All I wanted - Paramore

(Verse 1)
Think of me when you're out, when you're out there
I'll beg you nice from my knees
When the world treats you way too fairly
It's a shame I'm a dream

(Chorus)
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you

(Verse 2)
I think I'll pace my apartment a few times
And fall asleep on the couch
And wake up early to black and white re-runs
That escaped from my mouth

(Chorus)
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you

(Verse 3)
I could follow you to the beginning
Just to relive the start
And maybe then we'll remember to slow down
At all of our favorite parts

All I wanted was you

(Chorus)
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you

Teens, Sleep and School

by Gisele Glosser

Research has shown that teenagers don't get enough sleep at night and go to school tired. Some experts believe the cause is biological. Others believe that teenagers stay up late because of adolescent distractions. Early high school start times can also contribute to teens' tiredness. This article will explore possible causes and solutions to this problem.

Research shows that teens need eight to nine hours of sleep at night, as compared with eight hours needed for adults. However, they are not getting enough sleep. A recent study at Drexel University of students aged 12 to 18 found that "20 percent of those studied got the recommended eight or more hours of sleep during school nights with the rest getting less than eight hours. The average sleep for U.S. adolescents is seven hours..." [1] A study of Rhode Island teenagers found that "85 percent were chronically sleep-deprived and accumulated a minimum 10-hour sleep deficit during the week. Forty percent went to bed after 11 p.m.; 26 percent said they usually got less than 6.5 hours on school nights." [2] Thus, sleep deprivation in teens is causing a growing concern among researchers, educators and parents.

So why aren't teens getting enough sleep? For one thing, they are staying up late. A variety of things can contribute to this night-owl tendency among teens, including social life, caffeinated drinks, electronic media such as computers, TVs and cell phones. Other factors include procrastinating on homework, and even depression. Adolescent work schedules are also a concern. Teens who work more than 15 hours a week at a job have less time for sleep.

Sleep deprivation in teens may have biological causes. Some experts believe that teens' body clocks start later. Tests by a professor at Oxford suggest that "students perform better in the afternoon, because their body clock is programmed about two hours later, possibly for hormonal reasons." [3]

Some experts believe that biological changes in teens affect their ability to sleep. A recent study found that "biological changes that take place in puberty keep kids from being able to fall asleep as early as when they were younger." [2] Another study "measured the presence of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin in teenagers' saliva at different times of the day." They learned that "the melatonin levels rise later at night than they do in children and adults -- and remain at a higher level later in the morning." [4]

Lack of sleep affects teens' ability to function at school. A recent study showed that "sleep deprivation can affect mood, performance, attention, learning, behavior and biological functions." [4] In less clinical terms, "Daytime sleepiness makes it difficult to concentrate and learn, or even stay awake in class. Too little sleep may contribute to mood swings and behavioral problems. And sleepy teens who get behind the wheel may cause serious — even deadly — accidents." [5]

The typical start time for most high schools is 7:00 am, which can exacerbate this problem. Some schools have experimented with later start times. The study at Oxford found that "By delaying the start of school by one hour, and moving more demanding subjects to later in the day, then absenteeism and depression will fall... But that does not mean young people should be indulged and allowed to stay in bed late." [6] Researchers at Norwalk Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Connecticut found that "Teens whose high schools have a delayed start time sleep longer and report less daytime sleepiness." [7]

One solution is for parents to impose earlier bedtimes on their teenagers. A recent study found that "Teens whose parents pack them off to bed at 10 p.m. are less apt to become depressed or have suicidal thoughts than their peers who stay up much later." [8] It should be noted that there is a big difference between having suicidal thoughts and being suicidal. In any event, parents can strive to get their teens less wired at night. This can be achieved by discouraging them from drinking caffeine past 12 noon, and by keeping TVs, computers, and especially cell phones out of their room at night.

Why Learn Algebra?

by jason gibson "Why study algebra?"  If you're a parent, it's a question that you will no doubt hear as your children study the subject.  If you're a student, it is a very natural question to ask, "What's the point of learning algebra in the first place?"

After all, all of the math leading up to algebra that we learned growing up such as addition, multiplication, decimals, fractions, and the like, seem to have a concrete meaning. These concepts all deal with numbers in some way or another and because of this we can wrap our brains more easily around the concepts. After all, I can pick up six pencils and give two to a friend and by using math I can figure out how many pencils I am left holding in my hand. We can all imagine situations where basic math serves us well - calculating your change in the grocery store for instance.

In short, basic math deals with numbers. Since we are all taught how to count at a young age the concepts of basic math, even though challenging at first, seem to have a practical value - even to children.

Enter Algebra. Suddenly, we are asked to deal not only with our comfortable numbers but with letters. And it doesn't stop with this. You start seeing parenthesis and exponents, and a whole potpourri of other symbols that seem to make no sense at all. This single fact more than any other turns many people off to learning algebra. At the very beginning you are asked to learn certain rules on how to calculate things in algebra. You must learn which steps are legal to do before others, and if you do them in the reverse order you get the wrong answer!

This leads to frustration. With frustration, despair follows in short order. And so the thoughts begin: "Why do I need to learn this?" "When would I ever use Algebra in real life?"

What you have to remember, though, is that basic math is riddled with special rules and symbols as well. For example, the symbols "+" and "=" were at one time foreign to us all. In addition the concept of adding fractions, as a single example, is filled with special rules that we must learn. When adding 1/3 to 1/3, for example, you keep the common denominator and add the numerators, so that 1/3 + 1/3 = 2/3. The point here is that when you begin to learn algebra it may seem overwhelming with the rules that you must learn, but this is no different from the multitude of rules that you had to learn that dealt with basic math such as addition and subtraction.

Learning Algebra is achievable for all, you just need to take things one step at a time and learn the basic rules before moving on to more advanced topics.

But this does not answer the question of "Why should I learn Algebra?" This is a difficult question, but the simplest answer is that Algebra is the beginning of a journey that gives you the skills to solve more complex problems.

What types of problems can you solve using only the skills you learned in Algebra? I invite you to take a journey with me back to your childhood. We've all been to the playground and had a great time on the see-saw, the merry-go-round, and the slide. At one time all of us were completely fascinated with these trips to the playground, but Algebra can help you understand them. The physics of all of these playground toys can be completely understood using only Algebra. No Calculus required. For example, if you knew the weight of a person at the top of the slide and you knew the height of the slide you could roughly calculate how fast you would be traveling as you exited the bottom of the slide.

On the see-saw, let's say that a person was sitting at one end and you knew that person's weight. You'd like to sit on the other side of the see-saw, but not at the very end - you'd like to sit opposite your partner in the middle between the seat and the pivot point. Using algebra, you could calculate how heavy you'd have to be to exactly balance the see-saw.

Moving away from playground equipment, as children we were all fascinated with the magical way that magnets attract each other. Using algebra, you could calculate how much force a given magnet would pull on another magnet.

There are examples all around us of things in the everyday world that you could fully understand using only the tools in algebra. If you drop a rock off of the roof of a house, how long would it take to hit the ground? If you dropped a second rock 100 times as heavy off of the roof of the same house, how long would it take to hit the ground? If you somehow brought a bulldozer up to the roof of the house and dropped it, how long would it take for the bulldozer to hit the ground? The answer in all three cases it takes the same amount of time to hit the ground! The time of free-fall depends only on the Earth's gravitational field (which is the same for us all) and the height of the roof you drop from. Even though the bulldozer is "heavier" than the rocks, they all fall at the same rate to the ground.

Most people would assume that learning about more "advanced" topics such as rocket propulsion and Einstein's theory of Relativity would require much more advanced math than Algebra. It is true that more advanced math is necessary to understand every facet of these and other advanced topics. However, many of the fundamental principles can be understood using only the tools in algebra. For example, the equations that describe how a spacecraft orbits the Earth only involve algebra.

Moreover, many of the central topics in Einstein's theory of special relativity can be understood only using algebra. For example, it turns out if you are traveling on a spaceship near the speed of light time actually slows down for you relative to your friends back on Earth. In other words, if you were to fly in a spaceship near the speed of light for some time and then you returned to Earth, you would find that you had aged very little while your friends on Earth have aged a great deal! Albert Einstein coined this phenomenon "time dilation" and it can easily be calculated using only Algebra. This effect is not a theoretical effect - it has actually been measured many times. In fact, the GPS system of satellites in the sky that the military and police forces depend on must take into account the effects of time dilation or else the system would not work at all! Because the satellites are moving in orbit around the Earth at speeds much smaller than the speed of light, the time dilation involved is very small - but it must be accounted for or the system would not function.

Now, you might be thinking, "I never learned how to calculate things such as this in my algebra class!" This is in fact true. All of the applications we have been talking about here are known as the study of Physics. If you had to boil the word Physics down to one sentence it would be: "Physics is all about studying the world around us using math as a tool."

Simply put all the math that you ever learn is really a tool for understanding the world around us. And believe me, we have only begun to scratch the surface of understanding how the world works. Algebra is a stepping stone to learning about this wonderful universe that we live in. With it you have the tools to understand a great many things and you also have the skills needed to continue on and learn Trigonometry and Calculus which are essential for exploring other types of problems and phenomena around us.

So, try not to think of Algebra as a boring list of rules and procedures to memorize. Consider algebra as a gateway to exploring the world around us all.

Math and Social Injustice

by Jack Ucifferri

When you walk into a typical math class on a typical day in almost any school, you'll notice that most of the students are bored and distracted. That, believes Jonathan Osler, founder of RadicalMath, is a social justice issue.

"Math classes should give students the tools to better understand their reality. Who cares if 'Train A goes x+4 times faster than train B' when your community isn't adequately served by public transportation?"

Traditional math curricula don't teach students how to compare the density of check-cashers to banks in low-income communities, evaluate college loan plans to determine which offer the most favorable rates, or analyze data on rates of diabetes and asthma in communities of color. Lesson plans for addressing all of these issues can be found at RadicalMath.org, a free website for educators interested in integrating issues of economic and social justice into their math classes.

"I believe in engaging and empowing students to learn about issues that are relevant to their lives and communities," says RadicalMath founder, Jonathan Osler, who taught in a public high school in Brooklyn, New York for six years and now coaches math teachers in a public high school in Los Angeles. "But there were no sources of information for how I could integrate social justice issues into my math classes, so I began writing my own curricula and posting it online." Two years later, RadicalMath contains over 800 lesson plans, data sets, and articles, has received over 1,000,000 page views, and has drawn visitors from all over the world.

Osler explains that it is critical for students to graduate from high school with strong math skills, prepared for math-based college majors and careers. But equally strong is his belief that in order to address our country's most pressing problems, young people need to become agents for change in their lives and communities, and math is a tool that can help them do so.

RadicalMath.org contains information on dozens of issues including racial profiling, immigration, global warming, and the criminal justice system. There are also numerous financial education resources and lesson plans on economic topics such as minimum vs. living wage, predatory lending, the mathematics of the lottery, and home ownership.

Last April, Osler, along with several other RadicalMath contributors, organized a national conference to discuss teaching math through a social justice lens. This first annual "Creating Balance in an Unjust World" conference drew over 500 educators, activists, parents and students from around the country to Brooklyn, NY. Osler and the other organizers expect to draw twice as many participants to this year's conference

Pendekatan Open Ended Problem

Menurut Suherman dkk (2003; 123) problem yang diformulasikan memiliki multijawaban yang benar disebut problem tak lengkap atau disebut juga Open-Ended problem atau soal terbuka. Siswa yang dihadapkan dengan Open-Ended problem, tujuan utamanya bukan untuk mendapatkan jawaban tetapi lebih menekankan pada cara bagaimana sampai pada suatu jawaban. Dengan demikian bukanlah hanya satu pendekatan atau metode dalam mendapatkan jawaban, namun beberapa atau banyak.

Penelitian Kausal-Komparatif dan Eksperimen Sungguhan

Penelitian Kausal-Komparatif  (Causal-Comparative Research)

A.    Tujuan
Tujuan dari penelitian kausal-komparatif adalah untuk menyelidiki kemungkinan hubungan sebab-akibat dengan cara berdasar atas pengamatan terhadap akibat yang ada dan mencari kembali faktor yang mungkin menjadi penyebab melalui data tertentu. Hal ini berlainan dengan metode eksperimental yang mengumpulkan datanya pada waktu kini dalam kondisi yang dikontrol.


B.    Contoh-contoh

• Penelitian mengenai faktor-faktor yang menjadi ciri-ciri pribadi yang gampang dan tidak gampang mendapat kecelakaan dengan menggunakan data yang berwujud catatan-catatan yang ada pada perusahaan asuransi.
• Mencari pola tingkah laku dan prestasi belajar yang berkaitan dengan perbedaan umur pada waktu masuk sekolah, dengan cara menggunakan data deskriptif mengenai tingkah laku dan skor test prestasi belajar yang terkumpul sampai anak-anak yang bersangkutan berada di kelas VI SD.
• Penelitian untuk menentukan ciri-ciri guru yang efektif dengan mempergunakan data yang berupa catatan mengenai sejarah pekerjaan selengkap mungkin.

Model Pembelajaran Talking Stick

Model pembelajaran Talking Stick menggunakan sebuah tongkat sebagai alat penunjuk giliran. Siswa yang mendapat tongkat akan diberi pertanyaan dan harus menjawabnya. Kemudian secara estafet tongkat tersebut berpindah ke tangan siswa lainnya secara bergiliran. Demikian seterusnya sampai seluruh siswa mendapat tongkat dan pertanyaan.

Langkah-langkah pembelajarannya adalah sebagai berikut :

1. Guru menjelaskan tujuan pembelajaran/KD.
2. Guru menyiapkan sebuah tongkat.
3. Guru menyampaikan materi pokok yang akan dipelajari, kemudian memberikan kesempatan kepada siswa untuk membaca dan mempelajari materi lebih lanjut.
4. Setelah siswa selesai membaca materi/buku pelajaran dan mempelajarinya, siswa menutup bukunya dan mepersiapkan diri menjawab pertanyaan guru.
5. Guru mengambil tongkat dan memberikan kepada siswa, setelah itu guru memberikan pertanyaan dan siswa yang memegang tongkat tersebut harus menjawabnya, jika siswa sudah dapat menjawabnya maka tongkat diserahkan kepada siswa lain. Demikian seterusnya sampai sebagian besar siswa mendapat bagian untuk menjawab setiap pertanyaan dari guru.
6. Guru memberikan kesimpulan.
7. Evaluasi.
8. Penutup.

Demikianlah, mudah-mudahan postingan ini dapat menambah khasanah pembelajaran kita sehingga pembelajaran yang dirancang Bapak/Ibu Guru dapat lebih bervariatif, lebih bermakna, menantang sekaligus menyenangkan.

causal-comparative research

Sometimes causal-comparative studies are conducted solel, as an alternative to experiments. Suppose, for example, that the curriculum director in a large urban high school district is considering implementing a new English curriculum. The director might try the curriculum out experimentally, selecting a few classes at random throughout the district, and compare student performance in these classes with comparison groups who continue to experience the regular curriculum. This might take a considerable amout of time, however, and be quite costly in terms of materials, teacher preparation workshops, and so on.  As an altenative, the director might consider a causal-comparative study and compare the achievement of students in school districts that are currently using this curriculum with the achievement of students similar districts that do not use the new curriculum. If the results show that students in districts (similar to his) with the new curriculum are achieving higher scores in English, the director  would have a basisfor going  ahead and implementaing the new curriculum in his district. Like correlational studies, causal-comparative investigations often indentify relationship that later are studied experimentally.

bacause of you - sabrina

Want to but I can't help it
I love the way it feels
It's got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real
I need it when I want it I want it when I don't
Tell myself I'll stop everyday knowin' that I won't

I got a problem and I don't know what to do about it
Even if I did I don't know if I would quit but I doubt it
I'm taken by the thought of it and I know this much is true
Baby you have become my addiction I'm so strung out on you
I can barely move but I like it
And it's all because of you [3X]
And it's all because...
Never get enough
She's the sweetest drug

Think of it every second
I can't get nothing done
Only concern is the next time I'm gonna get me some
Know I should stay away from cause it's no good for me
I try and try but my obsession wont let me leave

I got a problem and I don't know what to do about it
Even if I did I don't know if I would quit but I doubt it
I'm taken by the thought of it and I know this much is true
Baby you have become my addiction I'm so strung out on you
I can barely move but I like it
And it's all because of you (all because of you) [3X]
And it's all because...
Never get enough
She's the sweetest drug

Ain't no doubt so strung out [2X]
Over you over you over you

Because of you
And it's all because of you
Never get enough
She's the sweetest drug she's the sweetest drug

Linkin Park - A Place for My Head

I watch how the moon sits in the sky
On a dark night shining with the light from the sun
The sun doesn't give light to the moon
Assuming the moon's going to owe it one
It makes me think of how you act to me
You do favors and then rapidly
You just turn around and start asking me about
Things you want back from me

Pre chorus:
I'm sick of the tension, sick of the hunger
Sick of you acting like I owe you this
Find another place to feed your greed
While I find a place to rest

I want to be in another place
I hate when you say you don't understand
(You'll see it's not meant to be)
I want to be in the energy, not with the enemy
A place for my head
Maybe someday I'll be just like you, and
Step on people like you do and
Run away the people I thought I knew
I remember back then who you were
You used to be calm, used to be strong
Used to be generous, but you should've known
That you'd wear out your welcome
Now you see how quiet it is, all alone

Pre chorus (2x)
Chorus

You try to take the best of me
Go away (8x)

Chorus

Pre chorus (2x)

A Little Piece Of Heaven lyrics

Songwriters: Baker, Zachary James; Haner, Jr., Brian Elwin; Sanders, Matthew Charles; Sullivan, James Owen;

Before the story begins, is it such a sin
For me to take what's mine until the end of time?
We were more than friends before the story ends
And I will take what's mine, create what God would never design

Our love had been so strong for far too long
I was weak with fear that something would go wrong
Before the possibilities came true I took all possibility from you
Almost laughed myself to tears, conjuring her deepest fears

Must have stabbed her fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped her heart out right before her eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it

She was never this good in bed even when she was sleeping
Now she's just so perfect, I've never been quite so fucking deep in
It goes on and on, and on, I can keep you looking young
And preserved forever with a fountain to spray on your youth whenever

?Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time but bye, bye
And a word to the wise when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun, baby don't cry

You had my heart, at least for the most part
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, but baby, don't cry

Now possibilities I'd never considered
Are occurring the likes of which I'd never heard
Now an angry soul comes back from beyond the grave
To repossess a body with which I'd misbehaved

Smiling right from ear to ear
Almost laughed herself to tears

Must have stabbed him fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped his heart out right before his eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it
[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/avenged-sevenfold-lyrics/a-little-piece-of-heaven-lyrics.html .]

Now that it's done, I realize the error of my ways
I must venture back to apologize
From somewhere far beyond the grave

I gotta make up for what I've done
?Cause I was all up in a piece of heaven
While you burned in hell, no peace forever

?Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time but bye, bye
And a word to the wise when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun but baby, don't cry

You had my heart at least for the most part
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let?s make a new start
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, but baby, don't cry

I will suffer for so long
(What will you do, not long enough?)
To make it up to you
(I pray to God that you do)
I'll do whatever you want me to do
(Well then I?ll break you unchained)

And if it's not enough
(If it?s not enough, if it?s not enough)
If it's not enough
(Not enough)
Try again
(Try again)
And again
(And again)
Over and over again

We?re coming back, coming back
We?ll live forever, live forever
Let?s have a wedding, have a wedding
Let?s start the killing, start the killing

?Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time but bye, bye
And a word to the wise when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun but baby, don't cry

You had my heart at least for the most part
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let?s make a new start
?Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, but baby, don't cry

Kemiskinan di Indonesia

            Perkembangan Tingkat Kemiskinan di Indonesia

Bagaimana perkembangan tingkat kemiskinan di Indonesia? Program Pembangunan Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) meluncurkan laporan tahunan Pembangunan manusia (Human Development Report) 2006 yang bertajuk Beyord scarcity; power, poverty dan the global water. Laporan ini menjadi rujukan perencanaan pembangunan dan menjadi salah satu Indikator kegagalan atau keberhasilan sebuah negara menyejahterakan rakyatnya. Selama satu dekade ini Indonesia berada pada Tier Medium Human Development peringkat ke 110, terburuk di Asia Tenggara setelah Kamboja.

Jumlah kemiskinan dan persentase penduduk miskin selalu berfluktuasi dari tahun ke tahun, meskipun ada kecenderungan menurun pada salah satu periode (2000-2005). Pada periode 1996-1999 penduduk miskin meningkat sebesar 13,96 juta, yaitu dari 34,01 juta(17,47%) menjadi 47,97 juta (23,43%) pada tahun 1999. Kembali cerah ketika periode 1999-2002, penduduk miskin menurun 9,57 juta yaitu dari 47,97 (23,43%) menurun menjadi 38,48 juta (18,20%). Keadaan ini terulang ketika periode berikutnya (2002-2005) yaitu penurunan penduduk miskin hingga 35,10 juta pada tahun 2005 dengan presentasi menurun dari 18,20% menjadi 15,97 %. Sedangkan pada tahun 2006 penduduk miskin bertambah dari 35,10 juta (15,97%) menjadi 39,05 juta (17,75%) berarti penduduk miskin meningkat sebesar 3,95 juta (1,78%).

Adapun laporan terakhir, Badan Pusat Statistika ( BPS ) yang telah melaksanakan Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional (SUSENAS) pada bulan Maret 2007 angka resmi jumlah masyarakat miskin adalah 39,1 juta orang dengan kisaran konsumsi kalori 2100 kilo kalori (kkal) atau garis kemiskinan ketika pendapatan kurang dari Rp 152.847 per-kapita per bulan.

            

            Penjelasan Teknis dan Sumber Data

Sebagai tinjauan kevalidan dan pemahaman data di atas secara lugas, dipaparkan penjelasan data dan sumber data yang diambil dari Berita Resmi Statistika No.47/ IX/ 1 September 2006, yaitu sebagai berikut:

a. Untuk mengukur kemiskinan, BPS menggunakan konsep kemampuan memenuhi kebutuhan dasar (Basic Needs Approach). Dengan pendekatan ini kemiskinan dipandang sebagai ketidakmampuan dari sisi ekonomi. Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan dasar makanan dan bukan makanan yang diukur dari sisi pengeluaran. Dengan pendekatan ini dapat dihitung Head Count Indeks (HCI) yaitu persentase penduduk yang berada di bawah garis kemiskinan.

b. Metode yang digunakan menghitung Garis Kemiskinan(GK) yang terdiri dari dua komponen yaitu Garis Kemiskinan Makanan (GKM) dan Garis Kemiskinan Bukan Makanan (GKBM). Perhitungan garis kemiskinan dilakukan secara terpisah untuk daerah perkotaan dan pedesaan. Penduduk miskin adalah penduduk yang memiliki rata-rata pendapatan per-kapita di bawah garis kemiskinan.

c. Sumber utama data yang dipakai untuk menghitung kemiskinan adalah data Susenas (Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional) panel Februari 2005 dan Maret 2006. Sebagai informasi tambahan,digunakan juga Survei Paket Komoditi Kebutuhan Dasar (SPKKD) yang dipakai untuk memperkirakan Proporsi dari Pengeluaran masing-masing komoditi pokok bukan makanan.

Tantangan Kemiskinan di Indonesia

Masalah kemiskinan di Indonesia sarat sekali hubungannya dengan rendahnya tingkat Sumber Daya Manusia (SDM). dibuktikan oleh rendahnya mutu kehidupan masyarakat Indonesia meskipun kaya akan Sumber Daya Alam (SDA). Sebagaimana yang ditunjukkan oleh rendahnya Indeks Pembangunan Masyarakat (IPM) Indonesia pada tahun 2002 sebesar 0,692. yang masih menempati peringkat lebih rendah dari Malaysia dan Thailand di antara negara-negara ASEAN. Sementara, Indeks Kemiskinan Manusia (IKM) Indonesia pada tahun yang sama sebesar 0,178. masih lebih tinggi dari Filipina dan Thailand. Selain itu, kesenjangan gender di Indonesia masih relatif lebih besar dibanding negara ASEAN lainnya.

Tantangan lainnya adalah kesenjangan antara desa dan kota. Proporsi penduduk miskin di pedesaan relatif lebih tinggi dibanding perkotaan. Data Susenas (National Social Ekonomi Survey) 2004 menunjukkan bahwa sekitar 69,0 % penduduk Indonesia termasuk penduduk miskin yang sebagian besar bekerja di sektor pertanian. Selain itu juga tantangan yang sangat memilukan adalah kemiskinan di alami oleh kaum perempuan yang ditunjukkan oleh rendahnya kualitas hidup dan peranan wanita, terjadinya tindak kekerasan terhadap perempuan dan anak, serta masih rendahnya angka pembangunan gender (Gender-related Development Indeks, GDI) dan angka Indeks pemberdayaan Gender(Gender Empowerment Measurement,GEM).

Tantangan selanjutnya adalah otonomi daerah. di mana hal ini mempunyai peran yang sangat signifikan untuk mengentaskan atau menjerumuskan masyarakat dari kemiskinan. Sebab ketika meningkatnya peran keikutsertaan pemerintah daerah dalam penanggulangan kemiskinan. maka tidak mustahil dalam jangka waktu yang relatif singkat kita akan bisa mengentaskan masyarakat dari kemiskinan pada skala nasional terutama dalam mendekatkan pelayanan dasar bagi masyarakat. Akan tetapi ketika pemerintah daerah kurang peka terhadap keadaan lingkungan sekitar, hal ini sangat berpotensi sekali untuk membawa masyarakat ke jurang kemiskinan, serta bisa menimbulkan bahaya laten dalam skala Nasional.

Kebijakan dan Program Penuntasan Kemiskinan

Upaya penanggulangan kemiskinan Indonesia telah dilakukan dan menempatkan penanggulangan kemiskinan sebagai prioritas utama kebijakan pembangunan nasional. Kebijakan kemiskinan merupakan prioritas Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah (RPJM) 2004-2009 dan dijabarkan lebih rinci dalam Rencana Kerja Pemerintah (RKP) setiap tahun serta digunakan sebagai acuan bagi kementrian, lembaga dan pemerintah daerah dalam pelaksanaan pembangunan tahunan.

Sebagai wujud gerakan bersama dalam mengatasi kemiskinan dan mencapai Tujuan pembangunan Milenium, Strategi Nasional Pembangunan Kemiskinan (SPNK) telah disusun melalui proses partisipatif dengan melibatkan seluruh stakeholders pembangunan di Indonesia. Selain itu, sekitar 60 % pemerintah kabupaten/ kota telah membentuk Komite penanggulangan Kemiskinan Daerah (KPKD) dan menyusun Strategi Penanggulangan Kemiskinan Daerah (SPKD) sebagai dasar arus utama penanggulangan kemiskinan di daerah dan mendorong gerakan sosial dalam mengatasi kemiskinan.

Adapun langkah jangka pendek yang diprioritaskan antara lain sebagai berikut:

a) Mengurangi kesenjangan antar daerah dengan; (i) penyediaan sarana-sarana irigasi, air bersih dan sanitasi dasar terutama daerah-daerah langka sumber air bersih. (ii) pembangunan jalan, jembatan, dan dermaga daerah-daerah tertinggal. (iii) redistribusi sumber dana kepada daerah-daerah yang memiliki pendapatan rendah dengan instrumen Dana Alokasi Khusus (DAK) .

b) Perluasan kesempatan kerja dan berusaha dilakukan melalui bantuan dana stimulan untuk modal usaha, pelatihan keterampilan kerja dan meningkatkan investasi dan revitalisasi industri.

c) Khusus untuk pemenuhan sarana hak dasar penduduk miskin diberikan pelayanan antara lain (i) pendidikan gratis sebagai penuntasan program belajar 9 tahun termasuk tunjangan bagi murid yang kurang mampu (ii) jaminan pemeliharaan kesehatan gratis bagi penduduk miskin di puskesmas dan rumah sakit kelas tiga.

Di bawah ini merupakan contoh dari upaya mengatasi kemiskinan di Indonesia.

Contoh dari upaya kemiskinan adalah di propinsi Jawa Barat tepatnya di Bandung dengan diadakannya Bandung Peduli yang dibentuk pada tanggal 23 – 25 Februari 1998. Bandung Peduli adalah gerakan kemanusiaan yang memfokuskan kegiatannya pada upaya menolong orang kelaparan, dan mengentaskan orang-orang yang berada di bawah garis kemiskinan. Dalam melakukan kegiatan, Bandung Peduli berpegang teguh pada wawasan kemanusiaan, tanpa mengindahkan perbedaan suku, ras, agama, kepercayaan, ataupun haluan politik.

Oleh karena sumbangan dari para dermawan tidak terlalu besar bila dibandingkan dengan permasalahan kelaparan dan kemiskinan yang dihadapi, maka Bandung Peduli melakukan targetting dengan sasaran bahwa orang yang dibantu tinggal di Kabupaten/ Kotamadya Bandung, dan mereka yang tergolong fakir. Golongan fakir yang dimaksud adalah orang yang miskin sekali dan paling miskin bila diukur dengan “Ekuivalen Nilai Tukar Beras”.

Penyebab Kemiskinan

Di bawah ini beberapa penyebab kemiskinan menurut pendapat Karimah Kuraiyyim. Yang antara lain adalah:

a. Merosotnya standar perkembangan pendapatan per-kapita secara global.

Yang penting digarisbawahi di sini adalah bahwa standar pendapatan per-kapita bergerak seimbang dengan produktivitas yang ada pada suatu sistem. Jikalau produktivitas berangsur meningkat maka pendapatan per-kapita pun akan naik. Begitu pula sebaliknya, seandainya produktivitas menyusut maka pendapatan per-kapita akan turun beriringan.

Berikut beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhi kemerosotan standar perkembangan pendapatan per-kapita:

a) Naiknya standar perkembangan suatu daerah.

b) Politik ekonomi yang tidak sehat.

c) Faktor-faktor luar neger, diantaranya:

- Rusaknya syarat-syarat perdagangan

- Beban hutang

- Kurangnya bantuan luar negeri, dan

- Perang

b. Menurunnya etos kerja dan produktivitas masyarakat.

Terlihat jelas faktor ini sangat urgen dalam pengaruhnya terhadap kemiskinan. Oleh karena itu, untuk menaikkan etos kerja dan produktivitas masyarakat harus didukung dengan SDA dan SDM yang bagus, serta jaminan kesehatan dan pendidikan yang bisa dipertanggungjawabkan dengan maksimal

c. Biaya kehidupan yang tinggi.

Melonjak tingginya biaya kehidupan di suatu daerah adalah sebagai akibat dari tidak adanya keseimbangan pendapatan atau gaji masyarakat. Tentunya kemiskinan adalah konsekuensi logis dari realita di atas. Hal ini bisa disebabkan oleh karena kurangnya tenaga kerja ahli, lemahnya peranan wanita di depan publik dan banyaknya pengangguran.

d. Pembagian subsidi in come pemerintah yang kurang merata.

Hal ini selain menyulitkan akan terpenuhinya kebutuhan pokok dan jaminan keamanan untuk para warga miskin, juga secara tidak langsung mematikan sumber pemasukan warga. Bahkan di sisi lain rakyat miskin masih terbebani oleh pajak negara.

indikator kemiskinan

Untuk menuju solusi kemiskinan penting bagi kita untuk menelusuri secara detail indikator-indikator kemiskinan tersebut.

Adapun indikator-indikator kemiskinan sebagaimana di kutip dari Badan Pusat Statistika, antara lain sebagi berikut:

1. Ketidakmampuan memenuhi kebutuhan konsumsi dasar (sandang, pangan dan papan).

2. Tidak adanya akses terhadap kebutuhan hidup dasar lainnya (kesehatan, pendidikan, sanitasi, air bersih dan transportasi).

3. Tidak adanya jaminan masa depan (karena tiadanya investasi untuk pendidikan dan keluarga).

4. Kerentanan terhadap goncangan yang bersifat individual maupun massa.

5. Rendahnya kualitas sumber daya manusia dan terbatasnya sumber daya alam.

6. Kurangnya apresiasi dalam kegiatan sosial masyarakat.

7. Tidak adanya akses dalam lapangan kerja dan mata pencaharian yang berkesinambungan.

8. Ketidakmampuan untuk berusaha karena cacat fisik maupun mental.

9. Ketidakmampuan dan ketidaktergantungan sosial (anak-anak terlantar, wanita korban kekerasan rumah tangga, janda miskin, kelompok marginal dan terpencil).

Keprofesionalan Guru

Profesionalisme berakar pada kata profesi yang berarti pekerjaan yang dilandasi pendidikan keahlian, profesionalisme itu sendiri dapat berarti mutu, kualitas, dan tindak tanduk yang merupakan ciri suatu profesi atau orang yang profesional. Profesionalisme guru dapat berarti guru yang profesional.

            Menurut Sanusi, et.al dalam Sujipto (1994:17) bahwa ciri-ciri utama suatu profesi itu sebagai berikut :

a)      Suatu jabatan yang memiliki fungsi dan signifikansi sosoial yang menentukan            (crusial).

b)      Jabatan yang menuntut keterampilan/keahlian tertentu

c)      Keterampilan/keahlian yang dituntut jabatan itu didapat melalui pemecahan masalah dengan menggunakan teori dan metode ilmiah.

d)     Jabatan itu berdasarkan pada batang tubuh disiplin ilmu yang jelas, sistematik,           eksplisit yang bukan hanya sekedar pendapat khalayak umum.

e)      Jabatan itu memerlukan pendidikan tingkat perguruan tinggi dengan waktu yang      cukup lama.

f)      Proses pendidikan untuk jabatan itu juga aplikasi dan sosialisasi nilai-nilai      profesional itu sendiri.

g)     Dalam memberikan layanan kepada masyarakat anggota profesi itu berpegang            teguh pada kode etik yang timbul yang dikontrol oleh organisasi profesi.

h)     Tiap anggota profesi mempunyai kebebasan dalam memberikan judgement     terhadap permasalahan profesi yang dihadapinya.

i)       Dalam prakteknya melayani masyarakat anggota profesi otonom dan bebas dari        campur tangan orang lain.

j)       Jabatan ini mempunyai prestise yang tinggi dalam masyarakat dan oleh karenanya     memperoleh imbalan yang tinggi pula.

            Ini berarti bahwa pekerjaan yang bersifat profesional adalah pekerjaan yang hanya dapat dilakukan oleh mereka yang khusus dipersiapkan untuk itu dan bukan pekerjaan yang dilakukan oleh mereka yang karena tidak dapat memperoleh pekerjaan yang lain.

Kota Romantis

1. Copenhagen, Denmark
Romantis yang eksklusif. Sinar temaram dari lampu-lampu sepanjang jalanan Copenhagen akan membawa Anda dan pasangan ke dalam suasana yang syahdu. Kastil-kastil seperti Amalienborg Palace atau Ronsenborg Castle and King's Garden, adalah dua tempat yang wajib Anda kunjungi. Di pelataran kastilnya, mungkin Anda tak akan sadar ketika mulai berpegangan tangan lalu berciuman di bawah pohon rindang.

Udara di kota ini cukup menggigit, terutama di musim dingin. Hangatkan diri Anda dan pasangan dengan mengunjungi Thorvaldsen Museum, tempat patung Cupid dan Psyche yang terkenal itu berada. Setelah itu, makan malam romantis tentu menjadi penutup hari Valentine yang indah. Beberapa restoran di Copenhagen menyajikan panorama kota yang memukau mata.

2. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires tak sekadar identik dengan kota Latin. Hawanya cukup hangat dan jalanan kotanya sangat apik. Di beberapa jalan kota, Anda bisa menyaksikan warga lokal memeragakan tarian Tango yang sensual. Tak hanya soal tarian, Buenos Aires juga menawarkan beberapa restoran dengan masakan fusion terbaik di dunia.

Ajaklah pasangan mengunjungi Rose Garden di Palermo, dan berposelah di bawah gerbang lengkung yang terbuat dari bunga mawar. Jembatan yang ada di tempat ini adalah lokasi tepat untuk menyatakan cinta, atau melontarkan pertanyaan seperti "Would you marry me?"

3. Marrakech, Maroko
Jika Anda langsung teringat akan hiruk pikuk kota Marrakech, buang jauh-jauh pikiran Anda. Kota ini bisa menjadi tujuan berlibur yang tepat jika Anda tinggal di Riad. Riad adalah rumah tradisional Maroko yang ditata cantik, dengan pekarangan bunga di bagian depan atau sampingnya. Beberapa Riad telah diubah menjadi hotel kecil nan cantik.

Ketika hari beranjak gelap, bertolaklah ke Jemaa el Fna untuk pengalaman makan malam tak terlupakan. Mungkin jauh dari kata romantis, namun cobalah mencicipi masakan Maroko di pasar malam paling terkenal di dunia ini. Anda bisa juga meminta para musisi lokal untuk bernyanyi di depan pasangan, menyuguhkan lagu-lagu cinta ketika larut malam.

4. Salzburg, Austria
Tempat yang paling tepat untuk sebuah ciuman manis adalah di taman bunga mawar Mirabell Palace. Istana yang dibangun pada abad ke-17 ini memiliki taman yang luas, sangat cocok untuk jalan-jalan santai di sore hari. Meskipun, Anda akan sulit mencari tempat sepi karena banyaknya pasangan yang menghabiskan hari Valentine di sini.

Tapi, Anda bisa meresapi kota kelahiran seniman ternama Mozart ini dengan berbagai cara. Salah satunya adalah menyewa kereta kuda untuk berkeliling melihat anggunnya Gunung Monchsberg, Stieglkeller Beer Garden, juga panorama memukau dari jembatan Makartsteg.

5. Budapest, Hungaria
Ibukota Hungaria ini bagaikan permata di Benua Eropa. Anda dan pasangan bisa mengitari Kastil Buda, atau mengunjungi pemandian air panas nan cantik di Szechenyi. Ajaklah pasangan mengunjungi Pulau Margaret, di mana Anda bisa bersepeda mengelilingi taman-taman indah dan reruntuhan bangunan abad pertengahan.

Di malam harinya, Sungai Danube memantulkan cahaya temaram dari lampu-lampu di sepanjang jalanannya. Berjalan menyusuri sisi Sungai Danube sambil berpelukan menjadi pilihan untuk menghabiskan malam Anda.

RPP

RPP adalah rancangan  pelaksanaan kegiatan belajar-mengajar yang akan direalisasikan di dalam kelas dan merupakan penjabaran lebih rinci dari silabus (penjabaran  skenario pembelajaran, wujud media, wujud alat penilaian yang sudah siap digunakan).

Teori belajar Van Hiele

Dalam belajar pengajaran geometri terdapat teori belajar yang dikemukakan oleh Van Hiele (1954), yang menguraikan tahap-tahap perkembangan mental anak dalam belajar geometri. Van Hiele adalah seorang guru bangsa Belanda yang mengadakan penelitian dalam pegajaran geometri. Hasil penelitiannya itu, yang dirumuskan dalam disertasinya, diperoleh dari kegiatan tanya jawab dan pengamatan.

Menurut Van Hiele, tiga unsur utama dalam pengajaran geometri yaitu waktu, materi pengajaran dan metode pengajaran yang diterapkan, jika ditata secara terpadu akan dapat meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir anak kepada tingkatan berpikir yang lebih tinggi.

21 GUNS - Greenday lyric

Do you know what's worth fighting for,
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins.

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins.

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins.

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky (x2)

You and I.

Sakit Gigi dan Obatnya

Sakit gigi merupakan penyakit yang menyebalkan. Karena penyakit ini terkadang membuat seseorang seperti ingin mati saja atau bisa bikin pikiran jadi gila gara-gara terkena sakit gigi.

Sakit gigi ini bisa membuat aktivitas jadi terganggu. Karena Gigi sakit, kepala pun seringkali ikut sakit terkena dampak gigi yang sakit tersebut. Ada macam-macam penyebab sakit gigi, bisa karena gigi berlubang, gusi berdarah, gigi patah dan sebagainya.

Dari sekian banyak penyebab sakit gigi, ada obat sakit gigi yang paling bagus yang bisa anda coba jika terkena sakit gigi. Ada tiga jenis obat yang bisa anda minum ketika sakit gigi tersebut menyerang.

Yang pertama adalah Amoxicilin, kemudian Paracetamol dan yang ketiga adalah Predinisone (Inflason). Anda bisa beli obat generiknya saja atau beli yang bermerek, tergantung ketebalan kantong anda. Semoga sakit giginya cepat sembuh, karena admin sudah mencoba memakai obat di atas, obat di atas didapat admin dari resep ahli gigi terkenal di sekitar rumah admin. Dua kali admin sakit gigi stadium empat, dua kali pula memakai resep di atas (dosis 3x1), hasilnya sehari langsung sembuh.