A great book entitled Good Habits, Great Readers: Building the Literacy Community (Frey, Fisher, & Berkin, 2009) starts its chapter with "Going From Good to Great". The difference between good and great can be mirrored from this question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" (Collins, 2001 in Frey et al., 2009). Going from good to great doesn't require access to the latest and fastest technology, an innovative or well-known leader, standardized management procedures, or even a fine-tuned business plan. Collins (2001) investigated 11 great companies and found that what was unique about those truly great companies was the creation of a culture that rigorously identified and encouraged people to think and act.
Hence, it is an essential truth about human development, not about business. I did imagine a classroom, and even a school in Indonesia (my beloved country), where everyone from student to teacher was encouraged to think and to act. When I go back to my curiosity of a great reader; did it include anything about "thinking" and "acting"? According to Frey et al. (2009), perhaps it didn't include these specific words, but chances are it did include the sense that a great reader is independent and self-motivated, a great reader thinks about text and "acts" when text does not make sense and is influenced by the text to act.
I reflect this to what I have started now. I believe that it is never too late for me to start reading, and even I probably haven't reached to be a great reader; however, I do hope I am already the good one. Not many I have read but there are many things I want to share. In addition, I believe too that it is never too late for me to encourage Indonesian children to love reading. This becomes my dream to contribute what I have got so far for my country. I do believe that many people also have heart to realize that dream. Hope this encourage us not just think it but act it.
To sum up, I do not worry anymore about what I ask earlier. However, I have started those expressions by saying that it is never too late to start reading and never too late to have a big dream for my country...especially in developing the quality of my people's lives by reading...from good to great. Being my honored to share you all the great thought and impulse from the best public speaker of Toastmaster World Champion 2003, Jim Key "Never too Late".
Be blessing and be blessed.
Cheers,
Natalia C.
References:
Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great. Article taken from http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html
Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Berkin, A. (2009). Good Habits, Great Readers: Building the Literacy Community. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Key, J. (2003). Never too Late. Video taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdWyzjrjK0
Too bad Reading is neglected in our educational system. We rarely find Reading is taught as a separated subject in our SD, SMP, and SMA. Consequences, students find it as a boring and exhausted activity when they need to read so many articles and textbooks in colleges and universities. Because they're not ready to read. Not then, not now.
ReplyDeleteThat's happening in my workplace.
So yeah, let's read kak. Never too late. But start now.
Dear Lita,
DeleteYou are right. That is why, let us start from ourselves. If you think that surrounding you need to be helped with this kind of activity, why don't you start first. Start from the simple and easiest one. At least, we share what can make others' future brighter because of books.
Thank you for your sharing.
Cheers,
Natalia C.