Dear
Mr. Mali,
I am writing
to inform you that you have been nominated as a principal candidate for
Fulbright Grants for Indonesian Lecturers (RISTEK-DIKTI) to pursue study for a
Doctoral degree in the United States commencing with the Fall 2018 academic
term.
Konon katanya, jika sudah memperoleh predikat
principal candidate, saya pasti akan berangkat ke Amerika Serikat. AMIN!
😊 Ternyata, jalan yang harus saya lalui masih panjang karena ada banyak
dokumen yang harus saya kumpulkan dalam waktu yang, menurut saya,
cukup singkat. Salah satunya ialah tentang penulisan personal statement. Singkatnya, saya harus menuliskan narasi sepanjang 1 halaman tentang
latar belakang pendidikan dan profesi saya, kelebihan yang saya
miliki, dan apa yang saya bisa kontribusikan kepada sesama/ lingkungan/ bangsa
dan negara saya. Di dalam E-mail, saya secara khusus mendapatkan
instruksi sebagai berikut:
Paragraph #1:
Describe your education.
Paragraph #2:
Describe your practical experience in your field
of interest.
Paragraph #3:
Describe your special interests.
Paragraph #4:
Describe your career plans.
Paragraph #5:
Describe significant factors that have influenced
your educational and professional development. For example, did you
experience any educational and professional hardships? Did you have a
special mentor or advisor that helped you achieve your goals? Did outside
factors affect your development?
Paragraph #6:
Explain how long you have had practical experience
regarding your proposed field of study and why more education is still needed
in that area.
Selain itu saya juga diminta untuk mengumpulkan studi objectives yang diketik dalam 1 halaman[1]
yang secara garis besar menarasikan jurusan apa yang akan saya ambil di Amerika, mengapa saya
harus belajar di sana, dan bagaimana ilmu yang saya dapat bisa berkontribusi bagi
[pendidikan] di Indonesia. Dalam proses penulisannya, saya menyarankan agar kita dapat meminta bantuan orang lain khusunya yang mempunyai
bidang [field] yang sama dengan kita untuk memberikan masukan
dari segi isi dan juga bahasa. Berikut adalah contoh studi objectives dan personal
statement yang saya narasikan.
[My] Study
Objectives:
I wish to apply for a Ph.D. program that provides a proper research-based learning avenue for me to study and better understand how
the use of education technology can promote independent language learning
beyond “the chalk and talk” approach regardless of students’ race, economic
situation, cultural background, and religious beliefs. More specifically, my
goal is based on the following reasons.
In the first place, my doctoral
studies will help me to delve deeper into issues of the integration of educational technology into English language teaching
to help students achieve their
learning objectives and to provide learning opportunities outside the
restriction of the classroom. These issues are relatively new concepts and matters of debate in
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings, particularly in Indonesia, and to which
I have been exposed since the beginning of my graduate studies. This exploration can be a positive response to worldwide
trends, national policies in Indonesia, and missions of the English Language
Education Study Program at Satya Wacana Christian University, all of which
have led some initiatives and gradually encouraged local teachers to
integrate the use of technology into their teaching practices.
Secondly, I have always
believed that studying in a Ph.D. program with its rigorous research-based learning activities is a golden
ticket allowing me to embrace my passion as a researcher. I will indeed possess opportunities to enhance my research habits and skills and meet world-class educators in
the field to discuss my research projects. From these experts, I can obtain
insights to keep abreast of the most recent developments in educational technology. Therefore, I am more than assured that the
program can constructively encourage me to become a productive and professional
young scholar who provides sustainable research-based methods to advance the
quality of teaching and learning instructions with the best and wisest use of
technology based on the most recent developments in technology and issues in the field.
Moreover,
studying in the country that leads the world in the advancement of technology will
enable me to learn more about how various kinds of educational technology are implemented in teaching and learning activities, particularly
in the Ph.D. program that
I am applying for. In this way, I can adapt their learning policies with regard
to the use of the technology in a program of study, in a classroom, or on a
personal level. As a result, I can also
gather more insights to elaborate in the publication of a book on the best practices of using technology in
EFL classrooms that I plan to publish in the year 2019, particularly for EFL teachers in
Indonesia. With this publication, I can certainly have opportunities to promote
the US University and the Ph.D. program where I will study, its technology, and professional achievements.
These insights can later be shared among domestic professionals as well, such as through my participation in workshops in
educational technology for junior and
high school teachers,
meetings, and conferences, as well as for students in my classrooms.
On a practical level,
after completing my Ph.D. studies in the US and returning to Indonesia, I plan to teach at the undergraduate program and the future
master program in the English Language Studies at my university and to be a
researcher that focuses on the fields of technology and English
education as a positive attempt to advance the practices of the missions of my program of study. I also
intend to share my knowledge and research findings through regular publications in academic journals. Through
these publications, I aim to spread
positive views on utilizing educational technology and voice the need to facilitate easy access to
appropriate computer devices and the Internet connections in all schools in
Indonesia, particularly in far-away forgotten areas so that students and teachers
can reduce time and distance in studying and keeping up-to-date with current
trends in education. In addition, workshops on potentials of technology for language
learning, such as the use of screencasting
and kahoot technology, for teachers in various Indonesian cities will also
benefit from my participation. In summary, the Ph.D program provides the ideal
path for me to achieve my goals as a professional researcher and in ensuring
that educational enhancement in the context of higher education in Indonesia
supports the promotion of independent language learning through the best and wisest
use of technology regardless of the students’ backgrounds, and is carried out
beyond the walls of the classrooms.
[My] Personal
Statement:
I completed my undergraduate studies majoring in English language education in 2011 and my graduate studies with the same major in 2014, which were both at Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia. My undergraduate education has prepared me with strong theoretical
and practical foundations of English language skills as it required me to successfully
achieve learning objectives in, for instance, linguistics and writing courses. Then,
the courses in my graduate program significantly built up the foundations and made me familiar with the disciplined and rigorous routines of academic
study and research since the first semester of the master studies.
I have been in various teaching contexts from tutoring my juniors during my
college years at Sanata Dharma University to teaching English to tourism
college students in Jogjakarta after my graduation. In addition, during my master’s studies at Sanata Dharma University, I held a position as teaching assistant to Dr.Dwijatmoko,
where I taught writing skills for undergraduate students at English Letters
Department at the same university. I learned from him about utilizing
technology (in this case, from his writing site: eltgallery.com) to facilitate students’
learning not only in the classroom but also beyond
the classroom walls. Since then, I have grown my special interests in
integrating technology into teaching and learning by maximizing the potential of, for instance, blogging, and screencasting
technology, to promote language-learning opportunities for students,
particularly in my writing classrooms. I have also actively conducted workshops
for junior and high school teachers in my area to share best practices in using
technology in teaching language, such as maximizing the potential of vocabulary
profiler technology.
The
habits and work ethics have enabled me to achieve my
passion as an active young scholar
with numerous research-based academic papers specifically in the fields of
English Education and Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) presented at international conferences around Indonesia and published in reputable
refereed academic journals. Through the conference presentations and publications, I can specifically share my technological knowledge, spread optimistic
views on utilizing educational technology, and voice the need to equalize easy
access to good computer devices and the Internet connections in all schools in
Indonesia, particularly in far-away forgotten areas.
With
the support of two of my colleagues at English Language Department at Satya
Wacana Christian University, Prof. Gusti Astika and Dr. Joseph Ernest Mambu, I am able not only to maximize the potential of technology but also to
focus my research on TELL. My heartfelt research interest in the field is
further convinced after I helped co-found i-TELL (Indonesia Technology Enhanced
Language Learning) together with several TELL enthusiasts from my university
and in Indonesia. In i-TELL, which is an association of educational technology
enthusiasts in Indonesia, I am able to collaborate with colleagues and experts who
have the same interest in education technology, such as Ms. Neny Isharyanti, Dr.
Gumawang Jati, and Dr. Made Heri Santosa from Indonesia, and from outside
Indonesia, such as Ms. Claire Bradin Siskin.
Upon
completing my doctoral study and returning to Indonesia and with the excellent academic credentials developed from the Ph.D. and Fulbright programs, I am committed to teaching in the undergraduate program and the future master program in English
Language Studies at my university. I also plan to be a more active researcher that focuses on the fields of English education and
educational technology. In addition,
workshops on the potential of technology
for language learning for teachers in various Indonesian cities will also
benefit from my participation.
With
all of my disciplined research-based learning habits, strong theoretical
foundations, and implementation sides of English
education and educational technology that I have possessed since my master study, I am more than convinced that I can successfully complete my future
dissertation project. It is to ensure how
educational enhancement in the context of higher education in Indonesia
supports the promotion of independent language learning through the best and
wisest use of technology regardless of students’ race, economic, cultural
backgrounds, religious beliefs, and is carried out beyond the walls of the English as a Foreign Language classrooms, which are still loaded
with problems and issues that need to be explored further.
Studi
Objectives dan Personal Statement di atas adalah hanya sebagai referensi saja.
Semoga bermanfaat!
Disclaimer: This blog is not
an official blog of the U.S. Department of State blog or any other institutions
mentioned here. All views, comments, and information described here are merely
author’s own and are solely used to share his experiences pursuing the chance
to study abroad through Fulbright Scholarship. Thus, they do not represent the
official information of the scholarship. For inquiries related to the official
information can be found on the official website of the scholarship.
Sebelumnya:
Seleksi Wawancara: Pasti Bisa!
Selanjutnya:
Terima Kasih, Guru!
[1]
Tidak ada format khusus
yang diminta.
Namun, sebagai informasi, saya menggunakan format berikut: Font: Garamond; Size: 12; Space: single
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