Wednesday 28 August 2019

Week 2 Reading Overview



Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3: Cupid and Psyche

Week 4:Homer's Odyssey

Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6.

Week 5: Ancient Egypt

Week 6:Life of the Buddha

Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.]

Week 7: The Monkey King

Week 9 Ozaki

Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11.

Week 10:Blackfoot

Week 11: Marriage Tales

Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13.

Week 12: Beowulf

Week 13: Celtic Tales

Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15.

Week 14: Inferno

Week 15: Hans Christian Andersen 



Located above is my reading schedule for this class! I am really excited to get to the Celtic units. I grew up on Celtic Tales so I look forward to reading them again and/or finding new favorites! Overall I am ecstatic by all the reading options that are at our disposal for this class, it really is great!



Sandro Boticelli - La carte de l'enfer 
Source: Google Images

I chose this image because it is a portrayal of the layers of Hell from Dante's Inferno. That is one of the readings that I chose to focus on for this class. I am kind of a morbid person and personally love dark stories about the afterlife, about what may happen to us after we die and how our actions while living affect said afterlife. 



Monday 26 August 2019

Time Management and Time Strategies

Hello!

So, with this being an online course time management is very important. It is especially important to me with working two jobs and going to physical classes during the week as well. I am super busy! The time management schedule that was provided to me at the beginning of this class seems to be working well, so far. I'll have to see how week 2 goes and if I need to revamp anything or not. I really do appreciate the opportunity for extra credit that can be found to not only help if I fall behind or miss an assignment but to help me finish the class early. :)

The articles that I read were: 1) "How to Beat Procrastination" and 2) "The Psychology of Checklists"

"How to Beat Procrastination" - this was very helpful! I find that with my busy schedule I am more exhausted than I would normally be and I find myself procrastinating just a bit because I am so tired. This article provides some good tips and tricks on how to beat that mindset of "Oh, I'll do it later". One thing that I really appreciated is that the author tells the audience to "...be kind to yourself.." This is something that I always seem to have trouble with. I am my worst critic, I am very hard on myself, especially when it comes to my academics and in some cases this is my downfall. https://hbr.org/2016/07/how-to-beat-procrastination

"The Psychology of Checklists" - this was also very helpful! I am a list maker. I make lists all the time because I am afraid that I will forget something very important. However my lists are sporadic. They're written on a scrap of paper I find or sometimes (most of the time) the palm of my hand. This article definitely gave me good advice on how our minds work when it comes to checklists and how to utilize them properly. Another thing that was mentioned in this article is that when it comes to checklists one has to be REALISTIC. I have a habit of cramming anything and everything into a checklist and half the time I am unable to fully finish the list. https://blog.trello.com/the-psychology-of-checklists-why-setting-small-goals-motivates-us-to-accomplish-bigger-things?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_campaign=checklists

Time, Losing Time
Source: Google Images

Technology Tools


Hello!

I am really excited in the technology tools that we will be using in this class. I am unfamiliar with most of them mentioned so therefore I am ready to learn about them. I've never created a website or anything dealing with that so I think I may have a bit of trouble in the beginning but trust that I will be able to learn quickly. This online class is a bit different than any that I have taken in the past in a couple of ways. 1) I've never had to actually blog for a class and 2) I don't think I've ever had to do the Declarations and "grade myself".  I do however find it interesting and it holds me accountable for my assignments a bit more than a regular class.

Technology -1
Source: Google Images

Class Assignments and First Impressions


Dark Forest 
Source: Google Images

Hello!


I am really looking forward to what this class has in store for this semester. The assignments and projects all seem highly interesting and I appreciate the chance for extra credit. Seeing as I work and go to classes as much as I do per week, time management is always a bit of a struggle so it is nice to have a back up plan if something slips through the cracks and I miss an assignment. The extra credit option "Famous Last Words" seems fun and interesting to me and I am most likely going to take advantage of it. I also look forward to looking at my peer's blogs as well and commenting. I love to participate in intriguing discussions. Overall I am really excited for this class and can't wait to start reading stories and creating fun projects! :)

Thursday 22 August 2019

Growth Mindset

Hello! 

So this is the first time that I have heard of Carol Dweck and her work dealing with this concept of "Growth Mindset". Watching the TedTalk video really piqued my interest about the entirety of it all. Personally, I've always kind of struggled with math. My high school calculus teacher would always tell me that I needed to stop listening to the thoughts in my head about my failure. When it came time for tests, I would freak out and forget how to do the math problems in front of me. I think this is because I have an underlying fear of failing at anything I do. However, over time, I've gotten better at thinking positively about problems that I am faced with either in everyday life or my academics.

While attending OU I've learned a lot. One of the main things, however, is that I am my worst critic. I am more difficult on myself when it comes to my academics than my professors are or my peers. In some ways I can see this as a positive aspect but ultimately when I start over thinking it becomes a negative aspect in my life. I hurt my own feelings. 

I am definitely interested in learning more about this concept of "Growth Mindset" more this semester and I hope that I'll be able to use the information I learn to better myself as not only a student but an overall individual. 

Rethinking Thoughts
Source: Google Images

Wednesday 21 August 2019

Introduction Post - Future Temperance Brennan

Hello!

So this is it, my last semester as an undergrad at OU. Wow. I honestly cannot believe I made it this far, yet here I am. Let's see, I arrived on campus in 2015 scared out of my mind to start this new chapter of my life. The very first day I stepped foot on campus was December 21st, 2015 for a full tour of the campus. I had injured myself in the previous week at my senior high school dance and was on crutches. I remember getting out of the car and just losing my breath at the beauty of the campus. I had toured a few other places before I made it to OU and was not impressed by their attempts to reel me into their four year programs, but something about OU was different, it felt like home. So as soon as I got home from the tour I applied, got accepted, and moved in August 2015 to Couch tower with my best friend from high school.


Studia Sklieletu 
Source: Google Images


I am a Forensic Anthropology major (focusing on forensic linguistics, specifically at the moment) with A minor in Asian Studies. I think one of the most interesting things about my major is that I am constantly revamping my study topics because of the possible sub-fields to do research on (Biological, Socio-Cultural, Linguistic, Archaeology). I think one of the most interesting classes that I took last semester was actually a graduate class where I was able to focus on my research dealing with forensic linguistics. Simply defined, forensic linguistics is applying forensic science techniques to the linguistic context. Specifically I focused research on how criminals utilize language to communicate with accomplices and the community around them, how urban legends and the language used in those stories affect the culture and overall perspectives of the community as a whole. My paper and presentation for this seminar class used Charles Manson and The Family, Slenderman, and the concept of horror movies/stories as examples.

Let me think...like most individuals I am a multi-faceted human being. I work very hard for what I have in life and for what I want. My favorite colors are black and purple. I prefer rock, alternative, classic rock music as opposed to the everyday monotonous pop music that is constantly blasting through the radios. Some of the pop songs are good, but I personally can only listen to pop so long before they all start sounding like the same song. I am shy at first when meeting new people, but once I warm up I am pretty outgoing and funny. I am an artist, as well. I love to sketch and paint. It is a good outlet for me to express my feelings and handle my stress. I currently work two jobs, one full time, one part time on top of attending school.

I didn't really go anywhere during the summer except down to Texas to visit my boyfriend where we went to my first ever water park. So that was really exciting. I am what one would consider very pale, so I had to slather myself in sunscreen before even stepping foot outside in the Texas heat though. The water park itself was really fun and it kind of made me wonder why my parents never took me and my siblings to one as kids, but oh well. Check it off my bucket list now! :)

Hmmm..Okay so, after I graduate in December, my current plan of action is to find a job in Texas and move. I've been in Oklahoma for far too long and I need some new scenery. It is terrifying however to even try and think of what I am going to do. I would prefer to work for about a year in my field, establishing residency, and then go on to graduate school to get at least my Master's degree. I feel as though I just need a break after these crazy four years at OU.

So, yes. This is a brief description/introduction of who I am. I like to think of myself as outgoing, understanding, hard working, and easy to get along with. So if you have any questions or would like to be friends just let me know! :)

My Three Favorite Storybooks

Below are three of my favorite storybooks that I found at http://estorybook.blogspot.com/2010/12/past-storybooks.html

Gothic Novels
Dark Forest
Source: Google Images

1) Hades' Iliad
https://sites.google.com/view/hadesiliad/home

It seems as though I've personally always had an obsession with Hades and the stories that surround the underworld. This is one of the main reasons that I was drawn to this storybook in the first place. However, I think as an overall theme in my life, at the least when it comes to literature, I am drawn to the dark and macabre, things that are viewed out of the norm. The overall story of Hades and Persephone is a classic one that most individuals know. With this storybook, however, it focuses on the story of the War of Troy but from a different perspective than that which has been told in the past. From the perspective of Hades himself this storybook is one that I find very interesting. The introduction to this storybook does a decent job in reeling the audience in to actually continue reading the provided chapters. I appreciate the short bit of background that is also provided in the introduction and the fresh perspective from Persephone's point of view and then of course the switch over to Hades' perspective of the dinner party and the War of Troy. It's refreshing. I also would like to briefly comment on the images on the introductory page. It's nice to be able to add a place as to where this dinner party and story telling is taking place and the imagery provided definitely helps the imagination and overall context. Of course the underworld and the general idea of Hell itself has many different images and connotations depending on the individual and culture, the posted images are something that I find interesting and they add some flair to a decently written storybook. Overall I like the layout of this storybook and especially how it is broken down into chapters in the top right corner of the web page. It makes it easy for the user to skip around and view the storybook.

2) Hell On Earth
https://sites.google.com/view/hell-on-earth/introduction

The Inferno According to Dante, Source: Google Images https://images.app.goo.gl/e3WVrC2e354TTKCUA

So this storybook is a little different from the first one that caught my eye. The introduction is very thought provoking when it comes to the concept of Hell, but then again so is Dante's Inferno. Either way the creator of this storybook provides food for thought when it comes to Hell. The idea that Hell is a physical place where individuals are punished seems to be one of the main understandings, at least throughout the Western world. Of course, Christianity provides a huge role in the concept of Hell as well that many, if not all of the Western world is extremely familiar with. Dante's Inferno is a piece that I ended up reading my senior year of High School and I became obsessed with the levels of punishment and this overall idea and view of Hell. The creator of this storybook brings up a good point, how can Hell be a physical place? Instead the creator suggests that it is a state of mind in which individuals put themselves in and can pull themselves out of. This is a very refreshing perspective to read about. Growing up in a strict Christian family Hell is something that is a place that ones soul goes to due to sins committed while living. However, the older I get the more and more I relate with this concept of Hell being a mindset as well. Personally, I am an over-thinker, I create problems for myself before they even exist and so to view Hell as a mindset hits just a bit close to home. When I first read Dante's Inferno in High School I was intrigued by the concept of there being multiple levels to Hell. This storybook does a good job in piquing my interest enough to merit continuing through what is written and provided on this topic throughout the project. Overall I think this is a good storybook and I will probably read it a second time because it is enjoyable and provides decent background information for the audience. It is formatted a bit differently than the first storybook that I found, however it is not inconvenient to navigate through and does provide images to aid the imagination.

3) The Goddess Isis
https://sites.google.com/view/isisstorybook/introduction

The Goddess Isis c. 130 A.D. 
Source: Google Images

This is a bit of a different storybook than the others that I stumbled across and that caught my attention from the main website provided. I found this interesting because I've always had a bit of interest in Egypt and Egyptian stories and the reasoning behind everything that created it. As an Anthropology major I find myself constantly over-analyzing cultures and the ways in which stories can connect the past with the present. This storybook on the Goddess Isis is very interesting and provides a change of pace from the macabre Hell discussions previously written. I like the introduction to this storybook because the creator uses this story as a way to introduce a strong, independent, woman. The creator provides decent enough introductory background information of ancient Egypt and the role that stories played in the society and culture of it all. Like the other storybooks, I like the layout, it is easy to navigate and there are plenty of images to help with the story-telling aspect of it all. The overall story seems to be about the lengths the Goddess Isis will go to save her family, the loyalty behind it all, and the overall strength and power of a woman. 

Well, with that third storybook I conclude my three favorite storybooks that I found thus far. Thanks for reading my thoughts! :) 

Monday 19 August 2019

One of my Favorite Places


Hello!

Ireland is one of my favorite places. I haven't had the chance to visit yet but it is definitely on my bucket list! It is gorgeous.


 Ireland

(Image originates from Pixabay collections) 
Ireland, landscape roadway
Source: Google Images

Taking This New Blog For A Spin



Hello!


I'm just testing this blog out to make sure everything works correctly! This is very exciting and I hope that this will be not only entertaining but informative. Stay tuned.

-Lethia