Expressing Possession

la familia de Fernando (Fernando's family)

la esposa de Ramón (Romón's wife)

su padre (his / her / their father)

sus hermanos (his / her / their brothers)

Los Saludos

Hola (Hello) 

Buenos dias (Good morning)

Buenas tardes (Good afternoon)

Buenas noches (Good night or Good evening)

Los miembros de la familia

los padres (parent)

el padre / la madre (father / mother)

los hijos (children)

el hijo / la hija (son / daughter)

los hermanos (brothers and sisters)

el hermano / la hermana (brother / sister)

los tios  (uncles and aunts)

el tio / la tia (uncle / aunt)

esposos (spouses)

el esposo / la esposa (husband / wife)

Expressing is and are

Spanish equivalents of English is and are: es and son. 

Mi historia es muy important para la Familia Castillo. (My story is very important for the Castillo family) 

Juan es professor de literatura. (Juan is a literature professor) 

Dos personas en esta historia son importantes. (Two people in this story are important)

Learn Spanish with Destinos

"Destinos" is a 52 episodes long tele-novela aimed to teach Spanish to English speakers. Each episode is about 25 minutes long and the videos are available online. The series are a co-production of WGBH Boston and Annenberg Media.  I will be sharing my notes from the series as I watch each episode and study on my own. If you are interested in learning Spanish, you can order the student workbook which has more activities which goes along with the TV show. Here is a short description of Destinos from Annenberg Learner website.

"Destinos teaches speaking, listening, and comprehension skills in Spanish. This telenovela, or Spanish soap opera, immerses students in everyday situations with native speakers and introduces the cultures, accents, and dialects of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Understanding of Spanish and appreciation of many Hispanic cultures increase as students become absorbed in the mysterious and entertaining story. Closed captioning in Spanish can be used as a teaching and literacy resource."

The Road Home (1999)

The Road Home (imdb rating 7.8) tells the story of a young man who goes back to his village after his father's death. The movie starts in black and white. Returning to his village on a cold winter day, this young man suddenly finds himself in the funeral preparations that his mother is trying to organize for his father. We soon learn that his father came to this village as a teacher many years ago and that he was very popular among the people of the village. His mother wants his father's last journey to be spectacular and befitting him. While the funeral preparations are continuing, the film suddenly takes us back to the past and the black and white image suddenly becomes colorful.

In the next segment of the movie, we witness the love story between a village teacher and a village girl. This story actually feels so familiar to us as we watch it, it's as if it's describing a small village in any part of the world. For example, the village teacher is welcomed by all the villagers at the entrance of the village, all the people join hands in building the school building, the villagers prepare a meal for the young teacher, and invite them to their homes for dinner, one by one.

Also, the love between two young people is so naive, so sincere. Although they have only met a few times, a great love blossoms between them. When the young teacher leaves the village for some political reasons, the young girl waits for months at the entrance of the village for the day the teacher would return. Because she stays in the cold for hours, she falls into bed and gets sick. At the end of the film, we return to the present day and the film becomes black and white again. The film ends with a magnificent funeral ceremony under the snow, on the backs of hundreds of people.

While watching these and similar movies, I am always surprised by how similar Eastern cultures are to each other. Actually, I must say that I am more than surprised. Because, as I sail towards different cultures, I see that we can have the same feelings and thoughts even if they are thousands of miles away from us. Imagine how close and similar the experiences in an ordinary village in China, which is governed by a regime quite different from ours, are to us. I believe in the benefits of such initiatives for different societies to better understand each other, and I recommend you not to miss this movie if you have the opportunity. The more information about the movie can be found here. 

How to start a blog in 2024?

Image by Kevin King(Chandana Perera) from Pixabay 

In this article, we will go over the necessary steps to start and develop a blog from scratch. Creating a blog can be a satisfying endeavor that allows anyone to share their thoughts, areas of expertise, or life experiences with a broader audience. This step-by-step guide may help you get started:

Define Your Purpose and Niche: First and foremost, you need to identify your passion or area of expertise. This will allow you to determine your target audience and what value you can provide to them. If you are in the field of education, teachers may be your target audience and you may write blog posts related to daily lives of educators. You can also create blogs about your daily life experiences and anything you find important to share with others.

Choose a Blogging Platform: There are many options out there to start blogging, but you may consider popular platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, Medium, or Wix. Although each platform has its own features and benefits, you may choose one that aligns with your goals. Blogger is very east to set-up and user friendly so it may be a good choice for beginners. Unlike others, Blogger is completely free, and you don't have to worry about paying a monthly fee to keep your blog alive. WordPress provides endless opportunities but requires a bit of learning curve becoming comfortable with navigating the platform.

Select a Domain Name:

Although not required, it may be wise to choose a memorable and relevant domain name for your blog. Domian names costs as low as $10 a year and sometimes they offer deals if you buy them for multiple years. Blogger allows you to connect your blog to any domain easily. When you choose a domain name, make sure it reflects your blog's content and is easy to spell.

Set Up Hosting (if using WordPress, etc.):

If you choose to publish your blog on WordPress or some other platforms, you may need to select a hosting provider (e.g., Bluehost, SiteGround) and register your domain. With hosting, Blogger comes handy again since it offers free hosting on blogspot.com.

Design Your Blog:

A lot of readers pay attention to the design of a website when they're navigating. If it's not appealing to them, they will leave the site and do not come back again. Try to choose a clean and user-friendly design or theme. With Blogger, you may customize the layout, colors, and fonts to create a visually appealing site.

Create Essential Pages:

Blog sites are usually personal websites, and each user has a different way to represent themselves through these websites. If you are interested in connecting with your readers, consider developing essential pages such as an About Me page, Contact page, and a Privacy Policy page. These pages may not attract all of your visitors, but it will add a personal touch and allow readers to gain a better understanding of you and your goals.

Write High-Quality Content:

With the artificial intelligence technology, it has become much easier to create new content and write grammatically sound essays and articles. You may begin putting your thoughts into writing in seconds and then let an essay editor make edits or updates to your article. Start creating and publishing content that aligns with your blog's niche. Keep your focus on providing value to your audience, whether it's information, entertainment, or inspiration.

Optimize for SEO:

At the end of the day, you would like more readers to come visit your blog. This will not only make your voice heard but also allow you to connect with people who are thinking alike and would like to interact with you. Learning the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) may allow you to improve your blog's visibility on search engines. Blogger is a part of Google family, and its visibility is always high compared to others. All you have to do is to use relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags for images.

Promote Your Blog:

You have chosen a name for your blog, and you started posting a few articles. It's time to promote your blog to others so that they know it exists. Although search engines may bring some traffic to your blog, you may still need to let the word out to reach wider audiences. You can share your blog posts on social media platforms and engage with your audience and participate in relevant online communities. When doing that, don't forget to add your blog site in your signature or find a way to mention it.

Monetize (if desired):

It may sound impossible at first, but there are lots of people out there making a living by writing blog posts. This may not be your end goal but why not make some additional income if you are really good at it. Your blog may be helping others to improve themselves with your content so you can take that to the next level. Explore ways to monetize your blog, such as through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or selling products/services.

Learn and Improve:

The world of blogging has changed tremendously over the past two decades. Try to stay updated on blogging trends and techniques. This will allow you to adapt quickly to changes which will bring additional traffic who are looking for these types of improvements. Always pay attention to analytics to understand your audience and find ways to improve your content. You may gain a solid base of followers quickly but stay open to accepting new ones to grow even more.

Stay Consistent:

As we previously mentioned, there are so many blog sites out there and many of them die after a certain period of time. Their authors either lose motivation or simply do not add new content anymore. In the world of blogging, the consistency is key. Make it your goal to regularly publishing new content to keep your audience engaged. If it's easier, establish a posting schedule that works for you. Keep this in mind: Building a successful blog takes time and dedication. Be patient and stay committed to providing value to your readers.

(This article is written by a human being with the help of Artificial Intelligence).

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Bicycle Thieves (imbd rating 8.3) is an Italian masterpiece. It's filmed during those years when black and white movies were the only option. It is a masterpiece that takes us back to those years with its realistic narrative, makes us question our values about humanity and life, and surprises us especially with its final scene. 

It is a film that sheds light on a period by revealing both the economic and social life of post-war Italy in all its nakedness. Women carrying buckets of water from the street fountain, men waiting for work in the labor market, people pushing each other to get a seat in the bus line. This film, which moves very slowly and can be boring at times in today's fast pace, has an important place in the history of cinema due to the scenes it presents from the daily life.

Coming back to the movie, it tells the story of a man trying to find a job despite the impossibilities  mentioned above. Antonio, who needs a bicycle to work, starts to search for his bicycle when it is stolen, by mobilizing the people around him and turning the whole of Rome upside down. However, looking for a bicycle in a huge city will not be as easy as you think. The film is worth watching for its emphasis on human values, reminding us of the value of what we have, and, as I mentioned above, taking us to a period of Europe. More information about the movie can be found here.

Shape of the Moon (2004)

Although the producers of this movie are from the Netherlands, the story takes place in Indonesia. Its original name is "Stand van de Maan" and it has an imdb rating of 7.4. This documentary film reflects the daily life of a Christian family living in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population. This film gives viewers a very good idea of learning what it means to be a minority in a society where the majority religion is felt in every aspect of daily life. The film opens with anti-Bush slogans from a group marching against America in Jakarta. Then, the lens focuses on the prayers performed in the mosques and an old uncle who cannot control his tears while praying for Iraq.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, religious motifs often come into play to help us understand how dominant or important religion is in daily life. For example, a young man collecting money on behalf of a mosque, a group marching at midnight chanting hymns, people praying collectively at the train station, a mosque imam explaining that a marriage other than a religious one will not be an official marriage. In addition to these, the announcement of food distribution to those left homeless in the neighborhood fire was made from mosques, the wedding was held in the mosque and announced to the surrounding area via loudspeakers. It is noteworthy that it shows how intertwined social life is.

After this picture becomes clear in our minds, the film invites us to become guests to a Christian family's house. A cross and a painting of Jesus and Mary on the wall can be the only indicators that the family is not Muslim. Apart from those, we witness the intertwining cultures such as entering a house without shoes and children kissing the hands of adults. The film (or documentary) continues with the family's eldest son converting to Islam so that he can marry a Muslim girl. The viewers witness the wedding ceremony which takes place afterwards, and remarkable scenes from the daily lives of ordinary people. 

As we get closer to the end, there are a few things we remember about Indonesia: The place of religious elements in people's daily lives as well as the poverty of the people and the fact that despite all of these struggles, life continues. So much so that we even witness people traveling on the roof of the trains because they cannot find a seat in the overcrowded trains. If you want to learn more about this country, the way they live and what is feels like to be a minority in a very religious country, I simply recommend you watch this movie.

Not One Less (1999)

This time, I would like to recommend a rare find Chinese movie (imdb 7.7 and MPA rating is G) This production, which caught my attention because the story is about a young (very young) teacher who is set on a journey to bring back one of her students to school. In this movie, you will firsthand witness the divide between Eastern and Western cultures in the name of sacrifice and dedication. 

Wei is a 13-year-old young girl. When the teacher of the neighboring village goes on a leave for a month, she finds herself as the substitute teacher. However, it is not that easy to teach in this this school which consists of only one classroom with multiple grade levels. Before leaving, the other teacher advises her to use the 28 pieces of chalk, which he counted one by one which is equal to one piece of chalk per day during his absence. Reminding that they are a poor school and have no materials other than chalk. He also strictly warns that he does not want to find even one of the children missing when he returns.

A few days later, the headman of the village discovers that one of the children is a fast runner. He convinces some athletics coaches to take the child to the city, but our young substitute teacher is not very pleased with this idea. She wants to keep her promise to the teacher by making sure that none of the kids are missing. Even though she hides the child at one end of the village, she cannot stop him from leaving.

Another day, he learns that the child of a poor family also goes to the city to work and earn money. Then she goes to the city and tries to find the child. Of course, this job is not as easy as we think. First she has to find money for the bus but she has to work for it. Even if she goes to the city, looking for a missing child in a big city is a difficult task for a 13 year old girl. However, she is very dedicated to her mission and she tries everything including hanging flyers on the walls and even knocking at the door of a national TV station.

If you want to watch the warmth of the village people and the story of faithful teachers who create miracles in poverty, do not miss this movie. You may find more details about this movie here and the original title of the movie is Yi ge dou bu neng shao.

The Butterfly (2002)

I was inevitably curious about this movie, mostly because it has a high rating on imdb (7.2) and it's under 90 minutes in length. To be honest with you, I'm a bit prejudiced against French movies. Even movies that are called family movies can sometimes contain a few inappropriate scenes or swear words. But this time, it wasn't what I expected. Although it does not have a strong message, it can be watched with the family.

The film consists of dialogues between an old butterfly collector and a nine-year-old little girl. The film, which occasionally touches on belief in God, love, infidelity and family relationships, can also connect two distinct generations. While the old man advises us to appreciate our loved ones through the pain of his son, who he lost at a young age, the little girl reminds us how difficult it is to live without parents.

The film occasionally touches on issues such as abortion and equality, but they are not poking these issues into your eyes. For example, when the little girl says that she was born after her mother found out that she was late for an abortion, it causes us to experience the suffering of aborted fetuses that are 'Nothing'. The old man casually says that the ideas of equality in the world are nothing but baloney, and that it will be enough to see the existence of rich and poor people to understand this.

Although it has some limitations in its translation into English, the film is worth watching as it provides an enjoyable hour and takes us away to the natural beauties of France. The original title of the movie is Le Papillon and you can find the imdb link here. 

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003)

I would like to tell you about a Mongolian movie (imbd rating: 7.4). In fact, this work is a German production and it is a documentary film that takes place in Mongolia which presents a slice of real life. The actors have already played their real-life roles. The film is based on a simple story, as it is somewhat of a documentary. It is about the rejection of a newly born camel by its mother in the Gobi deserts of Mongolia and the village people's attempts to solve this problem.

Since we are mostly presented with the daily life of the Mongolian people, the story actually seems to be somewhat in the background. After all, the adventures of camels in the middle of a desert is not very interesting for a movie. The financial difficulties of the local people living in tents, the fact that they have to cross a huge desert to reach the nearest town, and the fact that they still cannot benefit from the blessings of modern life such as electricity and television are also remembered as details that need to be underlined.

In this movie you will have the opportunity to take a closer look at the life in the old times. The rugs hanging on the walls and the tents where three generations lived together are an indication that these people are still keeping their traditions alive.They benefit from the meat, milk and wool of their camels which is their only livestock and this movie puts the relationship of the humans and the animals in the centre.  

As a result, it may be an interesting choice if you want to spend one and a half hours by watching a documentary film and looking at the daily life of a society that lives far, far away from us. The original original title of the film is Die Geschicte vom weinenden Kamel and you can find it's imbd link here. 

Provide Instant Feedback!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

One of the things I recommend to new teachers is to provide students with a timely, meaningful feedback about their progress. Providing instant feedback is an important step in student learning which helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Many teachers see this as a time consuming or daunting process but in reality it saves a ton of time in reality. In this article, I have compiled a list of ways teachers can offer instant feedback to their students:

Immediate Verbal Feedback 

Teachers should seek out for opportunities during class discussions or activities to provide verbal feedback for the individual students or the entire class. While giving individual feedback, think about student privacy and respect their personalities. As much as you can, use praise and constructive criticism to highlight what was done well and what needs to be improved. 

Quick Written Feedback 

Since verbal feedback can be a little tricky, consider written feedback where it's appropriate. You may use sticky notes or quick written comments on assignments or assessments to provide that feedback in a confidential way. Teachers can also create their feedback language which can be acronyms or shortened comments but the students know its meaning. 

Technology-Based Feedback 

Now that we have technology all around us, utilize educational applications or tools that allows instant feedback. Many online platforms offer auto scoring and feedback on quizzes or assignments. If the students are sharing documents, adding immediate comments to their work can also be considered as instant feedback. Becoming familiar with a learning management system (LMS) with features like comment sections will come in handy. 

Peer Feedback 

It's widely known that the students learn a lot from each other. Seeing this as an opportunity, teachers can  implement peer review sessions where students provide feedback to each other immediately after completing an activity or assignment. While doing this, teachers need to be actively monitoring student interactions and there needs to be clear guidelines to ensure constructive and helpful feedback is happening.

Response Systems 

Although it's a bit of an old technology, teachers can use clickers or other response systems to gauge student understanding during a lesson. This allows for real-time assessment and adjustment of teaching strategies. Many students now have at least a device with them and there are online tools to allow students submit work in real time. Online platforms, such as Kahoot, Gimlet or Quizizz can be used for interactive and engaging activities for immediate feedback.

In-Class Discussions 

Another great way to provide feedback is through meaningful and engaging class discussions. You need to create a safe and supportive environment where students can express their thoughts and opinions without any judgement. As students share their ideas, look out for opportunities to provide feedback and guide students in refining their ideas.

Exit Tickets 

I always tell teachers there needs to be an end goal in every lesson. Implement exit tickets at the end of a lesson or creating a mini quiz will serve that purpose. Through an exit ticket, you can ask students to summarize key concepts that they learned in that class. Using quizzes as a way to measure student understanding will provide a valuable insight to any teacher. After collecting them, you can review those exit tickets quickly to gauge overall comprehension. If there is even time left, you can address some of the misconceptions without waiting for the next class. 

There are many ways to provide feedback to students during daily instruction. Some of these ideas could be built into a lesson plan but some others could be implemented on the spot. Always look out for opportunities to provide students with meaningful and immediate feedback. Also remember, the key is to be timely, specific, and constructive in your feedback. Providing instant feedback does not only enhances learning but also fosters a supportive and engaged classroom environment.

This article is written by a real human being with the help of artificial intelligence. 

Family Friendly International Movies

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Ten years ago, it was very difficult to find suitable movies for school age children. Thanks to the growing number of streaming services, there are so many options now. I have always appreciated the movies in different languages because they provide you a different perspective. I believe the children should be aware of the life on other parts of the world. Watching films from different countries provide a unique perspective which is hard to obtain about a culture or a place far far away. Over the years, I have compiled a list of "family friendly" international movies and I am providing the list below with the imdb links: 

Paper Planes (Australia, 2014)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3328716/

Belle & Sebastian (2013, France)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3146360/

Like Stars on Earth (2007, India)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986264/

Children of Heaven (1997, Iran)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118849

The Butterfly (2002, France)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329485/

Not One Less (1999, China)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209189/

Bicycle Thieves (1948, Italy)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522

Ramchand Pakistani (2008, Pakistan)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1095421

Red Balloon (1956, France)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048980            

Teaching Advice: Be Professional!

Image by steveriot1 from Pixabay

Being a teacher brings some more responsibilities. Just like any other job, a teacher is expected to be a professional. Some of my recommendations on being professional are:

• Be on time to your job
• Submit your lesson plans on time
• Contact your students' parents
• Be present at Parent Teacher Nights and any other school related events
• Communicate with other staff
• Don't take so many sick days off as long as it's not emergency
• Provide students immediate feedback
• Enter students' grades on time
• Prepare your emergency plans before you take a day off

This list can be extended. However, teachers' duties are never limited to those and they always need to go above and beyond.

Creating a Student Survey

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Two times a year, I give my students a survey to see if everything is going well. I prepare the survey on Google docs and they take it online. Since it's anonymous; it gives the students a little bit of freedom to say what they really think about my class. I have seen great results after giving those surveys and helped me out adjust my classes depending on their answers. I wanted share with you a couple of questions I asked my students on the survey:

How difficult is this class for you? 

• Very Easy
• Easy
• Normal
• Hard
• Very Hard

Is your teacher helpful to you when you need help? 

• Yes he is.
• Sometimes
• No, he isn't.

What do you like the most for learning?  (You can pick more than one.)

• Slideshows
• Worksheets
• Khan Academy videos
• Graphing Calculators
• Taking notes
• Accelerated Math (Clickers)

Do you think that the teacher is organized? 

• He is very well organized.
• I don't know.
• He is not really organized.

Tell me about a time in my class when you felt frustrated:

What do you like best about this class?:

Please type if you have any additional comments: 

 
(if you don't know how to create an online survey, you can watch this tutorial)

Math in the Movies

Image by Chuk Yong from Pixabay

Have you ever thought about using clips from the movies to teach math? I did. But first, I searched the internet and came across with two websites. One of them is Math Bits which has lots of resources about math and many of them are ready to use worksheets. It has a dedicated page called Math and the Movies. The other one is called Mathematics in Movies which has a huge library of video clips from different movies. The website was first published in 2006 by Harvard Professor Oliver Knill. He is constantly updating this website as new movies come out. Those two websites inspired me to create my own worksheets during my teaching years and I am sharing them with you here. Feel free to download and use them in your class. 

Abbott and Costello / Ma and Pa Kettle: This worksheet has two examples of how multiplication and division can be done incorrectly. Feel free to download and customize it. You will need the following clips which go along with the worksheet. The first clip is from Abbott and Costello: In the Navy and the second clip is from Ma and Pa Kettle.

Die Hard III:  Here is a worksheet that I prepared for the jug problem takes place in Die Hard movie. You can watch the clip from the movie here.

Little Big League: Here is another worksheet that I prepared for the movie Little Big League. You can watch the clip form the movie here.

Contact: This worksheet is prepared for the clip from Contact movie. The topic is the prime numbers. You can watch the clip from the movie here.

Live and Become (2005)

This French film (imdb rating: 7.8) was shot by a Romanian-born director: Radu Mihăileanu. The film is about the rescue of a group of Jews caught in the conflict in Ethiopia through an operation organized by the Israeli secret service and their resettlement in Israel. Based on a true story that happened in the 80s, the film beautifully conveys to the audience the story of a Christian child who is mixed among Jews, going to Israel, and the problems he faced after being adopted. 

In addition to witnessing a historical period, the film is worth watching as it contains many clues about Ethiopian Jews, of whom we have very little idea, and from there to daily life in Israel. Even though it is a bit long, the film manages to explain with a very simple language the problems that come with being different in a society. The original title of the film is Va, Vis et Deviens and if you want to get more information about the movie, here is the imdb link and the Wikipedia page.

TI 84 Resources for Teachers

Here is a list of great websites offer lots of resources, printable worksheets and tutorials for TI 84:

http://www.mr-ideahamster.com/classes/calculator_course_ti84.htm

 

http://hotmath.com/graphing_calculators/cabri_movie_index.html

  

https://mathbits.com/MathBits/TISection/Openpage.htm

   

http://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/department113.cfm

 

http://www.tiskills.com/mod1_lessons/m1_l01.php

https://www.professorcole.com/ti-84-tutorials.html

https://online.math.uh.edu/GraphCalc/index.html 

How to teach Integers

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A fellow teacher asked for help teaching integers. Students are having a real difficult time understanding integer operations and it's very crucial for them to learn it. In the past couple of years, I have tried several methods to teach integers but I find the following method better than others. It's making a lot more sense to the students.

Using Bank Account for Teaching Integers:

10-5 : I deposited 10 dollars, spent (withdrew)  5.

10+5: I deposited 10, then 5 more.

-10+5: I spent 10 dollars, and then deposited 5. 

-10-5: I spent 10 dollars at Store A, then spent another 5 at Store B. How much did I spent altogether?

-10+(-5): I have spent 10, then withdrew 5. 

10- (-5):  This could be a little tricky. I would suggest: Teach them subtracting a negative is the same thing as adding. So they would turn -(-5) into +5 and then continue thinking as above.

To explain why subtracting a negative becomes adding: You can try debt. Let's say you have a debt of 5 dollars. A friend of yours pays off your debt for you for free. This takes away your debt so your actual account would increase 5 dollars. A little complicated, huh? Then, just tell them to turn that into a plus :)