The Google Classroom for Learning from Home Environment

From the beginning of 2020, the world has been shocked by the unexpected disease carried out by a novel corona virus named COVID-19. This virus has forced the world to conduct emergency actions in all aspects of human lives to prevent the outbreak. In Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta where the rate of positive infected cases is the highest, all institutions of offices and schools are closed for the face-to-face learning activities. Teachers and lecturers are persuaded to administer virtual classrooms due to affordable technology devices, mostly through the smartphones. One of the most favourite and simply accessed applications in learning from home is Google Classroom application. 

The Google Classroom performs a unique appearance and atmosphere that provides a central site for communicating with students, providing assignments and sending feedback. According to Ketut Sudarsana, Bagus Made Anggara Putra, Nyoman Temon Astawa, and Wayan Lali Yogantara (2019), this application is part of the online Google Apps for Education (GAFE) that suits for teachers and students in an online learning. Moreover, the Google Classroom is said to be a simply manageable application in a learning process, particularly in terms of task management, for both students and lecturers. It is also proven by Rahmad, Adria Wirda, Berutu, Lumbantoruan, and Sintong (2019) that Google Classroom is effective in promoting students’ learning independence and students’ critical thinking.

In more specific, the Google Classroom was also implemented in EFL learning. An evaluation by Bhat, Raju, Bikramjit, and D’souza (2018) was conducted to find out the effectiveness of the Google Classroom in submission process of the students’ assignment; and it revealed that the use of Google Classroom is simplifying marks and assessment on the students’ submitted assignment. Another study in Heggart and Yoo (2018) unveiled that the Google Classroom augmented student participation and learning and boosted classroom dynamics due to the students’ experience. Both studies by Bhat et al. (2018) and Heggart & Yoo (2018) admitted the Google Classroom as an effective online application in the process of language learning.

In respect to the advanced technology and communication, learning from home environment is a possible option during the pandemic. By utilising the Google Classroom as one of the free online applications, learning from home environment in all levels of education becomes much easier for both teachers and learners. The Google Classroom application has been appreciated for its simple and clear features, documenting materials and discussion, and also the assignment reminder. In this way, the Google Classroom has become the most favourite application during the pandemic.    

course.

CONCLUSION

In respect to the advanced technology and communicat

ion, learning from home

environments is a possible option in dealing with an unexpected situation during this

pandemic period. By utilizing Google Classroom as one of the free online applications,

learning from home environments in all levels of education

becomes much easier for both

teachers and learners

The Nature's Gift: CCL-HD

Health has become a crucial issue during this pandemic COVID-19. Most people have tried to keep their health by consuming vitamins in various forms of tablets, capsules or effervescent forms. All those vitamins were stated as 100% natural. Somehow, I prefer to make my own natural vitamin provided by nature. I call it CCL-HD for Celery, Cucumber, and Lemon Healthy Drink. 

The CCL-HD is not a new recipe since it is modified from celery juice. The celery juice has been well known for its magnificent effects on people's health, particularly for decreasing the blood pressure and maintaining the ideal weight (Alodokter, April 4th, 2019). For effective results, you have to consume it everyday. Since it brings strong taste of celery, I have modified it according to my taste. I will share the step-by-step of making the CCL-HD in the following paragraph.

First of all, prepare the ingredient of a handful of celery, a cucumber, and a slice of lemon. Clean all ingredient with faucet water, then with a warm boiled water. You can drain and dry up the ingredient while you prepare a food processor, a filter and 300 ml fresh water. Next, cut the celery and the cucumber into small pieces, and put them all together into the food processor that added by the fresh water. Mix them all until smooth and well blended. After that, filter the blended celery and cucumber and add with the squeeze of lemon water. Finally, pour the blended celery, cucumber and lemon water with the final touch of a teaspoon of honey. Mix them well, and the CCL-HD is ready to be served.

See, it is very simple and very fast. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare it. Remember that the CCL-HD will bring effective result when you consume it regularly. By consuming the CCL-HD every morning, you can keep a stable blood pressure and also an ideal weight for your healthy fresh look and body. Indeed, this is one of the nature's gifts that supposed to be grateful for.        

Memoir: Winter Breeze

A cold and windy air was greeting me and my kids when we arrived at the Narita Airport. I looked around, and found no one I knew. The kids: Amr, Iam, and Yaser looked wonder on how huge the airport. "Wow, it's a great great airport. Is it Japan, Abi?" Abi nodded to Yaser. We all laughed, and Abi asked us to continue our walk. Yaser was sitting at the trolley with Abi was driving it. Meanwhile, I was holding my little girl 'Aca' whom looked so pretty with her pink blush on her cheeks. She must be very cold in the winter breeze.

 

After a long walk and took a small integrated train from one building to another building, we finally came out from the airport. Abi called someone, and a few minutes later a man with Indonesian profile showed up. He welcomed us and hugged Abi. Abi introduced him as one of the Indonesian researcher in our destiny town, Tsukuba Science City. He had been there for 9 years with his family. He told us, it took about 1 hour from Narita to Tsukuba City. He was driving the car while telling us about everything he knew about the city we would live in. He seemed to be our tour guide and it was really helpful for us. He told us that he had 4 kids too and promised me to introduce his wife and kids to me and my kids. My kids were falling a sleep along the journey when finally we arrived at the university dormitory, Ichinoya Residence. 

Actually, Abi had lived here for 6 months. Abi had to join a Japanese language course as one of the scholarship's requirements to study in Japan. After Abi completed his course, he came back to Jakarta to pick us up. So then, there we were, accompanying Abi to succeed his study in Doctoral degree of Computer Science. It would take about three years to accomplish the program, and I and my kids would be there to support Abi as one solid team, one for all and all for one. 

Two weeks after the arrival, and those days were the toughest period in our lives. I and my kids had to adapt and adopt every new habits and rules. Every morning, I and Abi had to prepare breakfast together for the kids, since we only had an altogether kitchen in one floor. At night, Abi had to wash our clothes while I washed the dishes. Meanwhile, Amr the oldest, had to take care of his brothers and little sister. Abi had to go to campus every morning from 8 am to 7 pm or even 11 pm. He really worked hard for his study, like he always did for all his work and his responsibilities. He taught us to be responsible for everything we had, as the gratefulness to the Lord, and to anyone who believed us. 

Two weeks of the survival, my oldest son got sick. He got cold and fever. I had tried to give him a medicine that we brought from Indonesia, but it didn't work. I was getting worried, then I texted Abi to come home soon. At around 7 pm, Abi arrived home. He looked worried, but then he said that Amr would be fine for the fever was decreasing. It was around 9 pm when all the kids fell a sleep. Abi looked really tired so I asked Abi to have rest and let me doing the washing. Abi refused to do that, and as usual,  we did it together. Abi told me that he had something to tell me about his lab and his 'Sensei'. "I asked a permission to my senior sensei this afternoon. I officially looked towards him, then I told him that our oldest son was sick. Do you know what did he say?" 

I kept on listening, and I could see and feel his disappointed on his face. "He said or more like an order, I think. Imam san, you are here to study, not to take care of your children, or your family. Do you think you can succeed your study when you are busy with your family? Who does he think he is? I do really disappointed for what he said. Though, I told him firmly that I will succeed without ignoring my family, then I leave him." I rubbed Abi's back so gently while my tears were falling down on my cheeks. We hugged to each other, then I said, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to disturb your study. I promise you that we are going to support you unconditionally. We will prove your sensei that you're going to be the best student he had ever known. Let us show him that your family is your biggest support to be a success person, here and after." Abi wiped my tears gently. He told me that I did not have to be worried. He always knew that he could count on me and kids, cause we were one team, for good...

It was November 2006. The sun was shining shyly, while the clouds were hanging around the Tsukuba san and the tip on the trees.  There was no snow in our first winter in Tsukuba; though, the temperature and the humidity were so low that could freeze our body. There was no snowball in our first winter in Tsukuba; though, the wind blew so cold that could freeze our tears. I knew that the journey would not be easy, yet a precious journey to struggle and to win the victory. It was the beginning of our journey to victory. It began in winter breeze.