Reading Diary A: Biblical-Noah and the Ark

Overall: Noah and the Ark

I chose this unit because I know quite a bit about it. The story of Noah and his Ark is something that I have grown up learning about and hearing about.
Reading it now, for a class rather than in church, kind of gives me a new perspective on the entire story. I am having to imagine this in a more politically correct mindset rather than in my religious mindset that I am so used to.

The Ark:
I find it hard to fathom what it would be like to be told by God that he was going to destroy everyone in the world except you and your family. I don’t know if I would be honored or scared.

The Flood:
This was the story I was most familiar with in the unit. Even though I grew up hearing this story and learning about it, I JUST made the connection that there was one male and one female of each of the animals in order to reproduce after the floods.

After the Flood:
Once again, I was familiar with this story. I cannot imagine the clouds pouring out rain for forty days, then having to just wait for the ground to dry up. I would guess it was awesome to be the only living creatures on earth when they got off.

(The Picture above shows Noah releasing the dove)

Famous Last Words: Week 1

Most of my weeks consist of very little class time balanced with a lot of work time! This week was of course no different.

I started Monday trying to make sure I had everything ready to go for the semester, but of course, the bursar and my advisor were missing things from me. I had to run around campus all morning getting the correct forms and papers filled out and signed.
From there, I had work with both Enterprise and the University of Oklahoma Athletic Marketing throughout the week, but thankfully had Thursday night off.

My job at Enterprise is always interesting. If any of you have ever worked in any kind of customer service job, then you understand the kind of interesting I am talking about. People are one of kind, and it seems I always get the most extreme and most unique when I work my shifts at Enterprise.

Working for the University of Oklahoma Athletic Marketing department has actually been really fun so far. I’m going to go ahead and encourage everyone to go to as many soccer games as possible, and if they ask you to volunteer for a game, DO IT! We have some really fun things happening this season!

I used my first night off to take my boyfriend out for a drink and a cigar. I had promised him back in February when he turned 21 that we would go to a cigar and whiskey bar for his birthday, but really, that was all a lie because I had a giant surprise party already planned for him elsewhere. It is only six and half months late, it still counts, right? He was gone all summer working in Houston so it was halfway a “welcome home” and halfway “here is your birthday promise that I never intended to keep.”

I hope that as my semester goes on, Ill be able to post more exciting things about my weeks, especially about some football games or something sports related.

Here’s to week 2! Cheers!

(Personal Photo from August 2015)

Week 1 Curation

I use my bookmarks on my Internet browsers a lot. I use them for many of my school sites as well as my work sites. As I mentioned before, I am a very visual person, so being able to see all of my sites that I need on a daily basis helps remind me what all I need to do each day.

I am very familiar with Pinterest and Twitter, but up to this point I have only used them for recreational use. I am looking forward to using these two sites as more of a learning and organization tool.

I think at this point, I could use some better organization when it comes to keeping track of my information online. I tend to save bookmarks that I think are useful and then six months later I realize I never used some of them. Keeping my bookmarks organized limited, as well as using my recreational site as learning tools will most likely benefit me overall. 

If I have enough spare time this semester, I want to be able to explore Known and learn more about how it works. I am always looking for new ways to further my skills and learning.

I chose the Pinterest Logo as my picture for this blog because it the site I visit the most. As I stead above, I currently use it for recreational purposes but I am looking forward to using it more as a learning and organizational tool. 

Growth Mindset

I had never formally heard of Carol Dweck or the growth mindset, but as I started listening to the videos I realized I already knew and understood the growth mindset somewhat. I heard about being the different kinds of learners in the aspects of  the spectrum, but I never knew the formal name.

I personally feel that I am closer to the growth mindset overall in my life. A couple points that I can relate to on a very high level would be learning from criticism, and persistence in the face of setbacks. I find criticism and constructive criticism to be very motivating. When I get told that I have done something wrong or could have done better somehow, it makes me want to perfect that action. I have also lived a life of many setbacks, and as each one occurred, it only made me try harder and harder.

Since being at the University of Oklahoma, I realized I am a very visual and hands on learner. In high school, I feel like I just slide by with minimal effort. Once I started classes at the University of Oklahoma, I quickly realized I needed to put more effort into my studies by reading and rereading my material if necessary. One of my biggest challenges was getting through my first semester during my freshman year when I was still trying to understand and perfect what kind of a learner I was.

I am very interested in learning more about the growth mindset. I feel that the more information I have on it, the more likely I am to inch my way closer to that end of the spectrum.

I am a very big fan of the “Growth Mindset Challenges.” I am always looking for new ways to read and write, so getting the chance to express those on these blogs really excites me!

I am not sure how much the focusing on the growth mindset will work directly with my other two classes this semester. I have had 4 years to really develop my learning and learning style, so as I finish up my college career I feel as if I am pretty set in my ways. As most college seniors usually are, I am worried about my capstone, but that is only because it is my only class standing between me and my degree.

I chose the picture below from our professors blog because I can relate to it in many ways. I have learned many lesson in my short 22 years by originally getting it wrong.

Meme from Prof. Gibbs blog

Storybook Favorites

The picture below is from the cover page of CREEK STORIES by Cameron Lohman


image from Wikimedia

The first project that caught my attention was Creek Stories I picked this one because I have taken 3 semesters of Creek as a foreign language here at the University of Oklahoma. The stories that were included in the project were stories that I have read in both English and Creek. I am obviously very familiar with the content in this project. I was not a huge fan of the design and layout, but I was so intrigued that I knew the information that I did not really care too much about the design and layout.


The next project I looked at was Fairytale Case Files. I was drawn to the title of this one because it sounded very sleuth like. As soon as I saw the cover, I decided I really liked it. The design is simple yet eye catching. I like that is dark and mysterious, because that goes along with the detective theme. I loved the introduction for this page as well. It was very creative and very well written.


The final project I picked was Nursery Rhymes Gone Wrong. I found the entire theme to be somewhat comical. As I have said before in posts, I really like nursery rhymes. So, seeing this twist on them was very entertaining. The overall layout was very well done. It was clean and well organized. The font on the left side was somewhat hard to read, but not terrible. The introduction was much like the one from Fairytale Case Files in that it was very creative. While being creative it also gave me a good preview of what was to come in the project.

UnTextbook

I want to take a lot more time to look into these units a little more, but these seem to be my favorites right now. I am honestly not even sure if this is the exact order I want them in, but this is close enough.

Week 2: Nursery RhymesI want to do this unit because I am familiar with it, and starting out with something familiar is somewhat comforting. I am a huge fan of kids and love babies, so nursery rhymes are something I find intriguing. I want to learn more about the actual meanings and origins of these tales and rhymes that I grew up listening to and now recite.

Week 3: Jamaican Anansi Stories
I picked this based on Professor Gibbs suggestion. I have been to Jamaica but didn’t get a chance to experience much of the “non-tourism” culture, so I am hoping to get more of the genuine culture from these stories.

Week 4:Myths of the Cherokee
Week 5: Native American Hero Tales
Week 6: American Indian Fairy Tales
All three of the above units were picked for the reasons. I was born and raised in Oklahoma and have some Cherokee blood running through my veins. Anything regarding American Indians or Cherokee Indians has always intrigued me. I think it has a lot to do with knowing I from what used to be known as “Indian Territory” as well as being part Cherokee Indian. I have taken many native American classes and languages here at the University of Oklahoma, so I look forward to expanding that knowledge through this class as well.

American Indian Fairy Tales

Introduction

My name is Molly Fitzgerald, and I am a super senior. I am an advertising major and psychology minor. I will finally graduate this December and I could not be more excited! I am only enrolled in 3 classes this semester because that is all I need to graduate. I am in this class, my capstone, and one other JMC class that I need. It sounds like a light load but I am using the “spare time” to work my two jobs.

I have spent my entire college career as a full time student and a full time employee of at least one job. A majority of the time I have had two. I have had to work so hard because I am fully financially responsible for myself.

I spent my entire summer in school as well as working as an intern with Enterprise Holdings. They own Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Rent-A-Car, and Alamo Rent-A-Car. I am now a part time employee with them. I am also working of the University of Oklahoma Athletic Marketing department this semester.

Something many people find interesting is that I am originally from Stillwater, OK. I grew up yelling “Go Pokes” and bleeding orange, but as you can all see, I saw the light!
Right now, my biggest focus and stress in my life is what to do come December. I have a few different opportunities when it comes to a future career and I have no idea which path to take. I feel thankful that I have job offers already, but its difficult to pick when each location and position is so different!

I spend a lot of time watching Netflix like a typical college student, and I have no shame to mention that I am a frequent guest at The Mont. The managers know me by name. I might love swirls.

If you want to know anything else about me, please ask! I am a very open and honest person, and I love meeting new people!

 A swirl at The Mont

(personal photo)

Week 1 Storytelling: Jack and Jill

“Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water;

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.”

The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897). Web source: Project Gutenberg.

Jack and Jill had been neighbors since they were born. Their parents were the best of friends, yet the two had never really been that close.

Jack was seventeen. He was known as a very hard-working young man. He was always focused on his work and deeds for others. He was most famous for being the town handyman. If anything broke, he was there to fix it. He was never afraid to get his hands dirty. In fact, some would say he actually enjoyed it. Jack was very outgoing and always up for a challenge. It seemed he was a lady’s man too. Jack was the typical hard-working and handsome man every woman dreams of.

With Jack focusing so much on his work, he never had time to pay attention to the lovely young lady next door, Jill.

Jill was also seventeen. She was very shy and not very outgoing. She seemed to lack self-confidence, which was the main factor in keeping her from Jack. Jill had been watching Jack from afar for many years. In fact, they had every class together since they were four years old. Even though her parents were best friends with Jack’s parents, she just never found the guts to strike up a conversation with him. She know how devoted he was to his work and how much he enjoyed helping others when he was needed, so the last thing she wanted was to distract him or interrupt his lifestyle.

One day, an older woman in the town told Jack to climb the tallest hill in the town to fetch a bucket of the cleanest and purest water for her. Jill saw this as her chance to talk to Jack. She thought she could offer him a helping hand.

“Jack, I heard you have to go all the way to the top of the tallest hill,” said Jill, with a shaky voice.

“Yes, I do. It will not be hard to get up the hill, but traveling back down with the full bucket of water will be difficult,” said Jack.

“Well, I bet it would be easier if you had an extra set of hands to help you carry that full bucket all the way back down,” said Jill.

“I think you are right. Would you like to help me?” asked Jack.

“I would love to! I mean, I think I could help you, yeah, I can try,” said Jill.

The next day, Jack and Jill ventured up the hill to fetch a pail of water. They made it to the top with no problems at all. After they filled the pail and started to head down the hill, Jack lost his balance and went tumbling down. His fall startled Jill, which caused her to go tumbling down the hill as well.

After dusting themselves off at the bottom of the hill, they realized they had lost their pail full of water. As disappointed as they were for losing the water, they laughed it off and continued their day together. From that day forward, Jack and Jill worked together to help the town they grew up in and lived happily ever after.

The End.

Jack and Jill by Sue Clark.Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note:

This nursery rhyme is about two people, Jack and Jill, who go up a hill to get some water and then fall down the hill. Like most nursery rhymes, it is very self-explanatory. However, while being self-explanatory overall, it is also very vague when it comes to the characters in the story.

I enjoyed writing for this one because it has very little detail so I was able to use a lot of imagination. I have always been a fan of love stories and such, so my imagination of course wanted to write something cute and love-related. Most people assume Jack and Jill are brother and sister, or something along those lines. I thought shaking it up and making them potential lovers would be more interesting. It is rare in nursery rhymes and riddles that we get any background on the characters, so being able to make that part up and use my imagination to create these characters from scratch is very fun.

After doing a little bit of outside research on this nursery rhyme, I found out that “Jack and Jill” could possibly have a romantic connotation to it already! A proverb says “A good Jack makes a good Jill.” Reading this made me happy, but at the same time, I felt like it took away from my creativity.

Favorite Places: Disney World and Jamaica

Disney World, Orlando, Florida
I have been so lucky to have the opportunities to travel to Disney World many times for many different reasons including vacation. My most recent trip this summer made me truly appreciate all of my childhood memories in Orlando. This is one of my favorite places because it holds so many special memories that I can share with my friends and family.

                            (Image Information: personal photo of my trip to Disney World; photo from May 2015.)
Jamaica
I had the chance to go on a cruise last March and had more fun than i could have ever imagined. It was an experience I will never forget. I wish i could bring myself to pick my favorite place as "the cruise ship" but instead I will pick one of our stops. Jamaica was beautiful! The background of this picture barely does it any justice, but it is definitely a place I would love to return to someday.

                            (Image Information: personal photo of my trip to Jamaica; photo from March 2015.)

Comment Wall

Please post comments here!

Thanks!

(Image taken from Wikimedia Commons)

TEST POST

This is a test post.