Friday, December 9, 2016

Review: Memes


Something I love that is included all through out the daily announcements and weekly assignments, is the use of memes. 

Memes are so popular so I think it is super cool to use memes for an educational purpose. 

This weeks meme was from the Thursday announcement from week 15.

Here it is: 
true

I think this meme really stuck out to me because I am graduating in a week. I am starting the next chapter in my life and finishing up this OU chapter. To move forward in my life, it is time to let go of OU and the times I had here. I am ready to see what my next chapter has in store for me.

Famous Last Words: Life after OU



This is my L A S T week at OU EVER!!!!!

I don't know whether to cry tears of joy or actually cry because I graduate and am becoming an actual adult. Like wtf. I feel like I just graduated high school and now I am graduating college.

As these last few weeks have been approaching, I am getting the million dollar question "So what are your plans after graduation" almost on a daily basis. I always reply with "That's a good question." I don't think that is the common answer most would give and my parents especially don't like my answer. 

To answer the question: I plan to take a semester off ( finally, a break!!) Travel to the United Kingdom, and backpack around Europe for a solid month (really, I don't want to come back home at all but I'm sure I will have to because: citizenship) Then, I will start my masters program to become a licensed drug and alcohol counselor! I wan't to implement Clean Needle Acts in the united states of america. :) 

EUROPE

Wikipedia Trail; From Evening to Aristotle




So I was browsing through the course announcements and there was a meme about "Evening." I questioned where the word "evening" came from so I decided to do my wikipedia trial on that.


Evening: A part of the day when the sun begins to lower towards the horizon. Most often associated with eating supper, social gatherings and entertainment.

Vespers: An evening prayer. They take place as dusk begins to fall. This a prayer where you give thanks for the day and an evening sacrifice of praise to God.

Greek Language: Has the longest documented history of any living language. This language is used in a lot of academic settings, particularly in science, astronomy, mathematics, and logic. The writing system uses the Greek Alphabet.

Aristotle: Greek philosopher and scientist. At the age of seventeen he joined Platos Academy in athens and remained there until he was 37!!! WOW. He tutored Alexander the Great. He also studied the concept of having arms and organs regenerate. (octopus arm being cut off and it growing back).



Aristotle as the Evening Sun
An original picture created by Stefan Rhoades. 



Learning Challenge; Hate

only love can do that

I think this meme goes perfectly with what is happening in the world today!
"Only love can do that" really stuck out to me.
This world is filled with so much hate.. The news broadcasts these crimes that are hate based  and causes such a negative impact. I truly believe that everyone should love everyone. We are only on this world for a given time, there is no time to hate!!

Growth Mindset: Open your mind and learn

So true

I liked this meme!! I also liked that you created it! YAY Laura!!!!

This is true and relates to my life. If you have a closed mind then you are not going to go very far.. you may go far but I can assure you it will be one boring long journey. If you have an open mind and are willing to learn, your life will be one big adventure. The places you'll go will be filled with fun and exciting memories and moments.

Have an open mind, try new things, and travel. :)

Tech Tip; Facebook Embedding




Hi friends!!!! I decided to embed this Facebook photo! This is a picture I posted in honor of my niece, Ava, turning 3!!! She was so excited as you can see in bottom right picture!

Reading Notes: Europa's Fairy Book- The Swan Maidens



This story was hard to follow..
Got distracted quite often while reading it.
A very weird story...



The hunter wished ducks were flying into the lake so he could shoot them.

Really swan maidens flew into the lake..
They took of their feather robes and bathed in the lake.
The hunter is watching these girls bathe in the lake??? (creep)
he steals on of the robes so one of the girls cannot fly away (extra creep)


I thought for this story I could do a hunting piece. The hunter has gone into starvation from being out hunting for days.He starts imagining things and everything is just a facade. 

duck hunting

Bibliography:

The Swan Maidens from Europa's Fairy Book

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Improvements



Review Weeks to Planning Weeks:

I am a fan of the review weeks. It was nice to have a week when most chaos occurs in the semester to have a review and do some evaluations. Not having a new reading or story was really nice during those weeks. I have never been a "planner". So for me, personally, I think I would adapt to the review week more. I am also the worst at time management... so I probably could use the planning weeks and that would have been for me but I know myself.. I create these plans and never stick to them. 


Story Planning Option:

I did not use the story planning option at all during the semester. I just dive right into my stories and think as I type. This has been my go to writing style for years and it has managed to get me by. I do think it is a good opportunity for those who are wanting to expand more onto their story or have a very in depth detailed story. For me, I never create a "rough draft", or plan my stories. 

Create More Audio:

This is something I think you should work on. I believe it is a lot easier to listen to an entire story book versus reading one. You can also multitask while listening and you often cannot when reading. I like to listen to lectures in the car or sometimes while running. I think if I could listen to my weekly readings either running or in the car that would be a lot easier for me. I just get so bored sitting down and reading for 30 minutes to an hour. I have to stay focused or my mind wonders. I do hope you create more audio for mythology and folklore. I think a lot of students will benefit from it.

Writing Tutorial:

Personally, I did not try a new writing style in this class. Although, if you do want to try a new style, this would be the class to try it in. I think the tutorials would be helpful for those who truly do want to expand their writing techniques but that was not the case for me. Each week, I would write my style the same way. Yes it probably was a little boring but it got the job done. I was comfortable and knew what and how to do it. I did not have to focus so much on learning the style, I was able to just jump right in and start writing. 



Monday, December 5, 2016

Geena's Portfolio

The indecisive man: This story will take you into the life of a man who is a patient in a mental hospital. He experiences weird dreams that are caused from the drugs that are being distributed to him every night. With each pill there is a new dream and the patient experiences new life journeys within each dream. Read more to indulge in the dreams of the indecisive man.



Story: Two guys, One Girl, and One Baby : Find out all the juicy details on this baby daddy drama. Read all about this Jerry Springer episode between Bird, Sausage and Mouse. This paternity test Tuesday is one you cannot miss. 

Week 14 Review: practice



While just looking at the week 14 assignments, there is a a meme on there that is about practice. it says " Practice Writing: Practice will never make you perfect. Why should it? What fun would that be?- Stephen King.

This really stick out to me. I have always been horrible at writing and very self conscious of what I write. I have always hated reading my writing out loud or having other people read my work. This class in general has helped me with this fear. That meme also taught me a little lesson. Not everyone is perfect at writing so it is okay to not have a perfectly flowed story. 

practice makes awesome

Famous Last Words: Surviving Finals



Senioritis is real, a little too real.
Tomorrow is D E A D week and I literally feel like I started this semester a week ago. Like what??? How is already the end of the semester? I am not ready for this. I want to do absolutely NOTHING. It is such a struggle. I am graduation in two weeks and its time to get my booty into gear or else, my mom and dad are not going to be happy. 

So... Luckily I only have one final. However, I have like 5 writing assignments not including this class. So.... to prepare myself for it is to come I have decided to do one class at a time. One day I am going to work on my Spanish and just bust that out. I am really productive when I am focused. I also enjoy Spanish so I do not think it will be an issue. For my capstone, I have to write a 10 page paper. I have decided to write 2 pages a day and find 2 sources a day as well. 2 pages a day is nothing so I think that strategy is very manageable.

Wish me luck, guys!!!

so true.



Sunday, December 4, 2016

Learning Challenge: Meditation

meditation 

I never was a believer in meditation until I took a yoga class on semester. At the end of each class we meditated for about 10-15 minutes. At first, I really did not know what to do so I just sat there, clueless. 
A few weeks in, I started to get the hang of it. I would lay down and close my eyes and just breath. I did not think about the quiz I didn't study for, how many points I need to get an eye, what I was going to eat for lunch. I thought about absolutely nothing. It was the most calming time in my life. I L O V E D it. I could lay there for hours but I had class 10 minutes after so I couldn't. It was a nice little break from the ongoing madness, I thought about daily. I felt refreshed after it and felt more focused in my next class then ever before. I encourage everyone to meditate, you need a good 15 minutes to just let your brain relax. It does a body and GPA good. 

Growth Mindset; Relationships

LOL


This is E V E R Y T H I N G ! ! ! !

Relationships effect almost everything. Your relationship with your family, partner, professor, friends...etc. can play a major role in your life. It can also play a major role in your life academically. I was in a four year relationship. I did not realize it was such a toxic relationship until it was over. I NEVER did homework while I was hanging out with him. Yes it was my fault for not doing homework but it was also how our relationship was. I ultimately believe he effected my academic performance in a horrible way. If we were ever arguing or fighting, that made me not do well in my classes or sometimes I wouldn't even go to class.

Now, I am in a fantastic relationship. We don't hang out everyday and have days were we literally just do homework together (I am writing this blog during one our homework dates). I am motivated in all the right ways and couldn't be happier :) 

Tech Tip: Sidebar Box




Hey guys!!!
I added a new widget to my sidebar that displays my favorite quote! Go check it out :)

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Story: Two Guys, One Girl, and One Baby

“Hurry, hurry, it’s starting,” yelled a Kaitlyn to her friends in the kitchen who were making popcorn. The college girls ran into the living room with the bowl of popcorn, twinkies, and chips. Today was Tuesday and for these girls they were getting their fix of reality TV, trashy reality TV to be exact. Every Tuesday at 9:00 PM they watched Jerry Springer. All the juicy couples were on Tuesday because it was paternity test Tuesday. Something about a show that had a designated day for baby daddy mysteries prompted the girls to watch the show and then they became obsessed with it. “Finally it’s starting!!!” Kaitlyn said. 

Narrator: On tonight’s episode of paternity test Tuesday, we dive deep into a love triangle between, Sausage, Bird, and Mouse.


Jerry Springer: Hello everyone! I am Jerry Springer and tonight we are going to find out who the father is between the Sausage, Bird, and Mouse love triangle. Bird is in a dilemma and does not know who the father of her unborn child is. Will it be Mouse or Sausage? Before we get to the exciting part, let us hear what exactly happened to get Bird into this situation. So, Bird, please explain what happened.


Bird: Hello, Jerry, and thank you for having me on the show. I’ve been such a big fan and cannot believe my case actually made it to the show. I do not even know where to begin so, I will start with this. I was dating Sausage for five years and could not be happier. We lived together, had a dog together, and I could not imagine us apart. Until one day, Sausage and I had been fighting. We were not doing so well financially and that caused a lot of stress on our relationship. The tensions were high and Sausage left. He just left and he did not say anything or goodbye. I thought he was gone How was I supposed to know if he was coming back or not? Well, during his absence, I realized how lonely I was and needed a girl’s night out. I never went out when Sausage was home because I wanted to spend my time with him. My alcohol tolerance was pretty low since I barely went out for five years. I did not plan to get drunk but as you can imagine, four shots deep of fireball will make anyone drunk but for me it made me extremely drunk. I was having a good time and just hanging with my girlfriends. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mouse glancing over at me. I looked and waved to him and motioned for him to come over. We started talking which led to dancing. Before I knew it, it was 2AM and I was in the Uber on my way to Mouse’s house. Once we got to his house, things did not move slow whatsoever. Mouse turned on Netflix and I’m sure you all can figure out what happened next. 


Jerry: Ah, I see. Did you try and call Sausage when he left? I do not understand how you can be with someone for five years and after one argument, you cheat on him. It sounds like you guys have more than just financial problems. You are definitely going to have more problems after this show, especially if the results say Mouse is the father. Have you talked to Sausage since you found out you’re pregnant?

Bird: Yes, I tried to call and he did not answer. For all I knew, he left me. I was sad and drunk that night. Mouse was there when Sausage was not. I wish I could take it all back but I am pregnant and need to face the consequences. I really need to find out who the father of this baby is so I can move forward with my life. I called Sausage after I found out and told him. He was not happy obviously, but he came home and we talked over things.

Jerry:  Bird, the time has come. Are you ready to find out who the father of your child is?

Bird: YES, TELL ME!!!

Jerry: The father of your child is ….. Mouse.

Narrator: Out of nowhere, Sausage comes in and punches Mouse in the face. A giant brawl breaks out. Bird is left crying on the couch.

Jerry: Thank you everyone for tuning in tonight, and see you next week!


Author’s Note:
I read the story The Mouse, The Bird and The Sausage from the Italian Unit. The story was about three friends who worked together to cook dinner. Each character had a different job. One day the bird decided he was not going to do his job anymore. That caused everyone’s jobs the shift. Since it was not in the normal routine, it caused things to change. The bird ended up dying, the sausage also died and finally the mouse died. I was not really sure what to do with this story. I decided to keep the main characters but change the story completely. I wanted to make it modern but yet comical. Jerry Springer is so funny to me and I do not know why I watch it. I decided to take the characters and put them in a Jerry Springer episode. My story has nothing to do with or relate to the original except the characters. I tried to connect to the original in some way by breaking the routine like the bird did in the original story. Once the bird stopped doing his job, things started to go south. In my story, I had Sausage breaking the routine and leaving which in return caused a huge problem.

 
true







Bibliography:


Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Reading Notes; Italian Popular Tales Unit- Part B



The cock that wished to become pope.

-The ending threw me off.
-The story was a bit odd.
- I did not necessarily enjoy the story but was thinking of adding a sequel.


So... at the end, the sexton kills both the cock and the hen. 
In my story, I could start it with the cock being the pope. 
Go into detail and add the part of the original story where the sexton captures the hen and cock.

Write about how to cock and hen got free and he became the pope. 

Pope Chicken. 

Reading Notes; Italian Popular Tales- Part A



The Man, The Serpent and The Fox..

- very interesting story
- a little confusing at times
- you can't trust anyone.
- the fox leaves the serpent.


 I think I want to change the story completely. 
The man and the serpent meet up in a mysterious forrest. 
They need food to survive and come up on a fox.
They try to catch the fox but the fox leads them to an invisible mansion from the outside. Once you cross the sacred line the mansion becomes visible and there is a a giant feast.


Mansion Feast



Bibliography:
The man, the serpent, and the fox from the Italian Popular Tales Unit 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Week 13- Review; spelling can be tricky

very true 

I found this meme from Sunday's announcements of week 13. It  made me laugh because this is so true. I am not the greatest speller but just from one simple letter, it can make a huge difference. I do not know if I found this so funny because it is 2AM and I am sleep deprived or what.

I usually do not read the announcements so I often miss a lot of the memes or videos.  I just go straight to the assignments and don't bother with anything else. I am glad I did because there is actually some really fun/useful information on the announcements. I wish I would have read them from the start but I can definitely read them for the last two weeks. 


Famous Last Words: HELP



Yikes!!! The semester is coming to an end and I am not ready for it at all! This last week was Thanksgiving and I had an incredible time with my family. I am not having such an incredible time academically because…. I did N O T H I N G over Thanksgiving break. I am so mad at myself but it happens and I just have to deal with it. I already procrastinate enough so this week really threw me off. I always have these elaborate plans to catch up or even get a head start on my courses during breaks but it never happens.. I know it never happens but I continue to plan for it. Doing homework over breaks is hard… I want to hang out with friends and family not do homework. This next week I literally need to get my sh*t together or else I won’t be graduating. To help me do that, I am not going to be seeing my friends as much because my friends are not going to pay my bills but my college degree/career will. I will do my homework at a reasonable time so I do not feel so rushed and submit poorly executed work. I also need to start going to bed earlier so I don’t feel exhausted and just take a nap instead of doing my homework. I love naps so this will be a real struggle. This upcoming week is going to be rough but I am to the point where I have to do everything and cannot afford not to. Here is hoping for the best and that I get everything done!

the strug