Week 15 Famous Last Words

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday and I can't wait for school to be finished so that I can fully devote myself to it! When I am not overwhelmed by school, work, and applying to graduate school, I do something special for every day of December. This year we haven't been able to do much except go to the Midwest City Christmas lights display and see Santa.  I am counting down the days until Thursday (my last final) and then it will be all Christmas 24/7 until St. Nick comes!

(Personal Photo of me at work)

Here are some of my favorite things to do!

We love to go to Chickasha to see the Festival of Lights. Last year we rode a camel! If you get a chance, I definitely recommend it.

Midwest City has a smaller but still great Christmas Display called the Holiday Light Spectacular. We love to go because its right around the corner from our home!

(Holiday Light Spectacular, Personal Photo)

Of course, you have to go see Santa! Here is my son with the Santa from Penn Square Mall. This is the same Santa from two years ago!

(Taken by Noerr Photography, rights purchased)

Ice skating is a must! I'm not sure if my mending leg is up for it yet but it's too much fun not to try. You can go indoors at the Blazer's Ice Center or head downtown to the Devon Rink!

The Devon Ice rink is part of Downtown in December which is a month long celebration in the Bricktown area. There are truly too many activities to list but it's worth checking out!

We also love to make cookies and homemade cocoa while listening to Christmas music! 

Don't forget to make a gingerbread house!

It's also a great time of year to think of others. Volunteer or donate to the City Rescue Mission. Find a child on the Angel Tree or donate gently used items to Goodwill.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thanks for a great semester and good luck with school in the future!

Week 15 Review: Christmas is Coming

I'm so glad that I took some time to look at the class announcements for this week. I love all things Christmas and there are some great entries this week. I love the Santa map. I love to explore Christmas traditions from around the world and there are a few here that I am not familiar with.

Idea!!!! Someone could write a storybook from Santa's perspective. Each story could be from a different country and describe all the different things he did in each. Different clothes, gifts, means of travel. Can you imagine how exhausted he would be with all the costume changes?  Wouldn't that be a wonderful idea for a storybook? You could do it with any character that is seen in multiple cultures! You could explore different cultures and geographies all through one mythical character.

Names of Santa. This marvelous map shows the names of Santa in the different countries! See the full-sized map at Buzzfeed.



I also saw the featured storybook on Thursday. What a wonderful idea. I have it bookmarked so I can check it out next week. I'm hoping I can get my son to check it out with me!

Featured Storybook: Characters of Christmas. It's not easy being a Christmas character, as you'll learn here from the stories of Frosty, Rudolph, and Santa Claus — and even that anonymous grandma who got run over by a reindeer.

Reading Evaluation

I'm sad to see the end of the semester if only because there is so much more I would like to explore from this class. Luckily the UnTextbook is a free resource and I can continue to visit it in the future. :) There is more than enough quality material here to keep me busy for the next 6 months, which I plan to spend at home with my son.

So down to the specifics

* What readings did you like best?

I have enjoyed many of the stories a read this semester including "Billy Duffy and the Devil," "A Clever Lass," "The Fairies of Caragonan," "The Vision of MacConglinney," "The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull," "The Two Travelers", and "Apuleius's Golden Ass" among many others.

In fact the only stories I did not enjoy where the ones I did not understand. I think that in several of the stories, details and meanings are lost in translation. Without the cultural context and original language, the stories loose something. Events and actions seem incongruous and the reader can't make the same connections the author intended.  

* What reading diary strategies were most effective for you?

I tried several different strategies from summarizing, to bullet points, to more complex analysis and finally settled on writing about how the stories made me feel.  I think that helped me remember and connect with the stories the most. What was I curious about? Whose voice did I want to hear? What other perspectives could I see if from? Also, if I had any knowledge of the culture of time period the piece originated in, I tried to connect details or techniques from the story to the culture. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to search out all this information.

* What did you think of the overall balance between reading - writing - commenting in the class assignments?

I often felt like my comments were forced or hurried. That may be partly my fault but I think it is common among other students as well. When I really took the time to digest someone else's work and put down honest praise or constructive criticism, I really enjoyed commenting. Unfortunately, I almost never got a reply when I did that. Commenting was often shallow and meaningless. I loved writing and I would have like to do that more but the small blog post entries were not my favorite. I preferred storytelling posts and the storybook projects. 

  

* As you look back from the end of the semester, what advice about the reading do you have for students who will be getting started next semester? 

Have a plan and pick and choose what assignments you plan to do. If you focus on fewer projects, you can produce more quality work instead of cranking out countless subpar assignments.  You are graded for completing this class, so what you get out of the experience is up to you. Make sure that the work you do is worth it and have fun.

Reflection

This class has encouraged me to write again if only by the force of copious writing assignments. Fortunately, it has also reminded me how much I can enjoy writing and creating another world in my mind.  Reading is still my favorite but creating my own stories has given me a new appreciation for the skill and effort that goes into storytelling.

This semester I have surprised myself with my creativity and the effortless flow of ideas that can come with it. When the story takes me, I can write for hours and hours. Which, in turn, leads to hours and hours of editing. But that's okay because in the end you can really come out with something you are proud of. I'm proud of the stories I have told in this class, some more than others, and I want to continue writing. Even if it is only for myself and my son, storytelling is always worthwhile.

This class has also helped improve my writing technically. At least I am able to recognize the over use of passive voice and reduce wordy sentences. Reading my own and the work of others has helped me develop a more critical eye. Everyone can benefit by becoming a better writer and this class has certainly helped me in that pursuit.

Finally, the use of growth mindset in this class has helped me improve my writing tremendously. Not only has it helped me find motivation and sources of inspiration but it has challenged me to try new techniques and ideas.

Reading Diary Week 14: Lang's Fairy Tales II

READING A:

11.  Half-Chick

This was such a cute, if morbid, story. I love the name Medio Polito. It reminded me of Puss in Boots and The Little Red Hen at the same time. I also like how it explained the appearance of weather vanes. I also appreciate that there is a moral to the story and all the small details fit together nicely.

22. Clever Maria

This story was a bit strange for me. I like the idea that the obedient daughter was rewarded but I don’t understand how she was obedient. She ran away, perhaps saving her virginity, but abandoned her sisters. She also stole from the King. When the king is remorseful for striking off the doll/fake Maria’s head, she falls into his arms. It doesn’t make much sense to me.

33. Blue Beard

I like this story quite a bit. The villain finally got his due and the curious wife won the day.

44. Toads and Diamonds

The idea of gems coming out of her mouth with every word seems awkward. It’s symbolic in a way though. The virtuous daughter’s words should be valued like gems while the unkind daughter spews foul words/creatures.

(Illustration by Gustave Doré, Source: Wikipedia)

S5.  Seven-Headed Serpent

This story is one of the reasons I read this unit. I am looking for more inspiration for my sea monster story.  I like the idea of the streams of precious metal. I think Jamie will find many treasures as he delves deeper into the Kelpie’s cave but he should not take any of them.

The boy and his horse

This story reminds me of Hercules and the hydra.

Story source: The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H. J. Ford (1892).