1. The Use of Reinforcements in Teaching English

Reward plays a substantial part in our everyday lives. In many of our

daily activities, our efforts are rewarded. For instance, at home, we may

receive praise for completing a task or thanks for a helping hand. Those

rewards, actually, will motivate us to do the same things again and again.

Based on that tendency, psychologists have long investigated the effect of

rewards and punishments on the way human learn. In this context, the term

“reinforcements” is used. Reinforcements refer to the teacher action to

strengthen a particular behavior. It uses positive and negative aspects that help

a teacher control and maintain a productive classroom environment with

minimal distractions.

The first aspect, positive reinforcement, is the act of strengthening

students’ behavior by presenting a desired stimulus after a particular behavior.

This way will increase the frequency of the students’ good behavior. When the

students do a good behavior, the teacher should acknowledge their actions by

congratulating them. For example, when a student could answer a question

correctly, then the teacher says “Well done!” This positive reinforcement will

make the students feel that what they did has made their teacher happy.

Consequently, they are encouraged to do that again in the next occasion.

Second, negative reinforcement, is the way of strengthening behavior

by removing bad stimulus. An example of negative behavior is nagging

students to get back to work. Negative reinforcement is often confused with

punishment which is the addition of an undesired outcome for misbehaving.

Punishments like detention, no free time, and no recess are avoidable, while

negative reinforcements are the act to keep students on task.

Both positive and negative reinforcements are very useful to be used in

teaching English. Moreover, English is considered to be the first foreign

language to be learned in Indonesia. Reinforcement would make the class

alive and encourage the students’ motivation to be active in class, for example

by giving them verbal, gesture, or proximity reinforcing in class.

Verbal reinforcing refers to a teacher’s comments and encouragements

when students do the task correctly, such as, the word “great!”, “Nice work”,

“Well done”, etc. A gestures reinforcing is like smiling, winking, raising

eyebrows, nodding, clapping hands, or shrugging shoulders when the students

make an effort, while proximity reinforcing include standing alongside the

students, advancing toward, or walking nearby the students.

With the reinforcement stated above, teaching English become more

attractive and the students will be motivated to get involve the class actively.

Besides, the achievements of the English subject would be increasing, too. To

conclude, reinforcement is one of the ways to teach English effectively.

Difficult Words Synonym

1. Substantial (Adj) : Strong, big (Adj)

2. tendency (N) : propensity(noun)

3. Reinforcement(N) : strengthening(N)

4. acknowledge (V) : admit (V), accept (V)

5. encourage(V) : Support(V)

6. distractions (N) : annoyances(N), disturbances(N)

7.detention (N) : imprisonment(N)

8. proximity(N) : nearness(N)

9. nagging(V) : grumble (V), complain(V)

Summary

Reinforcement refers to the teacher action to strengthen a particular

behavior. It has two aspects, positive and negative. The first aspect, positive

reinforcement, is the act of strengthening students’ behavior by presenting a

desired stimulus after a particular behavior. the example is when the students

do the job well, the teacher admit it by congratulating him.

Second, negative reinforcement, is the way of strengthening behavior

by removing bad stimulus. The example is when the student do the job badly,

the teacher ask the students to work it again

There are three types of reinforcement:

1. Verbal reinforcement, is like by giving comments such as ‘’great’’,

‘’good’’ etc

2. Gesture reinforcement, is like smiling, winking, clapping hand etc

3. Proximity reinforcement, is like standing alongside the students, walking

nearby the students

With the reinforcement, teaching process become more attractive and

the students will be motivated to get involve the class actively. So,

reinforcement is one of the ways to teach English effectively

2. How About a Free Anti Virus Program - 3 Reasons Why You May Be at

Risk

By Richard Seng

Should I use a free antivirus program or a paid version? In todays

world on the internet, we are always looking for a product or service that is

free. However, when it comes to a virus protection, free is not always free.

Think about it for a minute. Why would anyone sit down on the

computer and spend hours and hours of time to develop and maintain a

software program and do it for free. There has got to be someone wanting to

make money off of you some how or they could not continue with their

activities.

In addition, many of the so called free programs do not have technical

support. How would they be able to support technical help if they could not

pay them. When you have a problem, you are going to want someone to help

you.

Spyware – Many software programs that are free, have some type of

spyware attached. If the maker or developer of the program is not charging

you, then how are they going to make money. Spyware is attached to the

program and your system may be tracked for advertisement purposes.

In some cases your system may be scanned for e-mail address or other

information that you may not want to give out. Please be very careful with any

free program you install on your computer.

Better yet, make sure you have a firewall, anti virus program and anti

spyware program installed on your computer for all of your internet security

protection.

Difficult Words Synonym

1. Maintain V protect V

2. attached. V patch V, stuck V

Summary

The free antivirus in the internet is not pure free. It is impossible a

person makes a software hard to be a free stuff. Every free software always

just fishing out the user to buy the paid version. Some software often attached

by spyware that is dangerous for our privacy such as email or any other

private account. For this reason we should be careful in installing a free

software in our computer. We should make sure our computer has a good

security.

3. Your Information Can be Stolen Via Wireless Connections

Ed Dickson

Yesterday, I wrote about how the FBI is warning us that personal

details can be stolen (i-jacked) when using public computers. This occurs

using crimeware, previously installed on a public computer, logs the keys you

are stroking and sends the information (electronically) to criminals.

It can be dangerous to look at any of your online financial information

on these (public access) machines.

When writing about this phenomenon, I remembered that even using

your personal computer at a public place with a wireless connection can

expose a person's personal and sometimes, financial details.

Just the other day, Martin Bosworth, over at Consumer Affairs, wrote

an excellent piece covering this danger, where he stated:

Sending unencrypted information over any unfamiliar network can

turn your computer into an open book -- with pages full of your personal

information.

Many of these connections are appear to be legitimate connections

because they are spoofed (camouflaged to appear as if they are a trusted

connection).

Spoofing a connection, or site isn't very hard to do. They simply copy

and transpose pictures and statements (words) from legitimate sites to their

own. The Artists Against website has a portal, where you can see fake

websites that are up and running on the Internet.

Interestingly enough, wireless technology, isn't only used to

compromise individuals. In the recent TJX data breach, where some are

saying 200 million records were stolen since 2003, reports are saying the data

was stolen, using wireless technology.

It's being reported that this was accomplished from a car with a laptop.

Driving around with a laptop, using other people's wireless connections, is

sometimes referred to as "war-driving," which is my new word for the day.

Difficult Words Synonym

1. Logs(V) types (V), writes(V)

2. Stroking(V) attacking(V)

3. Spoofing(V) sabotaging(V),catching(V)

4. Legitimate(A) leagal(A)

5. Breach(V) Infraction(N)

6. Fake(N) sham(N)

Summary

Now personal details can be stolen when we using public computer

with a wireless. It can be very dangerous for our financial information that

kept in the computer. The expert, Martin Bosworth, said that sending

unencrypted information can be catch by other person. This person has a more

knowledge that makes him can do a such cyber crime. There are a lot of

reports that said that about 200 million records were stolen since 2003 using

wireless technology.

4. Russia needs new arms to counter US shield: Putin

MOSCOW, Dec 29: Russia must develop new offensive weapons to

counter US missile defences and prevent US policymakers from feeling they

can “do whatever they want,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

“To preserve the balance, we must develop offensive weapons

systems, not missile defence systems as the United States is doing,” Putin said

during a visit to the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok.

“The problems of missile defence and offensive arms are very closely

linked,” the powerful Russian prime minister said in comments broadcast on

state television.

“By building such an umbrella over themselves our partners could feel

themselves fully secure and will do whatever they want, which upsets the

balance.

“Aggressiveness immediately increases in real politics and economics”

in this situation, he added.

Putin’s comments — coming on the heels of a similar statement by

President Dmitry Medvedev — marked a toughening of Moscow’s stance on

strategic security ties with the United States.

The former Cold War foes are in talks on a successor to the now-

expired START nuclear disarmament treaty.

They had hoped to complete a new pact by year’s end, but the talks

are still in progress and no new agreement is expected before next month at

the earliest.

President Barack Obama announced last July plans to “reset” troubled

US ties with Russia. Two months later, he cancelled plans to deploy elements

of a new US missile shield in eastern Europe, near Russia’s borders.

Moscow had fiercely opposed those plans, pushed by Obama’s

predecessor, George Bush, and at first cautiously welcomed Washington’s

decision.

Obama however made clear US intentions to continue work on a new

missile de fence system elsewhere, and Putin’s comments Tuesday marked the

sharpest language heard from Moscow in some time on US missile defence

plans.

Putin said Washington should share its missile defence plans with

Moscow if it wanted to ease Russian alarm on the issue.

“Let the Americans hand over all their information on missile defene

and we are ready to hand over all the information on offensive weapons

systems,” he said.

Medvedev earlier this month said Russia would continue to develop a

new generation of nuclear missiles even as the START successor talks

continued.

Moscow is asserting a right to build new strategic missiles and seeking

concessions on this issue from US negotiators in disarmament talks in Geneva,

defence analyst Alexander Konovalov said.

The Russian military wants to roll out new long-range missiles to

compensate for terms in the old START treaty which it viewed as

asymmetrical, favorable to the United States and still impacting the strategic

balance today, he added.

Putin however said START negotiations were “developing positively.”

His remarks bolster a view that Putin, who preceded Medvedev as president,

still has considerable sway in shaping Russian foreign policy, a prerogative

which under the constitution should be the Cof Medvedev. “This is not his

sphere, but Putin is showing he is not weaker than Medvedev,” Konovalov

added.

START, signed in 1991 just before the collapse of the USSR, led to

deep cuts in the Russian and US nuclear arsenals but expired without a

replacement on Dec 5.

Russia has long pushed for a link between offensive and defensive

weapons in a new START treaty, and such language was part of a joint

declaration on disarmament by Medvedev and Obama after their Moscow

summit.—AFP

Difficult Words Synonym

1. Preserve(v) protect(V)

2. Stance (N) stand (N)

3. Pact(N) agreement(N)

4. Deploy(V) spread(N)

5. Predecessor(N) pioneer(N)

6. Ease(V) Decrease(V)

7. Treaty(N) pact(N)

8. Bolster(N) view (N)

9. Purview(N) field(N)

Summary

Russia will develop new offensive weapons because America is

developing offensive weapons. Some agreements are done in several times ,

but America still intend to build new defensive weapons which makes Russia

should makes new offensive weapons.

READING ASSIGNMENT

“THE USE OF REINFORCEMENTS IN TEACHING ENGLISH”

Compilled by:

Name : Kingkin Galih Priambudi

NIM : 0701050011

Class : A1

THE FACULTY OF TECHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OFPURWOKERTO

2009