Crafty commas cause commotions in creative classrooms

In a commotion over a comma? I agree that the comma is a VERY hard thing to understand, but try and be calm about it. (Just ask Grandpa, who has now realized that he's been invited for dinner instead of finding himself AS dinner.)
Try these rules (and spare the old man's life and your error in meal choice!)

Between words or word groups in a series
  Example: Medical supplies, food, blankets, and clothing were rushed to the flood area.

To separate parts of a compound sentence
 Example: Many homes were flooded, and owners had to be rescued by police. (You can make two sentences: the comma helps split them apart.)

  To separate a direct quote from the rest of a sentence.
  Example: “We’re going home,” said Nick. She answered, “No, I’m staying.”

  When you speak to someone, use a comma to set apart their name.
  Example:  “Alicia, please come and help me.” 

 IF YOU BEGIN A SENTENCE WITH “Yes,” “No,” “Well,” “Oh,”…..

1.  “Yes, I want to get better grades!” “No, I did not forget!”
2.  “Well, I’ll just try it again.”
3.   “Oh, I did my work yesterday.”

     * The “Oxford” Comma

 Used with three items:
Example:  “Peter, Paul, and Mary were a folk group during the 1960s.”
 *(This often appears as “Peter, Paul and Mary.”)
  (But this is the reason for the Oxford comma: otherwise, how do we separate the 2^nd and 3^rd members or items?)

 Transition phrases get help from commas

1.  Example: Generally, one can see a transition phrase followed by a comma.
2.  Example: Moreover, they are at the head of a sentence.
3.   Example: However, there’s always someone who forgets them!
4. Example: Therefore, use them with a comma!
5. Example:  In fact, they work much like transitions.
6. Example: On the other hand, they lend a big hand to a sentence.
7. Example: For that matter, they handle the work of a smaller phrase.
8. Example: All things considered, they are useful.

 BIG intro phrases get commas

1. Example: As far as I’m concerned, it’s just about obvious that a comma makes a difference.
2. Example: In spite of the best intentions, students still argue and fuss that they don’t understand them.
3. Example: After all the presentations are done, I’m sure everyone grasps the idea—or else.

If two or more adjectives describe or modify the same noun, make sure they work separately if appropriate:

1.   “He was a bashful, sleepy kid.”
2.   “The eager, radiant princess kissed the slimy, vile frog.”

  (Each adjective works by itself)

  Other uses of commas
In addresses, to separate smaller from larger units: Washington, D.C.
 Albertville, Alabama

 Date (if day/month/year is used. NO if only month-year):
 June 14, 2006, was a very good day for a wedding.

Rescuing Vietnamese refugees at sea: 1980 with the U.S. Navy

 Yesterday marked the anniversary 46 years ago when I raised my hand and entered military service. This is one of my best and most meaningful memories.

History lesson for anyone born after 1980 and for those who ask "what is freedom?" It is the right to choose and make decisions for the well-being of oneself and one's family. It is the opportunity to find success by the efforts that are made by the individual. It is the acceptance of one's beliefs, values, and standards as long as they are in harmony with society and one's chosen country, provided that there are no significant and unbiased restrictions on those beliefs or values. It is the ability to be accepted regardless of one's skin color, even though it may be disliked or not welcomed by those with shallow minds. It is the chance to live in the United States of America.

I was aboard the USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet flagship, the day these people in the movie were rescued. It makes my throat close up with memories of how hard we searched for the people who fled Vietnam in 1979-1980 in these small boats. They crammed aboard with limited food and water, and some did not make it safely to rescue efforts. On my first ship, the USS Oklahoma City (CG-5), we worked 20-hour shifts in flag administration to get the logistics and coordinated efforts of the officers who were involved in planning these rescue operations, especially in planning the P-3 Orion planes who were sent out on reconnaissance missions. 

I remember the public address call that asked us for clothing donations. I gave up some dungaree pants, and I remember seeing them on one of the men who was rescued. I am so thankful that I was a sailor in the U.S. Navy.

Creative Easter eggs!

I know some teachers (and parents) like to do creative things for Easter. Just remember: if you want to eat the eggs, just swap out shaving cream with whipped cream--and enjoy the fun!

National Geographic Documentary - Prehistoric pig: the Enteledont

Fluid Learning as a way of creative thinking-organizing

 

I am a Fluid Thinker and Learner; this is my style of Intelligence. It's a phrase I've coined to identify how I think out-of-the-box; to be creatively original and yet be very detail-oriented and analytical. It's the upside of ADD, and it does work well for those who are very active up to hyperactive. It may also involve abundant mental and physical energy and ambidextrous abilities.

It is not one of the standard measurement systems; my intellect is extraordinarily higher than most people, but I don't test well. Yet I have an encyclopedic-photographic memory. I consume information with a left-brain format, but I'm very Creative & Quick with words, wit, and sound-images. 

 Fluid Thinkers use tangible and intangible ideas together in ways that are not always bound by structure: we extrapolate and juxtapose. This also reflects the dual-brain at work; with theatrical personalities that pop up in teaching skits. Teaching on multiple levels at once comes up with different ideas. For a demonstration, listen to the post with guitarist-military advisor Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on this site. (He is a legendary musician as well as a consultant to the Pentagon on missile defense.)

Jung would say I'm an Action-Intuitive, and I am very ethereal and empathic. I'm a medium (the ability to communicate with deceased entities; no, not "psychic"): sometimes when I've read heavily from an author and then start to mentally mimic his/her style. It gets complicated when I've found via reading that writers who passed away use my mediumship to get through ideas in writing. Some comics have also borrowed me: Groucho Marx, for one. O. Henry and Mark Twain--and Oscar Wilde, by birth claim of mine from a VERY recognized-by-friends past life association--have "taught" with me.

Not every Fluid Thinker is understood in his/her own land or time. It's because we can mentally travel in time. H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Ray Bradbury, among others, yes? Want a really wild and twisted great book: The Man Who Folded Himself. Wait until you meet time travel with yourself--as both male and female.

    

     I think with images and sound too; as a music journalist for classic blues, rock, jazz, and other styles, I wrote reviews that were filled with similes and metaphors that evoke the imagination. And I teach psychological astrology because the symbols are visual words that I can understand: like chess pieces that carry energy dynamics in their exchanges with personality and the psyche, and the board is the chart wheel.

    

     We're the New Students many of you are meeting in the classroom now--and our way of responding to and exchanging our awareness of ideas will be exciting and unique. We are Fluid Learners & Thinkers--and we are ready to share new methods of Understanding and Teaching with the world. We're Fluid Learners.

Academic sources need authenticity

 If you're in high school or enrolled in college or at a university:

Academic sources are important because they show research and proof of validation that the source is reliable. Better yet: https://nmsu.libguides.com/sources/types

By the way: NO, "Mailchimp" is not a reliable source. 

Neither is Wikipedia.

Types of Sources

Scholarly publications (Journals)

Popular sources (News and Magazines)

Professional/Trade sources.

Books / Book Chapters.

Conference proceedings.

Government Documents.

Theses & Dissertations

books and encyclopedias.

websites, web pages, and blogs.

magazine, journal, and newspaper articles.

research reports and conference papers.

interviews and surveys.

photographs, paintings, cartoons, and other artworks.

TV and radio programs, podcasts, movies, and videos.

Nudibranches - the beautiful and toxic (to other creatures) sea slugs

Something for the science-minded crowd (and your kid who is now begging you for one):  

the deadly colorful nudibranches 
(sea slugs) "(nudi-brinks")

The toxic snails of the sea.

APA formats explained (again) and TURNITIN for checking plagiarism on Canvas ONLINE

 

Mastery Criteria technique: four sites for the educator and student needs

 I'm mentioning this as a teaching technique not only for younger students in elementary level but also for adults. I've learned the hard way that each of us has his or her own learning style and pace of understanding information--and processing it. That also means RETAINING it so that it becomes part of the individual's capacity to make decisions and react to personal and social cues.

This is not meant by me for just an IEP. Instead, I am reminding everyone who has a role in education that learning is not a cookie-cutter process. Please consider levels of mastery criteria in your method of teaching. I am including a link for those with special "on the spectrum" needs. 

https://theautismhelper.com/writing-the-iep-goal-mastery-criteria/

https://www.theintentionaliep.com/determining-iep-goal-mastery-criteria/

http://dcmsspaces.weebly.com/uploads/5/2/6/9/5269188/_mastery_obj.pdf

https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/jones/jones007.shtml

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - ASYMMETRICAL THINKING IN A CONVENTIONAL WORLD.

This is for the higher education visitors--and that also goes for the online MBA students whom I have recently taught. When I tell you to think outside the box, I mean the box doesn't necessarily have to be a square. Try a trapezoid box--or even better, a box that's octagonal--and then give it the opportunity to take on other shapes. At least, my mind goes in places that the traditional thinker may not go--but I find it comfortable.

Oh. He said, "At a high delta-V, in the exo-atmospheric interception using an S-Ban radar, how do you guarantee a high PK in a threat cloud?" Want to figure out what that means? Just listen: YOU're an out-of-the-box thinking manager, right? Let me try: "At a high velocity {delta speed range} in the upper atmosphere range of interception using a specific missile defense radar system, how do you guarantee a confirmed {high-rate} percentage rate of destroying the target (PK or 'kill percent rate') in a scenario where the warhead is also accompanied by the flying junk pile of debris created by launching a missile as well as by decoys or other countermeasures designed to complicate the missile defense job. All of these objects move together through space as part of a threat cloud."

You're welcome.

Why do hammerhead sharks look like that?

Just because there's going to be someone out there who asks, "Why?" 

 https://theconversation.com/why-do-hammerhead-sharks-have-hammer-shaped-heads-184372

A tree lasts all year old

 

Deep space from the James Webb telescope

 

The patrons of arts and sciences: the nine Muses of Greek mythology

 

The Nine Muses were minor goddesses of Greek mythology, who were closely linked to the arts and sciences. They guided and inspired mortals in their creation of literature, music, drama and other artistic and scientific ventures. The Muses rarely featured in any major myths of their own, but they were often invoked and remained among the most important of the Greek pantheon of deities.

Analytically The Nine Muses Are:

1. Clio: The Muse Clio discovered history and guitar. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. Clio was always represented with a clarion in the right arm and a book in the left hand.

2. Euterpe: Muse Euterpe discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic. She was always depicted holding a flute, while many instruments were always around her.

3. Thalia: Muse Thalia was the protector of comedy; she discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science and agriculture. She was also protector of Symposiums. She was always depicted holding a theatrical – comedy mask.

4. Melpomene: Opposite from Thalia, Muse Melpomene was the protector of Tragedy; she invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat.

5. Terpsichore: Terpsichore was the protector of dance; she invented dances, the harp and education. She was called Terpsichore because she was enjoying and having fun with dancing ( “Terpo” in Greek refers to be amused). She was depicted wearing laurels on her head, holding a harp and dancing.

6. Erato: Muse Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She was depicted holding a lyre and love arrows and bows.

7. Polymnia: Muse Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; she invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre.

8. Ourania: Muse Ourania was the protector of the celestial objects and stars; she invented astronomy. She was always depicted bearing stars, a celestial sphere and a bow compass.

9. Calliope: Muse Calliope was the superior Muse. She was accompanying kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She was the protector of heroic poems and rhetoric art. According to the myth, Homer asks from Calliope to inspire him while writing Iliad and Odyssey, and, thus, Calliope is depicted holding laurels in one hand and the two Homeric poems in the other hand.

The Nine Muses have been inspiring artists since the antiquity and there countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems and statues dedicated to them. All artists of the Renaissance acknowledged their importance in artistic creation,  dedicating their works to the Muses.

Today, the most famous depiction of the Muses in sculpture is in Greece, in Corfu; the Empress Sissi of Austria had their statues made for her, in order to ornament the garden of her retreat house in Corfu, the famous Achilleion.

From the mind of a child...comes awareness of skills and talents

 

Before you say "Oh, how cute," REALLY look at this image and consider: this kid's mind is already thinking on higher levels. His parents might not even realize it now. But he is taking his view of things--including spatial awareness--to a different point. This kid may be an artist in the making, or an engineer--or both. And he is showing his talents!!

The Biggest Little Farm - Sustainable farming

Public speaking isn't freaking...if you learn to speak!

Let's talk about your greatest fear. No, not spiders, No, not heights. No, not the number 13--or Friday the 13th.

I mean public speaking. Making a speech in front of an audience. And for some folks, they would rather--sorry to be so frank--die and go right to Heaven rather than make a speech in front of all those people.

St. Peter: "What are you doing here now?" 

You: "I had to make a speech." 

St. Peter: "I don't understand. But you're not due here for another 47 years!" 

You: "I don't care. I couldn't take the thought of all those eyes on me. STARING...WATCHING...and I can't speak in front of people. I'd rather die. So there. YOU go and make the speech for me!"

From my view as a college instructor and sales and marketing rep...some students would rather glue their butt to the chair before they would come up to the front of the class to speak about an assignment, let alone try public speaking.

I was that person for years.

I would sit in the back of the class.

In the next classroom.

In the next building.

In the next school available.

In the next town.

In the next state.

And that chair? I wasn't getting out of it to come to the front of the class. It WAS part of my body: I was born with that chair attached to my butt. And when I got married, it was my bride, me, and that chair.

'Cause there was NO WAY that I was going up in front of the class--or ANY audience--without that chair as a life-support/form of safety against public speaking fears. As long as I was in that chair, I was safe.

Well, they're not alone--but this is an important part of college--and life:  SOMEONE wants to hear what you think and know--and speaking in public about it can be one of the most empowering things you can do (without the chair glued to your behind).  I know:  I used to have raging stage fright--I was just terrified of speaking in front of a crowd, let alone the classroom.  Naturally, this doesn't go over well with anyone who has plans to be a teacher!

The good news (yes, that's right) is that many colleges and schools require public speaking; at least one class on your transcript is expected.  And it's not as hard as you think; in fact, learning to overcome the fear of speaking can be very useful.  

("How?!") Well, for one, it shows a potential employer that you have learned to master a difficult challenge that you refused to let overwhelm you--and that you've made a weakness into a strength.)

Second, it's not that bad--in fact, most of the time in school, the audience you're addressing are your own classmates.  They're not any more anxious to do it and are probably just as nervous (unless they're in a debate team program).  If you want to be involved in politics, law, or any field where sharing of information is concerned--then learn to speak in public and don't let it scare you.  

Much of the same rules about a thesis apply to public speaking:  you have to know what makes your idea important and why it's valuable to your audience.  You have to prepare good notes in some manner:  index cards are useful.  The ideas you speak about should be direct and to the point.  And your presence as a person of importance is supported by the fact that you've done research on the subject.

I found the chance to do public speaking to be a career-changing moment for me when I gave a speech at my step-father's retirement party at a plush resort dinner.  There were men in tuxedos and women in fine evening dresses.  What I did was to try and pattern my speech by watching someone on TV whom I liked:  a famous comedian, and the way he timed comments after laughter.  

Did it work? The audience HOWLED with glee at my comments--but I knew my topic: a man (my father) who was known for his meticulous attention to details and orderliness. So did his team and staff associates. He was FAMOUS for following routines for successful business goals. So were the people who followed his methods into their own successful careers and advancements. 

I simply used a story about him that brought this to a funny ending. And then I asked the audience members if they had found themselves in a similar situation with him. My family was astonished at how well I did--and I made sure that I had prepared for this event.  It gave me great momentum toward my career in education and sales--and it truly gave me a new sense of achievement. It was a golden ticket moment for me--and I've been able to do public speaking ever since.

Finland leads the world in education. Here's how and why.

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

http://www.projectfinland.org/finnish-school-day/?fbclid=IwAR0aayubbgDLDp68GOmxgTwf9rIfTado60j1QRTOGqBMhPaHnZuiO2pBvWs

Global Connection.

Finnish School Day

Emilia is eight years old. She started school at the age of seven, a year later than children in the United States. But, like almost all six-year-olds in Finland, Emilia attended voluntary pre-school. So far, Emilia’s parents have not had to pay for her schooling.

Almost all schools in Finland are public. The Finnish state educates children from pre-school on for free. The city provides schoolbooks and pencils, as well as lunch, free of charge. Emilia won’t be served hamburgers, hot dogs or soft drinks at lunchtime. Instead, she’ll often eat mashed potatoes and meatballs, salad, carrots, rye bread and fruit juice.

Emilia’s required nine-year education will take place in what Finns call “comprehensive schools.” Comprehensive schools teach all subjects, including mathematics, religion, environmental studies, Finnish and Swedish, foreign languages, history and social studies, civics, biology, geography, physical education, music, art and handicrafts.

Children usually start studying their first foreign language at the age of nine, so Emilia will soon choose which language she wants to learn first. Like 87 percent of Finnish kids, she will probably choose English. Some of her friends may choose to study other languages: 3.8 percent will study German, 1.2 percent will study French and 0.2 percent will study Russian.
Swedish and Finnish are the official languages of Finland. Since Emilia’s mother native language is Finnish, she will start studying Swedish when she is 13. She already knows how to say good evening in Swedish. It is “god kväll”. In Finnish, it is “hyvää iltaa”.

Emilia loves school, especially arts and music. She just finished her first oral class presentation. She talked about her pet hamster, Pena. (The books on animals claim that hamsters love strawberries, but not Pena. He prefers
blueberries and grapes.)

Emilia and her 22 classmates call their teacher by her first name, Maarit. Children in Finland attend school five days a week and have weekends off, just like most children in the United States. Classes are shorter, though. Each 60-minute study period includes a 15-minute break. Lunch is 30 minutes long. First and second graders attend school for a maximum of five hours a day and average 19 lessons a week. Older students attend school for up to seven hours a day. Third and fourth graders have 23 lessons a week, and fifth and sixth graders have 24 lessons.

Like other children in Finland, Emilia doesn’t need her parents to take her to places. She walks or rides her bike to school and to the park with her friend Jenna.

When Emilia is 16, she will have several choices. She can move on to general upper secondary school, which is like high school in the United States. Or she can choose vocational training to prepare herself to work in a specific industry. Emilia is considering becoming a hairdresser or a horse trainer.

Finnish teenagers are ranked among the best readers in the world. Emilia learned to read when she was five. One unexpected reason why Finnish children love to read is the fact all foreign programs on Finnish television are subtitled. Wanting to understand the shows motivates children to learn how to read.

Finnish children between the ages of 10 and 14 spend approximately 2 hours a day watching television and 47 minutes a day on the computer. After-school sports and outdoor activities like cycling, swimming, skiing and ice hockey are popular among 10-to 14-year-old Finns. Boys enjoy football and ice hockey while girls show more interest in Finnish baseball and gymnastics. Finnish children and young people also enjoy watching television, spending time on the computer, visual arts, singing, playing instruments, writing, going to the movies, and reading.
Sound familiar?

Quiz

1. Which language do most kids in Finland choose to study as their first foreign language?

• Finnish
• English
• German
• Danish

2. What is true of schools in Finland?

• No hamburgers are served
• Classes last for 70 minutes
• You go to school on Saturdays
• You call your teachers Mr. and Mrs.

3. After ‘comprehensive school’

• you are a hairdresser
• you speak about pets
• you can choose which school to attend
• you can ride a bike

4. A typical Finnish kid

• Doesn’t watch television
• often takes the taxi
• doesn’t like strawberries
• reads a lot

"Word Crimes" drive me wild!!

A moment of temporary loss of reality: it's time for Weird Al Yankovic. I used this video when I was at a major financial-economics university in China during 2015-2016 to make a point about English. (And also to have some cool music. The students loved it.) 

THINK and brainstorm ideas before writing that paper!

 

Ever get stuck on how to bring an idea forward from your mind and get it onto the paper? Thinking is a process that can also be good for those who need movement or action to help them learn. You may need to write down your ideas.

I'd like to share with anyone who needs help with the idea or strategy of "How do I brainstorm or get out of my head how to write a paper?" (I'm now thinking as a student, so follow along):

(1) What's the issue/reason behind my idea--how is it personally or socially connected to the assignment? How does it affect me or someone else--and why does it matter? Is it costing me money in some way? (Most likely.) Is there a sense of "I {and others} must do something, or that someone else faced up to that issue and resolved it-challenged it in a dynamic way that changed society?"
(Hint: if it helps, how does your idea fit the 4 Major Influences? If you're reaching in your pocket to pay for something because the price is higher, that's Money. If someone is enforcing it by their demand or order, that's Power. If it creates a sense of personal or social unwillingness or resistant to change, it's Fear. And if it's about someone doing beneficial to help Mankind in a small or large way, that's Love.)

    Does this subject or idea that I'm trying to present have any influence of myself or others being worried or scared about changes, both personal and social? What is the reality of those thoughts--just reluctance to adapt or concrete fact that should concern me/others? How do these facts validate my/their thoughts/worries?

     Does this topic enhance or limit me or others in an emotionally binding way? How so? Is it caring about-for someone or something in a personal way or to keep up more extended social contracts and commitments to a group effort?

(2) Establish "Who said something about those ideas?" Where are these people; why are they important references; what credentials or Points of Authority do they merit? What have they said that backs up the points that are being made in the paper/assignment? 

Option: Can their words and ideas be introduced in a way/form by me so that I can then show by MY personal experience or that of others that I validate their thoughts?

(3) Take a significant idea in one paragraph, then explain why it's relevant: use details, facts, examples, quotes. Turn it upside down and inside out if needed. Repeat process again with next paragraph/new idea. Continue until ideas have been exhausted.

(4) "In conclusion, several challenges and options have been presented" is a great way to end a paper like this. Give short summaries--less than 3 sentences at most!--about the relevance/significance of whatever the core idea was about that was assigned/chosen, and also how these ideas were addressed, resolved, or identified. KEEP IT BASIC. Don't elaborate--that was done in the other portions of the paper, yes?

If required, make sure sources/quotes are clearly identified in body of paper by full intro or "A short basic sentence that identifies them as a source" (Lopate) by author or a short phrase "article title" in the paper. If it's used in the paper, put it in alphabetical sequence on the works cited page. 

Hints for research:

The best sources available are from .edu or other educational sites.

If it's a general topic, then try to find something with an author's name to it--and if possible, note the article title if you're using online sources.