Modul: Pembuktian Teorema Pythagoras Menggunakan Interactive Applet Java Hinged Dissection

     

Anda mungkin terkejut jika bertemu seseorang yang merasa pusing saat melihat lukisan. Akan tetapi merupakan hal yang diterima secara umum jika ada orang yang mangaku bahwa dia tidak suka dan pusing jika belajar matematika. Seringkali kita mendengar pengakuan: ”Aku selalu bermasalah dengan pelajaran matematika”, atau “Matematika adalah pelajaran paling sulit”. Bagaimanapun juga, matematika merupakan pelajaran yang banyak mendapat komplain. Bahkan jika kita membandingkan dengan fisika, biologi atau kimia, jarang sekali terdengar siswa yang menyatakan bahwa fisika, biologi atau kimia sebagai pelajaran yang paling tidak disukai atau yang membuat mereka pusing. Hal ini dikarenakan adanya kecemasan matematika (math anxiety) pada siswa.

Pada hakikatnya matematika merupakan ilmu yang cara bernalarnya deduktif, formal dan abstrak. Akan tetapi, untuk mengatasi kecemasan matematika, para pendidik mengajarkan matematika melalui beragam pendekatan. Matematika diajarkan melalui aktivitas yang banyak melibatkan siswa sehingga siswa dapat membangun pemahaman secara mandiri. Selain itu, pembelajaran juga dapat diawali dengan menghadirkan konteks yang dikenal oleh siswa. Dari konteks tersebut, siswa diberi permasalahan yang harus diselesaikan. Aktivitas penyelesaian masalah tersebut akan mengarahkan siswa pada pemahaman konsep secara formal. Dengan demikian siswa akan merasa bahwa matematika itu dekat dan ada di dalam kehidupan nyata siswa, atau siswa merasa telah mengetahui materi yang baru dipelajari karena materi itu berkaitan dengan materi terdahulu yang telah dikuasai siswa. Tetapi, matematika tetaplah abstrak dan deduktif.

Pada kesempatan kali ini saya menyusun modul pembelajaran tentang teorema Pythagoras: pembuktian dan penerapan. Modul ini saya buat untuk siswa. Untuk membantu siswa agar mudah memahami pembuktian teorena Pythagoras, saya menggunakan Interactive Applet Java yang diisediakan oleh web Cut the Knot. Animasi pada Applet ini dapat membantu siswa memvisualisasikan pembuktian teorema Pythagoras.

Modul saya susun sebagaimana pembelajaran matematika. Akan tetapi, pembelajaran pada modul ini diawali dengan pemberian masalah dari konteks kehidupan nyata dengan tujuan agar siswa dapat menemukan makna dan manfaat mempelajari matematika untuk kehidupan nyata . Di dalam modul juga terdapat tutorial tentang Interactive Applet Java: Pythagorean Theorem, dan aktivitas siswa yang akan mengarahkan siswa pada pemahaman formal tentang teorema Pythagoras.

Klik Modul Teorema Pythagoras untuk mengunduh modul lengkap.

Untuk memainkan Applet, silakan klik disini.

Determine: How many more cake boxes are needed to fulfill the larger cake boxes?

One of the important topics of three dimensional spaces in elementary schools is the volume. There are a lot of daily activities related to the volume of  three dimensional spaces, such as filling water to the bath tub to the brim, observe the sand-laden truck, filling larger cake boxes with smaller ones, up to the complex one such how many packages more we need to fulfill the container box. The student’s experiences related to these matter can be used as  starting point to learn the concept of volume of three dimensional spaces.

At primary level, the students should understand first, what the volume is, before they do the investigation to know how to find the volume of three dimensional spaces. This concept can be embedded by providing the experience on comparing, which one is bigger, of  two objects. The learning activity can be started with a discussion, such as: which ones are usually need more water, bath tub or tub lavatory. Through discussion among students, they will put forward the idea of the answer in accordance with the experience they have gained, as with suspect water fill more in terms of shape and size of each type of tubs or estimate how many times they move water from the well to those both types of tub. This kind of thing is in line with Panhuizen (2005: 54) revealing that in learning of volume, students need to experience in comparing the content of objects which is useful to construct the understanding of the volume concept.

     

Mathematics Learning: How do a tailor measure the customer’s body size without tape measure?

Mathematics nowdays takes very  important  role  in daily lives. Starting from  the simplest one, like measurement,  up  to  the  complex and sophisticated one  such  as mathematics for  information  and computer  technology. Mathematics assists the developing of human thinking, particularly students critical thinking. It’s necessary to think critically, not only to solve mathematics problem in mathematics classroom, but also to overcome everyday life problems. Therefore it is very important to have good mathematical understanding since at primary school.

According  to Freudenthal  (Van den Panhuizen-Mercure, 1998), mathematics must be  close  to children and be relevant to everyday life situations, to become a man of value.One of mathematical concept which is taught at primary school is measurement concept. Before the formal measurement has been introduced, people used fingers, hands and feet as a measurement tools.

The residents use their hands to measure a crocodile

Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen (2004) said that measurement is important because it comprises an aspect of practical skill that  is  important  in daily  life. There are some measurement concept related to everyday life on 3^rd grade of elementary school book, “Buku Cerdas Matematika” by Nur  Fajariyah, i.e. type of measurement tools  for specific purpose, such as ruler, tape measure, roll meter, and so on.

For the full articles, click link below:

1. Mathematics Learning: Lenght Measurement
2. Pembelajaran Matematika: Pengukuran panjang
3. RPP (Lesson plan)
4. LKK (Student’s worksheet)

Scholarship: International Master Program on Mathematics Education (IMPoME)

IMPoME is an acronym stands for International Master Program on Mathematics Education. This program is conducted by Ditjen Dikti Indonesia colaborating with Neso Indonesia, that gives scholarship for prospective mathematics lecturer or young mathematics lecturer. This scholarship program is similar as sandwich scholarship program.

In holding this program, Ditjen Dikti-Neso Indonesia collaborates with Freudenthal Institute- Utrecht University. The course is held in two countries, Indonesia and Netherland, one year course in Indonesia and one year course in Utrecht University, Netherland. In Indonesia, this program is held in Sriwijaya University and State University of Surabaya.  The placement of scholars, whether they will study in Sriwijaya University or State University of Surabaya, is determined by P4MRI team.

There will be further selection from Indonesia-Utrecht team to determine the scholars who can enroll to Utrecht University, Netherland.  Moreover, they must pass the IELTS score 6.5 in order to enroll Utrecht University. Therefore, for candidates who are accepted in this program will get English training. In the end of English traning, scholars will take IELTS exam. The scholars who pass the IELTS requirenment will study at Utrecht University, Netherland, for a year. Scholars who fail to fulfill the requirements to enroll Utrecht University still get their scholarship, but they will take their whole study in Sriwijaya University or State University of Surabaya.

IMPoME female students Unsri 2012

IMPoME Male Students Unsri 2012

IMPoME Students Unesa 2012

Impome 2013 now is opened

Pendaftaran beasiswa IMPoME untuk periode 2013 telah dibuka, dengan syarat-syarat sebagai berikut:

1. Mengisi aplication form dengan lengkap, download di sini: stuned_form_impome_2013

2. Mengisi CV dengan lengkap, download di sini: cv-form-neso_2013

3. Fotocopy Kartu Tanda Penduduk (KTP)

4. Pas Photo 4 x6 (1 lembar)

5. Ijazah S1

6. Transkrip nilai dengan nilai IPK minimal 3, 00

7. Sertifikat TOEFL dengan score minimal 500

8. SK CTAB (Surat Keputusan Calon Tenaga Akademik Baru) dari Rektor

StuNed and DIKTI Scholarships for 20 Young Indonesian Lecturers to study in the Netherlands

Sumber: ip-pmri | p4mri.net/new/?p=659

Press release, 19 November 2012

Today, the Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI) and the Netherlands Education Support Office (Nuffic Neso Indonesia) signed an MOU to co-finance two more batches of the International Master Program on Mathematic Education (IMPoME) for a total of 20 young Indonesian lecturers. IMPoME started in 2009 and has so far produced 22 master-degree holders in Realistic Mathematic Education (RME) while currently there are 10 students still studying in the Netherlands at the Freudenthal Institute of the University of Utrecht. The two final groups of students will depart to the Netherlands in 2013 and 2014. From the Dutch side the financial contribution comes from the StuNed Scholarship programme.

Mathematics problems for Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

OECD has released some examples of Mathematics problem for Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).  Click here to get the file.