SMPN 5 Garut, West Java

Using Waste Materials to Support Quality, Effective and Efficient Learning

By a Group of Teachers:
Dra. N. Nurani
Nani Hayati, S.Pd.
Cecep Riyadus Solihin, S.Pd.

WHEN class IX students at SMPN 5 Garut learn procedure text, we use the method Two Stray Two Sun. We begin by giving examples of procedure text and students are asked to fill in the blank parts of a text and are given a certain time to do it.

The students' answers are then discussed under the guidance of the teacher. Once they have done this, the students then make their own procedure text. They display their work on the walls. The students visit each other's work and read the texts written by other students and give their comments. After that, each group gets a turn to present their work in the front of the class.

The students write their work on the back of old calendars. These old calendars are collected and used as cheap learning media, replacing display paper which is much more expensive. Although much cheaper, the calendar is still of good quality and effective as a media for student learning. In fact, is some ways, the used calendars encourage the students’ creativity. They can, for example, decorate it to make it attractive.

SMPN5 Garut students working in groups. They use cheap and easily obtainable learning media, one of which is old calendars which are used to make displays and presentations.

Representatives of each group present their work. The other groups give feedback on these presentations.

In terms of savings, several groups of students can use just one calendar for displaying their work. The same calendar can be used in turn by each different group of students. The work of one group can be presented on top of the work of other groups.

Actually, the old calendars, especially calendars with twelve sheets, can be used for many other kinds of students' work. They can be used to stick on greeting cards, personal data and lists of sentences, for example. A paper calendar can even be used to make teaching aides such as paper boats. In short, the use of old calendars, as well as being effective and attractive to the students, is also efficient and economical.

"Using the old calendars has helped students achieve their learning competencies," said Nani as she showed us the evidence.