tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62103715438435519342024-03-19T02:47:00.173-06:00Under One TechoUnder One Roof: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-5939082519625359172022-02-16T20:55:00.001-07:002022-02-16T20:55:02.940-07:00Barcelona, With Love<p>I am starting to close the dozen or so windows I have open on my phone about Barcelona. I am getting rid of the metro tickets.</p><p><br></p><p>But, today, I am still so psyched about my trip to Barcelona. I sit at the piano and think of my sister playing Arabesque at a bookstore during the last night of a street festival. I pop a cd of Emilie, the amazing Georgian we found in the metro tunnels. He was playing classical guitar and it resonated up and down the stairs on either side of the space he was occupying. We almost stopped but didn’t. Then we came back. His music, burned onto a DVD-R plays like a dream and I feel like I’ve just popped in a record. I remember the chocolate sculpture made to represent La Sagrada Familia. I am watching a short report and refreshing what I learned from my visit there.</p><p><br></p><p>Ahhhhhh.</p><p><br></p><p>But, mostly, I am so grateful I followed my 17-year-old dream and figured out what it was that I loved about Barcelona. I thought I wanted to be a Latin pop star. Nowadays, I am really grateful that I learned to improve my Spanish by singing lyrics of Spanish songs. Like Laura Pausini, La Oreja de Van Gogh.</p><p>I don’t need to be a Latin pop star. I found what I loved about the city. They don’t even have any signs in Spanish. The classical Spanish guitarist in the metro is an anomaly. I never heard anyone else play like that in the area. I met so many more Spaniards from other areas, but a few Catalan were thrown in and many, many Latin Americans were in the area. There was other diversity, too, in our taxi drivers and the man who drove our rickshaw. Yet, all the signs were in Catalan. It sort of blew my mind. And I went to a congregation all in Spanish. It was amazing. I just looove Barcelona even though I speak no Catalan. I loved meeting a Basque man and his daughter at the bookstore that first night. I loved the salsa dancing in the street. The percussion groups parading through the streets. I loved the Greek food from an actual Greek man. Interestingly, or maybe not, two of the Catalan people I met idealize New York City from a stay they had had, or the other, just because it’s like the city and the neighborhoods that are right here at home. In other words, it is not an inappropriate comparison to Barcelona itself.</p><p><br></p><p>I was impressed by the young people of Barcelona. I believe that they are doing the best they know how. But, there are many, too, that don’t have an ambition past high school. I found that curious. And, in a full circle moment, I wondered aloud at a group meeting of my global church’s local congregation, why my 17-year-old dream had brought me here. I had wanted to be a Latin pop star, and I did everything that I knew how to do to be one from that age until about 35. And what was it? That reason above all reasons that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go (as shown through an a capella performing group I joined with full dance moves, advanced level Spanish classes at my University, and unending style research and fashion discoveries, especially with a global flair)?</p><p><br></p><p>My self knew then that I could understand how proud the Catalan are of their language and that that intersection of not knowing their place as a part of Spain was something I felt to my core. And I feel it now. The Spanish spoken there was a humble Spanish. Spoken by Indians, Africans and by native Spanish-speakers, yet humbled by their circumstances and leaving Venezuela in droves. In other words, it was like my Spanish. I sang with gusto in that small congregation the Sunday after arriving. I felt I sang with the angels. It was the people themselves.</p>La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-44866835550615740622013-12-08T23:35:00.001-07:002013-12-08T23:39:17.327-07:00Serendipitous<p>I learned a nasty lesson about not saving blog posts. I talk to myself sometimes.. Let me just check a reference really quick here, won't be more than a minute..  and kabam! ..What just happened?!..</p>
<p>This means I should go to bed and do the quickest recap of lesson planning serendipity that I can muster. It's all about having key points to guide your plan and then having everything thoughtfully tie in. Easy, right? Especially if you remember to tie it to authentic stories and then immerse your students in that world. It's pretty neat how unrelated thoughts and ideas over the course of days fuse together to make meaningful, experiential lesson plans. Appeal to the senses and to the learning types and let the magic happen!  ..··~~~*~~.·.·.·**</p>
La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-62060786098188245492013-12-07T00:46:00.001-07:002013-12-07T00:46:52.009-07:00Dipping my toes in Spanish literatureFor a while now I've been very protective of my books in Spanish. My rapidly growing collection has been due to an unquenchable desire to fill my house with Spanish literature, and hopefully, capture my children's interest in the language. We are a mono-lingual household, mostly. Spanish is the preferred language but my husband and I often banter back and forth in English. I wonder if this confuses our kids, that we use English often when we're playfully conversing or just teasing each other. We don't seem to have ignited any passion for Spanish but they certainly don't hate it. My two older boys are proud to be bilingual. My youngest doesn't care and isn't saying much either way.<br />
<br />
In our collection there are books that are loose-translations and books with translations that take themselves far too seriously. I have very few originally Spanish books. Off the top of my head I can only think of two or three but they are technically bilingual books. Then there's a smattering of Plaza Sesamo and Maya and Miguel and uninspiring non-fiction. At least for now I can say that I don't mind if the book is not originally Spanish, as long as it is translated with the message and the emotion kept in tact. I sometimes panic because no one is talking about Spanish children's literature in the classical sense. At least no one on my blog roll! These would be books with real staying power and original language and even good grammar.<br />
<br />
For now I'll be looking into "El principito" (The Little Prince) on a friend's suggestion and enjoying my personal favorite, "Sarah, alta y sencilla" (Sarah, Plain and Tall). But maybe what I really need is to become more cultured myself and soak in some better grammar. "Don Quijote" is waiting.La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-76971819915951828972012-11-15T01:20:00.001-07:002012-12-06T08:24:40.872-07:00Ruckus at the caucus<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Am I the first person to cry at a caucus meeting? Picture a very <span style="font-size: small;">prego l<span style="font-size: small;">a<span style="font-size: small;">dy</span></span></span> who parked illegally 1/2 mile away from the door of the school building and arrived to her caucus meeting a little flushed but determined to do her duty as a citizen. Cuz that was me on March 15, 2012 and I may have looked ready to pop, but for me, being there to vote <span style="font-size: small;">was</span> so right. At least until they asked for delegate nominees and I got that tap-on-the-shoulder impression that it was my turn to stand up and yes, nominate myself. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">My speech was heartfelt, I talked of PTA advocacy and being on graffiti watch in my neighborhood but I felt very strongly that I should tell the small gathering just exactly where the Republican party was heading vote-wise with the Latino college<span style="font-size: small;">-aged kids</span>. I related to them an article in the Salt Lake Trib's weekly Spanish paper where they interviewed youth at the University of Utah and they kids expressed that the Republican party held nothing for them. They claimed that their needs were being ignored. And I concluded, in the spirit of transparency, by telling everyone that my husband would become a citizen in April. The looks in the faces at my neighborhood caucus meeting told me that they were not prepared for this kind of a talk, I had lost them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Long story short, the group could only vote in 3 of the delegates and out of the 4 nominees I was the one not voted in. I stood up in my chair as my already flushed face turned blotchy and tried to make my way out the door. Two men seemed to want to intervene, to say that I made some good points but whaddya know, their condolences only opened the floodgates. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">My point is this, we can all guess that the big issue for Latinos is immigration. A survey referenced in a December article of that same weekly Spanish newspaper also named the economy and jobs as factors for the presidential vote among Latinos. But the Republican party has chosen a hard line on the immigration subject and, in so doing, has cast aside the opportunity of rallying this untapped market.<a href="http://166-70-33-200.ip.xmission.com/ahorautah/home/53107376-160/que-los-por-ciento.html.csp" target="_blank">"Republicanos en aprietos para ganar el voto hispano."</a>, AhoraUtah </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Do I necessarily think that the Republican party is the end all, be all of our democratic system? Uh no. But I feel like the party that aimed to appeal to married, religious voters had a huge gap in foresight in ignoring the Latino demographic.<a article="article" eligion-marriage-and-the-gops-demographic-challenge-brought-to-the-fore-by-2012-election.html="eligion-marriage-and-the-gops-demographic-challenge-brought-to-the-fore-by-2012-election.html" href:="href:" href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865566214/Religion-marriage-and-the-GOPs-demographic-challenge-brought-to-the-fore-by-2012-election.html" http:="http:" target="_blank" www.deseretnews.com="www.deseretnews.com">"Religion, marriage and the GOP's demographic challenge brought to the fore by 2012 election"</a>, Deseret News</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span>La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-75220806587190190042012-05-31T08:00:00.000-06:002012-11-26T22:16:22.181-07:00Unleashing the blogger in me<p>Two years and yet another man-child later, I am reminiscing on the good 'ole days when I not only led bilingual storytime at the library every week (I called it Spanish playgroup) but miraculously lived to tell about it on my blog. Times may have changed (that's three kids now!) but I am again drawn back to the blogosphere. The thing is this time I come with a platform. I am still a momma to my boys, never fear, and my husband is my greatest ally and friend. I still count my lucky stars that I have my faith to help pick me up when I fall, and to give life it's savor. I would be nothing without it. <br />
<p>And here's the kicker: I'm not the only one!<p>To my Latino friends and all else who will carry the same banner. Let faith, family and holy matrimony be the standard we bear. So let it be written, so let it be done. I hope you'll join in the discussion and follow the issues with me. And by the way, I'm not gonna undo what I've already done with this blog. So feel free to browse archives if you have a hankering for homemade drum crafts and contextualized immersion. Or not :)La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-25098160772901703432011-01-05T17:13:00.008-07:002012-12-06T08:15:31.167-07:00Our Christmas posadas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been great to have ten days with my parents-in-law, my brothers-in-law, sister-in-law and lots and lots of Spanish speaking. Being the only family with grandchildren on my husband's side has its advantages. Many of the festivities took place at our house. One of the highlights was that we put on our very own <i>pastorela</i> (nativity play). My youngest son was a donkey, my eldest an angel and my brother and sister-in-law (who are newlyweds) got to be Mary and Joseph. We did no preparations in advance other than making crowns for the three kings, donkey ears and throwing together a manger. It was fun though to read directly from scripture and just kind of improvise the acting with what was read aloud. We did it only for ourselves, there was no audience, but it felt good remembering the purpose of the season in such a hands-on way. My sister-in-law especially liked it when my youngest exclaimed "<i>Tia!</i>" for the first time at the end of our closing song. What can I say, it was a hallelujah moment!<br />
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There were pre-party setbacks, emotional family meetings and even late-night stitches this holiday (think forehead to sharp-cornered shoe stand!) but our family has been brought closer together and we're stronger for it. Strengthening these ties is, I hope, the foundation my children will need to keep hold of their Latin culture and Spanish-language heritage.<br />
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And my side of the family was a part of the action too. My siblings watched <i>El Grinch</i> (The Grinch in Spanish) with the rest of us and sang us <i>villancicos</i> they learned in their dual-language academy. Ever since my parents and younger siblings have buckled down and started learning Spanish, it has thrown a curve into my 2 year old's language separation. With talk of <i>regalos</i> and <i>navidad</i> coming from his <i>tios</i> who 6 months prior spoke no Spanish at all, he started chiming out in Spanglish "Quiero open it" with gusto during present unwrapping time.<br />
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Needless to say, we had a blast this Christmas. <br />
<br />La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-5461503144972758362010-10-19T23:20:00.014-06:002012-11-26T22:07:34.398-07:00Library Playgroup: Hispanic Heritage Month, Columbus Day and decorating
banderas (flags)<p>Music/Movement Time:<br />
<em>Sapito/Little Toad</em><br />
Un sapito (A little toad)<br />
Que feliz vivía (Lived happily)<br />
Debajo de un puente donde un charco había (Under a bridge where there was a puddle)<br />
Dura dura dura dura pas pas pas (nonsense words)<br />
Yaqui yaqui yaqui yaqui pas pas pas<br />
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<em>Cabeza, Cara, Hombros, Pies/Head, Face, Shoulders, Feet</em><br />
Cabeza, cara, hombros, pies (Head, Face, Shoulders, Feet)<br />
Hombros, pies (Shoulders, feet)<br />
Hombros, pies (shoulders, feet)<br />
Cabeza, cara, hombros, pies (Head, Face, Shoulders, Feet)<br />
Y una vuelta entera (And a full spin/turn)<br />
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Song vocabulary:<br />
El sapito - the toad<br />
Feliz - happy<br />
La cabeza - head<br />
La cara - face<br />
Los hombros - shoulders<br />
Los pies - feet<br />
Una vuelta entera - a full spin/turn<br />
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Storytime:<br />
<em>De la A a la Z con Cristóbal Colón</em><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4mTkErSYET7FashVgbwxu-JIEfmpcWDRhbktAw4tSu18fAGOrFYpsXQRV4C8Q3De13uaJvJFYQmC_iw16NHUeLAYhYuVzWHSp_9mHKKsaz_5tLZS0xm45UFLJMQxDXYUzDjWKwJJ6rQ/s1600/col%C3%B3n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4mTkErSYET7FashVgbwxu-JIEfmpcWDRhbktAw4tSu18fAGOrFYpsXQRV4C8Q3De13uaJvJFYQmC_iw16NHUeLAYhYuVzWHSp_9mHKKsaz_5tLZS0xm45UFLJMQxDXYUzDjWKwJJ6rQ/s320/col%C3%B3n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530000930244602178" /></a><br />
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Display/Story vocabulary:<br />
La máscara - mask<br />
El barco - boat<br />
El país - the country (nation)<br />
Las plumas - feathers<br />
El maíz - corn<br />
Frijoles/Judios - beans<br />
El mar - the sea<br />
La bandera - the flag<br />
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This was a super cute book about Columbus reaching the new world and what he found there. We had a good time reading about the people and structures and even gods of the Americas at that time. <br />
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Activity:<br />
1. We decorated banderas. I had moms pick in advance the country their kids would like to represent and then we had full-color flags to glue feathers, beads, noodles, pipe cleaners and tissue paper to using the pre-Columbian setting from storytime as our inspiration!La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-12883639543825957952010-10-06T21:41:00.010-06:002012-11-26T22:08:02.012-07:00Library Playgroup: Hispanic Heritage Month, drums and circle gameI had a really fun time finding ideas to celebrate <strong>Hispanic Heritage month</strong>!<br />
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Welcome song:<br />
<em>Cantemos todos juntos, Halo, Halo, Halo<br />
Cantemos todos juntos, Halo, Halo, Halo<br />
<br />
Cantemos a (name here), Halo, Halo, Halo<br />
Cantemos a (name here), Halo, Halo, Halo<br />
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Cantemos a (name here), Halo, Halo, Halo<br />
Cantemos a todos, Halo, Halo, Halo</em><br />
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Let's all sing together, Hello, Hello, Hello<br />
Let's all sing to (name here), Hello, Hello, Hello<br />
Let's sing to everyone, Hello, Hello, Hello<br />
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Getting to know you:<br />
Jimbo the puppet introduced himself and asked kids, "Cómo te llamas?" and "Cuántos años tienes?" which means, "What's your name?" and "How old are you?"<br />
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Activities:<br />
1. We did a <strong>traditional circle game</strong> from Spain called "La Tía Mónica". You can watch some little girls dance to a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9fd1pNzPmQ">slightly different version on youtube</a>.<br />
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Lyrics in both English and Spanish are <a href="http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2191&c=71">found here</a>, as well as a sound file you can play on your computer.<br />
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We actually played the José-Luis Orozco version at the playgroup though, it's from his cd "Diez Deditos". In English it's "My Aunt Monica" and it's a cute song about how a child's aunt moves different body parts when she dances.<br />
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Vocabulary:<br />
los ojos - eyes<br />
las sejas - eyebrows<br />
las pestañas - eyelashes<br />
la nariz - nose<br />
la cabeza - head<br />
los hombros - shoulders<br />
los codos - elbows<br />
"así se da la vuelta" - this is how she turns<br />
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2. We made <strong>caribbean congo-style drums</strong> with plastic circles cut from a blue kiddie pool and some sturdy plastic cups. We used rubber bands to attach the plastic and then decorated them with stickers and paper. I got this idea from <a href="http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/grown-ups/celebrationcenter/games_activities/hispanicheritage/index.html">Handy Manny's Hispanic Heritage Month Party page</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_hILsX9V9GndkV0ud6KOnmdYNN5oOKV1aIKWZirrJ17OeJl1Oi1kcRrFXjhEYbzppGocv5P7U92Ow8HVXNdG7uXmJa4Lj1vVUCmKq6M85tl793575MSS0s902m8t-UuYB_NEf2AUjEo/s1600/drums.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_hILsX9V9GndkV0ud6KOnmdYNN5oOKV1aIKWZirrJ17OeJl1Oi1kcRrFXjhEYbzppGocv5P7U92Ow8HVXNdG7uXmJa4Lj1vVUCmKq6M85tl793575MSS0s902m8t-UuYB_NEf2AUjEo/s320/drums.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530007178501965570" /></a><br />
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After that we drummed along to a song called "Debajo del Botón" on the same José-Luis Orozco cd. It has these great repetitions like, "Debajo del botón, ton, ton que encontró Martín, tin ,tin" and so on that are perfect for keeping rhythm with. I said "un, dos, tres" a few times to add extra emphasis as I drummed.<br />
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Transition to playtime song:<br />
<em>Ahora vamos a jugar, a jugar, a jugar<br />
Ahora vamos a jugar, a jugar, a jugar</em><br />
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Excerpt from "Y Ahora Vamos a Cantar" also on the cd "Diez Deditos"<br />
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Cleaning song:<br />
<em>Limpia, limpia<br />
Guarda todo en su lugar<br />
Limpia, limpia<br />
Todos deben cooperar</em><br />
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Taken from Barney, it's the "Cleanup" song, spanish versionLa Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-79562141023119882172010-10-06T14:07:00.018-06:002012-11-26T22:06:16.992-07:00Downtown Playgroup: Seasons, Weather, Tactile AdjectivesWe've had three get togethers as of today and we've talked about the seasons fall and winter, weather, and learned some tactile adjectives.<br />
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<strong>Seasons/Weather:</strong><br />
Vocabulary:<br />
las hojas - leaves<br />
el otoño- fall<br />
el invierno - winter<br />
la lluvia - rain<br />
el viento - wind<br />
el sol - sun<br />
la nieve - snow<br />
la tormenta - storm<br />
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Activities:<br />
1. We crumpled up squares of tissue paper in red and yellow to represent <em>las hojas</em> and in white to represent <em>la nieve</em> and we threw them around the room and blew them around just like <em>el viento</em> does. <br />
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2.We made a <em>tormenta</em> with a spray bottle of water as <em>la lluvia</em>, the metal sheet from the front of my dishwasher to shake for trueno (thunder) and a cardboard representation of a nube (cloud) to wave to make <em>viento</em>. We also turned the lights off and on to represent relámpago (lightning).<br />
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3. We took a big floppy teddy bear and dressed him with appropriate clothes for un día soleado (sunny day), de nieve (a snowy day) y de lluvia (and a rainy day). The clothing they chose from: sun hat, swim shorts, surf shirt, snow suit, scarf, rain jacket and an umbrella<br />
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Songs:<br />
Cae la Lluvia Alrededor<br />
Este Era un Mono<br />
Palomitas de maíz<br />
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<strong>Tactile Adjectives: </strong><br />
Vocabulary:<br />
frío - cold<br />
liso - smooth<br />
áspero - rough<br />
suave - soft<br />
duro - hard<br />
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Activities:<br />
1. I brought a bin of dress up clothes and while the kids put on dress up items we talked about the different textures. There was a vest to dress up like a lion that was suave and a straw hat that was áspero. They also played with a helmet that was duro and also liso.<br />
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2. We set up a learning table where the kids touched ice cubes that were frío and rocks that were either liso or áspero. There was also sandpaper for the kids to touch.<br />
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3. We went around the room describing things we saw and, among other things, found a couch that was suave and a table that was liso and duro.<br />
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Songs:<br />
I made this one up and sung it to a tune that was familiar to me. You could pick any tune that is familiar to you.<br />
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<em>Suave, suave, como el gato<br />
Duro, armadillo<br />
Liso, liso, como uvas<br />
Áspero, piña</em>La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-6723119486158099912010-07-24T22:42:00.008-06:002012-11-26T22:07:03.968-07:00Spanish immersion playgroup for kidsThrough a series of divine circumstances, I came to teach a little playgroup/preschool made up of my kids and a few other children 5 years and under. It was crazy really how the idea grew from a group activity where parents would sing familiar songs with their kids, into language immersion, led by me. Parents still come with their children, but I'm the current teacher and I plan the lessons and select the songs, stories and activities for each week.<br />
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And it has been so good for my boys to have this once a week, one hour playgroup hearing so much spanish while interacting with other little kids. And I love it too. I look forward to the planning especially, it's definitely become a creative outlet for me!<br />
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We've only recently made it more educational. The past two times we've met there was more speaking with the children, repeating words and asking questions as opposed to singing the majority of the time.<br />
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I am trying to prepare only one big activity for the hour period and then the rest of our class is mostly routine. The first week we talked about vocabulary for a new song we wanted to learn and I made a big poster of the animals in the song and the habitats they live in. I asked them questions like "Which one is the monkey?" to begin with and then tried to see if, after repeating the new words, they could recall the name of the animal when I asked, "What animal is this?" It was very encouraging to see them all trying to make the connections between the pictures and the words we'd say out loud.<br />
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This past week I took an idea from a dvd called "Professor Parrot Speaks Spanish" and I drew out flashcards of the story Goldilocks. Then I told the entire story in spanish with lots of visuals and gestures.<br />
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I'm still trying to think up what I can do for this week that will be all in spanish, teach the kids without rushing them too much into unfamiliar territory, as well as be on a level for moms that have a limited vocabulary. Yikes! I need more resources for lesson plans!La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-6968278588085432862010-07-20T22:15:00.002-06:002012-12-06T08:14:50.315-07:00A part of the Latin communityWhew! Two years and another baby later, I think I now know exactly what I want to share in this blog.<br />
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I have realized just exactly how far I'll go to teach my kids Spanish, and to be frank it may be a little too far when you decide you have to teach all of your child's friends the language too.<br />
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But that's exactly where I'm at right now. And today I had the epiphany that for me, them knowing the language is not enough. I need to figure out how to prepare them to be a part of the Latin community as well. <br />
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And how do I do that? Good question. Please tell! I am only today exploring the options.La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-78216884566813710792008-08-13T13:41:00.006-06:002010-07-24T23:11:53.942-06:00Foreign Language books at the libraryIn the past, I have been really intimidated by searching through spanish children's books at the library. There are so many books! Plus, the books are all so irregularly shaped and the spines so small that no titles can be read. It reminds me of digging through the bargain bins at yard sales - a task that frustrates me on the best of days.<br /><br />But today I learned a new trick! Maybe an obvious one, but I'll share it for anyone else who hasn't leapt to the obvious of searching library catalog systems.<br /><br />I found this helpful hint at http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/forlang.htm:<br /><em>If searching for a foreign language book on a specific subject, add the appropriate subject heading to the foreign language search string. For example, if looking for a Spanish language book on cats, use the following subject searches:<br /><br />Cats – Spanish language materials <br />Cats – Spanish language materials – Juvenile fiction <br />Cats – Spanish language materials -- Fiction </em><br /><br />Brilliant! I'll be checking out books on soccer, guitar playing and Mexico now that I know how to find them!La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6210371543843551934.post-27663985377396958242008-04-30T23:58:00.015-06:002012-12-06T08:14:27.514-07:00A two-year thrill ride<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHLEZQJVNi3xPgBNeOcZBZbi8MYeqg56kWLjv1f0ibIUCEXtMKEMlHF5idVFPbPlI2kklVWeyGyZt7UMJCEdxlzjv4_PSbxoxHz-8_fq7bKSyAVTU20h6UQp_YWlcFIzEK2y5RUCRBP8/s1600-h/cita+de+halloween_2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195298241905317538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHLEZQJVNi3xPgBNeOcZBZbi8MYeqg56kWLjv1f0ibIUCEXtMKEMlHF5idVFPbPlI2kklVWeyGyZt7UMJCEdxlzjv4_PSbxoxHz-8_fq7bKSyAVTU20h6UQp_YWlcFIzEK2y5RUCRBP8/s320/cita+de+halloween_2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;" /></a><br />
Yesterday marked the two year anniversary since my husband and I were married. I like to think we've both matured and reached greater mutual understanding. It isn't easy working around each other's different cultures, but it's worth it! I read an article summarizing some thoughts given by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon in October of last year.<br />
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He said, "It is time to explain that different ... belief systems and cultural backgrounds are essential to the richness of the human experience."<br />
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My sweet husband has willingly shouldered the behind-the-scenes upkeep of the "American dream", that is, he takes care of the lawn and landscaping, grills a mean steak, and does all the other fix-it work needed on the car or in the house. Two years ago I don't think either of us would've seen far enough ahead to have predicted that. :)<br />
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And me, I've been learning more about ironing, cleaning and cooking especially. He loves that sort of thing because his mother always placed a strong emphasis on it in his home growing up. It's our balance of expectations, and we have really learned not to begrudge that daily give and take. And gee, our house sure looks good in the meantime!<br />
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At the same event I quoted from earlier, Ban emphasized that "men and women of faith around the world can be brought together, rather than separated, by their convictions and their belief in something greater than themselves."<br />
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My hubby and I are fortunate in this way. Our biggest common tie is our faith. Though I grew up going to an English congregation and he grew up going to a Spanish one, the doctrine we have been raised on is the same. We are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) through and through. And our common religion has been a great strength to us through these two years.<br />
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And in case you're reading this, amor, thanks for all you do! You're responsible, fun and romantic! Does it get any better than that?! Te quiero!La Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12851028133906272801noreply@blogger.com2