The Creative Classroom by Mitchell Lopate, M.A.T. = Academic humanities advising-mentoring, tutoring, writing support: Two decades of college & university and middle-elementary education in-class/online with a B.A. in psychology and a masters in education. Cross-curriculum humanities concepts, career counseling, MBA instruction, composition and research methods, and values, ethics, and writing. “Learn by example, succeed by effort." mitchLOP8@yahoo.com / 840-216*1014
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Monday, August 28, 2023
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Monday, August 21, 2023
Reality is in the mind of the observer
Just remember: perspective (or what you THINK you see) is a matter of what your brain says to your capacity to view an idea, object, or concept. Just because someone says "This is how it is" does not make it real. To that individual, it IS. But the capacity to change one's perspective is just as important.
The story is told of the blind men and the elephant.
There were once six blind men who stood by the roadside every day, and begged from the people who passed. They had often heard of elephants, but they had never seen one; for, being blind, how could they?
It so happened one morning that an elephant was driven down the road where they stood. When they were told that the great beast was before them, they asked the driver to let him stop so that they might see him.
Of course, they could not see him with their eyes; but they thought that by touching him they could learn just what kind of animal he was.
The first one happened to put his hand on the elephant's side. "Well, well!" he said, "now I know all about this beast. He is exactly like a wall."
The second felt only of the elephant's tusk. "My brother," he said, "you are mistaken. He is not at all like a wall. He is round and smooth and sharp. He is more like a spear than anything else."
The third happened to take hold of the elephant's trunk. "Both of you are wrong," he said. "Anybody who knows anything can see that this elephant is like a snake."
The fourth reached out his arms and grasped one of the elephant's legs. "Oh, how blind you are!" he said. "It is very plain to me that he is round and tall like a tree."
The fifth was a very tall man, and he chanced to take hold of the elephant's ear. "The blindest man ought to know that this beast is not like any of the things that you name," he said. "He is exactly like a huge fan."
The sixth was very blind indeed, and it was some time before he could find the elephant at all. At last, he seized the animal's tail. "O foolish fellows!" he cried. "You surely have lost your senses. This elephant is not like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree; neither is he like a fan. But any man with a particle of sense can see that he is exactly like a rope."
Then the elephant moved on, and the six blind men sat by the roadside all day, and quarreled about him. Each believed that he knew just how the animal looked; and each called the others hard names because they did not agree with him. People who have eyes sometimes act as foolishly.
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Film Comedy - a lost skill
And finally, there just aren't the same kind of comedy teams working the circuit of theaters because the movie industry itself has changed: the promotion of DVDs and other home entertainment systems have altered the way we view the world.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
ASL students: learning to communicate in their own unique way
Not everyone has the chance to say directly what he/she feels, thinks, understands, or values.
For these young boys and girls, it's just a matter of finding a different way to share those qualities. They have to use ASL: American Sign Language--because they were born deaf and unable to hear.
But if you listen closely, you can understand every word they are saying.
Monday, July 24, 2023
Monday, July 10, 2023
Ambergris: the expensive ingredient for perfume
I thought about it: she needs a thesis--and replied, "It's worth $20/gram. That's $25,000 for five pounds. You must report it if found in the U.S. or Australia. And it's sperm whale digestive garbage--or ambergris." Twenty-seven words.
She replied, "How much? Where? It's what? Ewww--but that works! Thank you."
Sunday, July 2, 2023
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
The Creative Classroom PowerPoint Video for a thesis
So I've found that a PowerPoint can be tough for some people to see--but they can watch a PowerPoint video instead. With that in mind...here's something I crafted for students and instructors on how to brainstorm an idea for a thesis. Enjoy!
Monday, June 12, 2023
"HSBC ad for learning foreign culture"
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Ball's Pyramid - an ocean-volcano remnant
Oh. My. Gosh. If I was a captain of a ship in a heavy fog and saw THIS, I'd be screaming "Reverse engines and get us out of here!" It's absolutely incredible--and it's real. Sometimes the magnificence of Nature is beyond belief when we realize how many amazing places exist on Earth. It's really part of an ancient shield volcano that has eroded away.
Ball's Pyramid - Pacific Ocean near South Wales, Australia
Friday, May 12, 2023
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Friday, May 5, 2023
On speaking a foreign language for business or travel
One of the questions I asked as a judge at a masters degree contest at an international business university: "What three languages would you learn that you do not speak now--and why would you use them for international business?" (My answers, just for the record: "Spanish, Portuguese, and French." (I chose Spanish and Portuguese for South America, and French because it is spoken in so many other countries.)
I've also recommended for college-university credits that if someone is already fluent in a foreign language and it is offered by their college-university of choice, take it at the basic level and ace the class for elective credits.
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
The Creative Classroom Kitchen: food that prepares itself on command!
(Sigh. THIS totally makes my efforts look like I'm out of my league in the kitchen.)
Monday, April 17, 2023
Panda punctuation: Eats, Shoots & Leaves book
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots & leaves."
It's available on Amazon.com and also abebooks.com. Go get a copy.
This is also my defense of the Oxford comma. But in this case, the first comma is wrong and should not have been included.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Crafty commas cause commotions in creative classrooms
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,”…..
- “Yes, I want to get better grades!” “No, I did not forget!”
- “Well, I’ll just try it again.”
- “Oh, I did my work yesterday.”
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 2nd and 3rd members or items?)
Transition phrases get help from commas
- Example: Generally, one can see a transition phrase followed by a comma.
- Example: Moreover, they are at the head of a sentence.
- Example: However, there’s always someone who forgets them!
- Example: Therefore, use them with a comma!
- Example: In fact, they work much like transitions.
- Example: On the other hand, they lend a big hand to a sentence.
- Example: For that matter, they handle the work of a smaller phrase.
- Example: All things considered, they are useful.
- Example: As far as I’m concerned, it’s just about obvious that a comma makes a difference.
- Example: In spite of the best intentions, students still argue and fuss that they don’t understand them.
- 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:
- “He was a bashful, sleepy kid.”
- “The eager, radiant princess kissed the slimy, vile frog.”
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.