Achievement Award For a Twister

Abdiel, the oldest of the three Twisters, is not exactly what you would call a brilliant student.  He is not the brightest kid in the classroom and his grades are not straight As.  I would say he’s in the middle of the pack, struggling to get a passing grade.  That’s okay as long as he shows a disposition to learn and keep hanging in there so to speak.

Lately Abdiel was having problems with his multiplication tables.  In Panama it’s mandatory for fifth-grade students to learn the multiplication tables from one to twelve.  Then follows the torture of fractions and algebra in fifth and sixth grade.  This knowledge will be basic for Calculus and Statistics in college.  That’s where the stuff hits the fan.  Even though I’m pretty good with numbers, I almost flunk in Statistics and Calculus.  In order to get a passing grade I had to hire a Hindu mentor.  He did a fine job and showed me the way.  I saw the light and the rest is history.

Yesterday, Sunday, March 24, 2013, Abdiel passed the final test on the multiplication subject.  He passed the test with flying colors.  Not a single mistake.  I was already expecting that and had prepared an Accomplishment Award to celebrate the occasion.  Now he’s ready to tackle simple and compound fractions and elements of algebra.  I know he will do well; if not, I’ll be there as a safety net.

Below is Abdiel with his flamboyant Achievement Award.  He’s on his way in becoming a college student.  I hope I’m still around to cherish the moment.  Here we go.

Snapshot of Abdiel, the oldest of the Twisters, proudly holding his hard-earned diploma. Now he’s on his way to tackle simple and compound fractions. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of Abdiel’s Achievement Award. It reads, “In recognition for all the efforts and dedication demonstrated while learning the twelve multiplication tables.” Signed by Yours Truly. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Numbers are not arid or boring.  They can be fun and interesting if you are able to play games with the students showing them creative methods of learning.  I think we succeeded in doing that with Abdiel.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Learning Doesn’t Have to be Boring

When I was a child at school, I remember some classes were so boring I could literally fall asleep seating in my chair.  I was physically there, but my mind was wandering far away on rolling green hills and prairies.  Numbers, names, rules, equations would all float in my head like the sheep we count when we go to sleep.  Courses like literature, history, geography, math and English were monotonous and absolutely stale.  I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring and run out of the classroom.  Minutes dragged like hours inside those tedious classrooms.

Education doesn’t have to be this way.  Learning should be a fun experience.  Education doesn’t have to be a concentration camp led by drilling sergeants.  I know there’s a better way to teach and learn.  One of them is the School House Rock!  

Schoolhouse Rock! is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during the Saturday morning children’s programming on the American television network ABC. The topics covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics.

Schoolhouse Rock! began as a commercial advertising venture by David McCall.  The idea came to McCall when he noticed one of his sons, who was having trouble in school remembering the multiplication tables, knew the lyrics to many current rock songs.

The first song he recorded was, Three is a Magic Number, written by Bob Dorough.  Tom Yohe listened to the song, and began to doodle pictures to go with the lyrics. He told McCall that the songs would make good animation.  And that’s how the learning project started.  Thirty-seven episodes were recorded and produced between 1972 and 1980.

To coincide with the upcoming United States bicentennial, a series, entitled “America Rock,” airing in 1975 and 1976, had episodes covering the structure of the United States government (such as “I’m Just a Bill”) along with important moments in American history.

Another contemporary song, called “Presidential Minute,” which explained the process of electing the President of the United States in greater detail, was included on the 2008 DVD “Schoolhouse Rock! Election Collection,” which centered on songs about American history and government.  Being today Elections Day in the United States, this would be an excellent method to teach our kids why and how we pick a president.

Last but not least is the teaching of English, which has been a nightmare for me for many years.  In my school days we didn’t have School House Rock!; maybe I would have learned a lot more with much less frustration.  Below is an example of teaching English with a new twist.  It’s called, “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here.”  I’m sure your kids, and maybe even adults learning English as a second language, will find it enjoyable and productive.

If you are interested in viewing more Schoolhouse Rock videos, google You Tube and search for the term School House Rock.  After you do this, you will wonder, how come I didn’t discover this before?  Go ahead, dip your toes into the learning pond and make studying interesting, productive and fun.  Learning doesn’t have to be boring.  Teachers, are you listening?  Good Day and happy learning!

Source:  Schoolhouse Rock! – Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Read Full Post »

English Idioms

As many of you probably know, I’m been enamored with the English language since I was six.  Never lived in an English-speaking country, so the learning process has been like a roller coaster ride, up and down, forward and backwards.  But still, the passion for the language is so strong, I keep on plowing forward.  My native tongue is Spanish.

The most difficult part of the English language has been learning the ample variety of  idioms, also known as idiomatic phrases, parlacences or phrasal idioms.  A good dictionary worth its salt will define an idiom as:  A matter of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language or the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people.  Example:  “The immigrants spoke an odd idiom of English.”  Another meaning is:  An expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up.

I push myself hard to learn new English idioms by reading English books, movies, magazines and TV programs.  Sometimes I will hear the phrase, jot it down in a piece of paper, and later look it up in an online dictionary.  I’m amazed of how different the meaning of the idiom is from the real English words.  That is what makes it so difficult to grasp if you have not lived in an English-speaking country, which is my case.

Recently I stumbled in this new idiomatic expression while surfing the Web:  “Before one had nails on one’s toes.”  This is what it means:  Before one was born; long ago, in the distant past. 

This expression refers to the fact that a baby’s toenails develop prenatally. Thus an event or other matter that occurred before a person’s toenail developed occurred before he or she was born.  In its most common usage, the expression cites a younger person’s age as the basis for denigrating his status, experience, ideals, or philosophies.

“There’s Ulysses and old Nestor, whose wit and moldy ere your grandsires had nails on their toes.”—William Shakespeare.

And now you understand how difficult it has been for me to learn the language of Shakespeare.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Learning About Science and Art

It’s sad to see how are classrooms are slowly moving backwards as far as learning centers are concerned.  They’ve become centers where teachers press their students to avoid using their brains.  Knowledge is erroneously taught by our outdated educators by memorization instead of associating concepts.  Our students are like storage silos where information is stuffed into their heads until they burst.

When I was a college professor of Business Administration at a local university in Panama City, I was startled to find out how confused the students were when I asked them questions which could not be found in a textbook.  They continually asked, “Professor, can you please tell me the page number where we can find the answer to your question?”   We all know that in real life questions aren’t written in a textbook; what you find are situations which need practical solutions.  You have to think about different options on how to solve these situations.  In other words, you have to think critically.

Studying science is an excellent way to teach our children how to think.  The same holds true for mathematics and art.  Every time I have an opportunity, I take “The Twisters” out to see the real world and learn, instead of watching boring trash television shows.  We have the responsibility to encourage our kids to get out the couch and start exploring the world.  In my dictionary, the classroom should have no walls and all questions should be encouraged.  There are no stupid questions, and of course no stupid answers.  Learning is all about asking questions and trying to find out the proper answers.  That is how Sir Isaac Newton discovered the Universal Law of Gravitation; just to point out one classical example of intellectual curiosity.

Recently my wife and I visited Explora with Abdiel, the oldest of the “Twisters”.  The place was absolutely terrific, full of scientific machines that explain basic science to young children, and adults as well.  Abdiel absorbed all he could like a sponge.  I could see the faces of the young children totally concentrated on the instructors listening to explanations about complicated subjects such as the gravitational laws of Newton, the formation of tornadoes, life in a tropical rainforest, the formation of sound and light waves, the characteristics of dark holes in the Universe, and how to prevent cavities, just to name a few.  Even though I’ve read a lot, I learned several facts which I had never heard before.

Below are several pictures of our visit to Explora, a classroom every kid should visit to satisfy their curiosity.  Here we go.

Snapshot of Abdiel, the oldest of the “Twisters” and my wife Aura, at the entrance of Explora, a center for sciences and art. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of Abdiel and my wife Aura posing for the camera at the entrance of Explora, a learning venue to learn about science and art. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a young kid and his mother learning about the characteristics of dark holes in the Universe. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of Vladimir, one of the instructors of Explora, explaining the general principles of the laws of universal gravitation discovered by Isaac Newton. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a site where the children are learning about the formation of tornadoes.  You can see the model twister in the middle of the picture. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a huge model mouth with teeth at Explora to explain to the children on how to avoid cavities. They also displayed excellent videos about the proper use of toothpaste and how to brush your teeth. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of several children playing and learning about science and art at Explora, while an instructor stands by to answer their questions. Notice how concentrated the kids are. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of an instructor at Explora posing for the camera. Her knowledge about planets, stars, constellations, comets, moons, and other heavenly bodies was encyclopedic. She also had the patience of Job while dealing with the children. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Abdiel says goodbye to his new friend at Explorer after the show was over. A colorful map of Panama is on the background. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Read Full Post »

Inside the English Maze

As you probably know, I’ve been studying the English language for a very long time.  Since I was six.  But never living in an English-speaking country, it has been difficult to get a good hold of it.  It comes and goes, like the ocean tides.  I dedicate about two or three hours a day, learning new words to expand my vocabulary, watching movies, or reading the daily news on the Internet.  All of these method work, but not as much as I would like.

The most difficult part is learning the idioms.  The problem is that the words don’t mean anything.  It’s the meaning that people, regions, countries or communities attach to those confusing terms.  A good example is “boots on the ground.”  It has nothing to do with boots or ground.  It was used by the media and members of Congress to refer to the deployment or not of U.S. soldiers in Libyan soil when the Arab Spring crept into Libya.  It took me at least two days to understand the expression, “boots on the ground.”

I have a notebook full of these idiomatic expressions and the book is getting thicker and thicker as I read more or watch more movies.  English is an expanding language, as maybe most languages are, and getting up to date is almost impossible.  That’s why I need to dedicate time to the exploration of this Anglo-Saxon tongue.

For today’s blog post, I decided to share with you the latest idioms that I added to my long list.  Maybe they will be helpful for those of you who are struggling with the language.  Here we go.

A night owl is someone who like to stay awake until late at night or who works at night.  Example:  “I’m a night owl.  I’m more creative at night.”

To be up with the lark is to be awake and out of bed very early in the morning.  Example:  “The farmer is up with the lark every day.”

As the crow flies is the shortest distance between two places:  the distance an imaginary bird would fly if it flew in a straight line from one place to another.  Example:  “It’s only about three miles to Padstow as the crow flies, but it’s ten miles by road.”

To be sick as a parrot about something is to be very disappointed, unhappy or depressed.  Example:  “I was sick as a parrot when the Yankees lost.”

To be as fresh as a daisy means to feel well rested, alert and full of energy.  It can also be used to describe someone who looks bright, attractive and full of energy.  Example:  “I had a lovely night’s sleep last evening and I feel fresh as a daisy this morning.”

To be bright as a button means to be intelligent and lively.  This idiom is usually used with reference to children.  Example:  “Their new baby is bright as a button.”  In the United States, people say “as cute as a button.”

That’s it for today folks.  I’m gonna knock it off for today.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Biblioburro – A Donkey Library

In certain rural areas of Colombia, children say that milk comes from cows and knowledge comes from donkeys.  It sound strange, but it’s true.  Thanks to an ingenious teacher who decided to change his country through grass-roots education, war-torn children are learning how to read and write.

Since he was a kid, he was attracted to books and libraries.  When he wanted to get away from the perennial commands from  his mother Carmenza; “It’s time to pray”, It’s time to study”, “It’s time to go to church”, “It’s time to do your homework”, “There is no food today”, he sought refuge in the village’s library.  In the company of books he felt safe.  It was always him, the library and books.

When he grew up he decided to become a teacher.  He wanted to teach children who had never seen a book, deep in the rural areas of Colombia in the Department of Nueva Granada.  These areas were torn apart from the violence brought by drug-related guerillas.  They had seen men hanging from trees, they had seen their parents being shot or taken prisoners to serve as soldiers, they had seen their friends taken to guerrilla camps to be trained as boy-soldiers.  They were children marked by war.  Every time they saw a stranger coming, they hid away in freight.  A stranger was a potential enemy.

In order to teach these humble children to read and write, he came up with an original idea.  He purchased two donkeys—or burros–and named them Alpha and Beto.  Together, both burros read,  Alfabeto (alphabet).  The message was clear.  He called his education project Biblioburro because he carried a load of approximately 120 children’s books on these two donkeys for his rural classes.

Biblioburro literally means “Donkey Library”.  It was a simple way to help children do their homework, since they had no books at home and no library in sight.

He daily travels with his burros between five and eleven kilometers to desolated villages to bring knowledge to illiterate children.  These journeys are often more than eight hours long.  The children play games, color simple drawings, or read and write under the cool shade of tropical trees.  With color crayons the children “color the world.”

The Biblioburro Project has been taken to other geographical areas of Colombia, like the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta where they have accumulated more than 400 books and distributed to 32 schools by volunteer work  provided by the children’s parents.

This one-of-a-kind teacher was interviewed by Larry King in the widely viewed television program, “Heroes”.  He told Larry King that children need to understand vital concepts such as rights, duties and commitments.  These  core values will make better educated citizens who will stand up and say “No” to war.

For over ten years, Luis Humberto Soriano Bohórquez has been transforming Colombia with his original project.  It’s not a matter of financial resources, it’s a matter of attitude.  I tip my hat to this humble teacher who, together with his wife Diana,  is making the difference in the rural villages of Colombia in South America.   Good Day.

Read Full Post »

The Panama Flag

The current Panamanian flag was made by Maria Ossa de Amador on November 1, 1903.   The son of Manuel Amador Guerrero, the first president of Panama, generally recognized as a skillful drawer, sketched the flag and showed it to María Ossa de Amador, who, after much difficulty in avoiding the Colombian army, eventually stitched together  three copies of the flag, which were all eventually flown in Panama City upon independence, and distributed widely.  Flag Day  is celebrated every year on November 4, one day after Panamanian independence from Colombia.

The Frenchman Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla designed the first serious proposal for a Panamanian flag.   Bunau-Varilla’s design is based on the U.S. flag, possibly on account of that country’s interference  in the Panamanian independence.   This flag consisted of  thirteen yellow stripes symbolizing the Panamanian connection to Colombia and Spain  (whose flags both prominently feature red and yellow). Varilla replaced the stars in the blue canton with two interconnected yellow suns; the suns represent North and South America,  and are connected because of Panama’s position connecting the two continents. This flag was rejected by the leaders of the Panama  revolutionary junta on the grounds that it was designed by a foreigner.

The flag reflected the political situation at the turn of the century.   The blue was intended to represent the Conservative Party and the red to represent the Liberal Party of Colombia. The white color symbolizes peace and purity; the blue star stands for the purity and honesty; the red star represents the authority and law in the country; and together the stars stand for the new republic.

When I recently visited the University of Panama, I encountered two Panamanian flags, one at the entrance of the campus, and the other beside the administration building on top of a hill known as La Colina. It was early morning, so the flag was barely moving.  It was barely stirring in its sleep so to speak.

Picture of the official flag of the Republic of Panama in Central America sewed together by María Ossa de Amador on November 1, 1903.

Photograph of the flag of Panama emerging from the foliage. It was early morning and the cloth was slowly moving in the soft breeze. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of the Panama flag beside two refreshing water fountains located near the administration building at the University of Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

While I was living in Costa Rica, we went every year to the Panamanian Embassy to sing the national anthem while the flag was being raised.  I remember vividly  the goose bumps in my skin and the excitement in my heart during those yearly events.  A flag is a great symbol of a country, as well as the coat of arms and the national anthem.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Signs

When I made a journey though the pathways and back roads of the knowledge city known as Universidad de Panamá, I saw several signs.  I shot three of them to cover this series at the request of a frequent reader and commentator of Lingua Franca.

The first sign is nothing to brag about, except the long and complicated name—Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnológicas (School of Natural Sciences, Exact Sciences and Technology.  Its mascot is a cat.  I would have preferred an owl instead, but that’s besides the point.

The second sign is the name of a street in honor of the current Rector, Avenida Doctor Gustavo García de Paredes.  He certainly wants to be remembered by future generations of college students.  The problem is, this sign can be replaced by the next Rector who also wants his name to be remembered as well.  It has happened before.  Human vanity is here to stay, I guess.

The third sign is about Communist leaders.  It’s a classical theme in almost every university around the globe.  In the idealistic minds of our young generation, names like Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, Lenin, Engels, Karl Marx and Che Guevara will always be  revered.  As they grow up, the names and their ideals begin to fade away and individualistic capitalism begin to creep in between the cracks.

A name which has endured the path of time is Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the fiery young doctor from Argentina who played a critical role in the Cuban Revolution which toppled Fulgencio Batista in 1959.  Times Magazine wrote these words about Ernesto Guevara: “Though Communism may have lost its fire, he remains the potent symbol of rebellion and the alluring zeal of revolution.”

The mercurial iconic famous image of Argentinian Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara wearing a beret with a star affixed to it was taken by Alberto Korda, a Cuban photographer on March 5, 1960.  He labeled it “Guerrillero Heróico. Since then, this image of Che Guevara has become a worldwide symbol of revolution and rebellion.  It has been a rallying image in students’ revolts around the world.  Korda’s real name was Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez.

One of Korda’s famous quotes was, “Forget the camera, forget the lens, forget all of that.  With any four-dollar camera, you can capture the best pictures.” I feel relieved with Korda’s words.  My camera’s price tag was a mere $249.00.

Now let’s take a look at the signs I mentioned earlier, before I forget.  My memory is not as good as it used to be when I was forty years younger.   Here we go.

Photograph of the sign of the School of Natural and Exact Sciences and Technology of the University of Panma. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph in honor of the current Rector of the University of Panama, Dr. Gustavo García de Paredes. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A large poster with pictures of famous Communist leaders displayed at the University of Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The names of the Communist leaders from left to right are:  Fidel Castro, Leon Trotsky, Karl Marx, Lenin, Unknown and Ernesto Che Guevara.

I’ll bet fifty years from now, the picture of El Che with a lone-star beret will still be around in T Shirts, coffee mugs, posters, pens, camera ads and what have you.  Some people were born to shine forever.  This young man was one of them; he was only 39 when he was shot in an isolated village in Bolivia.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Buildings of the University of Panama

The University of Panama was founded on October 7, 1935, with a student body of 175 in the fields of Education, Commerce, Natural Sciences, Pharmacy, Pre-Engineering and Law. As of 2008, it maintains a student body of 74,059 distributed in 228 buildings around the country.  The main campus is located in Panama City.

This government learning center was founded under the administration of the President of the Republic, Dr. Harmodio Arias Madrid. Its founder and first President was the distinguished citizen Dr. Octavio Méndez Pereira.  There is an impressive monument dedicated to his memory at this prestigious educational center.

The University of Panama was created by presidential decree on May 29, 1935. However, it began operations on October 7 of the same year in one of the wings of the Instituto Nacional (National Institute). Later on, under the administration of Enrique A. Jiménez, the government purchased around 60 hectares of land in the neighborhood of El Cangrejo, destined to be the future university’s main campus.

This public entity is subsidized by the Central Government.  The tuition costs are almost free.  For example, during my year and a half there, I was only paying $26.50 per semester.  This is rarely seen anywhere in the globe, except Panama.

During my recent visit to this place of knowledge, I shot several pictures of its structures, employees, students, sculptures, works of art, gardens, water fountains and other interesting objects to show you how attractive this campus is.

Below are several photographs of buildings randomly scattered throughout the campus.  Here we go.

Photograph of the campus library, Simón Bolívar. It has all the facilities of a modern college library. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of the School of Pharmacy in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

View of a beautiful artwork on one of the walls of a building within the campus of the University of Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A close-up view of an attractive wall of a building at the University of Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Examples of exquisite pieces of art within the campus of the University of Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Stay tuned to future posts of Lingua Franca. There are more exciting photographs of this wonderful campus in the middle of  Panama  City in a neighborhood known as El Cangrejo (The Crab).  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

A Coffee Mug

I graduated from high school in 1965 at age nineteen.   My next step was to obtain a college degree at the University of Costa Rica, since the one in Panama was closed because of persistent student’s riots.

I lived in Costa Rica from 1966 to 1972 striving to finish my education, but I was not prepared.  There was an inner distraction that kept me away from the classrooms.  So instead of studying, I decided to work as an accountant at a banana exporting company.  We exported Del Monte bananas to Galveston and New York.

After getting nostalgic for my country, I came back and got a job as a financial analyst at a Texaco affiliate under the name of Refinería Panama, S.A. (Refpan).  It was a wonderful job where I played with numbers all day long.  I put long hours in that company preparing financial reports for our headquarters office in White Plains, New York.  Numbers were my friends, many times I boasted that they  “talked to me.”

While working as Chief Auditor for the Ministry of Economics and Planning, out of the blue, an inner voice told me I had to go back to college.  The time was ripe and my mind longed for structured knowledge.  One morning, I drove my car to ULACIT University,  then located at El Cangrejo, and enrolled.  It was like breaking a spell.  That was in 1993 or 1994, I can’t remember exactly.

In 1999 at age 53, I finished my college education.  Received a BS in Business Administration with a  Summa Cum Laude honorary degree.  My final grade was 96.4 out of a 100.  It was a wonderful ride through the avenues of knowledge accompanied with a passion to learn.  I still have that rage to find out new things for no special reason at all.  Maybe it was because my mind had been frozen for such a long time while I was busy working.   Lingua Franca is my excuse to keep busy searching for more information to share.  This brings me great joy.

We didn’t take photographs of my graduation with my funny square hat and black toga.  The most important moment in my life was not captured.  A college diploma is the only evidence of this event—and a coffee mug.  ULACIT gave it to me when I paid the graduation expenses.

I still have it and drink coffee every morning while the day is young.  I’m an early riser.  Can’t sleep well like most people do.  Suffered from insomnia for a long time.   That gives me plenty of time to read and research my writing topics—while the city sleeps and the roosters crow.

This is the coffee mug that reminds me of college—a place I eluded for a long time due to an inner fear of learning.  Here we go.

Photograph of my graduation coffee mug, a gift from ULACIT University. (©Omar Upegui R.)

Life is strange.  This innocent coffee mug represents 34 years of intellectual drought.  I’m glad it’s finally over.  Sometimes I think about finishing my Master’s Degree, but that inner fear still resides within me.  Time will tell if I go back to the classroom or not.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »