Definition of Educational Philosophy

Definition of Educational Philosophy according to some experts:

Philosophy of education is a regular activity of the thought, which makes philosophy as a way to organize, harmonize and integrate the educational process. (Al-Syaibani 1979)

Philosophy of education is a fundamental basic skill formation, concerning to the power of thought (intellectual), the power of feeling (emotional), and human nature (John Dewey, 1957).

Educational philosophy is a science that is essentially the answer to the questions in the field of education. Philosophy of education is an application of philosophical analysis to the field of education. (Imam Barnadit, 1993)

In the relationship between philosophy (general) and philosophy of education, philosophy of education has some limitations.

(1) Philosophy of education is a view implementation of philosophy and philosophical principles in the field of human experience called education. Thus, educational philosophy tries to explain and clarify that this human experience is appropriate to new life. Educational philosophy contains an attempt to find concepts that put human in the midst of various symptoms in educational process. Then, it can also attempt to explain the various meanings that become the basis of educational concepts with the foundation aspects of human attention.

(2) Studying philosophy of education because of the belief that the study is very important in the effort to improve education. Educational issues related to guidance, assessment, method and others are the responsibility of educational philosophy that relies on the guidance of students� behavior and attitudes towards society.

(3) Educational philosophy has principles, beliefs, concepts that are integrated each other. The principles intended are beliefs to the problems of education. It is disclosed to be the basis of statements, plans, programs, curriculum and teaching rules, which of course are expected to find solutions to the educational problems.

Philosophy (general) and philosophy of education have a close relationship. The goals are same; to strive together in developing human life.

Function of Educational Philosophy

The function of educational philosophy is to investigate comparison of the influences (1) of the competitive philosophies in the process of life and (2) of the possibility of educational processes and character development in order to find the desired educational management to foster the most constructive character for the youth and old. In addition, the function of educational philosophy is also to help pedagogical purposes which include four interrelated aspects, namely the functions of analysis, evaluation, speculative, and integrative. The same thing also was disclosed by Brameld that the function of educational philosophy is as a tool of analysis, criticism, synthesis and evaluation.

Brubacher in detail stated that the functions of educational philosophy are as follows:

1. Speculative Function

Function of Education is trying to understand the whole issue of education and to formulate it in a basic description as a scientific data complement. Philosophy of education also tries to understand the whole issue of education and its relationship with other factors that affect education.

2. Normative Function

The function of educational philosophy is as direction, guidance for the realization of education. This principle is summed up in educational purpose, which is to build an ideal society and establish norms aspired. Educational philosophy provides norms and consideration for the normative and scientific realities to form culture.

3. Criticism Function

Function of educational philosophy is to provide basis of rational critical definition in considering and interpreting the scientific data. For example is measurement data of evaluation analysis, both personality and achievement. Criticism function also means analysis and comparative on something to get a conclusion. In this case, philosophy of education can set achievement classification appropriately with objective data (figures, statistics). In addition, philosophy of education is able to set assumptions or more reasonable hypothesis. Philosophy should be competent to overcome the weaknesses found by the scientific field and complete them with the data and arguments which do not come from scientific data.

4. Theory to Practice Function

All ideas, conceptions, analysis, and conclusions of educational philosophy serve as theory. This theory is the basis for the implementation / educational practice. Philosophy provides general principles for a practice.

5. Integrative Function

Educational philosophy has integrative function which is based on the understanding that philosophy of education is as spiritual principle or spirit of education.

Definition, Morphology and Function of Leaves

Leaf is one part of plant, of course, besides stems and roots. In general, leaves are green because they contain chlorophyll, but there is also leaves of plants that are yellow and red etc.

There is chlorophyll in leaves which serves as a catcher of sunlight energy used for photosynthesis. Leaves are the most important part for plant because the plant is autotroph obligate organism; to carry out its life, plant must supply energy through change of sunlight energy into chemical energy (photosynthesis).

Leaf Morphology

In fact, there are many shapes of leaves, but generally leaves are in the shape of thin and thick strands. The basic shape is round, with some variance of finger shape, elliptical and elongated. There are also spiny leaves, generally live in dry areas, such as cactus, succulent, Xerophyte, etc. The thistles do not require photosynthesis because they experience function transition from energy storage into water storage.

The green color in leaves is derived from chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a pigment compound that is instrumental in the process of leaf photosynthesis. There are also other pigments such as carotenoids (orange), xanthophyll (yellow), anthocyanin (red, blue, purple, depending on the degree of acidity).

Functions of Leaves

1. Place of photosynthesis

At dicotyledonous plants, the photosynthesis is in the palisade parenchyma tissue, whereas for monocot plants, photosynthesis occurs in spongy tissue.

2. Respiratory organ

Respiratory organ in leaf is stomata, which serves as the organ of respiration

3. Place of transpiration

Transpiration is the release of water in the form of water vapor through the stomata and the cuticle to the free air

4. Place of Guttation

Guttation is the process of water release in liquid form on the leaf tissue.

5. Tools of vegetative proliferation

It is proliferation that occurs in leaves. Here shoots of plants grow on the leaves.

Definition and Function of Stem

Stem is one part of the plant that is very important and a crutch or body for the plant.

Natures and shapes of stem

1. Generally, stem shape is spherical length like a cylinder or can also have other shapes, but always be actinomorphic; it means that a number of fields can be divided into two symmetric parts.

2. It consists of segments as the place of plant branch

3. The growth is usually upward, toward the light which is fototrope / heliotrope.

4. It always lengthens in the tip. So, it is called stem that has unlimited growth.

5. Stems conduct branching and plant is not prolapsed during the life, except sometimes branches or small twigs.

6. Generally it is not green, except plants that have short age, for example, grass and young stems.

Functions of Stem

1. Supporting the parts of plant above ground, such as leaves, flowers and fruit.

2. Extending assimilation by the branching.

3. The transporting way of water and food substances is from the bottom to top and the transporting way of assimilation results is from the top to bottom.

4. Being storage of food reserve substances.

On the type of plants that the outer stems are covered by leather, there is cambium then wood.

Benefit of Ants and Classification of Black Ants

Benefit of Ants and Classification of Black Ants

Ants are insects with the number of species and individuals are huge. The number of ants in the earth's surface consists of more than 12,000 species, but only about 7600 species from 250 genera that have been named and described. The largest variety of ants is in the tropics. Ants are widespread all over the places except in the ocean, starting from the Arctic in the north to the south polar area (Daly et al., 1978).

Benefits of ants (Anonymous, 1998):

1. Ant nests on the ground makes the air able to get into the soil

2. Some types of ants eat bugs

3. plant-eating ants help the environment by eating plants that interfere

4. Ants fertilize soil when processing food

5. Ants can serve as decomposers

6. Ants help spread seeds

Dolichoderus thoracic Smith black ants are ant species that are widespread in Southeast Asia, especially in areas with an altitude of less than 1,300 meters above sea level. Black ants are often found in citrus, cocoa, coffee, and mango (Kalshoven, 1981). Black ant nest is usually located above ground (dry leaf litter piles) and coconut leaf midrib (if cocoa is planted with coconut) or in dry and dark places, and not far from the source of food. (Way and Khoo, 1992)

D. thoracic black ants usually come out of the nest in the morning and evening when the temperature is not too hot. Ants will lead plant shoots to get sunlight while carrying out their activities. But on the day when the air temperature is hot, the ants will hide in places that are protected from the sun directly, such as in the nest, behind the foliage, on the ground, and others (Elzinga, 1978 in Rahmawadi, 1997)

D. thoracic black ants are included in Hymenoptera Ordo (clear-winged insects) and in Formicidae Familia. According to Kalshoven (1981), D. thoracic black ant classification is as follows:

Phylum: Arthropods

Class: Hexapoda

Ordo: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Sub-family: Dolichoderinae

Genus: Dolichoderus

Species: Dolichoderus thoracic Smith

Caste Groups of Black Ants

Caste Groups of Black Ants
Dolichoderus thoracic black ants live in social organization that consists of a number of individuals forming a society called colony. Ant colony consists of groups called caste. Black ants consist of several castes: queen, males, and workers. Worker ants are divided into two; workers and soldiers. Castes of ants have different tasks, but still interact and work together for survival (Son, 1994).
a. Queen ant
queen ant has a larger body than other members of the colony, about 4.9 millimeters in length, the eye components are perfectly developed, and has flight mechanism in the form of wings that have been developing well since entering imago phase. In one colony, there is usually more than a queen. At every 100-200 worker ants, there is always a queen (Kalshoven, 1981). Ant queens are more common found in the rainy season than when dry. This is because in the rainy season there are many sources of food and plants to make nests so that it supports for the growth of the colony (Mele and Cuc, 2004).

b. Male Ant
The size of male ant is smaller than the queen, blackish in color, has antennae and wings like the queen, and the eye components has been developed perfectly. Male ants are more numerous than the queen, but have shorter life. Male ants are produced only at certain times of the year, which is in mating season and after mating with the queen, male ants will normally die. (Anonim, 1988)
c. Worker ant
Worker ants have characteristics easily recognized, 3.6 to 4.1 millimeters in length, brown legs, reducing thorax, and the flight mechanism never develops (no wings), the front abdomen shrinks with one or two bulges towards the dorsal, brown and geniculate antenna; the first segment lengthens and the next segments are short forming angle with the first segment (Samiyanto, 1990).
d. Soldier Ant
Worker ants have various sizes. The worker generation of queen egg who first build a nest is smaller than the workers born after that. In this case, it appears two different castes of workers, the large size called soldiers and the small size become workers. All soldier ants have large heads, consisting of sturdy chitin material and strong mandible upper jaw. The jobs of soldier ants are fighting and protecting the nest. In addition, all soldier ants also help small workers to carry the food into the nest. (Anonim, 1988).

Life Cycle of Black Ants

Ants go through the different development processes of body shape from egg to adult. This process is called metamorphosis. D. thoracic black ants including insects experience complete metamorphosis or holometabola metamorphosis. Ant life cycles are: egg, larva, pupa, and imago or adult (Karindah, 1992).

a. Egg

Ant eggs are white, oval-shaped, 1-1.5 millimeters in length, and long phase of eggs is 14 days (Cadapan et al., 1990). Eggs are produced 10-20 days after copulation between the queen and male ants. Black ant egg production is about 1300-1700 eggs per year. The eggs are laid in the nest that is in holes of trees or behind foliage (Elzinga, 1978 in Rahmawadi, 1997).

The ant eggs in the nest are treated by worker ants. Worker ants will move the eggs from the nest if the nest condition turns humid or deteriorate, and put them back in the nest when the situation is normal. This is done to avoid fungal infections and interference from outside such as predators, antagonist ants, and others.

b. Larva

Ant eggs will hatch into larva. Ant larva looks like a maggot, white, the head consists of 13 segments, and the long phase is 15 days (Cadapan et al., 1990). Black ant larva is fed in the form of saliva liquid getting from queen salivary glands, from fat reserves of queen fly muscle, or if the colony already has workers then feeding done by the workers (Samiyanto, 1990).

Larva usually eats all the time because they have to store enough energy to enter pupa phase.

c. Pupa

Ant larva will turn into pupa. Black ant pupa is white, not wrapped in a cocoon like most other insects, and long phase of pupa is 14 days. At the time of pupa-shaped, black ants have period of not eating or non-feeding period (Cadapan et al., 1990).

d. Imago

The last phase in the metamorphosis of ants is imago. Imago is black, the body organs begin to function, and begin to separate based on their castes. Colony will produce more workers than the other castes in the early formation of colonies. This is done to ease the queen�s task because most of colony activity will be carried out by the workers. Long life cycle of black ants is about 40 days and ants can survive for 2-3 years (Cadapan et al., 1990).