ISTEAM EXPO: May the F.O.R.C.E be with you!

Thursday October 10th 2024

ISTEAM education is about creating an environment where students can participate in their learning and actively shape their skills, mindsets, and literacies through various projects. ISTEAM education inspires the students to explore the world and see it differently. Al Azhar 55’s ISTEAM EXPO is an annual event dedicated to students and parents who would like to find out more about what the ISTEAM learning approach is and how it is done. This year’s Expo brought the theme “May the F.O.R.C.E Be with You!”, where F.O.R.C.E stands for Focus, Observation, Research, Creativity and Endurance. This all meant to be instilled in students.

In the ISTEAM Expo 2024, parents and visitors were able to learn more about Al Azhar 55’s unique and effective ISTEAM education approach by experiencing it themselves as it was open to the public. Visitors got the opportunity to see a collection of Al Azhar 55 students’ projects. It was all created and developed by the students under the guidance and supervision of the teachers.

This event was held on 12-13 December 2023 at the Student Center and Auditorium of Al Azhar Yogyakarta. Day 1 of ISTEAM Expo was for the exhibition. Grades 1-4 did it at the Student Center, while grades 5 and 6 presented their research at the Auditorium. Students exhibited and presented all the projects.

Grades 1 and 2 projects were about fairy tale stems such as a bridge for gingerbread man, Rapunzel tower, three little pigs home design, etc. Meanwhile, grades 3 and 4 projects were about technology inspired by nature. Then, grades 5 and 6 had a mini research and presentation. They did the research for about 2 months prior to the Expo.

Day 2 of the ISTEAM Expo was a Career Day. Al Azhar 55 invited some guest speakers. Prior to the Career Day, grade 5 students collected data on who to be invited as the guest speakers in Math. The outcome was the following people: doctor, software engineer, illustrator, entrepreneur, scientist, content creator, military person, chef, videographer, athlete, and game developer.

Students could choose 2 different speakers. They had a mini training and sharing session in each class. They got a lot of information about the jobs or skills they were interested in. Enjoying the sessions, they looked enthusiastic and happy.

(Miss Danik)

Testimony

Prof. Dra. Hj. Suwarsih Madya, M.A., Ph.D.

Amidst the globalized situation which poses challenges of which one is a possible threat to identity, yet provides ample opportunities to excel for those who possess the prerequisites, we need to equip our children as the continuing generation with necessary competencies—affective, cognitive, psychomotor and interactive. In other words, we need to help them grow and develop into total persons and this can be achieved through the whole-child development approach which ensures the development of all potentials. In addition to this is the need for developing some competence which enables the children to communicate globally. All of this will ensure that the children will develop their citizenships both at the national and global levels. How can this ideal development be realized?

If you want to find out about how efforts are made to develop children’s whole potentials, you can come to SD Islam Al Azhar 55 Yogyakarta. Here you can see how the four-year old school has grown fast due to the stakeholders’ trust to send their children to study here. With only 54 children in the first year, this school now has 185 students. These students are educated to respect and preserve the social-cultural environment by learning the local language (Javanese, including the script) and arts (dance). Simultaneously, they certainly learn the national language (Bahasa Indonesia) and national content, which is unquestionable since it is compulsory, and English, which has now become a global lingua franca; thus, a prerequisite for successful global communication. More importantly, children in this school also learn to practise their religion consistently. So, in this school children’s identity is rooted in the local culture, with nationalism and global awareness being inherently developed together with reliogiosity.

Does the whole-child development approach at SD Islam Al Azhar still give room for children to excel? In my belief, when all their potentials are developed, children will have a greater chance to excel and I can see the truth in my belief in this primary school. In the last two years, the students have made great achievements in various competitions held at the local and national levels–gold medals in English, math and science competitions (national), silver and bronze medals in IT competitions (national), silver and bronze medals at colouring and swimming competitions (local) to mention some.

In conclusion, SD Islam Al Azhar has given evidence of the right efforts of true education to develop both intelligence and character.

Prof. DR. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.

Testimoni Sebagai Orang tua menyekolahkan anak Di Al-Azhar 55

Sudah menjadi kewajiban bagi orang tua untuk memberikan pendidikan yang terbaik bagi putra putrinya. Tantangan untuk mendidik anak di Era Global dan Digital pun semakin besar, kita tidak bisa lagi membendung segala perubahan yang begitu cepat terjadi, dan harus mempersiapkan anak-anak supaya bisa survive dan sholeh/sholehah tentunya. Saat ini dunia bagaikan kampung, dimana tidak ada batas-batas untuk melakukan transaksi kehidupan, untuk itu anak harus bisa berkomunikasi dengan bahasa universal sebagai modal utama. Disamping itu, pendidikah Ahlak dan Aqidah harus diberikan secara dini sebagai dasar anak dalam menghadapi gejolak gelombang kehidupan. Atas pertimbangan tersebutlah, kami selaku orang tua memilih untuk menyekolahkan putra kami tercinta Hikari di Sekolah Islam, yang menggunakan dua bahasa pengantar, yaitu Al-Azhar 55.

Prof. DR. Budi S.Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.