Making Connections

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Multiculturalism in Schools

Having been raised within a Latin culture, I can identify with many people from similar upbringings. Although, my own parents where immigrants to this country they adapted the American view on education. My parents valued education tremendously, to such an extant that they matriculated my sister and I into private schools. Yet, other families did not feel the same way. The video on "Multicultural manners in school how does the priority of education differ among cultures?" does point out a very important fact within many Latin cultures, in that a families' livelihood is extremely important. Whereas education is not viewed nearly as important. Perhaps this is due primarily to the vast majority of the population in many Latin countries to be in poverty. And they are the ones to migrate to America searching for a more prosperous future. Therefore it is essential to know and understand these differences, especially in our classrooms, no matter how frustrating they may be. We need to have our students best interests at heart and help them succeed as much as they are able and allowed to.

Below I have added a link to a You Tube video on immigrant parents and their struggles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CQ61S10QrM

Manners and Body Language

Most of our communication is made through our bodies. So, being able to read and understand messages can be a difficult thing to do. Especially, with people from varying cultures. Gestures, facial expressions and/or body movements could cause confusion in both directions. Therefore, being informed about different customs and traditions is ever so critical. Otherwise, we run the risk of misunderstanding the messages that are trying to be conveyed to us, primarily form our ELL's students.
Words of course could also be misunderstood cross-culturally. The video "Manners and Verbal
Expressions across Cultures " made light of many things that a person might do that might be
taken the wrong way. For example, an Asian student might reply "yes" when being asked if they
understood everything a teacher was saying. But in actually they did not, yet, they did not
answer truthfully as to not offend the teacher. Hence, we have to learn and adapt sometimes to
our students and find other ways in which to present ideas, comments or information to them.

*An interesting website that I found on how to read someone's body language...note this might
primarily pertain to North America

http://www.wikihow.com/Read-Body-Language

Thursday, January 24, 2013

513: "Native American Indian Children Boarding Schools Cherokee Carlisle"

A horrible story in human history...one of many. Unfortunately, stories like that of the "Native American Indian Children" were not rare in "American" history. Usually the dominant people; "White" men, took control of new lands and conquered it's people. A story all to common. Within this story, the "White" men did the same, but now there was an added insult to injury...they wanted the natives children! It was not enough that they had the natives land....they had to go after what and "who" was ever so precious to them. An injustice that was unwarranted and went unpunished. Children were stolen and never returned to their parents. To think of such an unfathomable act of cruelty...chills me to the bones! The worst of all is that no one did anything...it was done silently. Yet, the memories of these terrors live on within the Indian elders of today...All one can do is pray that they have somehow have found peace.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Best Day of My Life

            One of the best days of my life was when I had my first born daughter Natalia. I had always wanted to have a child since the age of seventeen. I remember yearning to have a little baby cradled in my arms, and to have it look back at me, ever so lovingly. Yet, it was seven years after that first maternal instinct kicked in, that I decided that I was truly ready to have a child.

            I was “fortunate” to have the healthy symptoms; feeling nauseous all day, sleepiness to no end, oh and yes the constant throwing-up at all hours of the day. The doctor told me it was the hormones in my body telling me that the baby was healthy. I could’ve been told in some other way, a minor headache here or there or longer nails, healthy appetite, even larger breasts. All would have been very welcomed, all except the vomiting.

            Nine months after the fact of being miserable all-day-everyday, I was scheduled to have a c-section, due to my baby being breech. It was a cold November morning; it had snowed the week earlier, so snow still covered the ground. I was all ready to go; I had everything packed in my miniature suitcase. As I left the front door of my house, I remember feeling very anxious, and nervous and tired. I hadn’t much slept the night before, because I kept thinking about “D” day. It was a ride I had done hundreds of times before, it only took about 30 minutes to get to the hospital, but with my ex-husband it took only 15 minutes, yet it felt like 5 minutes. Before I knew it we were in the hospital filling out some last minute paperwork. My heart pounded so hard, that I felt as if though it was going to pop out of my chest, my hands were sweaty, my throat was dry and I had shivers going all down my spine. I said to myself that I wasn’t ready, that I wasn’t feeling well that day, that perhaps we should wait a day or two. I confided these thoughts to my then husband, and said “Maybe we should come back tomorrow instead?” He looked at me for a split second and simply replied “no.” Automatically, I thought “darn it, I thought he would he was going to say okay!”

            It was now or never. I got hooked up to the IV, an hour later I received a shot to numb the entire bottom half of my body and then when it finally kicked in, away we went to the operating room. I remember seeing nothing but white lights, and felt ever so cold…didn’t they carry blankets in this place? If I had thought that my chest was pounding before, that was surely nothing compared to that very moment!

Doctors were all around me, as well as nurses, and my husband was there at my side too. I felt suddenly a tugging sensation, and I felt as though I was being rocked back and forth, I couldn’t see anything because a sheet was covering the view of my stomach. Then I heard a loud shriek, it was my baby girls first cry! Just then, I felt my heart stop! That was until the face of my little Natalia. She was so little, her eyes were still shut, and she was covered in a blanket and carried a pink little hat on her small head. She was beautiful; it was love at first sight!

My daughter weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 21 inches. She had a full set of thin, soft black hair and she smelled…well, like a baby. Four years later, I had another best day of my life…the day my youngest daughter Abigail was born.

Vocabulary

yearning: an instance of such longing.

fortunate: having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources; lucky.

nauseous: causing nausea; sickening; nauseating.

hormones: A chemical substance secreted by an endocrine gland or group of endocrine cells that acts to control or regulatespecific physiological processes, including growth,metabolism, and reproduction.

breech: a baby whose buttocks or feet are presented first during the birth process.

shivers: to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.

automatically: occurring spontaneously.

IV: an intravenous device for delivering electrolyte solutions,medicines, and nutrients.

shriek: a loud, sharp, shrill cry.

Vocabulary Exercise:

Great game to practice your vocabulary with the class!!!

Vocab Pyramid:

Put however the eight vocab words in a pyramid and number the pyramid blocks. Students are set up in pods so they go up four at a time (two guess, while the other 2 describe). They start with block one and begin making attempts to get their teammates to say the correct word by giving them clues (definitions or words related to). Once they get a block correct they move to the next block. They get 1 minute and 30 seconds to get as many as possible (that's with an 8 word vocab list). They are permitted to pass a word if they get stuck and they can come back to it.

Hope you enjoy playing!

For more vocabulary ideas visit:

http://www.proteacher.org/c/694_Vocabulary_Lesson_Ideas.html

Grammar Point

An article is a kind of adjective which is always used with and gives some information about a noun. There are only two articles a and the, but they are used very often and are important for using English accurately.

The word a (which becomes an when the next word begins with a vowel - a, e, i, o, u) is called the indefinite article because the noun it goes with is indefinite or general. The meaning of the article a is similar to the number one, but one is stronger and gives more emphasis. It is possible to say I have a book or I have one book, but the second sententence emphasizes that I do not have two or three or some other number of books.

The word the is known as the definite article and indicates a specific thing. The difference between the sentences I sat on a chair and I sat on the chair is that the second sentence refers to a particular, specific chair, not just any chair.

Many nouns, especially singular forms of countable nouns which you will learn about later, must have an article. In English, it is not possible to say I sat on chair without an article, but a demonstrative or possessive adjective can be used instead of an article as in the sentences I sat on that chair and I sat on his chair.

For More rules on Grammar visit: http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/POS/pos9.htm

Grammar Exercise

Fill in the article >a<, >an< or >the< where necessary. Choose >x< where no article is used.

1) I like blue T-shirt over there better than red one.
2) Their car does 150 miles hour.
3) Where's USB drive I lent you last week?
4) Do you still live in Bristol?
5) Is your mother working in old office building?
6) Carol's father works as electrician.
7) The tomatoes are 99 pence kilo.
8) What do you usually have for breakfast?
9) Ben has terrible headache.
10) After this tour you have whole afternoon free to explore the city. For More exercises or other grammar points visit: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/a_the.htm

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Okay, so I was reading an article in the Huffington Post, and it read "Turning 30: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know." It was an interesting article to say the least, it made me think and analyze if in fact I, being over 30, had and should know. It gave certain things that a woman should have like; a decent piece of furniture (all your own, not borrowed or given to you), a purse, suitcase, umbrella that you shouldn't be embarrassed to carry, a youth you're content to move beyond, and something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself because you deserve it (just to name a few). Then it gave certain things that you should know, like; how to fall in love without loosing yourself, when to try harder and when to walk away, how to live by yourself, even if you don't like to, and what you would and wouldn't do for money or love. I am glad to say that I definitely had most items and knew most things!!!! Take a look at the complete article for more details, and I am certain that you too, will have accomplished most, if not all!

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/turning-30-30-things-every-woman-should-have-and-should-know_n_1447368.html?ref=women

Vocabulary:

analyze: to separate (a material or abstract entity) into constituent parts or elements; determine the elements or essential features of ( opposed to synthesize).
certain: destined; sure to happen (usually followed by an infinitive).
decent: conforming to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty, etc., as in behavior or speech.
embarrassed: to cause confusion and shame to; make uncomfortably self-conscious.
content: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
ridiculously: causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous;laughable.
deserve: to merit, be qualified for, or have a claim to (reward,assistance, punishment, etc.) because of actions, qualities,or situation.
definitely: in a definite manner; unambiguously. Also, unequivocally; positively.
accomplished: completed; done; effected.

Vocabulary Exercise:

With the vocabulary words listed above, try and compose (make) poem your own poem. The words you use do not have to rhyme. Be as creative as you want, and any topic, so as long as you use the words atop.

Grammar:

Prefixes and Suffixes definitions:
English words can consist of three parts: a prefix and a suffix. The root is the part of the word that contains the basic meaning (definition) of the word. A prefix is a word element that is placed in front of a root. A prefix changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. A suffix is a word element that is placed after the root. The suffix changes the word's meaning as well as its function (use).

COMMON PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

Prefixes (Before the Root Word)
pre- before (prepare, predict)
re- again, go back (redo, reread)
un- not, the opposite (unhappy, untrue)
Suffixes (After the Root Word)
-er comparing 2 things (faster, stronger)
-es t comparing more than 2 things (fastest, strongest)
-ful to be full of, having a lot (helpful, careful)
-les s none, without (homeless, helpless)

Grammar Exercise:

Purchase a checkers board (Wal-Mart) and place velcro on the black squares on the game board. Print, laminate, and cut on the following squares on the above template and place corresponding velcro pieces on the back. Place the words with prefixes and suffixes in random order on the game board. Each time a player moves a checker they must say the prefix or suffix, read the word, and explain what it means. (The template "Common Prefixes/Suffixes" from above can help children as they are playing this game).

Thursday, April 19, 2012

"Everything that irritates us about

others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves."

- Carl Jung

I recently read a column in "allAfrica.com" about the importance of knowing one's self and knowing others when taking on a leadership role. If we understand our own personality, it could then make our perceptions clearer and therefore, our opinions more sensible. The article spoke about how significant it is to truly know ourselves: what we are like and why we are that particular way. The unknown author went on to discuss that our temperament is an inborn trait derived from our genes like our race and ethnicity. This in-turn affects our behavior, our personality (the face we show to others), and our character, which is consequential of the way we were brought up.

Vocabulary:

personality: the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others:He has a pleasing personality.
perceptions: the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the sensesor of the mind; cognition; understanding.
sensible: having, using, or showing good sense or sound judgment: a sensible young woman.
significant: important; of consequence.
temperament: the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.
trait: a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature: bad traits of character.
genes: A portion of a DNA molecule that serves as the basic unit of heredity. Genes control the characteristics that an offspring willhave by transmitting information in the sequence of nucleotides on short sections of DNA.

Vocabulary Exercise:

unscramble the words at the bottom:

1. senge
2. artit
3. besinsle
4. tanoreliysp
5. sonitceeprp
6. canstignitfi
7. pamertentm

Grammar:

Definition: Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence. The articles — a, an, and the — are adjectives.

the tall professor
the lugubrious lieutenant
a solid commitment
a month's pay
a six-year-old child
the unhappiest, richest man

Grammar Exercise:

Circle the adjective in each sentence. Then, tell what noun the adjective is describing.

Example: The green alien walked out of the spaceship.

(The adjective green describes the alien).

1. The shiny spaceship landed in my yard.