It is generally accepted that effective teacher professional development is critical to effective educational improvements and reforms of any educational institution. However, a conventional form of teacher professional development is constrained by time and space and, more often than not, there is a lack of perpetual support to teachers in the wake of a training program. An alternative way of teacher professional development therefore needs to be sought. This article argues that social media and all its facets open up new avenues for sustainable professional development and life-long learning in which case support can be obtained through virtual learning communities.

Social media has gained popularity in the realm of education. However, little research has examined empirically the extent to which students interacting using social media experience a different level of social presence, sense of community and perceived learning compared to those interacting face-to-face. As many as 100 students who were taking a course on Education Profession at the Department of Primary School Teacher Education at Halu Oleo University were recruited for this study. The students were randomly divided into two groups: Group one attended conventional face-to-face classroom instruction over the course of seven weeks and Group two used WhatsApp for learning. Questionnaires measuring social presence, sense of community and perceived learning were pre- and post-tested, followed immediately by interviews. The WhatsApp group reported a stronger sense of community, but both groups experienced an equal level of social presence and perceived learning. Reported benefits of WhatsApp far outnumbered its drawbacks.

Pendidikan pada dasarnya berbasis sosial budaya berupa kegiatan pembelajaran yang didasarkan pada unsur-unsur budaya yang ada pada masyarakat setempat. Penelitian ini bertujuan: (1) untuk menganalisis fungsi kalosara dalam masyarakat Tolaki, (2) untuk mendeskripsikan fungsi kalosara sebagai media etnope- dagogik dalam pengembangan karakter bangsa. Metode penelitian digunakan etnografi dengan pendekatan fenomenologis. Data dikumpulkan melalui studi pustaka, pengamatan, dan wawancara. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa kalosara merupakan sumber dari segala adat-istiadat Orang Tolaki. Kalosara sebagai adat pokok dapat digolongkan ke dalam 5 cabang, yaitu: (1) sara wonua, yaitu adat pokok dalam pemerin- tahan; (2) sara mbedulu, yaitu adat pokok dalam hubungan kekeluargaan dan persatuan pada umumnya; (3) sara mbe’ombu, yaitu adat pokok dalam aktivitas agama dan kepercayaan; (4) sara mandarahia, yaitu adat pokok dalam pekerjaan yang berhubungan dengan keahlian dan keterampilan; dan (5) sara monda’u, mom- bopaho, mombakani, melambu, dumahu, meoti-oti, yaitu adat pokok dalam berladang, berkebun, beternak, berburu, dan menangkap ikan. Ada empat fungsi kalosara, yaitu: (1) ide, (2) focus dan pengintegrasian unsur-unsur kebudyaan, (3) pedoman hidup, serta (4) pemersatu. Fungsi kalosara sebagai media etnopeda- gogik merupakan praktek pendidikan berbasis kearifan lokal dalam berbagai ranah seperti pengobatan, seni bela diri, lingkungan hidup, pertanian, ekonomi, pemerintahan, dan sistem penanggalan. Melalui media kalosara, maka pengetahuan, nilai, dan keterampilan berbasis sosial budaya Tolaki dapat tumbuh dan berkembang di tengah-tengah masyarakat sebagai pengembangan karakter bangsa.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah “untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa kelas VB SD Negeri 51 Kendari melalui penerapan model Project Based Learning (PjBL) pada Tema Peristiwa Dalam Kehidupan. Prosedur penelitian yaitu: (a) perencanaan, (b) pelaksanaan tindakan, (c) observasi dan evaluasi, dan (d) refleksi. Jenis data yaitu data kualitatif dan data kuantitatif. Data kualitatif diperoleh melalui lembar observasise dangkan data kualitatif melalui tes hasil belajar. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa  yang mencapai ketuntasan belajar pada siklus I berjumlah 18 orang dengan persentase sebesar 64,2% sedangkan jumlah siswa yang tidak tuntas sebanyak 10 orang dengan persentase sebesar 35,7% . Rata-rata hasil belajar siswa pada siklus I yaitu 71 sedangkan pada siklus II hasil belajar siswa mengalami peningkatan yang terdiri dari 24 orang siswa mendapat nilai tuntas dengan persentase ketuntasan adalah 85,7%, sedangkan jumlah siswa yang tidak tuntas adalah 4 orang dengan persentase sebesar 14,2%. Nilai rata-rata hasil belajar siswa pada siklus II yaitu 77

The aims of the research are (1) to identify types of character through kalosara revitalization as an ethno-pedagogical media in social sciences (IPS) learning at junior high school (SMP), (2) to develop strategy of kalosara revitalization as an ethno-pedagogical media in the development of characters of students, and (3) to develop a model of student character education through kalosara revitalization in IPS learning in SMP as an ethno-pedagogical media. The research is conducted through naturalistic approach. The research subjects are social science teachers at the junior high school, junior high school principals, and local public figures. Data collection is conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Wawotobi representing a heterogenous student group. Data was collected qualitatively using domain and taxonomy analysis models. Research result indicates that: (a) there are 74 values identified and distributed in 18 types of character that can be developed through kalosara revitalization as an ethno-pedagogical media in social sciences learning in junior high school, (b) kalosara revitalization strategy, as an ethno-pedagogical media in the development of characters, is conducted in form of integration in each theme and sub-theme in the syllabus of social sciences subject, (c) The character education development model through kalosara values as an ethno-pedagogical media indicates that there are three strengths of the model, i.e.: it elevates the local culture into national culture, it is a scientific model, and it is easy to understand and implement by teachers and students.