Week 11: Reading Notes - Native American Hero Tales Part A

(Image Information: Bald Eagle Portrait

Saffron Blaze Source: Wikipedia)

I decided to read some of the hero tales in the Native American unit. Just generally speaking, reading part A reminded me a lot of Indian tales. There was a lot of symbolism, a message with each story, and they also weren't very short stories. Each story had at least two parts, and I know with such a huge plotline in many Indian tales that it takes some time to read, especially the epics. It makes me wonder how these stories are used in the Native American religion: are they used as folktales or are these stories held as part of religious tales. 

My favorite story out of Part A was the following: 

The Jealous Uncle

• This story reminded me of the part in Mahabharata where Kamsa didn't want Krishna to be born, so 7 infants were killed. The difference in this story was that only boys were killed in this story 
• This story definitely had a huge plot as it was a story that lasted 3 parts. 
• Each item that was placed in that toy box had a role, and it symbolized each of his actions throughout the story. 
• If I were to retell this story, I think I would want to tell it from the opposite gender perspective. It would be interesting to see how different this story would be if it was flipped, and whether the same scenarios would occur. 
• I think it would be even better to retell the story from a girl's perspective, have different items put in her box, and different scenarios. I'm not sure if this would be deemed gender stereotyping, but it also would be a fun way to retell the story. 

Bibliography: Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson Reading Guide Part A

Week 10: Extra Reading - The Life of Buddha

(Image Information: Big Buddha

Shih Ruchang Source: Wikipedia)

I decided to read from the Indian Unit, because there is still a lot of stories I wasn't able to read during the Epics of India class. Something that constantly intrigues me is how Buddha/Siddhartha used to be Hindu, and then he decided to come up with Buddhism. I don't think a lot of people know that Buddha used to be Hindu, but I see the similarities in the two religions all the time as one of my best friends is Buddhist. These stories were really helpful in giving background information regarding the events throughout Buddha's life. Here are just a few of the notes I took regarding these stories:

• The amount of detail in these stories is amazing - it really helped to capture what was happening
• A lot of these stories are told in third person perspective so it would be a great way to retell these stories in first person perspective
• While reading these stories from Part A, I still wonder why Buddha didn't originally like the ideas of Hinduism? Were his parents Hindu? I feel like a lot of these stories didn't give a lot of background information from the Hinduism aspect
• I think from the second first and second story from Part A, we are given ideas as to why Buddha was named the way he was, but I don't think there was ever really an explanation (unless stated in Part B)
• It would be a fun idea to also retell the first or second story, and try to incorporate the origins of the names Buddha and Siddhartha and what it meant at the time 

Bibliography: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Harold Reading Guide Part A

Week 10: Reading Notes Great Plains Part B

Continuing on reading the stories of the Great Plains, I took notes on stories that really struck out to me or were unique and I wanted to make note of it. I am excited to see what I end up writing about for writing a story.

(Image Information: Great Plains

Great Plains LCC Source: Wikipedia)

The Ghost and the Traveller

• I had to read this a couple of times to really understand what was going on
• I like how there's background information given
• I'm still not really sure the message, or symbolism behind this story

The Man Who Shot A Ghost

• This story had an interesting plot - something I didn't expect
• I also like how at the end there's an ending that confirms that all that happened was true - sometimes ghost stories are represented as myths and you can't really tell whether the character actually experienced it or not.

The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost

• I really like how detailed the women was described - from what she looked like physically to what she was wearing down to the jewelry 
• This was the first story that I actually understood the message at the end, and why certain events occurred. This message shows how many Native American stories uphold ghosts, and what they have to say as in this story.
• Knowing this I could definitely make a story with the ghost and make sure a message is clear

The Wakanda, or Water God

• This story is one of my favorites so far in Part B - I like how much symbolism there is and the detailed events.
• I still don't understand the meaning of white-haired dogs and their significance in this story but it was interesting to see that they were used as a form of "payment"
• This story kind of reminded me of Hansel and Gretel in a way, and it would be cool to retell the story but using this plot. 

The Spirit Land

• Thinking about Part A, and how a deer was so important to the creation of earth it made me wonder why a Crow was used in this story - and how these stories decided the animal responsible for creation
• I like the symbolism in this story and how every single thing the crow did contribute to the creation of the spirit land
• Maybe, it would be cool to come up with my own creation story with an animal of choice 

Why the Possum Plays Dead

• This story was so entertaining - I like how at the end we discover the meaning of the story and how every event in the story leading up to the ending has contributed to the significance of the possum playing dead
• I really think it would be a fun idea to have some type of modern day story where a family is in a car and see a "dead" possum on the highway and learn the significance of a possum playing dead

Bibliography: Judson's Great Plains Unit Reading Guide Part B

Week 10 Reading Notes: Great Plains Part A

For Part A, I decided to read the stories of the Great Plains. I thought it would be interesting just because I know that parts of Oklahoma, like my hometown Lawton, for example, are considered "The Great Plains" and I thought I might encounter some stories that would have to do with it. 

The following notes are for each of the stories I really liked, and what I liked about them. I might consider retelling one of these stories depending on what stories I read in Part B. I think these bullet points are a great way to remind myself later this week what I read, what I liked, and how I might use it in storytelling. 

(Image Information: Maize

Keith Weller (USDA) Source: Wikipedia)

The Creation

• How important the Elk was in describing the way the world's workings came about
• Maybe use another animal as a storytelling style and see how that might change the story
• How much symbolism there was - that everything in the world had its own symbolic creation
• The Osages were the ones questioning creation
• Maybe make a new story regarding a different topic of creation and use different animals/groups to tell the story
• For example, if a child asks his mother and father where he/she came from.

Sacred Legend

• I like how there was progressive action
• Each new discovery built upon another
• You could use this "progressive" storytelling style in explaining any chronological historical event
• I'm not sure what story I could make out of this, but I do like how each paragraph builds on each other so that's something to keep in mind when storytelling.

The Legend of the Peace Pipes

• The meaning behind the peace pipes is understood by the end of the story
• I like the use of the different eagles to show why the particular spotted eagle was chosen as the one to make peace pipes
• I could do a storytelling that might involve a teen learning to make a peace pipe and understanding the legend in his journey to making a peace pipe

The Sacred Pole

• I like how one item becomes the sole focus of the story, and by the end, something that seemed so trivial at first becomes a major turning point in the story
• This style of writing could be used to retell any type of incident story that I try to retell
• Maybe retelling this story from a first-person perspective might be really interesting 

Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies

• I really like how this story explains the beliefs behind seasons and how that affects animals and agriculture
• This would be a fun story to retell in a way that could be found in a children's book to explain the reasons behind season changes, and why animals migrate

Bibliography: Judson's Great Plains Unit Reading Guide Part A

Tech Tip: Blogger Profile

I decided to make sure and configure my blogger profile in regard to what all I would like to share about myself. I think it goes without saying that we've all been taught to really keep our identity safe on the internet. I think just having my first name displayed is good enough, and haven't entered any of the other details. I also feel that the writings I create are for me, and I don't really want people finding my sites. I have been keeping all my social media, and any of my online activity to a safe minimum just because I know that dental schools really look to see who you are, and what you do. I think as I get older, I find keeping social media to a bare minimum and keeping my online identity hidden more and more valuable. Less is more, and I don't think we should get to bogged up into sharing our life story over the internet. I am sure there are other opinions that would disagree, but that's okay!

Week 9 Story: Tinder Gone Wrong

                                      

(Image Information: Man Proposing to Woman

Clkr-Free-Vector-Images Source: Pixabay)

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Bill was one of the most successful Senior students from the University of Texas. He was top of his class, was on UT's Homecoming Court, and won the admiration of all faculty and students. All the people he met wanted to be his friend.

Bill began to ponder about his college career, and how he never took the time to really invest time in finding someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. On a whim, Bill decided to download Tinder and see if this would be a step towards achieving the one thing he never has: love. 

It was a Thursday night in the town of Austin, and Bill decided to take a night out with his friends. Before going out, Bill decided to take time to swipe on Tinder. A girl by the name of Cassie popped up. Bill swiped right, and to his surprise, Cassie had already swiped right as well. 

"Hey, are you going out tonight?" questioned Cassie.

"Yes, we're heading to the local bar on Main Street. You should come" said Bill.

"Sounds great!" said Cassie. 

They had met at the bar, and had a great time. Before Cassie left for the night, Bill had asked Cassie for her number. Smiling, Cassie gave him her number. 

A few days passed by, and Bill realized that he might really like a girl for the first time. Bill began to go out of his way for Cassie - bring her Starbucks, offer to drive her wherever she needed to, made plans and paid for every meal they shared. Cassie began to enjoy the treatment, but for her, this was all a way to have fun. 

"Would you like to go to a movie with me tonight?" asked Bill.

"Of course!" said Cassie.

"Listen Cassie, I really like you and would love to see our relationship grow into something more. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Oh, wow Bill. I'm sorry, but I've never liked you like that this whole time. I thought we were just friends?" said Cassie.

Crushed, and heartbroken by what Cassie had said, Bill came up with an excuse to not attend the party. He realized that this was all a mistake. He should not have thought that Tinder would be a great way to find a life partner. 

Never have expectations when trying to date a stranger, no matter if they swiped right, too.

Author's Note: I decided to take a more modern take on the Nigerian Folktale "Of The Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King". In the original story, a successful man is envied by several of his hometown people. They get a witch to disguise herself as a pretty woman and lure the man into marrying her. She eventually kills him, and the whole town is in disbelief. In my story, I decided to take a modern take where I show how Tinder may not be the best choice when expecting to meet your life partner. Bill learns that just swiping right on a person, and spending time with them doesn't mean that something serious will become of it. Everyone has their own motives with Tinder. 

Bibliography: "Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria" by Elphinstone Dayrell Reading Guide Part A

Week 8 Extra Reading: Ancient Egyptian Myths

(Image Information: Ra on the Solar Boat

Jeff Dahl Source: Wikipedia)

For extra credit reading, I decided to take on the Egyptian Myths unit. It was really interesting to read about Ra, and the way his name was given. It was also interesting to read more about the Sun God. I think what really intrigued me the most about this unit was how similar these stories are regarding the creation of the different deities in Hinduism. I am still unclear as to what religion this would fall under, exactly. But, what it was really cool is that each thing (sun, moon, etc) has its own special meaning. 

Something that I really liked was the story where Ra complains of people who talk badly of him and he goes seeking advice on what he should do. I think the message in this story could easily be modernized, and have a more modern twist. I think this is still a concern people have all the time. If I get a chance to write a story about this tale this week, I will definitely do so. I think I will keep the characters the same, but develop them to be more modernized. Maybe I might make Ra a teenager or a college student, and have the God in which he seeks advice as an adult figure or just another friend that is the same age as him. 

If I get the chance to read Part B of this unit, I will definitely do so. I really liked this unit!

Bibliography: Ancient Egyptian Myths and Stories by Donald Mackenzie Reading Guide A

Wikipedia Trails: From Diwali to Golu

(Image Information: Navratri Golu

Bootervijay Source: Wikipedia)

1. Diwali

With Diwali coming up this Thursday, I decided to search it on Wikipedia just to see if there was information regarding the festival that I didn't know. Growing up, I only knew what my parents taught me so I wanted to see if there was more information I wasn't aware of.

2. Dhanteras

Reading about Diwali led me to reading more about Dhanteras, the day before Diwali. Now, I understand more about why during Diwali we want everything to be "clean" and why my mom buys new things like sheets, candles, house accessories, and even clothes for us!

3. Vijayadashami

Reading about Dhanteras led me to read more about Dusshera. At first glance, I was wondering if Wikipedia led me to the wrong article, but soon realized this was the more proper name for the festival. Reading more, I realized that this significant day is celebrated differently in different parts of India. 

4. Golu
Reading more about the South Indian practices, I never heard of Golu. So I clicked on the link to find out that this practice of worshipping these dolls during Navratri is a practice only held in South India. It amazes me how Indians, while they are Hindus, can also be completely different. How crazy!

Learning Challenge: Deskercises

(Image Information: Exercise Pictogram

United States National Park Service Source: Wikipedia)

For this week's Learning By H.E.A.R.T, I decided to read about different Deskercises. The article I picked was "A workout at work?" posted by the Washington Post (the article can be found here).

While there were many exercises that I felt were really useful to use at work, I found it very amusing that this article included a "humilating?" scale with each exercise. It turns out the harder exercises were less humiliating (who would've thought?). 

As simple as it may be, I think the "walking" exercise and taking breaks while you're studying or at work are super important. Now, in the Union, if you walk into the Student Life Center, you'll see that many of the offices have standing desks now.

This means they're computers are now on this apparatus that allows the computer to be raised at standing height level. This encourages less sitting, and more standing. There seems to be studies that sitting a lot can also be detrimental to health. So, I'm not sure if these desks are becoming a trend, or if people are becoming more health conscious.

Either way, I really like how people are continuously trying to find ways to keep active. This article does a great job of introducing some easy-to-do exercises that are pretty difficult and geared to get you moving. I'll try incorporate one or two of these this week, as I know I'll be sitting and studying a lot for the two tests I have this week. 

Growth Mindset: Daily Learning Habits

(Image Information: Google Under Magnifying Glass

Simon Source: Pixabay)

After reading the blog post by Aaron Davis, I began to realize that when it comes to school, my daily learning habit is always to just Google things. However, when it comes to my job, I find myself asking other people how to do things, and become more of a visual learner asking for demonstrations. This is only because my job requires hands-on activity, and requires one to have knowledge of the different operations. On the other hand, the things I need to learn for school are just word-for-word verbatim. So, I find myself Googling more information, looking for videos, and other things that would just make learning the material easier. However, neither of these learning habits compare to life-learning habits. My life-learning habits just come from trial and error. I know that if I make a mistake, that I won't make it again because I will have learned form it. However, I also think a lot of my life-learning comes from my parents. They've already been where I am in life. Sure, it must have been different, but they learned most of life's lessons that I don't need to experience for myself to understand. But, I find that my curious nature and desire to master all that I learn a daily learning habit that is really powerful. I am never satisfied with just knowing the bare minimum!

Tech Tip: Canvas Notifications

I decided to do a Tech Tip regarding Canvas, and picked on notifications! I have the app installed on my phone, and one thing that always throws me off is when I send a message on Canvas, my own app will send me a notification that I sent a message. Also, it was also a little odd that I would get notified about an assignment multiple times, but this is because there were changes being made to it that I couldn't see. So, it was nice to be able to go back into the notifications part of Canvas on my computer and adjust what I wanted to be notified about, how I wanted to be notified, and when I wanted to be notified. Super useful tip!

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

(Image Information: Feedback Cat Memes

Growth Mindset Memes Blog Source: Cheezburger)

1. Overall, I feel the feedback from other students is really helpful in terms of helping me shape and mold my writing. I think it is really helpful when students tell me what more they would like to so, or what they really liked about my writing because then I can focus on making those changes or continue to see what styles of writing are stronger for me. I do appreciate constructive feedback as well, because I know that the only way to get better at writing is being told some of my weaknesses!

2. I really like to focus on what things someone does really well in their writing. This also allows writers to see where they flourish the most. I also do include some minor constructive feedback like maybe a better formatting style, or a better page layout just to help strengthen writing overall. I do, however, want to get to a point where I am able to give feedback on more sentence structure or grammar because I know just by Dr. Gibbs comments that I have so much work to do in that area in my own project haha!

3. I really like the random generator to make blog comments, because then I'm not having to pick and choose or being assigned a person. However, I do feel like I still haven't gotten around to everyone in the class, so I hope to visit each person's page at least twice before the end of the semester. The introduction of the blog comments is my favorite part. I love learning about other people and their hobbies, desires, and goals.

4. In the future, I think I need to really make more detailed notes as I read other students posts so that I can give even more helpful feedback. Maybe reading more feedback assignments might help to see what to look for when reading another piece of writing that isn't my own.

5. Finally, I chose the image above because I love how it expresses the true meaning of feedback. Feedback, whether it's positive or constructive, is all a part of the growth process. Yes, we should be confident in ourselves, but we should also be open to feedback! I think feedback has such great value, and being able to put the use of feedback in this class is my favorite part.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

(Image Information: The Farmer and the Stork

Project Gutenberg Source: Wikipedia)

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Looking back, it's been super nice getting to just pick and choose what interested me to read. I haven't been the best about keeping up with reading and writing stories just because Howdy Week happened and now my application cycle is keeping me busy. But, writing this reflection post halfway through the semester has allowed me to see that I need to make time for this, and I am ready to make changes the rest of the semester. I really like how we are able to have the freedom to choose. Sometimes, I don't have time to do both reading parts back to back, so I really appreciate the extra reading option to make up for it. 

I am super excited to be working on my project more this week as I will finally obtain my copy of the OU Ghost Stories book, and will be reading it in its entirety with the 3 day weekend we have this week. I am still super sad I wasn't able to go on the ghost tour, but I will visit with some of the OU tour guides and see what information they can provide me with. I think it would be really fun to take my own pictures and edit them, as Dr. Gibbs has suggested and added them to my project. I just love that I decided to take the OU aspect of this project. Having been in the Epics of India class before, I think my biggest accomplishment this time around is just being more confident in my writing. I don't think I write well, and sometimes get down on myself for it, but this class really has allowed me to feel more confident in the way I express my writing!

The image I chose above is from one of Aesop's fables. I really enjoyed the stories by Aesop because of how much meaning the words have behind them. While one person may take one message from it and apply it to their life, another person by seeing another message and apply it accordingly. I think this is what drew me to these stories, and this image reminds of that. It just reminds me of my dad and his stories that have "hidden messages"!

Looking forward, I need to plan my time more efficiently and get to more storytelling! I may need to adjust the times I work on my project and assignments for this class, and maybe even take advantage of the weekends to work ahead. Maybe I might even decide on a reading ahead of time, and split it up so I complete it before the due date (e.g. read Part A and split it among Sunday and Monday, and Reading B between Tuesday and Wednesday). This way, I won't be overwhelmed to read for an hour, and also meet the assignment deadline.

Excited to see how the rest of the semester goes!

Week 7: Famous Last Words

(Dental Bridge Focus

Bin im Garten Source: Wikipedia)

Crazy to think that this semester is one of my easiest, but also one of the most time-consuming. I find myself unable to read a lot in this class the past two weeks due to the dental school applications cycle, and my interviews.

However, it's been fun missing out on class in order to travel and see other states. I've been enjoying my glassblowing class a lot, but, unfortunately, I was the first person to get burned. My professor was wondering when one of us was going to get burned, and lo behold, I was the first one. It definitely was not a fun experience, but I found that my burn wasn't too bad, and it healed fairly quickly!

I was not able to go on the ghost tour as I had planned to last weekend due to dental school stuff again, but I know a lot of the tour guides in the tour guide office. I plan to meet with one of them sometime this week or next, and just see if they'd be willing to tell me more about the stories they were told and any details I might miss by just reading the books!

I can't believe that the semester is almost already halfway over and that I'm going to be advised for my last undergraduate college semester ever. It's crazy! But, I am very very excited to see what the next year after graduation holds for me. 

I hope to really get through this week, and get a story done because I know I haven't written one in forever! I am excited to see how my storybook progresses as I spend some time this weekend really reading these ghost stories, and imagining what will happen next to Jane!

And, honestly, who isn't excited for OU/TX this weekend? I am so excited, but also keep dwelling on this past weekend's game. Either way, I am looking forward to this upcoming week!

Week 7: Growth Mindset - The Why's

(Healthy Food

Rick McCharles Source: Flickr)

1. I want to be in the best shape I can be.
Why?
2. Being in shape means I would be more confident about myself.
Why is it important to be confident?
3. Being confident allows someone to love themselves and also be a more positive person.
Why is self-love important?
4. Self-love can affect a person's own perceptions, and if we positively love ourselves, we can develop healthy habits and take care of ourselves.
Why are healthy habits important?
5. Healthy habits promote a better lifestyle and prevent you from the risk of chronic diseases like heart diseases and cancer.
Why does that matter?
6. Chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer can lead to early death. If acquired, they are also diseases that are costly to continue to prevent further damage.

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

(Blog Clipart

Clkr-Free-Vector-Images Source: Pixabay)

Seeing everyone's amazing blog layouts, I decided to try to play with the theme and design feature after learning how to do it through a tech tip. I think I like the layout I have now compared to the previous standard theme so that my blog is more accessible. But, I may decide to change things as I see all the possible features. But for now, I really like how it looks! If you haven't gotten a chance to fix up your blog, you definitely should!

Week 7 Reading A: Nigeria

(Image Information: Man Proposing to Woman

Clkr-Free-Vector-Images Source: Pixabay)

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I decided to read the Nigerian folktales unit, and out of all the stories that really struck out to me was the first one called "Of the Pretty Stranger Who Killed the King". This story ends with the message "Never marry a stranger, no matter how pretty she may be". This really made me think about the life lesson that just because someone is beautiful on the outside, they might not be beautiful on the inside. This can also relate to the message that looks aren't everything.

I think I may want to keep this same message idea and reword it in one the ways I have already stated. I want to make this story more applicable to college students, especially those who may wonder when they'll ever meet their life partner and how crucial it is choosing the right life partner.

This is something that my parents talk about all the time. They say I should marry someone that I can relate to in education, family values, and goals. Love is a complicated thing, but we also need to make sure we are not just thinking with our heart but our heads too.

I think I'll use this image I have attached here in my story. I am excited to see if this is the story I end up writing this week or end up finding a better Nigerian folktale in the Part B reading. 

Bibliography: "Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria" by Elphinstone Dayrell Reading Guide Part A