Reading Notes, Homer's Odyssey, Part B

The Odyssey: Ghosts of Erebus

• Upon reaching the shore, Odysseus sacrificed all the rams that he had won from the Cyclops and upon doing so ghosts of the dead rushed out of Erebus.  Fearful, he called upon his men and drew his sword. 

The Ghosts of Elpenor and Teriesias

•  Odysseus was shocked to see the ghost of Elpenor.  He explained how he had become drunk with wine and when he woke, he fell from the roof and died.  
• Elepnor and Odysseus talked for quite some time before Anticleia, the ghost of Odysseus's dead mother appeared and he wept. 

The Ghost of Teiresias

• The ghost of Teiresias appeared next and advised Odysseus to draw back his sword and he did. He warned him that the god of the dead was angered with him for blinding his son and that he probably would not make it home alive.  

The Spirit of Anticleia 

• Odysseus explained to his mother how he came to be at the House of Hades and asked her the same.  She told him she died from sadness of yearning his return.  His father lived alone in the fields yearning for him as well, as well as his wife.  He tried to hug his mother,  but couldn't because the dead and living cannot touch. 

The Ghosts of Famous Women

• This chapter consisted of various stories about famous women and why they had died.
• After the many stories Odysseus went to sleep. 

The Ghost of Agamemnon

• Agamemnon explained to Odysseus that Aegisthus had tricked him during a feast with the help of his deranged wife and murdered him and his companions.  
•  He then warned Odysseus not to trust women anymore for they are treacherous and to return home in secret and not share too much information with his wife.  Odysseus asked if he knew if his son was still alive, but he didn't. 

The Spirit of Achilles

• Achilles asked why Odysseus had come.  He explained that he came to find Teiresias and to see if he could help him find his way to Ithaca.  He also told him that about his son, and Achilles happily went on his way rejoicing.  

The Ghost of Ajax 

• Unlike the other ghosts, Ajax was angered by Odysseus's victory because his weapons had been given Odysseus for winning the battle.  
• He would not forget his anger and went on his way despite Odysseus asking him to forget it. 
• After being visited by ghost after ghost and gripped with fear, he finally set sail with his men and departed. 

The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis 

• They neared the island of the Sirens as Odysseus plugged everyone's ears with beeswax and his men tied him hand and foot to the mast of the ship. 
• As they passed the Sirens begged them to stop and he wanted to give into the temptation but they were able to bypass the island by not listening and once they had passed they untied him. 
• However as they carried on, Scylla grabbed 6 of his strongest men from the ship, smashed them into the rock and devoured them. 

Scylla and Charybdis.  Web Source. 

Bibliography: Homer's The Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. Web Source. 

Reading Notes: Homer and The Odyssey, Part A

Odyssey: The Land of Cylcopes

• Cyclops have no code of law but instead lay to the law of their wives and children.  Outside the  clyclopes land lies a wooded area filled with goats. 
• They have no way of visiting other places and can carry any crop during its season. 
• Odysseus traveled through a cave and slept there overnight.  When dawn arose the explored the island marveling at what they saw.  
• They began to hunt the goats and the next day decided to figure out who the island belonged to.   The chapter ends with them coming across a giant that they described as a monster 

Prisoners of the Cyclops

• Odysseus and his twelve best men approached the giant, and with him he brought dark sweet wine. When they approached his cave the giant was momentarily gone tending to his sheep so they explored his cave and found many great things.  
• The men partook in the giants great foods and when the giant returned the men hid while the giant milked all his goats.  The giant finally saw them and asked why they were there. 
• Odysseus explained that they had come back from war and wanted hospitality but the giant did not give in and called them foreigners and fools. Odysseus told the giant that his ship had been destroyed by Poseidon and the giant, angered, took and smashed two men to the ground killing them and eating them.  The Cylcops laid down to sleep and the remaining men waited for the next day. 

Offering the Cyclops Wine

• The next day the Cyclops ate two more men, and then two more. 
• Odysseus went up to him and offered him the dark wine he had brought and the Cyclops drank it and wanted more.  The cyclops fell asleep in drunkenness.  
• Odysseus and his men took wooden stakes that they had made, stuck them in the fire until they were burning hot and gathered around and stabbed him in the eye and he screamed. He woke up and called fellow cylops to come. 

The Rest in Summary: 

• Odysseus and his men escaped by tying themselves to the bottoms to the sheep's when the sheep were released outside the cave. 
• At the next stop Odysseus's men were enslaved and turned into pigs by the goddess, however when she realized that he was Odysseus, she freed his men and turned them back into men and they feasted and drank with her for a whole year. 
• Odysseus asked the goddess if they could leave and she said yes but that they must visit the house of Hades.  

Angered Cyclops at Odysseus's escape. Web Source. 

Bibliography: The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Tony Kline. Web Source. 

Wikipedia Trail: Mermaids to Mel Gibson

I chose the topic of Mermaid's for my Wikipedia trail because it was a storybook topic that I came across that interested me, but I didn't ever look into it so I wanted to for this assignment. 

I started off at a basic "Mermaid" Wikipedia page that had a ton of links from there leading to mermaids in music, books, movies, history and so on.  The next link I clicked on was "Mermaids Cave". Mermaids Cave is an undercut sandstone cave located in Australia.  The link didn't say much more about it except that it was used in a scene from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, so I followed that link to learn more about it.

It turns out Mad Max Beyond Thunderstorm (also referred to as Mad Max 3) is an Australian action film made by Warner Brothers in 1985.  A sequel to Mad Max 2, Max is played by Mel Gibson and is exiled to the desert were he encounters an isolated cargo cult.  I should probably know more about Mel Gibson considering his name is a big one in Hollywood, but I don't so I decided to click on his name to learn more about what other acting roles he has played. 

Born on January 3rd, 1956 Mel Gibson is an American actor most known for his role as Mad Max.  Fun Fact: our birthdays are 6 days apart! His net worth is $425 million and he has 9 children.  He also starred in Braveheart, where he won a Golden Globe.  He not only acts in  movies, he also produces them. Some of his successful movies include Hacksaw Ridge, and The Passion of the Christ.

Young Mel. Web Source. 

Growth Mindset: Cats

"Effort is the Path to Mastery".  I like this growth mindset cat one because I think what its saying is very valid and important, and I also think the picture of the cat is so funny!  When I think of what effort is the path to mastery means I think about the phrase "you never know if you don't try".  In other words, you will never get any better without trying to be better and putting in the work you need to get where you want to be! 

Web Source. 

"Errors are portals of discovery".  I absolutely love this quote! Failure is scary.  But, in order to be successful you must learn from your mistakes, which means that you need to make them! No one is perfect and are all going to make errors, and what's important is that we learn from them and discover ourselves and always continue learning. 

Web Source. 

"Stay Creative: Have Fun".  This is so important.  Especially in college it is so easy to lose sight of the big picture and begin to stress and not enjoy what you are doing.  I feel it is so important to remember that college should be fun! Life should be fun! Just because you get stressed and have things you have to do that you don't always want to do doesn't mean that you should completely lose sight of the important things. If you aren't enjoying what you are doing, make a change! It's as simple as that. 

Have Fun. Web Source. 

Tech Tip, Weather Gadget

Hi! Just wanted to let you all know that I  added a weather gadget to my blog! Here's a link on how to do it if you want to add one to yours as well! Let's not be those people that walk around campus in shorts and a t-shirt when its 30 degrees outside :)

Be Prepared.  Check the Weather.  Web Source. 

How to Add a Weather Gadget 

Feedback Thoughts

The two articles I read for this assignment were 14 Signs Your Perfectionism has Gotten Out of Control by Carolyn Gregoire, and The Psychology of Comparison and How to Stop by Ellen Jackson.  I picked these two articles to read because both of them had titles that hit the nail on the head for me.  From 14 Signs your Perfectionism has Gotten Out of Control, I was going to pick a few that resentated with me the most, but to be honest almost all of them did! I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing...haha....

Anyway, as I was reading through all the different signs, I was realizing things about myself that I'd never noticed before and how certain traits that I have could be due to my nature to be perfect.  One in particular that really stood out to me was "You know there's no use in crying over spilt milk, but you do anyways".  I am a very big planner. I have a strict schedule, down to when I should leave to get someplace on time, how much time I should spend there etc.  In other words I like things to go as planned and be well...perfect.  And when things don't go as planned (which when do they ever?) it usually has a pretty big effect on me.  I become flustered, unable to think correctly/formulate a back up plan.  Over the years I have gotten much better at being able to take what life throws at me but it is still a struggle.  

In the article about comparison, I also found a lot of things that applied to me and tips to help combat these thoughts. Tips included "being a racehorse" meaning focus on yourself and no one else, knowing your motives, aiming for personal bests, and not comparing your beginning to someone else middle.  All of these tips apply focusing more on yourself rather and others and I think are very useful! 

When it comes to feedback and constructive criticism, all of these thoughts and tips can come in handy.  However, growing up in the dance world, feedback or corrections are always something that I wanted. One reason being so that I can improve, but another reason is because usually when someone corrects you or gives advice it is because they see potential.  When someone doesn't take the time to help you be better, its because they don't care. So moral of the story is...feedback is a good thing! It means they care! So let's all get our hearts off of our sleeves and help each other grow! 

Don't be afraid of "Many Edits" Web Source. 

Topic Brainstorm

Topic Idea #1: Dogs

I picked this topic because I really love dogs! I have a dog at my parents house,  but I don't have one in Norman with me so anytime I see someone else's dog I have to  pet it! I also have a lot of experience with dogs as I've always had one in the house growing up.  There are lots folklore stories that involve dogs including Aesop's Fables, as well as long lists of mythological dogs.   Some mythological dogs that interest me are the idea of the "black dog".  A symbol that can be used for many things, usually the image of a black dog is seen as eerie or as a bad omen, but I think it would be fun to tell a story about a misunderstood black dog who is the complete opposite of that and told from his perspective.  I also enjoyed the idea of the Chinese zodiac calendar that cycles through different animals every 12 years.  So, every 12 years there is the year of the dog, and I think this could be a good idea for a story plot!

Not so mean after-all: A misunderstood black dog. 

Links: The zodiac Dog
Black Dogs 
Aesop's Fables 



Topic Idea #2: The nutcracker

I had a difficult time finding sources about The Nutcracker in our sites that were provided but with a little extra researching, I was able to find some good stuff! Going to see the Nutcracker is a yearly tradition for me around Christmas time, as well as when I was younger I danced in Tulsa Ballet's version for 6 years as a soldier and a party scene girl, and in high school I danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a children's ballet company.  Needless to say, it is near and dear to my heart. Everything about it, the story line, the magical settings, the music, all brings me goose bumps.  I think it would be really fun to retell the story of the Nutcracker, maybe from the perspective of the evil mouse king.  Everyone has their side to the story right? Or simply tell the back story of one of the main characters.  This idea of retelling this famous story with a twist is very exciting!

The Nutcracker. Web Source. 

Links: The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
No Sugar Plums: The Dark roots of the Nutcracker
Nutcracker and Mouse King



Topic Idea #3: The Wizard of Oz

I know this topic has been done a lot in the past but I can't help but be interested in doing it myself! When I was browsing though past projects in a previous assignment, projects done with the inspiration of The Wizard of Oz really peaked my interest and were ones that I enjoyed the most.  Not only is the whimsical story line, characters, and setting just fun- it also has an unlimited potential in how the story can be retold.  Some ideas that came to me while I was researching were telling the back stories of certain characters.  I also found that the original book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is not the only book in the series! There are books about the scarecrow, tin man, Glinda and many more! I think with these resources I would be able to create an entirely new story while still including the original story line. 

The original book- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  

Links: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 
The Road to Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
Glinda of Oz


Topic Idea 4: Witches

The idea of witches intrigues me because there are so many kinds! Good witches, bad witches, witches from fairy tales, real "witches throughout history such as the Salem witch trials and so on.  I am not 100% sure what route I would want to take with this topic however some ideas would be to tell the stories of multiple witches, retell the history of the Salem witch trials (possibly one real witch making everyone believe that innocent women are witches), or a "good witch" disguised as a "bad witch" and vise versa. 

Links: Myths and Legends of Our Own Land- 4: Tales of Puritan Land
The Witches who Were Mice at Night 

Week 2 Story: The Benevolent Sister

The Benevolent Sister

Once upon a time there was a young woman named Abigail. Abigail lived with her mother and three other sisters in a small-town house deep in the forest. One day, it came to be known that a grand fair possessing all kinds of clothes, linens, jewelry, fine foods and special goods would be coming to the city nearby. The girls mother who was one to fancy high quality goods decided to attend. Before she left to head to the fair, she asked what she may bring back her daughters as a gift. The first daughter asked for the finest dress she could find. The second daughter asked for the shiniest pair of earrings she could find, and the third daughter asked for the best smelling pie she could smell. When the mother asked Abigail what she would like for her to bring back, she said that no gift was necessary, just her safe return.



While searching for her daughter’s specific requests at the fair, the mother fretted her decisions and spent many hours scouring the vendors for the finest items she could find. After finally deciding on the perfect items she realized that she lost track of time and it was nearly nightfall. Despite her worries of the nearing darkness, she decided to make the trek back to her daughter’s anyway, so that their gifts did not spoil. Halfway through her trip, night had completely taken over and the mother lost her way unable to get back on track. She eventually came to an abandoned castle, one that she never knew existed, and one that looked like a treacherous monster could be waiting inside. She tried to turn around and head away from the eerie castle, but it was too late. He had already seen her.



Standing before her was a 10-foot-tall hairy beast with a twisted face, gnarled teeth, and claws that could easily rip her to shreds. “How dare you come into my sanctuary!” proclaimed the beast. The mother tried to explain that she lost her way coming back from the fair and that it was a mere mistake, but the beast was angered. “You will now forever be enslaved to me as my prisoner for as long as you live!” screamed the beast. “No! cried the mother. “What if you could have one of my daughters instead? She would be by far more beneficial to you than I would”. “Fine, send her to me by sunset tomorrow, if not I will come destroy your entire family.”



The mother ran home and told the daughters what happened, and that Abigail must go to turn herself into the beast. Without an ounce of hesitancy, Abigail set off for the rotting castle. Upon arriving to the castle, the beast told Abigail that she would be his prisoner and would need to do whatever tasks he told her to do. The first task she was made to complete was to comb the beasts fur with her fingers every day for a month. Again, without an ounce of hesitancy Abigail did what she was told. At the end of the month long period, the beast brought Abigail to his lair and said that he must show her something. What Abigail found was an entirely different life depicted in beautiful paintings and pictures on the wall of a beautiful castle, gardens, and more. The beast said to her, “You have shown loyalty and bravery to me this past month and in return all of this can be yours, you just need to complete one last final task.” Ready to do what she was told the beast said, “Stab me in the heart, spare me anymore misery in this horrible place.” At first Abigail did not want to compete this task as it was out of nature for her, but eventually the beast got her to oblige. She took a sword given to her, raised it above her head and screaming plunged the sword into the beast’s chest. There was a massive explosion and when the flames subsided, standing there was no longer a treacherous beast, but a handsome prince. “You have saved me from this spell I have been trapped in for many years, as promised all of this is yours and I would love to take your hand in marriage.” Thrilled, Abigail and the prince were married in their beautiful castle and they lived happily ever after.



If only we could all learn to show humbleness and bravery like Abigail, maybe there would be a great castle waiting for us as well.

The Grand Castle. Web Source. 

Authors note: Originally taken from the story “The Three Roses” written by Josef Baudis, this version is a rendition done by myself. In the original text, Mary (Abigail) asked for three roses from the market. It was picking these three roses that the mother came across the Basilisk (beast). The mother promised Mary to the beast in order to spare her life. Once with the basilisk Mary was instructed to nurse him for three hours every day. After that she was told to cut his head off. Protesting, she finally cut his head off and inside was a terrifying serpent that also instructed her to cut its head off. Once cutting off the second head the serpent changed into a beautiful youth and said he must marry her. They were wed were many guests came and they danced and sang.





Bibliography: “The Three Roses” from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis. Web Source.

Reading Notes: Myth-Folklore Anthology

Origin Story: The Moon
Comes from Laos of Southeast Asia.

• First character introduced is a blacksmith who is unhappy with his work and wants to be a cool stone on a mountain. The wise man grants him his wish to become a stone.
• Another man comes and starts to cut out the blacksmith from the mountain and now he no longer wants to be a stone, he wants to be a stone cutter and so the wise man grants him his wish.
• However, he grows tired of being a stone cutter and wishes to be the sun, which the wise man again grants. But the sun was warmer than his original job, the blacksmith. So he wishes to be the moon.
• The moon does not satisfy him either as the sun is always shining on him and we once again wishes to go back to being a blacksmith. However, the wise man did not grant his wish, and he remained the moon forever.

The Hare that was not Afraid to Die 
Written by: Marie L. Shedlock.

• Buddha is reborn again as a rabbit and lives in the woods with a monkey, jackal, and otter. 
• Rabbit instructs them to feed beggars the next day from their personal stash of food. 
• Monkey, Jackal, and Otter all find or steal food from somewhere else to provide instead of from their own. 
• Rabbit having only grass decided that if needed he would offer the beggar his own flesh. 
• Sakka, the king of the Gods hears of this and decides to put Rabbit to the test. He first visits the monkey, the jackal, and the the otter and tells them all that he would see to it the next day. 
• Once Sakka gets to rabbit, he is ready to sacrifice himself among the burning coals, however when he throws himself upon them, they are cold.  
• Sakka then reveals himself to rabbit and says "oh wise Hare, be thy virtue known to all the ages to come" and he daubed on the moon the the signs of the wise hare. 

The Wise Hare 

The Eight Forked Serpent of Koshi

Romance of Old Japan, Part 1: Mythology and Legend by E.W. Champney and F Champney. 

• begins with Susa-no-wo seeing a chopstick floating down the river making him believe that there were other people living in the mountains above him. I really liked the intro to this, I thought the chopstick idea was a clever way to introduce the characters that are coming up. 
• The language in which the characters spoke in was difficult for me to understand at times but I could still get the main point of what they were saying.  
• Both Ashinadzuchi and Tenadzuchi were kissing their last of eight daughters goodbye before the 8 forked serpent, just like all their other daughters had. I thought it was ironic that the couple had 8 daughters, just like the monster had 8 heads. 
• Susa-no-wo agrees to kill the monster for Kushinada's hand in marriage in return.  Her parent's agreed and Susa-no-wo turned his future wife into a comb before proceeding to kill the monster in order to keep her safe. 
• He filled 8 troughs with alcohol in order to drunken the serpent before his arrival.  His plan proved to be successful in that the serpent drank the alcohol and became drunken, and then laid down to sleep. 
• while the serpent was sleeping Susa-no-wo slaughtered the monster into 1,000 pieces where inside he found a magical sword. (could change the ending to where he keep the sword instead of giving it to God). 
• Susa-no-wo transforms Kushinada back into her true self and they are married. 

The Indian who Wrestled with a Ghost

Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson

• Great element of suspense throughout the whole story. 
• The image portrayed of the Native American woman is creepy and made me feel a sense of uncertainty. 
• The story overall was very descriptive and I had a very clear image of the setting in my head unlike previous stories I have read so far. 
• I thought the battle scene between the man and the skeleton was very intense and I liked that as the skeleton drew closer to the darkness he grew stronger and vise versa.  
• I want to use qualities that this story had in my own writing such as lots of description, details, and suspense. 

A burial scaffold as mentioned in the story.

The Three Roses

From The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis 

• I really liked this story and could see myself retelling it.  At first it reminded me of a mix between Cinderella and The Beauty and the Beast.  
• I thought it was interesting how the mother was willing to give up the daughter so easily and made it seem like she valued her other two daughters more even though they seemed like spoiled brats. (like in Cinderella). 
• I thought the part about Mary nursing the basilisk for three days was a little odd and would probably change that- maybe to something like doing certain tasks, or grooming the basilisk. 
• I loved that Mary got a happy ending with her prince! Reminded me again of Beauty and the Beast. 
• I would probably add something about the other sisters being jealous and maybe even a lesson about not being greedy. 

Three Roses. 

Reading Options

I am very excited about the UnTextbook! It seems to have unlimited options when it comes to stories about mythology and folklore. One of the first units that grabbed my attention was entitled Alice in Wonderland.  This particular unit caught my eye because I've always loved Disney and whimsical stories. I also enjoyed that the format of the story was one, long continuous one but split up into different section to tell the many adventures that Alice goes on while she is in Wonderland.  I know  I will be going back to this unit to explore more in the future!

Tea Party

Another Unit that caught my attention was Arabian Nights. This one immediately made me think of the famous song from Aladdin (again another Disney movie) and although this unit didn't end up being about the classic Disney film it still proved to be very interesting! What I liked about this unit was that it was based off the famous Scheherazade who tells stories of his very own.  The introduction to the reading read "learn why storytelling is a matter of life and death for the Scheherazade" and I am intrigued to go back learn why that is!  

Who is the blue man? A painting from an Arabian Nights tale. 

There were plenty of more units that I was able to click on and explore but one last unit that stuck in my mind was Homer's Odyssey.  I come from a Greek heritage so anything that even remotely relates to the Greek culture always interests me. In this unit the sections come from later chapters in Homer's Odyssey where he has gone from 12 ships to one on his journey thus far.  The stories focus on the monsters and other dangers that he faces while coming home from the Trojan war.  Out of all the units I browsed and even the ones I've already mentioned, this unit is the one I am most excited about! I love a good mythological monster. 

One of many monsters. Taken from Homer's the Odyssey. 

After browsing through the many options of readings that are provided through the UnTextbook I am very excited to keep exploring and do a whole lot of exciting reading! 

Time Strategies

When it comes to time management, check lists have always been my best friend.  In both articles that I read- "Four Questions to Help you Stop Procrastinating" and "The Important Habit of Just Starting", they talked about key qualities in helping one be successful when it comes to getting things done. Back to what I was saying about checklists, whenever I am feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to do, I tend to fall victim to not being able to do any of it or as one the articles called it "paralyzed".  Because I feel the stress of all the things I need to do, I find myself not knowing where to start and therefore just ignoring all of it.  As you can tell, this is not a good approach.  However, whenever I feel this way if I make a checklist with all the things I need to do in order of importance, I am almost always able to knock them all out rather quickly.  For me, being able to visualize what I need to do and see that maybe there's actually not as much to do as I thought is always a breakthrough. The four questions in the article about procrastinating were much like questions that I ask myself when I am writing a checklist, and the Important Habit of Just Starting had a really great point about the pain of actually working on something is usually much less than the pain of stressing about not doing it.  So that being said, my main time management strategy would be checklists! They can be as vague as possible or scheduled even down to the time that I'm going to do them depending on the situation.  Moving forward this semester I am going to continue to apply this strategy and work even more on "just starting". 

"To Do List" 

Technology First Impressions

I am unfamiliar with most of the technology sites we will be using this semester, but I am familiar with google docs, and Pinterest.  Pinterest is on of my favorite websites! In past online classes I have taken, we posted our thoughts and answered questions just like we are doing in this course however it was all done through a discussion board through canvas.  It will be interesting to actually view other students blogs and learn more about them in a more interactive way! Moving forward I would just like to learn more about all the sites mentioned and learn how to produce my own images and memes!

"Dream desk". This looks like a desk I want to be at!

Assignments- First Impression

After completing my first week of this class I am excited and intrigued to move forward! My first impression towards the beginning of the week was that it was a little overwhelming.  But as my worked my way through the assignments I found that the directions for each one were very helpful and guided me through exactly what to do which made me feel much better.  I really enjoyed browsing other students storybooks as it was a great break from my other classes. I will however need to specifically set apart plenty of time to complete assignments moving forward as I found that they can be quite time consuming. 

So far, this class is very different from other classes I have taken because I've never had to "decide my own grade" before.  In other words I've had to turn in assignments or complete quizzes for points, not necessarily just answer a question about whether I did the work or not. However, I am optimistic moving forward and I am really intrigued by the idea of finishing the course early with the help of extra credit! Some extra credit opportunities that grabbed my attention were Growth Mindset, H.E.A.R.T., and Wikipedia Trails.  I am looking forward to exploring these soon!

Here's to a great semester of learning and exploring!

Curious Puppy. Image Credit: Official Husky Lovers

Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck

Coming into this assignment I had not heard of Carol Dweck before, or her idea of Growth Mindset. I learned about it by watching a series of videos made by her explaining the power of changing our growth mindset and the great potential it could have on our overall knowledge and learning ability.  On the scale of growth mindset I feel like I am in the middle when it comes to my school work.  Obviously, I like when I am able to finish something quickly with little difficulty, but on the flip side I love feeling the sense of accomplishment when I finish something that really challenged me and that I had to put a lot of effort into.  I have found this especially as I have advanced into my degree, the classes continue to get more difficult and require more effort but the reward is so much greater at the end.  During my time at OU, I have learned the value of preparing for class and studying in small amounts each day rather than trying to cram a units of information the night before a test.  As I've set about learning new things one of the biggest challenges for me has been being able to except a "not yet".  In high school everything came pretty easily to me and I wasn't really faced with a whole lot of "not yets".  But coming into college that has changed especially again as my classes progress.  But after watching Carol's videos I now realize even more that failing means you tried! and that is better than never putting yourself out there to succeed.  I think the growth mindset could help me this semester in my learning and I am looking forward to learning more about it.  I am also taking physiology this semester and I know that a lot of these principles would be a great tool to apply as I move forward in my education.

Growth of Fixed? The Growth Mindset.

Introduction to the life of McKenzie

Hello! Many of you know this already, but my name is McKenzie and since you will be reading my blog posts I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself! I have a bit of a unique background so buckle down and get ready for the ride.

I am originally from Owasso, Oklahoma where I grew up with my older sister and parents. Owasso is a 6A suburb just north of Tulsa.  Growing up I lived and breathed dance, where I competed with my local studio and was also on my high school's Pom Squad. Fun fact: I was also in "The Pride of Owasso" our prestigious band program where I was an all- state bassoon my senior year. Moving in to college I decided to continue my dance career at Oklahoma City University as a dance major. After two years, I realized that although dance was my passion, it wasn't what I wanted to earn my degree in, as I had other passions as well. That being said I decided to uproot and transfer to the University of Oklahoma and completely start over as a science major. (sorry mom and dad). I am now a senior on the track of Pre-Dietetics with a minor in Health and Exercise Science. Hopefully if all goes as planned I will be a registered dietitian in a few years!

Now that that's out the way (whew!) here's the more fun stuff about me. In my free time I enjoy teaching dance at Massay's Dancestar Productions here in Norman, working in a clothing boutique at Campus Corner, and running my own Rodan + Fields business! (The #1 skincare products in the U.S.) I also have the great opportunity of being a member of the OU Pom Squad. There is nothing quite like cheering on my favorite team in front of 86,000 people!

A photo of me cheering at the TCU game this past season 

(taken by my mom) 

I also enjoy working out regularly, spending time with my family, friends and boyfriend, and playing with my dog Anna when I get to go back to Owasso! Anna is a retired show dog and quite possibly the most loving being on this planet. She loves to cuddle, play, and especially enjoys being the "little spoon".   

                                                                                                 

A personal photo snapped of Anna begging for attention. 

Holiday kisses. (again, taken by my mom)

Recently over the break I traveled to Orlando, Florida with my boyfriend Peyton and his family, and I was able to experience the magic of Disney World for the very first time! I was also went to Universal Studios and experience Harry Potter World (my personal favorite).  

Peyton and I at Cinderella's Castle

(taken by a friendly stranger) 

Last one.....

"Dreams do come true" Enjoying butter beer at Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

(taken by Peyton) 

Well that's it for now, I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about me and I'm looking forward to reading about you!

Storybook Favorites

OU's Haunted Halls

My first favorite storybook that I came across wile browsing past projects was entitled "OU's Haunted Halls- Ghost stories of OU". This project immediately caught my attention because I have always been interested in ghost stories- and especially those that have to do with things that I'm involved in...like OU! As soon as I started reading my attention was grabbed and I was intrigued to continue on. The project consisted of four different ghost stories that had been revised from real events that have happened during the history of OU. It was very interesting and creepy! I definitely enjoyed reading this. Read about OU's haunted halls for yourself!

Toto's Adventures in OZ

Another favorite storybook that I came across was a story told by none other than Toto himself, retelling the events that took place in the classic film, The Wizard of Oz.  I have always been a huge fan of the movie so this title also intrigued me, and it did not disappoint! It was very humorous being that the point of view was coming from a dog, and it gave me a new perspective to the story that I had never thought of before.  There were also interactive videos that made the reading even more fun. If you are a fan of lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) then I would highly suggest giving this storybook a read.  Join in on the fun here - Toto's Adventures in OZ

Toto peeking out of Dorothy's basket 

Elf Tales- A trip down memory lane

One last favorite that I found was entitled Elf tales, and it was a spin off of the famous movie Elf.  This is one of my favorite movies so I couldn't resist this one.  This version however is written from the perspective of Buddy's dad, Chaz.  In this project Chaz tells four different stories about his past life before he became Poppa Elf at the North Pole.  I found this project again very humorous and enjoyable to read. I thought this introduction was especially good because it did a really good job at explaining what the next few stories would be about and it gave all the info necessary for the reader to understand what was going on.  Enlighten yourself and read about Chaz's past life for yourself! 

By browsing through all of these past storybooks made by former students I was able to get some really great ideas about what I want, and don't want to do for my project this semester.  Not to mention, it was super fun! 

My Favorite Place....Orange Beach

My favorite place is Orange Beach, Alabama. Located in the Gulf, it's perfectly white sandy beaches and warm, crystal clear water make a wonderful paradise! I first visited a couple years ago and since then, it has become my favorite vacation spot by far.

Orange Beach, Alabama: 

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-McKenzie