CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Technology is becoming increasingly important in our personal and professional lives, and our learners are using technology more and more. That is why nowadays information and communication technology have developed rapidly. This expanding and development of ICT provides challenges and opportunities to all aspect of life, including education. The use of ICT in education is also expanding in many countries including our beloved countries, Indonesia. Almost all subjects in some school want to use ICT in their teaching and learning process especially English.
Technology in language teaching is not new, indeed, technology has around in language teaching for decades such as The use of blackboard, tape recorder, language laboratory, video have been used since 1960s and 1970s and are still used in classroom around the world (Dudeney Gavin and Nicky Hockly , 2007;7). However, the use of internet is still relatively new for English teacher and English language learners.
In learning English students should know four skill and components. Writing or composition is one of them. It is very important for students to be able to write in English for their future life. According to Harmer J (2004) stats that being able to write is vital skill for “speaker” of a foreign language as much as for everyone using their own first language. learning to write, students can start with informal writing such as writing a diary, descriptive and procedure as stated in curriculum standard Isi of RSBI. in this case to enlarge and motivate the students in writing or composing something in their mind ICT or internet can used as effective medium to accommodate this. We expect that by internet students can access outside of classroom so it will be free, give much attention.
One of the ways that can be applied to enhance in a situated multi learning environment using ICT systems, particularly in teaching writing or composition, is the use of blog. A blog is a frequently updated website that often resembles an online journal (Graham,2005). Dudeney Gavin and Nicky Hockly , 2007 defines that a blog is essentially a web page with regular diary and journal entries. Having blog is having an online diary where students can write anything they are interested in, they can edit and publish as often as they would like to, and share their writing with others. In addition writing in blogs provides a real audience for students’ writing or composition. Usually, the teacher is the only person who reads students’ writing. With blog, students can find themselves writing for a real audience that, apart from the teacher, may include their peers, students from other classes, or even other school, city, provinces, country or perhaps anyone with access to the internet. This will motivate them to produce better and effective piece of writing or composition.
RSBI students at SMP Neger1 Gresik are selected students from Elementary schools in Gresik Regency. They are assumed that they are clever and diligent so that they can be easily taught English using technology and beside that their textbooks are mostly written in English. They are expected to be good in English and ICT, and mathematics and science as well. They must be motivated earlier to use the internet and it will be more effective in the process of teaching and learning, the teacher especially English teacher uses blog as medium of their teaching. Especially in writing composition.
