Christmas in USA

 If we talk about Christmas, also we will talk about Santa Claus. He was born in US in the 1980’s. Christmas celebrations vary greatly between regions of the United States.

©      ALASKA

In Alaska, a star on a pole is taken from door to door, followed by Herod’s men who try to capture the star. Colonial doorways are often decorated with pineapple, a symbol of hospitality.

Boys and girls with lanterns on poles carry a large figure of a star from door to door. They sing carols and are invited in for supper.

©      WASHINGTON DC

A huge, spectacular tree is lit ceremoniously when the president presses a button and turns on the trees lights.

©      ARIZONA

The Mexican ritual “Las Posadas” is kept up. A ritual procession and play representing the search of Mary and Joseph for a room at the inn. Family play the parts and visit each other’s houses enacting and re-enacting the drama and at the same time, having a look at each family’s crib.

©      HAWAII

Christmas stars with the coming of the “Christmas tree ships” which is a ship bringing a great load of Christmas fare. Santa Claus arrives by boat.

©      CALIFORNIA

Santa Claus sweeps in a surf board

©      COLORADO

An enormous star is placed on the mountain; it can be seen for many kilometers around.

©      PHILADELPHIA

A procession called a “Mummers parade” runs for a whole day with bands, dancers and people in fancy dress.

 American homes are decorated by:

©      Holly : kinds of tree

©      Mistletoe and branches of tree

©      Electrics lights, tinsel and baubles

©      Strings of popcorn and candy canes

 Food

Many families serve a variety of menus for Christmas:

©      Turkey

©      Dressing

©      Potatoes

©      Gravy

©      Cranberry sauce

©      Vegetables

©      Salad

©      Some sort of dessert

Christmas celebration in US is the same as Idul Fitri celebration in Indonesia. If in Indonesia, the town is lonely because most of people back to their village, whereas in US town is lonely because people assemble with their family.

CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH (CAR)

What is CAR??

According to Gay (2000:593) Action Research is a type of practitioner research that is used to improve the practitioner’s practice; action implies doing or changing something.

Next, Madison (2001) states that action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully using the techniques of research. While, Setiyadi (2006:270) says action research is a research which emphasize in perfection of learning process in classroom.  In addition Gregory in Richard in Yulnetri (2008:24) says that action research aims at improving the quality of teaching and learning process.

Thus, CAR is not only about the achievement of learning’s goal but also focus to the process while teaching is being done.

When CAR can be done??

In research, we have to know that there are many problems in this world, but not all problems are researchable. There are many kinds of research but not all problems can be solved by a kind of research. How to know, when a problem can be solved by CAR??

CAR is started by a sickness. Who can feel the sickness?? Can be the students feel it or can be the teacher. Usually, they feel something wrong in the learning process. The problems can come from the students, the teacher and his/ her technique. For example, the teacher has prepared her best for teaching but the learning goal still not achieves yet, maybe there is a problem happens.

To whom CAR can be done??

Ideally, who get sick, she/he must take a medicine. For example, A is sick but the medicine is given to B, will A recover from the sickness? Of course not! So, where the problem appears, there is a CAR should be done.

Who will do a CAR??

CAR is also known as collaborative research where the teacher and the researcher will work together. One is as a teacher who applies the techniques in CAR and the other one is as observer who observes while teaching process.

Can researcher be a teacher?? It can be but it cannot help more for the teacher, there just a unilateral advantage, after getting the data, the researcher will leave the field, she/he get the advantage because the data help her/his to finish her/his study but how about the teacher? Is she knows how to apply the technique after being leave by the researcher? I think, the teacher not really understand what to do with the technique. Thus, it will be better if the teacher apply the technique by her/his self. All of materials are prepared by the researcher, the teacher just learn the material and apply it.

How to see the improvement??

That’s the researcher’s job. Every meeting she/he should take an observation note, this note is to observe both the teacher and the students. This note helps the researcher to make the new plan for the next meeting. It is as a guide, what should do for the next meeting to get better improvement than the previous meeting.