45 matter by giving the evidence based on the statements. The evident or
argumentation used by the writer in this text is not for contradiction but solely for convincing the readers. In argumentation text, a writer often uses the empirical data,
logical arguments, the evidences, thesis statement and conclusion. At last, narration is a kind of text that to narrate or to tell the story. Telling the story here means that a
writer tells the sequence of an event, the chronologies, and so on.
As a matter of fact, even in a university not all students understand precisely the different among the kind of texts. In my experience, the students often mix them.
Furthermore, someone who is good in exposition may not be good in narration, etc.
K. Paragraphs are Coherent
Actually it is also my experience in writing that is I have many ideas in my mind to express but I face the problem how to develop the coherency between the
ideas. In my experience the most difficult in writing is not how to express the ideas but the most difficult things are how to develop a paragraph and how to make the
paragraphs are coherent between each others.
After reading this chapter I can get many information and method how to develop the paragraph and organized them into a good writing. The writers suggest
the reader to learn the paragraph development. Each paragraph has to have one main idea which is called topic or subject. Many practical ways given by the writers in the
paragraph development, for examples, if the ideas or the topic is difficult to understand it is better to make it in simple or short form, and if it is easy to
understand we may make it in long paragraph, etc. To make the coherency among paragraph, the writers suggest using the transitional words or phrases. These
transitional words or phrases are important especially when the writers want to move from one topic to another topic. Halliday and Hasan 1976 recommend that
in changing part of sentences by cohesive devices, ellipsis; eliminating a part of a sentence but the meaning of the sentence is understood; conjunction; the use of
transitional expression to relate sentences, and lexical cohesion; in which the use of synonym and antonym and other vocabularies to catch the intended meaning
In my opinion this book is important for the students to read. As a matter of fact, the most difficult in writing is how to develop the coherency among the
paragraph. Many students often can express their ideas, but they find difficulty in developing the coherency among the paragraph. After reading this chapter we may
know how to develop a paragraph, the method in delivering information, how to develop the coherency, etc.
L. Portfolio is My Chosen
In this chapter the writers suggest the teachers to consider the process of learning in assessing or evaluating the students. The failure of last education was
that the teachers only see the product of students without considering the process of what have been done by the students. In this case, the writers suggest the teachers
choose using portfolio as the solution in teaching.
Lyons 2001 defined the teaching portfolio as a set of accomplishments of teaching, usually including samples of student work and accompanied by reflective
writing. While there may or may not be a set of specified entries for a teaching portfolio, it usually is thought of as comprised of a range of evidence of teaching.
For example, there might be a statement of one’s teaching philosophy, a syllabus, a
46 video of a class, sample assessments used to determine what students know and
understands, etc. He also explain the value of teaching portfolio: “ if competent teaching is a complex, uncertain and often messy activity, it could not easily be
documented. Traditional ways of credentialing teachers by grades, courses completed seem inadequate to capture teaching dynamics or dimensions. Portfolio
emerged as a possible medium.
Actually I agree if portfolio is used by the teachers in the class. However it needs more energy. It is the individual’s responsibility to document, reflect on, and
improve their own teaching. Portfolio is part of professional responsibility of being educators. Furthermore, in Indonesia not all teachers are socialized with portfolio.
Many teachers do not know how to implement the portfolio in their class. In this case the governments have to do more socialization of portfolio to the teachers.
M. Writing Needs ‘IREX’
As a matter of fact, expressing the ideas through writing is not easy for all people. As a human being we have the strength and the weaknesses. Someone is
professional in his or her own field. Writers, they are professional in writing, and actors, they are professional in acting, etc.
When writing we needs irex, it means that in doing writing activities we have to prepare everything in good vitality. A writer must keep his body healthy so
that he or she can do the process of writing successfully. At least there are three activities in doing a process of writing. The first is the process of reading in order to
gain the information. The second is the process of thinking to formulate and to composite the product of writing. And the last is the process of writing itself.
Actually in passing these three processes of writing need adequate energy and time, so that we can produce a text of writing with good quality and vitality.
Harmer2001 describes process writing in a cycle. Drafting
Structuring Reviewing
Focusing Generating
Ideas Evaluating
Based on the cycle above that when we write, we have to make a product of writing which has vitality. It has to have power, when it is read by others. In this
chapter the writers give at least three component of irex in writing. They are the inspiration or ideas, research and experience. By these three components of irex we
can keep our writing to have power and more vitalize. N. All the Professors are the Same until One of Them Writes a Textbook
In this chapter, the writers see the less number of books published in Indonesia when it is compared with other countries in the worlds. The balancing
between the number of people and the number of book published is far from ideal. In this case, Malaysia, our nearest neighbor country is better then Indonesia. By
population of 220 millions, Indonesia can publish books only 2000 to 3000 titles per year.
47 The condition above is not quite comfortable for a big country like
Indonesia. As a student of pos graduate program I feel sad knowing this condition. However, I don’t think that there are professors can not write. The different between
them may be in the productivity of writing. There are some professors more productive in writing and others are less productive. This conditions maybe caused
by their involvements in the project of bureaucrat.
In my opinion, there are some problems that cause the less productivity of professor to write. The first is that the low appreciation to the intellectuals in
Indonesia. One of my professors says that the functional subsidy for the professionalism of a professor is not well appreciated. Hence many professors earn
money outside the campus. Some of them become consultants in departments or factories and the others involve in many project of bureaucracy. The second, many
professors have many position in bureaucracy which makes them busy and having very limited time to write.
Furthermore, writing or publishing books is not only the responsibility of professors. All intellectuals have the responsibility to socialize and to document
their knowledge. All of us are the same, having the strength and the weakness until we can give advantages to others.
I
O. Skripsi … A Piece of Cake
Skripsi is the final form in accomplishing the scholarship. At least there are four reasons why the academicians have to write skripsi: 1 practicing to write a
research, 2 reviewing the existing literature critically, 3 practicing to paraphrase through citation directlyindirectly 4 the confession of our scholarship.
According to the writers writing skripsi is like making a peace of cake. A peace cake is easy to make if we know the ingredients or the receipt of making it.
Although it is just a peace of cake, if we do not know the process how to make it, of course we will suppose that making a peace of cake is not easy. Just like making a
peace a cake, in writing a skripsi we will find difficult if we do not know the process how to make it. And we will be very satisfied on the product of skripsi if we have
done through the complexity of the process making it.
In fact, for most students at university in Indonesia making skripsi is not an easy thing to do. Many students feel dither in facing the process of making a skripsi.
It means that writing skripsi is difficult for them maybe because they do not know the process how to make it.
The most valuable of skripsi is its writing process. In this chapter the writers provide the guidance how to make a research based writing like skripsi. We can
also find the guidance to make a qualified writing, for examples, the accuracy, appropriateness, balance, clarity, completeness, consistency, control, impartially,
interest, order, persuasiveness, relevance, simplicity, sincerity, unity etc. Finally there are some advices from famous writers how to be accustomed writing: 1 write
as many as you can, 2 write as simple as possible, 3 don’t do a plagiarism, 4 work hard to sharpen your talent, and 5 be patient
P. Scientists Need to be Careful with The Big Sin
