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| The truth behind dead week |
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Famous Last Words: An Ode to Dead Week
Oh Dead Week, how I wish you were actually dead... Instead us students are forced to slave away on assignments, presentations, lab reports, papers, studying for quizzes, and exams! I am always amazed at how many things I have due during dead week or assigned during dead week. It is understandable from the professors point of view that they would want to utilize every week we are in class. However, according to the OU handbook we are not supposed to be taught new material and we are not to have anything worth more than 10% of our final grade! I know several friends who are struggling with assignments and exams this week that are either just at 10% or equal more than that. It is unfair for us students to have to constantly deal with professors who are unwilling to understand that students have a busy schedule to prepare for the exams the following week. Particularly for those of us in 18+ credit hours. I have a friend who has 7 finals this semester, but has 2 papers they have to turn in this week before they can begin studying! As much as I am glad to see the end of this semester, this week will be a challenging one to get through!
Improvements!
I have really enjoyed this class and can say that there are few improvements I would make. However, one thing that I have been thinking about is making the week's assignments all due on the last Sunday. Personally, I have been very busy this semester so trying to make sure everything was done on a Monday or Tuesday evening was a bit stressful. So, something to consider would be making it so that all assignments were due the last Sunday with a guide of what a student could be doing throughout the week to stay on track!
I also really wish that we had more opportunities to post with our own voice, such as with Famous Last Words posts. I really enjoyed being able to post a little bit about myself and what was going on, as well as about anything that interested me. I think that adding a few more options for that would be nice!
I also really wish that we had more opportunities to post with our own voice, such as with Famous Last Words posts. I really enjoyed being able to post a little bit about myself and what was going on, as well as about anything that interested me. I think that adding a few more options for that would be nice!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Tech Tip: Google Timer
Okay people this is amazing and you should definitely use it! Who would have thought that a simple timer could have been so helpful?! At first I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but I really liked it. It was easy to use and very straight forward. I used this timer to take a break from writing a paper earlier today and it worked like a charm! I will definitely be using this in the future (*cough cough Finals week*) to stay focused and more productive.
Famous Last Words: Oh Christmas Tree
This week has been exceptionally hectic. I have had a quiz, exam, or project due in all of the classes I am taking this semester. Unfortunately that left zero time for decorating a Christmas tree, my absolute favorite part of the season. I am hoping that this weekend I will manage to at least dig the tree out of the attack with my dad. Decorations will probably have to wait until after finals.
Next week is my interview with Mayo Clinic and I am starting to get nervous about that. This will be my third interview for PT schools, and it doesn't seem to get any easier! We finally booked a hotel and car to drive up to Rochester, MN. As I sit here we are watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is one of my favorite Christmas specials on TV.
I am excited to be done with this semester because it has definitely been a difficult one. I am in 19 hours and working roughly 20 hours a week, something I will not be repeating! However, this semester is also bittersweet because it means that my Senior year of college is halfway through. I think that I will miss a lot of things that come with the college experience, but will be glad to be done with school for a while!
Next week is my interview with Mayo Clinic and I am starting to get nervous about that. This will be my third interview for PT schools, and it doesn't seem to get any easier! We finally booked a hotel and car to drive up to Rochester, MN. As I sit here we are watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is one of my favorite Christmas specials on TV.
I am excited to be done with this semester because it has definitely been a difficult one. I am in 19 hours and working roughly 20 hours a week, something I will not be repeating! However, this semester is also bittersweet because it means that my Senior year of college is halfway through. I think that I will miss a lot of things that come with the college experience, but will be glad to be done with school for a while!
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| Me the evening of December 16th |
Friday, December 2, 2016
Portfolio Guide
Jonathon and the Monkey King
- Jonathon and Mr. Piddles are at it again on another adventure! Where will they go this time? Click and find out!
- Mr. Piddles is home all alone, where could he possibly end up? Read this story and you'll find out!
- This story gives some more information about Jonathon's life! What could he and Mr. Piddles be up to this time?
- Jonathon and Mr. Piddles meet some kids from Grammy Ronni's neighborhood. What could possibly go wrong? Find out in this story!
- Gwendolyn needs some vegetables from Grammy Ronni's garden, but isn't that stealing? Find out what happens by reading!
- Jonathon and Mr. Piddles set out to find Mr. Hanuman,but what happens when they find a water sprite instead? Read this story and you'll find out!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Storytelling: Jonathon and Mr. Piddles meet a Water Sprite
Jonathon and Mr. Piddles were very bored on their Thanksgiving break.
Jonathon's teacher. Ms. Hawkins had told them that they should practice their
multiplication tables and finish their spelling worksheet. Jonathon had made
sure to do that the first evening home so he would not have to worry about it.
(In reality Jonathon's father had made him do it so that Jonathon could help
cook Thanksgiving dinner.)
"Mr. Piddles what if we went and explored the backyard some more? We haven't been out to visit Mr. Hanuman in a very long time!" Jonathon had tried to tell Ms. Hawkins about their monkey friend, but she didn't believe him. This was a common occurrence for Jonathon and Ms. Hawkins.
"Sure! I could do with some wilderness exploration." Mr. Piddles was always up for going into his natural habitat, the backyard.
Jonathon and Mr. Piddles snuck out into their backyard and climbed under the fence that kept in the family dog, Max. Quickly they were into the unexplored forest, searching for Mr. Hanuman.
“Mr. Piddles, do you remember where we first met Mr. Hanuman? All of these trees look the same to me today!” Jonathon was peering around trees and staring up into the branches.
“I think maybe that way, or that way?” Mr. Piddles crossed his arms, pointing each hand in an opposite direction.
“That is not helpful! Maybe we should go down by the pond and look for him there?” Jonathon always loved to go to the ‘pond’ in their backyard. The ‘pond’ was closer to a puddle, but no one ever wanted to correct him.
“Yea, that’s a great idea!” So off they went in search of the backyard pond.
What they didn’t know was that after Mr. Hanuman had come into their lives, lots of magical creatures had started to find residency in their backyard as well. In this case a little water-sprite had come to make their backyard pond home.
“Here it is!” Jonathon stopped just short of running into the pond He looked around to get his bearings (and his stuffed polar bear).
“Hello there! Who are you?” Jonathon jumped away from the pond to try and find where the voice was coming from. Suddenly he saw a little man sitting on the boulder next to the pond, nestled in moss. Jonathon quickly forgot all about trying to find Hanuman.
“I’m Jonathon, and this is Mr. Piddles. Who are you?” Jonathon was not so much surprised to see a magical woodland creature as he was to see how small the man was. He could not have been much more than six inches tall!
“I’m Cornelius, the water-sprite of this pond! I have come to make it my home and protect it from all others!” Cornelius then crossed his arms in an attempt to make himself look tough.
“Oh, well it is very nice to meet you Cornelius!” Jonathon stuck out his hand to shake Cornelius’ and then realized he need only use his pointer finger. Cornelius shook his finger and then returned to gazing out into the trees. Jonathon took this to be the end of their conversation and reached to clean his hands in the water.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” exclaimed Cornelius. “You can’t have any of my water without answering my riddle!” Cornelius was very protective of his home and used riddles as ‘locks’ for his home.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize that I couldn’t clean my hands in the water. What is the riddle so that I can use it?” Jonathon had managed to get plenty of dirt and bark residue all over his hands in the midst of their original search for Hanuman.
“The riddle is as such: what makes a good water-sprite?” Cornelius had a smug look on his face, because this riddle had never been cracked before!
Jonathon and Mr. Piddles sat together and talked back and forth about what the answer could be. Finally, they came to an answer they both could agree upon.
“A good water-sprite is kind and loving. They are gentle and care for nature, and are the most loyal friend you could ever have!” Jonathon had added the last part to try and win over Cornelius, just in case their original answer wasn’t quite enough.
Cornelius was shocked! No one had ever called him kind or gentle before. In that moment Cornelius grew two inches, merely to compensate for the growth of his heart!
“Oh my goodness! You managed to guess correctly! You may use my water whenever you are here, you are good friends Jonathon and Mr. Piddles.” Cornelius shook Jonathon’s finger again and Mr. Piddles’ paw. The three spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know one another and enjoying the lovely fall weather.
Author's Note:
I based this story from the Jataka Tales written by Ellen Babbitt. I really liked the story about The Princes and the Water-Sprite. Although, I took several liberties with how the water-sprite acts and the actual plot line, I tried to keep the same moral: that kindness is always key! I also wanted Jonathon and Mr. Piddles to have another adventure together in their own backyard. With Thanksgiving just having occurred I thought that Thanksgiving break would give the two the perfect opportunity to go in search of their friend Mr. Hanuman originally, but wander into meeting more magical creatures. I also just watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas this weekend and couldn't help but steal a few details from it as well (growing two inches, a growing heart). I have had a lot of fun writing about Jonathon and Mr. Piddles so I hope you all enjoy!
"Mr. Piddles what if we went and explored the backyard some more? We haven't been out to visit Mr. Hanuman in a very long time!" Jonathon had tried to tell Ms. Hawkins about their monkey friend, but she didn't believe him. This was a common occurrence for Jonathon and Ms. Hawkins.
"Sure! I could do with some wilderness exploration." Mr. Piddles was always up for going into his natural habitat, the backyard.
Jonathon and Mr. Piddles snuck out into their backyard and climbed under the fence that kept in the family dog, Max. Quickly they were into the unexplored forest, searching for Mr. Hanuman.
“Mr. Piddles, do you remember where we first met Mr. Hanuman? All of these trees look the same to me today!” Jonathon was peering around trees and staring up into the branches.
“I think maybe that way, or that way?” Mr. Piddles crossed his arms, pointing each hand in an opposite direction.
“That is not helpful! Maybe we should go down by the pond and look for him there?” Jonathon always loved to go to the ‘pond’ in their backyard. The ‘pond’ was closer to a puddle, but no one ever wanted to correct him.
“Yea, that’s a great idea!” So off they went in search of the backyard pond.
What they didn’t know was that after Mr. Hanuman had come into their lives, lots of magical creatures had started to find residency in their backyard as well. In this case a little water-sprite had come to make their backyard pond home.
“Here it is!” Jonathon stopped just short of running into the pond He looked around to get his bearings (and his stuffed polar bear).
“Hello there! Who are you?” Jonathon jumped away from the pond to try and find where the voice was coming from. Suddenly he saw a little man sitting on the boulder next to the pond, nestled in moss. Jonathon quickly forgot all about trying to find Hanuman.
“I’m Jonathon, and this is Mr. Piddles. Who are you?” Jonathon was not so much surprised to see a magical woodland creature as he was to see how small the man was. He could not have been much more than six inches tall!
“I’m Cornelius, the water-sprite of this pond! I have come to make it my home and protect it from all others!” Cornelius then crossed his arms in an attempt to make himself look tough.
“Oh, well it is very nice to meet you Cornelius!” Jonathon stuck out his hand to shake Cornelius’ and then realized he need only use his pointer finger. Cornelius shook his finger and then returned to gazing out into the trees. Jonathon took this to be the end of their conversation and reached to clean his hands in the water.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” exclaimed Cornelius. “You can’t have any of my water without answering my riddle!” Cornelius was very protective of his home and used riddles as ‘locks’ for his home.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize that I couldn’t clean my hands in the water. What is the riddle so that I can use it?” Jonathon had managed to get plenty of dirt and bark residue all over his hands in the midst of their original search for Hanuman.
“The riddle is as such: what makes a good water-sprite?” Cornelius had a smug look on his face, because this riddle had never been cracked before!
Jonathon and Mr. Piddles sat together and talked back and forth about what the answer could be. Finally, they came to an answer they both could agree upon.
“A good water-sprite is kind and loving. They are gentle and care for nature, and are the most loyal friend you could ever have!” Jonathon had added the last part to try and win over Cornelius, just in case their original answer wasn’t quite enough.
Cornelius was shocked! No one had ever called him kind or gentle before. In that moment Cornelius grew two inches, merely to compensate for the growth of his heart!
“Oh my goodness! You managed to guess correctly! You may use my water whenever you are here, you are good friends Jonathon and Mr. Piddles.” Cornelius shook Jonathon’s finger again and Mr. Piddles’ paw. The three spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know one another and enjoying the lovely fall weather.
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| Water Sprite |
Author's Note:
I based this story from the Jataka Tales written by Ellen Babbitt. I really liked the story about The Princes and the Water-Sprite. Although, I took several liberties with how the water-sprite acts and the actual plot line, I tried to keep the same moral: that kindness is always key! I also wanted Jonathon and Mr. Piddles to have another adventure together in their own backyard. With Thanksgiving just having occurred I thought that Thanksgiving break would give the two the perfect opportunity to go in search of their friend Mr. Hanuman originally, but wander into meeting more magical creatures. I also just watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas this weekend and couldn't help but steal a few details from it as well (growing two inches, a growing heart). I have had a lot of fun writing about Jonathon and Mr. Piddles so I hope you all enjoy!
Reading Notes: Jataka Tales (Cont.)
This week I am still reading the Jataka Tales written by Ellen Babbitt. I have been very busy, so I have only read a few of the stories for the second reading assignment.
The two specifically that I enjoyed were:
The Banyan Deer story was a great story to show why things should not be taken for granted and what a true leader looks like. The other version of the Jataka Tales also had this story and I remember enjoying it then as well.
The Princes and the Water-Sprite was another story that I really enjoyed. This story shows how well that family bonds affect life. I also thought that is shows how kindness is an important guiding moral for life.
The two specifically that I enjoyed were:
The Banyan Deer story was a great story to show why things should not be taken for granted and what a true leader looks like. The other version of the Jataka Tales also had this story and I remember enjoying it then as well.
The Princes and the Water-Sprite was another story that I really enjoyed. This story shows how well that family bonds affect life. I also thought that is shows how kindness is an important guiding moral for life.
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| The Sun Prince and The Water Sprite |
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