Week 8: Curation

I learned a lot while researching for my storybook this weekend. Have you ever heard of the Irish Elk? They are pretty amazing creatures. I was unable to use them in my story because they went extinct long before my story was set. The males had antlers so large, it likely contributed to their extinction! Hey anything to impress the ladies.

(Skeleton of Irish Elk, Source Wikipedia)

Instead, i will be using the less impressive but still awesome red deer, the stags of which, are called harts.

I also found a page of Irish endearments that I would like to incorporate into my story.  I think when you add local dialog to a story it improves its authenticity.  It's really neat to explore these colloquialisms and try to puzzle out the pronunciations.

check it out here

I also found a great resource for writing dialog. Here is over 200 ways to say "said." Spice up that writing people. Along the same vein, the thesaurus is your friend.  Maybe I use it a bit much but I learn something new every time!

I have to say that I found bookmarks most helpful this week.  I finally started bookmarking all my comments and I look forward to following up on them this week. Happy blogging class!

#OU3043 #CURATION

Reflections: Looking Forward

I’ve identified several shortcomings in my Looking Backward post so I would like to use this post to describe how I plan to improve my learning experience.

Although I have a functional blog page, I would like to make it better. I would like to add more images, gifs, or videos to my posts, find a more flattering theme, or add widgets to the pages. I feel like there is a lot of room for creativity and this is a wonderful opportunity to get more familiar with online format.

My biggest failure this semester has involved time management. I must, must, must get a regular schedule going and start working ahead. I find myself continually procrastinating until the last possible minute on all of these assignments.  My goal is to not receive a single declaration reminder for the rest of the semester.

(The old me summed up in a meme, Source: Quickmeme.com)

(Plan of Attack, source: alexvermeer.com/getmotivated)

By working ahead, I will have the opportunity to complete more extra credit assignments. In particular, I want to focus on doing growth mindset challenges. I feel like this assignment in particular goes beyond the scope of a M&F class to help students improve their learning experience and their life. I have nothing to lose from doing these challenges and stand to gain something truly valuable.

(The Wise Words of Twain, Source: Pinterest)

I would also like to work on following up on comments. During Blog Commenting assignments, I often leave questions for the authors but rarely make a point of following up on them. I have made a new bookmark folder specifically for this reason and plan do a better job of this in the future. I really should have done this in the beginning as was suggested.

The reason I chose this class in particular was to improve my writing skills. So far I have come a long way as far as being comfortable and enjoying writing but I haven’t challenged myself. I feel like I have a lot of room for improvement and I want to take this opportunity to grow.  I’ve chosen a more challenging reading unit for the second half of the semester and plan to attempt some new techniques in my writing.  I have always enjoyed stories told from multiple viewpoints (continuous story told through difference voices) and I would like to try a multiple point of view story.  I would also like to vary my narrative voice in other ways such as choosing an inanimate object or less obvious character to tell a story. I also think that some of these stories would translate well into a continuous stream of consciousness story. I think that a memoir type story or interview format could be fun as well.

Reading Plan

I’m really excited about the upcoming reading units but for many different reasons. 

The Native American unit will give me a chance to explore some of the folklore from my father’s side of the family.  My Nana died when I was quite young but can still recall the cadence of her voice when she told me stories.  I’m often jealous of my older brother, who remembers her much more clearly and even learned some Cherokee from her before she passed. My mother’s side of the family is Muscogee Creek but I didn’t find a unit from that tribe so I plan to ready the Myths of the Cherokee during week 9. I was surprised to see a story similar to the well-known fable of The Tortoise and Hare but with a unique twist.  I will focus on Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes unit for week 10 because the stories sound particularly interesting to me. How the Hunter Destroyed the Snow and Why Deer Never Eat Men immediately caught my attention.

There are so many units I would like to read during weeks 11 and 12.  Since my storybook is based in a small Irish village and deals with fairy creatures of legend, this unit is a gold mine.  When I first perused the unTextbook, The Vision of Maconglinney in the Celtic Fairy Tales II unit grabbed my attention. While reading the story several months ago, I began to formulate a retelling of my own. I would love to include that unit just so I can write that story. My second choice is Emerson’s Welsh Fairy Tales unit.  This unit seems to have a wealth of fairy stories that will help me gain a better understanding of my characters.

During week 13, I want to continue on my fairy tale trend but I’m having trouble deciding on a unit. While browsing the unTextbook I came across a few Czech fairy tales that I really enjoyed but I also planed on reading Crane’s Brothers Grimm.  I think that I will leave this decision in limbo until later in the semester. Speaking of limbo… I want try something completely different by reading Dante during week 14. I’ve heard so much about Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy but I’ve never set eyes on it myself. I really want to challenge myself with this reading. This is a perfect piece to analyze and I think I will benefit from reading it.

(Wikimedia Commons)

I can’t wait to get started.

Reflections: Looking Back

This class has really broadened my technological horizons, though that’s not saying much. I had no idea how to create a blog, not even a simple one, and was unfamiliar with Google sites. Now I make blog entries several times a week and I’m learning how to enrich my posts with images and hyperlinks.  Things I have learned from the MF class have helped me in other classes as well. I now use bookmarks for my other classes and the curation exercises have helped prepare me for the presentations required in my capstone class.

I have to say that the reading assignments have been one of my most favorite parts of the class. I’m already an avid reader and have always had an affinity for fairy/folk tales.  The reading assignments have offered me a low-stress opportunity to indulge both of these interests and I love the variety of stories available in the unTextbook.

I have continually been surprised by the diversity of backgrounds among the students of this class.  For once, not everyone in my class is pre-med or a biology major. It is so refreshing to learn about the different roots and aspirations of my classmates. I have also enjoyed noticing the reflection of individual personalities within the creative writings of other students. I enjoy the learning about others through their introduction post but I wish there was more back and forth between us.  I feel that more extensive dialog is necessary to really get to know another person. With this class, I feel like I get a glimpse into the lives of others but I don’t get to make the types of connections in traditional classrooms.

I’m ashamed to say that I still do not have a set schedule for this class. Readings are done in snatches of time between classes or late at night after I’ve put my son to bed. Likewise, I write stories late in the night or very early in the morning before the rest of the house is awake. I continue to make adjustments and try to find something that works the best to balance all my classes with work and family time. Much of my writing is done at home but at school, I have two favorite spots.  If the weather is nice, I drive down to Reeve’s Park and find a nice shady place to sit. Being outside really helps me focus and relax. I the weather is not so accommodating, I curl up in a comfortable chair in the library and try to tune out the voices of other students.

Although I haven't completed many growth mindset challenges this semester, the messages have stuck with me.  I have worked hard to reframe my successes and failures in such a way that inspires growth instead of stagnation or resignation.  I continually remind myself that by returning to school, I've already overcome my past failure. Being a returning student doesn't make me a failure. It shows my hard work and determination to return despite obstacles.  

(Growth Mindset Meme, Souce: Afineparent.com)

I’m really excited about and proud of the work I’m doing with my storybook.  I use the weekly readings to learn about different storyteller voices and imagine how I might incorporate different techniques into my own writing. I can’t wait to share the finished product with my son although I doubt I will ever get him to stay still long enough!

(Personal Photo of my son Garrett)

Yes he jumped of mere seconds after I snapped this photo but my husband made an epic "dad save." No children were harmed in the taking of this photo. :)