Pekanbaru (ANTARA) – Surrounded by shady trees, next to the prayer room stands SMPN 6 Bantan, Bengkalis. SMPN 6 Bantan is a green school filled with plants and shady trees. The bright blue sky adds to the vibrant view of the green-painted school. The school field measuring 35 x 15 meters is sufficient for flag ceremonies, sports, scouting and village independence ceremonies which are held every year at this school.
Even with only 12 teachers and approximately 100 students, SMPN 6 Bantan can compete with other schools in Bantan District. He has achieved many achievements in the fields of sports, arts and science.
Nowadays, gadgets are not a luxury item so even residents in remote villages can have them, including students at SMPN 6 Bantan. Even though this school is located in a remote village, the learning system is advanced, namely using gadgets.
They use cellphones as the main medium for learning at school. Learning activities look more active and meaningful. As Haizan said, a class VIII student. He admitted that he was happy and felt helped when learning to use gadgets. “Using a cellphone when studying at school is very helpful, this helps us and makes us feel very happy,” explained Haizan recently.
Gadgets also make it easier for teachers to manage students’ learning needs (learning styles, interests, or learning readiness) and also make it easier for teachers to manage their classes. This is in line with what I have received from the training provided by the Tanoto Foundation in the PINTAR Program (Development of Innovation for Learning Quality) regarding the concept of differentiated learning.
“For example, when I distribute teaching materials in the form of videos to students via cellphone. The videos are sent in the form of a link drive so they don’t burden the cellphone’s memory capacity,” he said. Likewise with student assignments, they send their role play video assignments in the form of a link drive so that it is more effective and efficient. So that it gives students the freedom to increase their potential according to the student’s learning readiness, interests and learning profile.
Apart from that, he felt that classroom learning was more interesting student center. Using cellphones helps them manage their own learning, both in managing various learning resources and managing the assignments that I give them.
Nurhidayati, an English teacher at SMPN 6 Bantan, felt the same thing. He said that by using cellphone media in learning, learning activities could be more effective and efficient.
Allowing students to bring gadgets to school certainly has its pluses and minuses. The plus is that it helps students in their learning process in a fun and meaningful way. The minus is the possibility that they use gadgets for things that have nothing to do with learning at school.
Even though there are still downsides, this doesn’t mean we have to forbid children from bringing cellphones to school. After all, at home they also play with their cellphones freely.
This is where guidance and guidance from teachers is needed so that children can use gadgets wisely and intelligently. Teachers need to educate students about how they can use gadgets in learning so that they can learn in a fun and intelligent way.
Apart from educating students, teachers must also educate parents on how to guide their children to use gadgets wisely at home. There needs to be parental control over their children’s use of gadgets, not children controlling us.
Therefore, there is a need for guidance that can guide them to grow according to nature and the nature of the times. This is in accordance with the message of the Companion of the Prophet, Ali bin Abu Talib, “Educate children according to their time because they live in their time, not yours.”
The author is a teacher at SMPN 6 Bantan Bengkalis,
Bengkalis Regional Facilitator Tanoto Foundation PINTAR Program