Indonesia
Writing Lesson with IWEC
More and more little writers published their books. Their writing can be seen in book stores, with their name on the cover and the books are read by many people they don’t know. Do you want to be like them, Superkids?
Indonesia Writing Edu Center (IWEC) opened opportunities for children of our age to learn how to write there. Wait, is good writing needs learning? Not enough with practice by ourself? According to CEO of IWEC, Maylia Erna Sutarto, learning in an educational institution and learning to write alone are equally important. To enroll in a writing class means we are looking for more competent point of view. While self practice is an application performed continuously to reach the goal.
“The disadvantage of written communication is that we don’t make up-close contact with the opposite ‘speaker’. So if we make any miss diction, wrong punctuation and grammatical error, the message can be conveyed mistaken,” Erna explains on the importance to have good writing ability
Good news for us, Superkids, IWEC came up with Program Penulis Cilik (Little Author Program) for kids of 7-12 years old. On the Primary Level, we will be introduced to some basic writing techniques, writing practice and activities. On the Advanced Level, we are taught advance basics, fiction and nonfiction writing technique. Next up we will be presented with option to focus on Fiction or Nonfiction. Students of Fiction class study more about technique of writing fiction, storytelling and making anthology book. On the other hand, students who opted for Nonfiction class will go deeper on techniques of writing nonfiction, storytelling and making anthology book.
Here’s the thing, writing lesson at IWEC doesn’t mean we must sit and listen to some lecture in the classroom. IWEC applies both indoor and outdoor learning system. Yes, we are presented with theories and step by step writing lessons. “We don’t just make children to write a long story, instead we give guidance from the beginning. It starts with writing description of times, places, objects or people in detail and orderly by developing writer’s linguistic skills,” said Erna.
Teacher team will take a look on our writing as we go, give advices and encourage us to complete it according to the suggestion. Now, when we are through with the basic techniques, we will learn to make plot, on to short story, journalistic or report, biography and some sort of mini encyclopedia with things we like.
The atmosphere in the classroom is also fun because it is designed in various kind of game. For example, making sentences or story out of letters taken randomly form scattered pieces of paper. This will push us to think hard to look for sentences and arrange them to make proper, making sense text. Cool, isn’t it?
At IWEC, we will be taken outdoor from time to time and learn in the open like in city park, tourism site or around the city. Occasionally, IWEC will invite an expert to discuss with the students over some important things we need to know.
So why outdoor? “In writing, we need concrete experience, something we have seen or have happened to us. Such experience will add to our imagination in developing stories. It’s easier to describe something if we have encountered it firsthand,” said Erna. The outdoor learning is also showing how even an author needs to practice sensitivity and empathy in observing things.
Later in the final level, IWEC will give us our report in verbal. Don’t worry, Superkids. The instructors don’t use numbering for judgment, instead emphasizing on behavior description, activities in the classroom, learning progress and barriers that may become our obstacles in writing. IWEC will then select from our writings during learning there and encourages developing it for published in an anthology book. “We will have a book launching program to boost students’ confident over their witing skills,” Erna made a promise. Wow! Interesting?
Indonesia Writing Edu Center (IWEC)
Jl Jemursari Selatan VIII No 7 Surabaya
Phone 031-79435346, 081-855209540, 085-731555507
Facebook: Iwec
Twitter: @iwec_indonesia
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTOS: IWEC
