Learning Challenges

Learning while keeping HEART in mind could certainly improve how my satisfaction with the life I am living. I think HEART has a good distribution of how you should allocate your time spent among different activities. It places value on things that I think should be valued in your life.

The part of HEART that most interests me is H, happiness and health. I think this is something that I have just recently tried to incorporate into my own life. I have lost nearly 50 pounds in the last 6 months due to me placing a bigger emphasis on my own personal health. This has directly lead me to be a happier person. I could not be more pleased with how I look, and I feel so much better about myself and am more pleased with the life I am living. Placing a bigger priority on health has made me a happier person, and I think is a great value to have.

I have attached the picture below from the HEART blog because it made me laugh!

Meme from the learning by HEART blog

Source: Blogger

Growth Mindset

Before this video, I had never heard of the growth mindset. I have always valued trying hard and not giving up, I however had never heard of this particular Ted Talk. After watching it, I think this is a great idea! The growth mindset could help so many students not fall behind in school, and could help the ones that area ahead continue to learn at a fast rate. This growth mindset could help so many students reach new levels, levels that they could not reach with traditional teaching methods.

After watching this video, the growth mindset is something I will try to incorporate into my life. The results are astounding! If I can get the same results in my personal life, and with my future kids, I will help myself and others reach levels that would not have been possible otherwise.

Growth Meme from the Growth Mindset Memes Blog

Storybook Favorites

The first storybook that I read was Kindergarten Shenanigans. This storybook is really interesting, because it is fables written for kindergarten students. The fables teach the same lessons, the writer just re-wrote them from the point of view that a kindergartener could understand, changing the wording to make the stories more relatable for the kids. I think it is a very neat and intriguing idea, one that I could use for inspiration whenever I write my own storybook. 

The second storybook that I read was Louisiana Animal Folk Tales. This storybook is about written from the point of view of an alligator, telling stories about other animals. The intro is good and very well written, makes me as the reader want to find out what this storybook is about! I also really like the banner around the sides, with all of the beads for Mardi Gras. Fits the alligator being from New Orleans very well. This is a strong storybook, but I think I will try to make my layout a little more crisp. 

The third storybook, and the one my picture I have attached below is from, is the Tale of the Traveling Cat. I chose this one because the layout of the storybook is wonderful, very pleasing to the eye. I love that picture of the cat! That is not the first time I have seen it, but it always makes me laugh. This storybook is very well laid out, and is about a cat that has time revolving sunglasses. I really like how you can scroll through the different stories at the top of the page, and the images that accompany each story are also great and very fitting. This is the most complete storybook that I read today, one that I will have to take a look at before I create my own. 

Cat from the Tale of the Traveling Cat blog

Source: Memeorama

UnTextbook Reading Decision

I have decided to make my unit for week 2 Aesop's Fables. I chose this because ever since I was a child I have enjoy reading fables.

Some of the other units that interested me are the Adam and Eve, Beowulf, and Robin Hood.

I chose the Adam and Eve unit because I think it will be very interesting to hear the story from so many different writers and angles. I chose the Beowulf unit because I have always hear about him, but have never actually read anything about him. I also chose the unit about Robin Hood, because I have always enjoyed stories about him.

Robin Hood and Little John by L. Rhead 

Source: Wikimedia

Introduction to an Aspiring Photographer and Outdoor Enthusiast

Hi! My name is Mac and this post is to tell you a little bit about me! I am a senior, soon to be graduating with an economics degree. I have a job lined up in Denver after I graduate, which I cannot wait to start. I spent the summer up there and absolutely loved it. If you have not been, I would definitely recommend visiting, the mountains are gorgeous! I have included a picture I took this summer on a backpacking trip through the mountains so that you can see for yourself!

Some ways I really like to spend my extra time (which I have very little of, I work a full time job in addition to taking 18 hours) are by experimenting with photography, cooking, hiking and just being outside, and spending time with my friends. I am beginning to experiment with exposure photography, which is incredibly fun. I like to think I am a decent cook, I just wish I had more time for it. My love for hiking and the outdoors was definitely encouraged by my summer spent in Denver. 

Another way I really like to spend my time (and all of my money really) is by traveling. I always do everything I can anytime I have a break to go and visit new places. This break I went to Chicago, which was so fun! I loved the culture and people, and how proud everyone was of their city. It is a place I would consider living at some point. I expected it to be very cold, which it was, but it was not as bad as I was anticipating due to the fact that there was very little wind. I do not enjoy the wind of Oklahoma one bit.

I grew up in southern Oklahoma in a town that I imagine you have never heard of, which is okay! I would never go there if had not spent most of my life there. Growing up in such a small and closed environment has really helped me to appreciate all that I have around me, and I think has generally made me a happier person. So if I could go back, I would not change it. 

Week 1 Storytelling: Sour Fox

The Generally Sour Fox

There was once a fox who tried very hard to get some grapes that were out of his reach. Upon realizing that he could not have them, he ultimately decided that they were sour, and that he did not want them anyway. The moral of the story is " there are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach." The story below is a continuation of his day.

~~~

Shortly after giving up on the grapes that he could not reach, the fox began to walk home to return to his den. He was excited to return home because he had a den that he was very proud of, one that he had spent much time on. Foxes take pride in their dens, as it is the only thing they can call truly theirs.

A fox in his den. Source: Flickr

So because of this, he had worked hard, and dug his den very deep. He did this on purpose, because he wanted to have a den deeper than any other fox. This was his den, and it was better than all of the others.

Upon returning home he noticed a mound of fresh dirt close to his home. This was odd, since he did not have any foxes close to him. He soon found that he had a new neighbor, with a den twice as deep as his own! The mound of dirt outside of the den was incredible, it was obvious that this new neighbor had put a lot of work and took a lot of pride in his new den. 

"This is impossible, how could another do this" the fox thought to himself “I will dig my den even deeper, deeper than my neighbor!”

As he began to dig deeper and deeper, he ran into a rock. This rock hindered him from being able to dig his den any deeper. This rock kept him from being able to make his den deeper than his neighbors, and this made the fox sour. He quickly gave up, and went to his neighbors to make sure that they realized that having a deep den was not important, and that he did not want one anyway, for if he wanted a deep den, he would have one.
 

Bibliography: This story is inspired by the fable "The Fox and the Grapes" written by Aesop in the book The Aesop for Children, published in 2006. Link

The Maroon Bells - My Favorite Place

        My favorite place is called the Maroon Bells. It is a state park in Colorado, just outside of Aspen. This summer I interned in Denver and spent my whole summer planning a backpacking trip to this state park with one of my buddies. Our trip was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. I had never seen just so much natural beauty in one place before, it was truly breathtaking. I have attached a picture below so that you can see for yourself.

Maroon Bells outside of Aspen, CO

Source: Wikimedia Commons

     As you can see, it is gorgeous. This is one of my favorite places because of the natural beauty, but also because of the memories I have made there. My buddy and I camped by the lake in the above picture, and hiked a 30 mile loop trail that went all the way around the mountains you can see in the back of the picture. I had a great time on the trip with him, and it is a place I will be back to soon.