily.

2.Experience
After they got the fundamental theory and know the aim of the subject. I design a case study and give them task to observe this case study. I try to design a case study that present in their daily live and easy to understand. As an example in database design subject, I ask the students to analyze the requirement of a local company in order to build an information system for that company. Students choose the company by them self and observe by their own method.

3.Reflection
In this steps, students try to give feedback to their own analysis by discussing it. After that, they must design the system based on their analysis in formal method given at the context of learning step.

4.Action
The students try to implement to code based on the design they made before. In this action, the students have a new problem on how to implement the design into code. They try to solve this problem by learning the programming language that they need by them self. Of course we must help them by giving the resource that they need and supervise them.

5.Evaluation
This is an important step for the students to evaluate their task. The students perform their task in a presentation and the other students and me give feedback to what they have did. Students so happy when they finish their task and evaluated by other students and the lecturer.

By doing something, they learn by them self about the subject. As lecturer, I just want to be a facilitator for them. And by doing something, students will have an experience that will stay longer in their mind compared with only listening in the class or reading a textbook. I'm happy with the result, because more then 50% of students that passed this subject with good mark. I ask students to evaluate this method and almost all of them said that this method is easier to understand. I try to implement this pedagogy in all of my subject such as Computer Organization, Database Programming, Relational Database Management System, Database Administration, Embedded System, etc. Hem, anyone to share with me about teaching and learning method......

INDOSITY PROJECT

Indosity is a computer application for creative exploration, evaluation and training in urban design and planning within a Southeast-Asian context. Trainees and users can build models of quarters or part of cities by arranging predefined building modules. The urban area created can then be discussed and checked for design flaws from it's physical shape and relating urban figures and metrics.

'Indosity' aims at building up skills for :

Reading and creating 2D plans for contextual urban quarters from a 3D point of view
Understanding functions of building modules
Understanding relations between building modules
Understanding relations between form and function
Tackling 'empty' spaces

Team :
User requirements : Dr.-Ing. Markus Zand B.Sc. M. Arch. (Urban design and planning)
Technical Architecture : Thomas Zwicker M.Sc (Software Design)
Design, Implementation and Testing : Computer Science Faculty of Soegijapranata Catholic University Semarang
R. Setiawan Aji Nugroho (Database)
Daniel Adinugroho (Artificial Intelligence)
Reviewing Board : Dr.-Ing. Markus Zand B.Sc. M. Arch.

Budgeting Software for Government Territory

My Latest project is to create a software for managing budget in government territory. I collaborate with SPMU-TPSDP of Economic Faculty of Diponegoro University. This software will be implemented in some government consul in Indonesia.
The idea of this project is based on the new Internal Affairs Ministry rule no.13 2006 about budget management in government territory. This software created because this rule has some fundamental differences with the old one in format or in the code. People will have a lot of problem if they arrange it manually because there are a lot of dynamics code and value that must be reported. Using this software, all account reported and computed automatically.

Mathematic Logic Competition 2
Computer Science of Soegijapranata Catholic University

MLC 2 is a higly prestigious competition for high school students because there are about 40 students choosed and compete in an online mathematic logic test.

This is the second time Computer Science Faculty of Soegijapranata Catholic Unversity held a highly competitive competition. But why should mathematics logic? Students often scared with mathematic lesson in the class because it's lack of algorithm and a lot of things to be remember. But, actually there are a lot of parts of mathematics that do not need any algorithm knowledge, just use our logic ability. But it's not easy as our imagination, and this is a new chalenge for students who wants to improve their logic ability.

Just check out at http://www.unika.ac.id/lomba

My Lovely Laptop

Brand : Elitegroup Computer System
Type : A535+
Proc : AMD Athlon XP 1400+
Memory : 384 Mhz
HD : 20G
OS : Novell Suse 10.1

It's a cheap laptop, but it's so important for me....
It gives me much, and I love it.
Actually I'm confused whether I must buy a new laptop for my further study or not. I need a laptop with high specification, but I don't know. I just can't leave my old notebook.... hem....
it's not my first or second love but, I think it's nice. Althoug the battery is dropped and it's quite heavy.....

hai...hai..hai, so long to be absent from this blog... but a lot of things that i must do...
hem, finally, I got a scholarship from ausaid... it's so nice for me.... I'll study at australian university at july 2007. I must take the English for Academic Purpose Course at IALF Jakarta, start from 22 January 2007... for about 3 months...

What a wonderful gift from Lord, thanks for everything I got....