Although I've never called it curation, I've been organising my tools and resources for years. It's why I'm such a fan of spreadsheets. Nothing says progress like being able to track information. However, there's more to curation than the tracking and grouping of information. It's being able to to share it with others!
My Pinterest can be found on my sidebar.
Showing posts with label Week 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 1. Show all posts
August 19, 2015
Growth Mindset
Source: Automotivator.
The video by Carol Dweck hits where it hurts. She speaks of children and students being raised to chase after A's, 100%s, anything else less than that was shameful and they, personally, were failures. Who, when faced with difficulty, chose to run away or shut-down rather than place their sense of self-worth on the line when faced with the possibility they could fail, I saw a reflection of myself.
This is not news to me. I have been coming to grips with this reluctance since the beginning of my college career. Throughout my early academic career, I always had top grades. I never worked hard in any subject because the subject matter did not challenge me intellectually and I easily passed everything with minimum effort. I have a powerful visual and auditory memory; I never took notes. I drew in class because it helped me remember what was said based on what I was doing at the time. I was always on the honor roll. I never had to actually do any work to "learn" or "pass", so when things actually became challenging in college, my brain shut down, I panicked, I ran away because I didn't know how to handle it.
Storybook Favourites
There are quite a lot of previous Storybooks to choose from, but I managed to pick a couple that really caught my eye.
+ Hotel California
I wasn't let down by the reference to the classic creepy song by the Eagles. The site's background looks like a desert sunset and the pictures add a nice touch. I really like that the navigation is parts of the hotel and that the page subheadings are lyrics from the song. It ties the stories to the name of the collection.
The introduction reminds the reader that myths and legends aren't all wizards and knights; urban legends and scary stories are myths as well! I'm also drawn to horror as a written genre, so this was a great find for me.
+ The Towers That Be
I'm a sucker for puns. Wondering what kind of collection could involve towers, I clicked it and was incredibly amused.
The site's setup is simple and to the point, and the pictures they chose are lovely. I really like that this collection of stories are told by the towers they took place in. It's a really unique angle and gives a different, slightly removed perspective from the action.
+ A Collection of Roses
After my discover of the previous storybook, the name of this collection caught my eye. 'I bet this one is thematically connected by roses!'. Yes, this collection is also narrated by normally inanimate objects, but that's part of the fun of fairy tales. Instead of being the place where the action takes place, like the towers, the roses themselves are usually part of the cast, silent observers of the action. The storybook narrates the tales from their unique points of view.
Based on the storybooks I picked, I seem to be drawn to tales told from an outside perspective that ties them thematically together. I don't know that I would use such a theme in my own project, but it isn't something to be disregarded yet.
World's Longest Hallway by Bailey Carter.
+ Hotel California
I wasn't let down by the reference to the classic creepy song by the Eagles. The site's background looks like a desert sunset and the pictures add a nice touch. I really like that the navigation is parts of the hotel and that the page subheadings are lyrics from the song. It ties the stories to the name of the collection.
The introduction reminds the reader that myths and legends aren't all wizards and knights; urban legends and scary stories are myths as well! I'm also drawn to horror as a written genre, so this was a great find for me.
Irish Castle from Jon Sullivan's Travel Blog.
+ The Towers That Be
I'm a sucker for puns. Wondering what kind of collection could involve towers, I clicked it and was incredibly amused.
The site's setup is simple and to the point, and the pictures they chose are lovely. I really like that this collection of stories are told by the towers they took place in. It's a really unique angle and gives a different, slightly removed perspective from the action.
A large bouquet of roses. Source: Ashrita Furman.
+ A Collection of Roses
After my discover of the previous storybook, the name of this collection caught my eye. 'I bet this one is thematically connected by roses!'. Yes, this collection is also narrated by normally inanimate objects, but that's part of the fun of fairy tales. Instead of being the place where the action takes place, like the towers, the roses themselves are usually part of the cast, silent observers of the action. The storybook narrates the tales from their unique points of view.
Based on the storybooks I picked, I seem to be drawn to tales told from an outside perspective that ties them thematically together. I don't know that I would use such a theme in my own project, but it isn't something to be disregarded yet.
Un-Textbook Readings
Statue of Guan-Yu.
From the Chinese Fairy Tales Unit (The God of War)
+ The Mabinogion
Celtic, Irish and English myths and legends are pretty well known, but the Welsh myth sets are quite a bit rarer. I don't actually know anything about them, and I'd like to see how they compare to the others in the Isles. (I am also aware of the word Mabinogi as a MMORPG of the same name came out like a decade ago and while I dallied with it, I did not get very far. I think the 'storyline' was supposed to follow the tale of Pwyll. How interesting to read the unit with an eye to see how well it could be translated into a game.)
+ Russian Folktales
I've read quite a few Russian folktales and I love how downright weird they can be. Having studied Russian and having a small insight into the culture only deepens the appreciation for how differently East and West view things.
+ Faerie Queene - Britomart
You don't often see tales that feature a woman on a knight's quest. Here's one, even if she is dressed like a man. Somehow, that makes it better. From reading the description, it sort of sounds like the movie 'She's the Man' (which I haven't seen, but one can never avoid commercials and trailers.).
+ Chinese Fairy Tales
I really like Chinese myths and legends, mostly for their distinct differences from western myths while sharing many of the same points (fantastic beasts, magic and magicians, knights, chivalry).
I also enjoy Wuxia/Chinese fantasy films for these reasons and their stunning cinematography and designs. I recommend 'Journey to the West (2013)' or 'The Sorcerer and The White Snake (2011)'.
As for the image I picked, it was between it and some animals. Most of the stories in the units I picked didn't have any pictures (probably a good thing re:Russian folktales.) The statue looks to be part of a shrine to me (the offerings of fruits and the candles seem to suggest it, anyways.) Interesting!
August 16, 2015
Storytelling Wk 1 - Here Stands A Post
Here stands a post.
"Who put it there?"
"A better man than you:
Touch it if you dare!"
The post was in the middle of the town. Although the town square was busy with people trading goods or arriving from the ranches, the column was placed in the way of traffic and all the people gave it a wide berth, going well out of their way to do so. Rhiannon decided it was incredibly impractical and said as much to her companion Ivy, who sat next to her on a bench as Rhiannon stared at the column.
"Why would they put it in the way, Ivy? It makes no sense. It doesn't even look nice."
"Maybe it's cultural." Ivy offered dryly, "Maybe they knew you were coming and put it up to spite you."
"There's no way the entire town could be in on something like that and if it were cultural I'm pretty sure it would look way nicer. That's just a dirty piece of rock and it's begging me to touch it. Nobody else will even look at it. I gotta touch it, Ivy."
Unable to slouch any further on the bench or risk sliding completely off, Ivy waved Rhiannon off. "Feel free. Get over the stupid pillar so we can move on, already."
Figuring Ivy's impatience was good enough permission for her, Rhiannon launched off the bench to examine the pillar from a few feet away. Up close it was even more perplexing. There were no strange runes or fancy carvings to mark it as significant. It looked the same as it had, or perhaps worse, than it had from the bench at the edge of the square. Rhiannon cast around for a plaque or a sign and found nothing. She shrugged and approached the pillar, reaching her hand out to touch the textured surface.
"Stop!"
Rhiannon jerked her hand back and spun around. A man stood behind her, bent over a cane and peeking out between a wide brimmed hat and a colourful poncho. Ivy approached from the side, coming to stand next to Rhiannon, lured by his appearance.
"Sir?" Ivy cocked her head to the side, "Is this about the column?"
"Do not touch it," He hissed, "You are neither of you worthy."
The sheer gall of this proclamation ruffled Rhiannon's feathers. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly all the ways she was worthy to put her hands all over his stupid pillar, but Ivy cut her off with a gesture and a look, before continuing her line of questioning.
"Perhaps. Could you be so kind as to tell us about the column? Rhiannon is very curious about it, she didn't mean any harm."
"If you mean 'curious' as in 'wondering who the hell puts a giant ugly pillar in the middle of town', sure, I'm curious." Rhiannon tossed in before Ivy could stop her, triumphantly crossing her arms as her friend sighed.
"He put it there. Only He may touch it. None else are worthy."
"Who put it there?" Ivy glanced over her shoulder at the pillar again, now as curious as her friend.
"A better man than you. Touch it if you dare."
"Oh, a dare? Yes, thank you." Rhiannon whirled around and marched back to the column, stopping only to see if Ivy had followed. She hadn't.
"Who is this man?" The shorter of the two girls looked skeptical, "Who is to say he is better?"
"The Lord of the Heights," The man shook his cane for emphasis, "The Spirit of Sorrow! He Who Raised Us Above the Shadows! This column is his promise that he has not abandoned us, scattered as we are, out among the clouds! That it still stands is testament!"
Ivy backed away as the man continued. She leaned in conspiratorially with Rhiannon. "I think he's talking about the oracle Melanthios, Rhia. Isn't he who we came to find?"
Rhiannon nodded, looking thoughtfully at the pillar. "I'm still gonna touch it. Now it's basically required. Should get his attention."
Before Ivy could stop her, Rhiannon skipped over to the pillar, making sure to catch the old man's attention before tapping out a short rhythm on the pillar. At his yell of outrage, the blonde laughed and grabbed Ivy, speeding away in search of some new curiosity.
~~~~
Author's Note:
702 words.
Reading through the nursery rhymes, I saw this small rhyme and immediately thought of a thing I saw on TV a month or so ago, some show about Urban Legends. Although I did not make my story about the Haunted Pillar of Augusta, I knew I wanted to use it as my 'illustration'. After all, the rhyme doesn't stay what kind of post is standing there.
The characters (Rhiannon and Ivy) are from my storyverse. I doubled the homework and used it as an exercise in character voice.
Based on 'Here Stands a Post' from The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897)
Photo of The Haunted Pillar of Augusta, Georgia. Source: Waymarking
Favourite Places
Photo of a river and houses in Snowdonia, North Wales, UK.
"Down By the River" by Bert Kaufmann, 2012. Source: Flickr.
Photo of trees in Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona.
"High on the Canyon Wall" by Terry Tyson, 2011. Source: Flickr.
While I have never been to Wales, I have been to Sedona (Oak Creek Canyon is not part of Sedona, it's located just outside the city proper). I grew up in a small town near the famous red rock destination and it is the place I get homesick over when I think about 'home'. I chose these pictures as they are good indicators of my 'places' aesthetics: I either want green and soggy or dry and colourful.
Introduction
My name is Whitney Tresler. At the time of writing this I am 26 and have lived in Oklahoma for 8 years. I am originally from central Arizona and humidity is my arch-nemesis.
This semester is my first full semester at the University of Oklahoma (my first first was this summer, but that's not quite the same.) I am a transfer student, majoring in Anthropology and pondering a minor in Sociology. My associate degree at Oklahoma City Community College was in History (after I decided Political Science was definitely not for me.).
As I finished all of my general education with my Associates (minus language and upper division humanities and electives), my course load for the next couple of years will be entirely major classes. Nothing to keep your interest piqued in your studies than intense learnings unbroken by distracting things like gen ed requirements.
In my off time, I am a fiction writer. I also play a lot of video games (RP games mostly, like the Dragon Age series, the Witcher series, the Elder Scrolls series, but also others like The Diablo series!) because I am deeply intrigued by world building and unique lore combined with visual elements (it's like movies and books combined, only you get to interact with this medium!).
My goal is to eventually combine my personal interests with my academic knowledge and write lore and build worlds that inspire and intrigue other people. Whether this is through novel writing or game design is of yet unknown, but I plan on working towards my strengths. My other strength is spreadsheets and that's not nearly as interesting.
I have three pets currently. I have a tuxedo cat named Chairman Arpeggio Pancake, but I usually just call him 'Cake. He is about two years old. I have a peach faced lovebird named Couscous vonStabbybeak and he is nine years old (the grumpiest old man who isn't an old man yet. Lovebirds can live for around 20 years!). I also have a betta fish named Loki. I've had him longer than my cat and he refuses to die. He's four years old.
Over the years I have lived in Oklahoma I have had many pets! Some left with roommates, others just passed on. Here are some of their names. Spot the theme.
Habanero (cat), Scootaloo (cockatiel), Elvis Pepsi (finch), Murderbird (finch), Thor (betta), Tui and La (goldfish), Soul Chicken (pigeon)...
This is my happy spoon. I use it to represent myself online. I took this picture a year before I actually owned the darn thing, but the spoon is important to me. It has what many others seek- contentment.
This semester is my first full semester at the University of Oklahoma (my first first was this summer, but that's not quite the same.) I am a transfer student, majoring in Anthropology and pondering a minor in Sociology. My associate degree at Oklahoma City Community College was in History (after I decided Political Science was definitely not for me.).
As I finished all of my general education with my Associates (minus language and upper division humanities and electives), my course load for the next couple of years will be entirely major classes. Nothing to keep your interest piqued in your studies than intense learnings unbroken by distracting things like gen ed requirements.
In my off time, I am a fiction writer. I also play a lot of video games (RP games mostly, like the Dragon Age series, the Witcher series, the Elder Scrolls series, but also others like The Diablo series!) because I am deeply intrigued by world building and unique lore combined with visual elements (it's like movies and books combined, only you get to interact with this medium!).
My goal is to eventually combine my personal interests with my academic knowledge and write lore and build worlds that inspire and intrigue other people. Whether this is through novel writing or game design is of yet unknown, but I plan on working towards my strengths. My other strength is spreadsheets and that's not nearly as interesting.
I have three pets currently. I have a tuxedo cat named Chairman Arpeggio Pancake, but I usually just call him 'Cake. He is about two years old. I have a peach faced lovebird named Couscous vonStabbybeak and he is nine years old (the grumpiest old man who isn't an old man yet. Lovebirds can live for around 20 years!). I also have a betta fish named Loki. I've had him longer than my cat and he refuses to die. He's four years old.
Over the years I have lived in Oklahoma I have had many pets! Some left with roommates, others just passed on. Here are some of their names. Spot the theme.
Habanero (cat), Scootaloo (cockatiel), Elvis Pepsi (finch), Murderbird (finch), Thor (betta), Tui and La (goldfish), Soul Chicken (pigeon)...
This is my happy spoon. I use it to represent myself online. I took this picture a year before I actually owned the darn thing, but the spoon is important to me. It has what many others seek- contentment.
A photo of the happiest green spoon.
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