Extending students ZPD with center learning and technology

Abstract

Kindergarten Students along with their golden age period attracts researchers to come along with many ideas on how to enhance the potential learning skills they should possess. This golden age period urges them to be assisted by optimal and proximal help from their surrounding adults. This research tries to reveal the potential of students’ ZPD in kindergarten level with Center learning and technology method (metode sentra) applied by this school since its establishment. The instrument involved is interview, class observation, and document analysis. Learning situation provided is as the teacher made optimal efforts to empower students’ learning situation involving the students themselves and their peers. This situation is the so called extending students ZPD. Property of the learner is referred to the condition of various but different features of students’ features are gathered by the teacher in supporting and establishing students’ self-empowerment, optimized by the learning center method applied. There are 5 learning center in TK Arasy: Preparation Center, Religion Center, Role Play Center, Science Center, and Art Center. The 5 centers were equipped with sufficient equipment in developing students’ multiple intelligences. Some findings revealed from this research: first, student turns into independent learners. Second, students’ skill and knowledge are developed significantly especially the imagination skill. Third, teachers admitted that they feel confident in teaching yet sometimes unsure about the chosen learning phases. The learning center made students’ ZPD worth developing.