Review: Week 15

Hello World!! 

This is the announcement that got my attention this week. 

Source: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/search/label/current

 

Tech Tip: Cheezburger

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Source: http://builder.cheezburger.com/

Review: Week 14

Hello World!! 

While taking a look at this week's announcements I found one image in particular that really stood out to me! It was the one below. 

With everything going on this week, I genuinely felt like I needed an extra day to just get everything done and make sure that I had the rest that I needed to get through the week. I find that I have been ridiculously busy this week, and I guess I'll only be able to rest after finals!

Source: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/search/label/current

Growth Mindset

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Before watching the interviews provided in the material for this course, I had honestly never heard of Carol Dweck. I had always thought that it was better to be encouraging to other people rather than to be discouraging to them for not meeting a certain level. After going through so many different situations in my life I have learned that 99% of the time you just have to keep on going and never give up. So upon watching the various interviews of Carol Dweck I found that I agreed with her hypothesis completely, and I wasn't surprised by the results. They were simply exactly what I would have expected. 

When I was in school, I feel that I was in the growth group rate for some scenarios and in the fixed mindset rate for others. I worked really hard in school as well as in life on various relationships. There was a lot going on during that period of my life, so I had no option but to be of the growth group. I needed to overcome all of my challenges and come out stronger on the other side. I am proud to say that I accomplished my goal otherwise I wouldn't be here today, and I will continue to work hard to accomplish everything else that comes my way no matter what it ends up being! 

I think that the growth mindset should be applied no just to school but to all of your life's problems. Sometimes all you really need is just a little Dory inside your head telling you to "just keep swimming!" Encouragement truly does go a very long way when trying to get through not just challenges in school, but also getting through trying times in life. We all go through times when we doubt ourselves and doubt our decisions, but if we keep telling ourselves that we are working hard to reach our destination even though we have not yet reached it one day we will, it will make a difference. Most of the time when we say things over and over again to ourselves, especially if they are positive things in can influence our mind to then become positive and believe in the optimistic ideas that we have drilled into our minds. I challenge you to try this method out for yourselves to see how much it can help you! Let's strive for a growth mindset in all that we choose to do! 

An Example of a Growth Mindset, Source: Cheezburger

Reading Notes: Grim Brothers LibriVox Part B

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For this week's reading I choose to read a few of the Grim Brother's tales! I have always been interested in reading Grimm Brother's because it amazes me how different they are from the fairy tales that we love and know through Disney! I think that it is incredible how these are stories with such variety and uniqueness. The one that caught my attention this time was "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." 

I found this story to be unique, and while most of the stories that I read were reminiscent of Disney stories from my childhood this one was not. This story was like nothing I had ever read before and I was pleasantly surprised after reading it. I found that I enjoyed this story despite being caught off guard. 

 I also found that the cloak that helped the Prince become invisible reminded me of Harry Potter. I think it is so incredible that we find our stories from such a vast array of places. I really enjoyed the stories, and am glad that I got a chance to read and learn about them. 

Source: While We're Paused!

All the information can be found at Grimm Brother's Tales.

Portfolio Index!

The Monkey's Bride

What happens when someone chooses to marry a human but ends up with something else? The story of Aastha and Bubaloo is a unique story about happiness and bliss. From a food fight to a water fight these two can't help but create chaos. What will Aastha's reaction be? Read this story to find out!

The Genius King 

After a king receives heartbreak from the love of his life, he comes to the conclusion that all women are heartless. We learn all about the inner workings of the angered and heartbroken king. Is he the same as he portrays himself to be or is he the exact opposite of it? What will he choose to do when his bride chooses to distract him and postpone her death? Read this story to find out! 

The Sheep Wolf

We all know that a sheep is prey for a predator like the Wolf, but what happens when the Wolf finds a sheep that isn't ready to give in that easily? Wulphy is a wolf in disguise. He finds that he can easily prey on the sheep when he manipulates them and gains their trust. This begins to be a problem when his lunch follows him wherever he goes! What will Wulphy do now?

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues Part B

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I think that the narrators are my favorite part of this short film. I really do enjoy their commentary, and most of the time they are saying exactly what I am thinking! For example when they debate on Rama's actions when he is telling Lakshmana to take Sita to the forest and abandon her. I don't understand why he is constantly questioning his wife? This truly does bother me even if it is an old and cultural book I hope that this doesn't showcase the current opinions of the people living there as well. First the agnipareeksha and now this exile. I don't understand how Rama finds this to be fair. 

Sita's Exile, Source: nirmukta.com

Another thing is, how is Sita still so devoted to Rama? Towards the end when she was singing to Rama's picture I almost started yelling at my computer screen. Personally, at that point I would be annoyed at my husband not sad that he had me left in the forest. ALONE. I could go on and on about these two parts, but it won't change a single thing. I suppose it all depends on the society and culture that you grow up in. After all, they play a huge part in the way that you think and the what your opinion is. I think that Rama is not being fair at all. Sita is constantly suffering for mistakes that she didn't make. 

Otherwise, I did really enjoy the animation film and I thought that Nina did a wonderful job! I am incredibly happy that she put the film on public domain for all to see, because it is truly a wonderful work of art. It can also teach us so much about Indian culture. That's it for this time! I'll see you guys next week!  

All Information has been from the video and notes on this link, Sita Sings the Blues. 

Tech Tip: Quote Maker

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 For this assignment, I used one of my favorite quotes. 

Source: www.quizio.com

Review: Week 13

Hello World!! 

While taking a look at this week's announcements I found one image in particular that really stood out to me! It was the one below. 

 
I love this picture I find that I, myself, love going to the library just to relax or even to learn about something. I find that the library is something that I adore, and this picture summed up my life! I adore the library!

 

Reading Notes: Grim Brothers LibriVox Part A

Hello World!!

 For this week's reading I choose to read a few of the Grim Brother's tales! I have always been interested in reading Grimm Brother's because it amazes me how different they are from the fairy tales that we love and know through Disney! I think that it is incredible how these are stories with such variety and uniqueness. The one that I found stuck out to me the most is Rapunzel. 

I was surprised at how similar this story was to Disney's "Tangled." Of course that version was easily softened up for children, but who really wants to see someone get blinded by thorns heartbroken? I find that the while the Grim Brother's version of the story is heavy it isn't crazy traumatic which I am grateful for. 

I also found that many animals were added to the Disney version such as Rapunzel's chameleon friend Pascal or the horse Maximus. There was also no Flynn Rider, which definitely upsets me since that was my favorite character from the movie! I understand that Disney obviously took some creative liberties, and I am glad that they did! I do wish that someone made a fairy tale set for all of the Grim Brother's tales so that we could read them and enjoy them easily!  

Source: Disney Princess

 All the information can be found at Grimm Brother's Tales.

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues Part A

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I thought that it would be incredible to see the Ramayana from an entirely different perspective. I was impressed with how this movie looked, and once I began it was hard for me to stop. I feel that adding songs and variations through the story gives it an entirely new twist. I adore that it's presented in a way that captures you attention as well as your heart. I believe that it would also allow for more children to learn and appreciate the story especially since it is done in a kid friendly format. It would allow for them to learn from a young age, and that could very possibly leave a lasting impact on them. It could also go on to become something they would share and teach to their kids.

My favorite part of the movie so far is when Sita sings! That's right. She SINGS! I'll admit that it is an incredibly small part of the story, but I think that it is purely admirable to me how the Nina Paley chose a song that worked in Sita's favor. I also really enjoyed the narrators with their opinions! I never thought about why Sita didn't just escape with Hanuman! I think that would have changed a lot of things! It would be so interesting for Sita to not be waiting for Rama but to be able to find her own freedom with Hanuman. I wonder if she would still have to prove her innocence to Rama if that were the case. Would he still doubt her if she had found her way back to him? Maybe this would have made way for more focus on Hanuman instead, but would Rama be of any importance had Sita found a way to get out of the situation before Rama found her? The one argument brought up so many questions for me! I think it will be fun to explore them! 

Hanuman Gives Ring to Sita, Source: www.exoticindiaart.com

All Information has been from the video and notes on this link, Sita Sings the Blues. 

Learning by HEART Challenge: Help with Tips

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I find that a good way for me to stay positive and happy is to surround myself with people who allow me or encourage me to be that way. I find that I tend to keep away from people who give me negative vibes or make me feel terrible. I think this helps immensely with staying upbeat and positive. I recommend that you try it.

Source: Matt Morris

Growth Mindset Challenge: Writing Process

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For this week I tried to sit outside to write my story. I usually tend to write my story while sitting in my room at my desk, but this week I chose to try something new. I found that it was much easier to write a story. I found that I had easier flow and had less of an issue getting stuck. I really did enjoy the change especially since the weather was nice. 

Source: Big Change

All information can be found at Growth Mindset.  

Tech Tip Cheezburger

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Source: http://cheezburger.com/9027383552

 

Review Legends

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Here is my favorite image from this week's announcements. 

Source: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/search/label/current

 All information can be found at http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/search/label/current

Storybook Planning

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables Part A

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For this week's reading I read Aesop's fables  I enjoy most of Aesop's fables, but I find that some of them are bit strange to me. I don't think that this is a bad thing. I assume that this is something that is normal. We all have different thoughts and different ideas of what our own opinions and morals are form a certain story or fable, and some ring true while others are a bit confusing. I find that my opinions tend to differ from others on various situations as is, so it's not something that I am too worried about.

I find that I enjoyed this week's reading thoroughly. I found that many of these stories allowed for me to really think about the interpretation. They were definitely unique and a change from the other Aesop stories that I have read. I think that Aesop's fables often vary distinctly from the various time periods that they can be found. I find that this is what makes them so enjoyable to read! Each story has a different thought and different moral from the others. I also really like that these stories are open to interpretation. It allows for us to be able to find a different lesson each time we read the story!

I find it incredibly difficult to pick just one that I enjoyed from this week's reading. I think that this will allow for the story writing for this week to be incredibly difficult. I hope, however, that is not the case. What did you choose to read this week?

Source: Magdalena Anguelova

All of the Information can be found at Aesop's fables

Storybook Planning

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For this week I felt like I needed to plan a story. Especially since I was having a hard time coming up with ideas for my story. I think that I would like to write a different version of Manachar and Munachar. I find that it was the one story that truly stuck out to me, and I could very easily twist it or modernize it to my liking.

One thing that I could do is change Manachar and Munachar to maybe monkeys or even elephants. I could have him run away from a mouse instead if he was an elephant instead of bursting like he did in the original. I do like the idea of having Munachar do a variety of things before he gets to Manachar though. I would have him do random things, or go on a pointless mission instead.

I think that I could maybe get inspired by Disney movies, simply because I think that this falls into that specific genre. I think that I would take some inspiration from the movie "Wreck-It Ralph." I feel that candy should be involved in this story and maybe unicorns instead of monkeys or elephants. I just feel like you could go all out with this story and have it easily still be readable. I would love to see how far I can go just to test my limits! I am really excited to write my story now!

Source: Amazon.com

Reading Post: English Stories Part A

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For this week's reading I chose to read a Celtic Fairy Tale. I found myself enjoying the stories very much. The one that I enjoyed was that of Munachar and Manachar. I found the story to be very different from what I was expecting. I ended up laughing at the end. I couldn't help it! The conclusion was so funny to me. 

I felt like poor Munachar had to go through so much, yet he still didn't get what he wanted. I found there the story was anti-climatic and found myself not feeling content with the story. I did think that it was incredibly funny that the story ended the way that it did. I wouldn't want to give any spoilers for those people who would like to read this story in the future. 

I think that it would be very interesting to be able to give Munachar a separate ending. I feel like maybe allowing him to be a hero and helping him fulfill his destiny would allow room to better the story. I would hope that this would make the story better and not so crazy. Maybe this is a good idea for a story? Please do let me know your thoughts if you read this story! 

Source: Tumblr

All information has been taken from Celtic Fairy Tale. 

Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales

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For this week's reading I choose to read, The Native American fairy tales. The one that specifically stuck out to me in this reading was the story of "The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds." It reminded me a bit of "The Tortoise and the Hare." It had more to do with how slow and steady won the race and also made it up the mountain. I think that this story was quite interesting. I especially liked that the entire story was up to interpretation. You could gain whatever moral you choose to gain. 

I was curious about how the little boy and girl were able to stay up on the mountain for a whole month with no food or water and still survive. I understand that this is a mythological story so there isn't always a logical explanation for these things, but I cannot help but wonder. It isn't exactly a possibility for sure, but it is a part of the story. 

Source: Project Gutenberg

All in all, I really did enjoy the story and found it to be wonderfully simple. I also enjoyed that this specific story had the animals helping and working with the humans in order to get to the little boy and girl. I am a huge animal lover and this aspect of portraying the animals is quite endearing to me. What did you choose to read this week?

All information has been found here: American Indian Fairy Tales.
 

The Monkey's Bride

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"Stop throwing the food! Bubaloo!! I mean it! Stop now or else!" Aastha found herself screaming like crazy at her husband. He didn't even need to be called that! It had been two months since she had been forced into marriage by her parents. Even her two-year-old son had started acting like his new father. She couldn't even manage to describe what had happened with them. She just knew that she couldn't take it anymore. 

"Stop now or else!!" The father and son repeated over and over again. Aastha glared at her son Iagoo and he quickly sat down and put the handful of food on the plate. He reached over and grabbed a spoon as he continued to keep eye contact with his mother's piercing gaze. Aastha tapped her foot as she moved her gaze to Bubaloo. Bubaloo took one look at her and dropped down next to his son. He picked up a spoon and began eating off of his son's plate. If they had learned one thing in these two months it was that Aastha's glare was the warning signal that they had to listen to at any cost. Bubaloo had grown up an only child so when he was around kids he became entirely like one himself. The messes and whining, the tantrums and mischief. While it was cute sometimes, it was not something that Aastha enjoyed having to deal with all the time. 

"Now I have to go to the market to get groceries. I need you two to make sure that this place is spotless when I return. Am I clear?" she managed to say with a stern face.

 "Yes ma'am," echoed both father and son just as a huge chunk of rice fell off of Bubaloo's hair and onto his plate. Bubaloo glanced down at it surprised and shook his hair mimicking a dog. Rice and beans flew in every direction as well as one particular dollop on his nose. Bubaloo then proceeded to try and lick his nose. Aastha stifled a laugh and quickly grabbed her purse and keys and ran outside where she collapsed in laughter. She knew that she had to be the tough one to make sure that things got done, but sometimes she wanted to jump in on the fun as well. After all she had married a monkey and her son had begun to act like a baby monkey since. She sighed and continued to the marketplace. 

***

Aastha struggled to open the door with her keys and grocery bags lined up and down her arms. She finally got the key inside the keyhole and swung the door open only to find her apartment to be... well, it sure was clean. Spotless really. It was also soaking wet. She pushed the door open and stepped inside only to have a bucket of water fall upon her head. Surprised she dropped her groceries and pulled the bucket off of her head. She could hear her two monkeys howling with laughter. Apparently what had started off as a cleaning chore ended as a water fight. She smiled remembering the special tool she had picked up. She leaned down and grabbed the fully loaded water gun. She pulled it out and immediately drenched her entire family in water. As the three of them ran around the apartment continuing the water fight, Aastha smiled to herself and thanked God for her family filled with monkeys. They made each day and adventure and although tiring she couldn't help but be happy as well! Who says they couldn't all be monkeys together? 

Little monkey, Source: earl-brown.info

Author's Note: For this week's story I was inspired by the Quinault story I read about called "The Dog-Husband." The Quinault people are Native Americans who live in the Pacific Northwest of America. In this story, a girl ends up taking her dog with her everywhere and soon becomes pregnant with the dog's children. Upon learning about the pregnancy her family chooses to leave her in the house to die, but she lives with the help of a crow and gives birth to puppies. These puppies eventually end up becoming leaders of the clan, and take their human forms for the rest of their lives. 

I didn't want the story to be so incredibly heavy so I did my best to keep it a light story while still taking the time to use some similar elements. I decided that a sweet story about a family of goofy monkeys was the way that I wanted to go. I would prefer this story to be sweet and bring a smile to your face rather than to be heavy such as the original and have the ability to bother you a bit. I really liked the way that the story ended up turning out, and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 



All information has been found here: The Dog-Husband, from Tales of the North American Indians by Stith Thompson.

 

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Hello World!! 

Growth mindset is something that we have spoken about before in this blog. The main concept of having a growth mindset is looking at failures in a positive light and learning them rather than attempting to beat ourselves up about our downfalls.

You know how we all have that little voice in or head's? Like the Marvin's voice for Dory is her conscience? When I was little my voice was always gnawing at me, and it always tended to exaggerate my flaws. My philosophy has always been, if you point out your flaws to yourself you will be able to work past them and find success. After a few years of doing this to myself constantly I realized I was completely wrong. I quickly found that talking myself up after things that didn't go my way helped so much more than trying to make myself feel terrible about everything that I couldn't do. I suppose I had discovered having a growth mindset was beneficial before even realizing that there was a name for what I had chosen to do. This small decision has allowed me to be able to accomplish things I had no idea I could do until I tried.

Inspirational Quote, Source: LoveThisPic

When thinking about this class, I have realized that I do my best not stressing out about everything that I have to do helps me. I also do my best to not go crazy when I miss an assignment. I simply take a look at all of the extra credit that I can use to recover from my error. This allows my stress levels to drop.  I still feel that my time isn't being managed well, but since I do get everything done on time I am not going to take that as a terrible thing.

All in all, I am thankful that I had the ability and the chance to apply a growth mindset to everything that I chose to do in my life. It has helped me excel in ways that I didn't even know were possible. I highly recommend that you attempt to apply this to your own life. You will see a world of a difference.

Week 8 Reflections

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 This week is our reflections post. We are to reflect on how the first half of our semester has been so far. Honestly, I feel that mine could have been a lot better but on my part. I think that I could have done a much better job keeping up with the workload. I am genuinely disappointed on myself. It has been difficult to keep up with everything that has been going on. I am getting better but I am not where I want to be, unfortunately. 

I think that I do enjoy my readings! My favorite reading so far has been the story of King Scheryar and Scherezade. I enjoy reading compilations of stories regardless and I found this one to be one of my absolute favorites. I think that the other readings have been interesting as well, but this one specifically has been my favorite. I can never decide on which story has been my favorite. I think that I enjoy writing them so much that they are all quite special to me. I probably won't have a favorite until the end of the semester. That is usually when I choose to pick one or two that I absolutely adore. 

Otherwise, I find that I am good at giving feedback and critiquing my own work. I find that I am able to provide constructive criticism to myself as well as to classmates. I think that is my strong suit in this class along with my stories. However, it is never too late to change yourself and I plan on only getting better. I am going to work harder from  now on and do my absolute best to keep up with everything on my time. Good luck to everyone else in the class!

Tiger Kitty, Source: Pinterest

Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales Part A

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This week I chose to read Chinese fairy tales. I have always been curious about them so when I saw that they were an option, I jumped at the chance to get more information. My favorite story that I read was the story called "The Lady of the Moon." This story had my attention even before I began to read the story. I felt that the title reminded me of an old Greek myth about Mother Earth.

I quickly learned that the two stories were not the same although I had made the assumption that they were. I thought there was a lot going on in the story. I found that with the herb, the suns, the lady, and the man it was all too much happening in a small and short story. 

I was also a bit confused as to why the emperor went up to the moon just to hear the music and repeat it to his pear-tree garden. I was wondering why he wasn't able to just play them songs he already knew? Anyways, aside from the bit of confusion and the unnecessary information I did find the story to be fun to read. It was really incredible to read a story from such a rich culture. I did enjoy all of the other stories as well, but I found that this specific story was one that I wanted to talk about considering I enjoyed it the most! What have you been reading this week?

The Lady of the Moon, Source: DuskDiamond - DeviantArt

All of the information is from Chinese Fairy Tales.

Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A

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 This week I chose to read Persian tales. I still enjoy the concept of having various stories to read rather than having one long story to read. I like being constantly kept on my toes when I read. I feel like it is a matter of preference. I think that I could read a long story but I am sure I would take numerous breaks in between.

The one story that I enjoyed the most for this reading was "The Boy Who Became a Bulbul." I found this story to be very strange. I was surprised that the father was able to cut off the son's head without a single thought. The son still seemed to have some form of remorse which I felt was apparent from his hesitation. I felt that he knew what he would have to do which was the reason he chose to leave and get a drink. 

I can't even imagine how the sister felt after she found her brother's head in the pot, and how did the mother cook the meat so nonchalantly? The whole story was so twisted and disturbing.... I loved it! It was very strange but it grabbed my interest immediately and it has forever been imprinted in my brain. 

I also feel that this could be incredible for a story! There are so many twists and turns for the story, but the way that it is written I honestly wouldn't want to change anything. It was a wonderful and intriguing story. I can't imagine an alternate ending to it, but I can imagine it being told maybe from a different perspective or even with some comic relief from the heavy material. 

Persian Tales, Source: Italki

 All information is from Persian Tales.

The Genius King

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"Finally," thought the King, "I'm so glad all this nonsense is over! I can finally go to bed. Oh wait, what's-her-face is there... What was her name again? Oh, it doesn't matter! I'll have a new wife tomorrow anyway!" The King sighed as he made his way down the long, narrow hallway to his chambers. "I still don't understand why women even exist in this world! Such barbaric and heartless creatures don't deserve to live. They are simply an unnecessary nuisance. It's quite alright though. Everyone makes mistakes and I plan on teaching every woman a lesson. A new one each night.  Sheryll!! That was it.... was it? Oh dear." 

The King stopped suddenly in front of the door. He took a deep breath and began his usual pep talk to himself. "You are a strong and admirable king! You have the ability to withstand another... creature. You are a neat guy. You can do this. Deep breaths." He let out his last breath and mentally played "Eye of the Tiger" in his head as he got ready to go in. When he finally felt "invincible" he opened the door and walked in. 

The King's Royal Look, Source:YouTube

He felt his jaw drop as soon as he saw her look up at him and then suddenly the other one looked up too! "How drunk was I last night? Or am I drunk now?.... I can't believe I married two women. I was not prepared for this. I should have listened to "Roar" as well. Breathe in. Breathe out. Brea--it said something... ohh sisters. Great. Just keep nodding. Nod. Nod. Now smile... too much. Better. Don't yawn! Don't do it. Darn it." 

The King walked over to his bed and sat down as Dinarzade asked her sister to tell her a story. He gave his consent as Scherezade began to tell the story of the Fisherman and the Genie. The King was amazed. 

"Greaaattt. As if she wasn't enough now I have to listen to a stor-- wait, there's a Genie!! Don't look excited. Don't do it! You are a king. Kings don't get excited. Do they? She's starting!" 

The King could barely contain his excitement at the story. He became completely engrossed in the fisherman's tale as Scherezade told her story with such heart. Eventually, the night came to an end and the sunrise began to show through the window. The king was annoyed when Scherezade made the genius move of stopping the story on a cliffhanger. 

The King practically screamed inside his head. "Why?! Why didn't we have enough time to finish the story? Well, I guess she could stay another day... No. How can I stand her for another night? But I need to know what happens to the Genie! She's looking right at me. Nod. Nod. Yes! I cannot wait for tomorrow night!!" 

And so Scherezade went on to live another day, and tell another story! 

Author's Note:
This is the story that I chose to write from my last story planning post. I really wanted to make the king quirky. I wanted him to hate women, but to be a huge child on the inside. I feel that helps make his character a little softer. I think that it is crazy that he felt the need to punish all women due to one bad experience in his life. This is also another reason that I felt his character needed to be a bit ridiculous to fit his crazy decision.

I took inspiration from random places. Some from "Friends," specifically from the when Ross overhears his girlfriend's father's pep talk.This inspired the pep talk scene. 

As well as some from "The Emperor's New Groove." While Kronk was my favorite character, Kuzco was definitely unique. "The Emperor's New Groove" was all about Kuzco who was an arrogant and self-centered emperor until Yzma and Kronk accidentally turn him into a llama while trying to kill him. Kronk chooses to help Kuzco and correct his error while Yzma does not. Kuzco also ends up living with a sweet and simple family in the village which allows him to learn compassion and the true meaning of love as well as relationships. I hope that you enjoy the story! Please feel free to let me know if there is anything that you feel I should change or edit! Thank you!
All the information can be found at Arabian Nights. 

 

Feedback Focus!

Hello World!!

This post is about staying focused and not getting side tracked in order to provide reliable and constructive feedback to your classmates and others in general. There were many tips provided for this. Here are a few

1) Reading Out Loud:
 This first technique guides us to read out loud in order to not get distracted while reading this. In my experience I found that this allowed for me to stay focused and really pay attention to what I was reading! I also found my speech to be more clear when reading out loud which was a nice surprise. I also thought that this worked better when I was reading to someone, because if I knew that someone was listening to me I felt more responsible to stay on track.

2) Copy and Delete: 
For this technique you are required to post the article that you are going to be reading and delete each paragraph that you complete and in its place add a your comments about the said paragraph. I did not like this technique at all. For longer articles I could see myself easily getting confused. Especially since I like to refer back to the beginning of the article sometimes to help me really understand what the article is saying. This is especially important to me if I am reading a long argument. Also, I prefer annotating to with sticky notes and colorful pens!  

3) Use a Timer:  
For this last and final technique you set a timer for 10 minutes and read until the time is up. Once the given time has ended you will need to jot down some notes from your reading. I thought this was a fun technique, but I found that I was more concerned about how much time I had left rather than about what I was actually reading. This made it very difficult to concentrate. I don't recommend this if you don't work well under pressure. 

An Animation Emphasizing Focus, Source: socialanxietyinstitute.org

After trying out all three of these techniques, I think it would be best if you simply chose to read something that interested you. This way you will be more likely to stay focused. I think that this would allow for you to be able to give better feedback as well! My favorite technique was reading out loud though! I just like reading out loud to be honest. I hope that you try out these techniques for yourself, and let me know whether you enjoy them or not! Have fun!

Storybook Planning

Hello World!!

This time around I decided to try and plan a story to see if this helps me write a better story than what I usually end up having. This week my reading was about Scherezade and Shehryar. I found the reading a reminder of my childhood and a wonderful read as well.

One specific idea that I have for a story is coming up with my own "fable." I think it would be great to come up with an entirely new story. It would be a great way to challenge myself. I think two monkeys would be fun as well as entertaining. They are always doing something new and learning various things from us. Maybe they could be siblings and each could have a flaw which was made a strength by the two of them working together? I think that would be a fun idea.

Another idea is to write a story about what would happen if the king found out about Scherezade's plan? Would he become angry and harm her and Dinerzade? Or would he simply be amused and let it happen anyway. I think it would be incredibly interesting to see what the king was thinking through all of these stories. Was he entertained or annoyed? What was he thinking about? I would really enjoy writing this version of the story since I could manipulate the king's character to my liking.

I'm still playing around with these two ideas, but I am not sure which one would be a better story to read. I would appreciate feedback and would enjoy any new ideas that anyone has! I think that this gives me some time to take a breath and put together a story rather than rush into it. If this makes it easier for me to construct a better story then I think that this is a great option to invest time in!

Arabian Nights, Source: Constant Contact

All the information can be found at Arabian Nights. 

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part A

Hello World!!

 For this week's reading I chose to read Arabian Nights. This is a story that I felt that I had read before, but once I began to read it I realized that I had been told this story as a child! I remember reading the book once I got older as well! The stories do vary in this version a bit and there are some new stories present in this version as well. I even remember acting out these stories with some of my friends! It's crazy how little things can make us so incredibly nostalgic!

I really like how Scheherazade decides to tell the King a story! The first one is one that I remember incredibly well! In the version that I read. Scheherazade is forcibly married to the King, and instead of everyone telling each other a story her younger sister begs her to begin telling her bedtime stories to save her from the king. The stories keep going for a thousand nights and that is how she manages to keep herself from the king. I believe that at the end the king allows her to leave since he is so impressed with all of her stories. While this version has the same concept the stories, as I have mentioned before, are not the same. I really enjoy the addition of these new stories however! I found that some of them were quite interesting. The story of Aladdin was also not included in the version that I had been told as a child. That particular story actually ended up being told as an entire separate story. With the villain that Jafar ends up being I am glad that this story got its own space.

It is so incredible to see that these stories are in a place where the whole world can read them if they so choose! I adore that idea and I think that it's great to be able to know that there is a part of me that will be able to live on in my kids when I can pick up this story once again to retell it to them! I hope that you get the chance to read this story as well, and adore it as much as I do!

Schherazade, Source: Pinterest

All the information can be found at Arabian Nights.