1.

DEFINITION PLACEMAT TECHNIQUE

Placemat technique is a part of cooperative learning, where students are instruct to work in a
small group for ensuring active participation of students itself. All members of the small group,
brainstorm ideas about a topic individually, and then summarize the group members common
points. According to Marzano, Pickering & Pollock (2001) cooperative learning may be the
most flexible and powerful of all classroom grouping strategies. Based on their explanation,
there are thirty strategies which promotes cooperative learning activity in teaching class e.g.
jigsaw, paired head together, team interview, rally robin, round table, give one & get one,
placemat and so on.
Placemat technique also is a form of collaborative learning that combines writing and
dialogue to endure accountability and participation of all students. It involves groups of students
working both alone and together around a single piece of paper to simultaneously involve all
members. They all work in a small group to get the one final decision; furthermore, they think
aloud when they work alone. No cheating or asking each other, they just do it by themselves. On
the other hand, in discussing section, they discuss and take risks together in order to get the
decision. They should be active and appreciate each other; thus, they can improve their
relationships with other students and with their teacher does.This placemat strategy is an
enjoyable activity for students and provides the teacher an information about their current level
of understanding. By providing a sheet of paper which called placemat paper, teacher can
applying this technique. The placemat consist of four boxes with an additional box set in the
middle of the paper, where they instruct to write the topic or target question. Students divide the
paper up, so they each have a section to write in and there is room in the middle to summarize
their responses. Students individually write or draw to demonstrate their understanding of the
topic or target question in their area of placemat. They then share what they have written or
drawn with the other group members. After everyone has finished sharing their ideas or opinion,
then students discuss the information and come up with two or three main ideas. They write
these ideas in the center of the placemat paper and then share them to whole class.
This activity is great for utilization with groups of 3-5 students to explore concepts, ideas, or
content. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with additional group work. It is low key, and
a safe way to share information. It is useful when trying to work collaboratively on content or
concepts. This process is especially good for students to improve and share their ideas with their
peers. With their confident, they can write individually by using their own language. Therefore,
this strategy can be used to begin a class to create a common ground for students or review
concepts from previous learning, or in the middle of a class to use content and transform it to
concept, or at the end of the class to review content and concepts of the day.

2. THE USE OF PLACEMAT TECHNIQUE IN WRITING & SPEAKING SKILLS

In this paper I used this technique to teach speaking and writing skills. This placemat
mostly intended for achieving individuals thinking in a small group discussion; furthermore this
technique teaches them how to work with a group and appreciate the other members. With

placemat technique, students also can increase their critical thinking, vocabularies, enhance
cooperative skills, and enrich content area learning. Thus, it is suitable to emphasize and improve
writing skill, because they will teach how to share and write their opinion without helping each
other but still in one group. They should write what they know about the topic by using their own
words.
Moreover, this technique also can emphasize speaking skill, because after they write
about their opinion, at last they should make one final decision to choose the best answer. Of
course it will be discussion time, thus it needs more ability in speaking. They should
communicate each other, discuss what the best one and giving advice or opinion. Speaking
ability also needs at sharing time, in that time, teacher will instruct students to share their result.
They should speak up and participate in this learning style.
In my opinion, placemat technique is suitable to apply in Junior and Senior High School
levels, because, this technique is enjoyable and suitable for the beginners who learn English.
With this technique, the will more attentive to learn and willing to participate in learning process.
This technique also can make them closer to other friends, because when they are in a group,
they should take the risks and take responsible together. The success of a group depends on what
they discuss; thus they should be appreciate each other to create such a good atmosphere.
3. TEACHING WRITING SKIIL WITH PLACEMAT TECHNIQUE
Placemat technique is aimed to improve accountability and involvement in own learning;
moreover, it encourages collaboration and team problem solving. It is enjoyable and easy to
applying Junior High School level. Here are the steps in teaching writing skill by applying
placemat technique, as follows;
1. Before implementing this technique, teacher should explain what the technique is and what the
purpose of the technique; thus, students can work effectively during the technique is going.
2. Explain the rule of this technique. For example, first, when teacher pose a statement or question,
students in a group brainstorm and think the statement or question. Second, every student in a
group should write their opinion about the issue that posed by the teacher in different box in
placemat paper, for example the first student will write in the first box, second student in the
second box, and so on. Third, students should share their answer or ideas in the placemat paper
individually. They are not allowed to discuss and talk each other. Last, after all finish write each
own ideas, they start to discuss and talk each other to write the best answer in the middle of the
placemat paper.
3.

After explain the rules, teacher group students into three or four (depends on the students
amount). The groups should be diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, and ability. Thus, the
group will be divided by the teacher. Then teacher asks every group should has a leader.

4. Then teacher gives a placemat paper and poses a statement which related with students. For
example English is very important to know and to learn. Then teacher ask, If English is very
important, what the advantages of learning English?
5. Next, teacher should instruct students in a group to think individually about the statement.
6. Then, teacher asks the first student to write what he/she thinks about the statement based on the
rules.
7. After all students have finished write their ideas, next, they should discuss what the means of
every answer and they should choose the two best answer and write it down in the middle of
placemat paper.
8. Next, teacher will instruct students to share what their result by writing their decision in the white
board and the other group may ask some question or suggestion.
4. TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL WITH PLACEMAT TECHNIQUE
In teaching speaking with placemat technique, the ability of their oral language will
improve, because when they think an issue they should pour their ideas by using spoken
language in their own words. Here are the steps in teaching writing skill by applying placemat
technique, as follows;
1. Before implementing this technique, teacher should explain what the technique is and what the
purpose of the technique; thus, students can work effectively during the technique is going.
2. Explain the rule of this technique. For example, first, when teacher pose a statement or question,
students in a group think the statement or question. Second, every student in a group should write
their opinion about the issue that posed by the teacher in different box in placemat paper which
consist of four boxes where in the middle there is a box which contains of the title of the passage.
The first box is about the major and minor characters, second setting, third moral value and last
review. For example the first student will write in the first box, second student in the second box,
and so on. Third, students should share their answer or ideas in the placemat paper individually.
They are not allowed to discuss and talk each other. Last, after all finish write each own ideas,
they start to discuss their ideas and tell the reason of their ideas.
3. After explain the rules, teacher group students into three or four (depends on students amount).
The groups will be divided by the teacher by counting one, two, three, four, then ask them to take
apart one into one, two into two and so on. Then teacher asks every group should has a leader.
4. Then teacher gives a placemat paper and a passage entitled Cinderella. Every students should
write their answer in placemat paper.
5. Next, teacher should instruct students in a group to think individually about the passage and then
write their answer in the placemat paper.

6. After all students have finished write their answer, next, they should discuss what the reasons of
every answer.
7. Next, teacher instruct every group to share their result orally by inviting the leader of the group.
The other group may ask some question or suggestion, and the members of the group should
answer the question that pose by the other groups. Here, teacher just monitor and lead the
discussion.
5. STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES
The strength of placemat technique as follows;
1. Students have opportunities to share their ideas, organize writing skill and should be take a part
effectively because the success of their group it depends on students itself.
2. It engages students to discuss among the members of the groups as well as develop their social
skills in achieving similar meaning
3. It allows students responsibility.
4. It teach them how to work cooperatively with others and appreciate the other opinion or ideas and
accept every decision.
5. Students will have more critical thinking is retained from a lesson in which students have had an
opportunity to discuss and reflect on the topic.
6. It is important for students to learn how to build on the ideas of others, combine common
thoughts, and write them down as a group.
On the other hand, the weakness of this technique, as follows;
1. It takes more preparation and active teacher in applying this technique effectively.
2. Sometimes there are some students who cant learn as quickly as the others. Some students need
to go at different speeds to fully understand and absorb the information.
3. The inactive students may not feel comfortable and left behind
4. Teacher cannot monitor all students in each group.
5. The atmosphere of the class will be noisy.
6. CONCLUSION
Based on the explanation above, I can conclude that Placemat technique is a classroom technique
developed to take advantage of the potentials of collaboration for language development in
content classroom and increase accountability and involvement in own learning. Teaching class
through placemat will help students to encourage collaboration, team problem solving, and
generate ideas around an event or issue with their group. The purpose of implementing placemat
is to improve their mind in generates an ideas by pouring it in written or oral language both
individually and group. Within this technique, the students will be enables to cover a vast amount
of material very maximally and rapidly, hence, the students will have much deeper understanding
in increasing their accountability

7. REFERENCES
1. http://blogs.gssd.ca/csmith/files/2012/08/Book-Two-Natalie-Regier.pdf
2. http://pketko.com/Unit%20Design/popups/instructtactics.htm
3. http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod36_coop_placemat.pdf
4.
http://www.ceo.wa.edu.au/home/harris.joanne/Tried_and_Tested/SDERA_Teaching_and_learnin
g_strategies.pdf