Thanks to Mr. Don Hall from Priscilla Hall Memorial Foundation, who recommended our Community Library in Cipanas, West Java, we received a learning tool called “Teacher in a Box (TIB)” from the Rotary Club of Paddington, Queensland.
The TIB offers a huge range of free educational materials in a range of subjects from primary through to university level. It is designed with a wide range of information that can be accessed without the internet and has the Bahasa Indonesia version too!
The library received a laptop consisting of all the links and resources that can be used by its members. TIB has been a useful supporting resource for our tutoring program. From Monday to Friday, around 30 primary school students receive tutoring sessions to catch up with their school lesson. For the early graders, 1st to 3rd grade, the tutoring focuses on basic learning skills, such as reading, writing and basic math. While for the higher graders, 4th to 6th, is focused on their school subjects.
Our tutors use the TIB school syllabus during the tutoring sessions. For English subjects they use it to seek new vocabulary. In Bahasa Indonesia, it is used for story dissection. And for Math subjects, it is to discover a more useful math formula.
Let’s hear what Mrs. Nelly, one of YUM tutors who teaches grades 4, 5 and 6, has to say about her experience using the TIB:
“At the beginning, we needed time to adjust with the language that was used in the laptop. Then once we were able to switch to Bahasa Indonesia, it became easier to use. There is a lot of general knowledge and information on the website, however we need to spend more time exploring and connecting it with Indonesian school subjects.”
And Mrs. Fatonah who teaches grades 1, 2 and 3:
“I use some of the English short stories from the website to appeal to the student’s curiosity and respond to a story. It is a challenge, because I also need to translate some words. But it was good learning not only for the students but also for me.”
