Tech Tip: You Tube in Blogger

Hi everyone,

 I hope all is well with you. I’m going to tell you how to embed a You Tube video into your blog.

·         When you sign into your blog, create a new post. 

·         After you write your post, click on the area where you want to embed the video. Like embedding a picture; make sure that you have room when embedding the video in between two paragraphs or at the beginning of your post.

·          Next to link and the photo icon that we use, you will see the clapperboard/time slate.

·          Click on the icon and choose from the options that are given, and then click upload. 

I hope this helps. Have a great day, and message me if you have any questions. 

Learning Challenges

I think all the things that H.E.AR.T. encompasses will bring balance to an individual’s life.  Last year for one of the courses I was taking, the students were required to make up both a weekly and monthly schedule for our professor to determine if we were spending our time wisely. Everyone has different classes, extracurricular activities and responsibilities, and it was interesting to see how everyone uses their time.

Each day I have a set of tasks/objectives that I have to accomplish in order to feel at ease, but overall my life is not balanced.  There are things that I want to do , but I feel like I don't have the time.  I want to take time out of a day to just breath, and get back into volunteering at the City Rescue Mission and with Habitat for Humanity. The time I spend with family and friends has dwindled, and school and work have become all consuming.  With H.E.A.R.T.,  I can learn to focus my energy in areas where it is most needed, and not in areas that I believe are to be more important at that given time.

Balancing Act 

Growth Mindset

I am glad that I was able to encounter the Growth Mindset research by Carol Dewck.  Although I have never heard of her, I find the “not yet” approach something that should be used not only with children in elementary and junior high, but also with young adults in high school.  After watching the videos, I started questioning myself as a whole, and how I act towards things that are not necessarily comfortable to me academically. I used to be that student who had to have A’s, and it was not until recently before I changed my major from engineering that I understood that it was okay to receive grades lower than an A. Receiving a B/C grade when you put in hard work, time, and effort gives you the motivation to try harder in comparison to receiving an easy A in my opinion.

 I went to multiple schools throughout my life, and I felt challenged as to why I was not learning the given information like some of the students.  I believed the main reason why some subjects were harder than others was because of the different teaching styles that were being used.  In comparison to the schools I attended in Texas and Oklahoma, the schools on the east coast particularly in the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) area, teachers were more attentive to their students and their learning capabilities, but their approach was different.  Students were split into different categories or levels of learning.  There were three different math, science, and English classes, and the teachers gave students work that was only beneficial for their learning level unless they were in the advance classes. As a kid, you think “okay, this is cool”, but now after watching the videos I wonder if it has hinder those who were not in the advance courses.

The videos over Growth Mindset has me thinking what can I do to change about my behavior both academically and personally, and how can I become more open and comfortable when I encounter something challenging.  I think this would be useful especially with my Hebrew courses.  This semester I am taking nine hours of the language, and I feel like I can make progress with the Growth Mindset approach.  

Growth Mindset

"Success is not easy and is certainly not for the lazy." - Samantha Saifer-Berngard

Storybook Favorites

After browsing through the different storybooks, I found many examples to choose from in both the Indian Epics, and Myth-Folklore class. Each one very unique even when some of the previous students had chose the same topics to write over.  In the Indian Epics section, I found two on karma that were interesting, “Sweet Dreams are Made of These: Karma Bedtime Stories”, and “The Karma Times: I See Everything”.  What made “Sweet Dreams are Made of These: Karma Bedtime Stories” stand out, were the graphics that were used.  Rachel did a good job researching for graphics were fun and animated.  The graphics not only related to the stories, and they were age appropriate for the storybook especially for the stories of Christian and Layton.  I can tell she put a lot of time and effort into her storybook, and it was a good read. I really enjoyed her background of the animated sheep. Throughout her storybook, she continuously stayed on topic, and from the beginning as a reader I knew what to expect. I also liked “The Ramayana Museum of Art” by Kathryn.  Instead of having a light-hearted story, she set the tone to be quite dark and suspenseful, and right off the back I expected that tone to be shared in the following stories. The background and colors from both of these storybooks gave me ideas as to what kind I should be looking for and what topic I need to choose.  I notice that both storybooks were similar in set up, and they all possessed a navigation pane for the readers.

One of the ones I enjoyed the was “How I Met Your Mother” by Rachel. It was comical, and I love that she used the title is of the hit television show, as well as the “legend-Dairy” quote. Lastly, “The “Bad” Guys…Their Side of the Story” by Stacy was interesting.  I liked how she made the stories into therapy sessions being told, very creative! The photos that she used to depict the characters are not how I pictured them in my mine, but it was nice to see her perspective.  Reuben is a bit scary looking if  I might add.

"The Bad Guys...Their Side of the Story" Written by Stacy Lubbers

Course Overview

The Ramayana version that I chose to read for week two will be the version written by R.K. Narayan.  I have purchased my copy a few weeks before class had started, and after reading the reviews, I am excited to start reading. For a long time I always thought that the Ramayana was a fantasy novel because of the movie “A Little Princess”. In the movie the main character Sara speaks of Prince Rama and Princess Sita.  The way the characters were portrayed in the movie was both creative and beautifully done.  The book Ramayana was shown multiple times in the movie, and I had it on my reading list for a long time. Now, I have a chance to understand why these characters played an important role in Sara's life, and how they affected her ability to have faith when she was going through such as hard time.  Moreover, I will be able to have a chance to see the characters come to life as I read.

Prince Rama and Princess Sita from the movie "A Little Princess" (1995)

Indian culture and music has always seemed fascinating to me. I started listening to Punjabi music mainly after I saw the English film “Bend It Like Beckham”, and Hulu has a variety of independent Indian films on the site. 

This semester I am coming in with an open mind wanting to learn and explore any information that is given to me. I have always been interested in the Gods and demons of Hinduism.  I actually have a Ganesha phone cover and wallpaper on my phone that I have had for a few years now. I have never taken a course solely devoted to epics, but I have been introduced to some in high school; in addition to the English and humanities courses I took at the previous college I attended.  I have covered the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, Beowulf (not my favorite, but was chosen primarily by the guys in my class because the movie had just came out in theaters), and the Odyssey. 

In high school, I remember covering mythology.  My English teacher from my freshman year was interested in teaching students about Roman and Greek mythology.  She also tied in the history of famous sites from Rome and Greece into the lectures.  One of our assignments was to build the Parthenon. 

YouTube video of a movie scene from "A Little Princess" (1995), with Prince Rama and Princess Sita

Introduction: Analogue Girl in A Digital World

Hello Everyone,


I hope all is well, and that this New Year going great for you! My name is Dijoun, and I am currently a senior at the university who will be graduating this semester in May.  I am originally from the state of Kansas, but I moved around a lot in the states since my parents were military.  I am majoring in Planned Program with a minor in Hebrew. I will be studying abroad after graduation learning Hebrew. Hopefully, I will be able to obtain my master's in Human Rights and Transitional Justice in Jerusalem, or I will be applying for law school here in the states. My long term goal is to join the military serving in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps and after service, working for the Department of State.  I want to be a humanitarian and help people in a way that affects their lives positively on both a small and large scale. 

People that know me consider me to be odd and old.  Reasons being, I prefer face to face communication, or hand written letters over cell phones. Since I do have a cellphone, if I could revert back to one of my old ones (the Nokia that is in the shape of a small brick, or my first flip cellphone that could not take pictures) I would.  I'm not big on social media. I used to watch the home shopping networks QVC, HSN , and ShopNBC in middle school and high school, and I like being at home. I'm like Benjamin Button, but only personality wise.  

Hobbies:  Reading, Crochet, Painting, and Eating.

I love to crochet  when I have the time.  I used to make messenger bags, scarves, and purses for my friends and family, and then I later moved up to the big things like blankets and throws. 

Personal photo: Notebook Cover

Personal photo: Unfinished Throw

Random things about me: 

• I don't have a favorite color.
• I prefer vanilla over chocolate.
• I love sweets and if I could, I would probably eat sweets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Currently reading: 
Love in the Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  I saw the movie years ago and have always been interested in the reading the book.  I found it while looking for something else, and I took it as a sign. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my introduction, and best wishes to you this semester!!

Week One Storytelling: Untold Truths

Her mother always told her never to walk without an adult when passing the brown house with the numbers 233 hanging from the side, but Hanna was always a child of curiosity and liberty believing the family that lived in the home was no different from her own.  Blake was a ten year-old boy who she sat next to in class, and he never said a word.  The children teased him, for his clothes were always too small, and he walked slow and hunched over like he was old.  Hanna would stare out the corner of her eyes at Blake and wonder why no one passed his house without having someone watching them nearby.  The young boy consumed her mind and she thought to herself that he is a frail kind of guy, and his quietness must be shyness.  One day, Hanna walked up to Blake during recess where he sat nearby the swing set with his knees to his chest and head resting on his arms. “Blake, can we play together?”

 Little boy at playground

No answer came from his mouth and no movement from his body.  She stood before him just a bit longer, and then walked away.  Three days in a row she asked him, and each time he found a new place to sit, with his knees to his chest and his head resting on his arms.  He never spoke a word to Hanna or moved to show any motion.  As the school week passed, Hanna became more curious than usual and set her mind to walking to the small brown house where Blake lived.  When Saturday approached, Hanna did her chores and asked her mom if she could go out and play. 

When her mother asked, “Where will you be?” 

Hanna lied and said she would be at the park with the other girls from her class.  Hanna grabbed her purple jacket and walked out the door, looking back to see if her mother was watching her from the window.  Instead of turning left, she turned right to the small brown house where she heard the dogs bark from the inside with all their might.  She knocked and then rang the doorbell only hearing the dogs. What she did not know is that Blake was standing behind the door looking at her through the peep hole.  As she rang the doorbell again, Blake then opened the door.

 “Can you play?” Hanna asked.

Small brown home

Blake stood there until his mother walked to the door.  She asked Blake who the girl was, and to invite her in.  Blake looked at his mother and then walked away. His mother grabbed Hanna's hand and pulled her in. Hanna then stood in the door way and watched Blake’s mom grab the two large dogs by their collars.  Blake entered a room ten steps away from the front door, and Hanna followed. “Blake you never speak and I always ask you to play.” Blake said nothing. His mother came to the room and gave them both milk and cookies.  She complimented Hanna's hair bows, and started to hug her very tight. Hanna told Blake’s mother thank you, and his mother smiled while walking out the room. Hanna grabbed the snicker doodle cookie from the plate. Blake marched up to her and grabbed the cookie from her hand.  They stood before each other face to face, and then Hanna felt a certain way.  It was not a terrible feeling, but she knew something was not right.  She heard a large thud from the room next to Blake’s and asked what it was. She moved closer to the wall only to hear a low voice and scratching on the walls.  Blake grabbed Hanna's hand and power walked her to the door, and when he opened it, he shoved her out the door.  Blake then said to her in a very low voice, “What you heard was nothing and never come back.  Just know that the Boogeyman watches you from that window, and he wants you as his snack.”

Gloomy Window

Hanna walked back home awfully confused.  She then turned around seeing a shadow in the window, and then the drapes were closed.  She opened her front door and was greeted by her mother who stood there in the doorway. Hanna then told her mother the truth. Her mother embraced her with a hug and her eyes started to water.  Monday when class started, Blake came in and sat in his chair without uttering a word.  Hanna said hi, and Blake looked through her as if she were glass. Hanna had thought of what her mother had told her that Saturday afternoon, "looks can be deceiving and there are secrets behind some doors. You'll understand when you're older, but you cannot go over there anymore."  What Hanna did not know is a story that was more than twenty years old.  Hanna's mother used to visit that same house long ago, and it was there she was told to keep a secret but it was only for adults to know.     

Author's note: This story is based off the tale "The Cat, The Cock, and the Young Mouse".  In the story, the young mouse decides to venture out side of his home and later reports the things he sees to his mother.  He describes to his mother an animal that looked dangerous with raw pieces of meat hanging from its face, and another animal that was covered in fur and had a gentle presence.  The young mouse wanted to meet this beautiful fur covered animal, but the animal that looked treacherous chased him away. As his mother listens to his story, she realizes that her son is describing both a cock and a cat.  She tells her son, the animal who frighten him by flapping its wings and shrieking was trying to save him from being eaten the cat.

          Instead of using animals like the original story, I felt that it would be easier to relate to the characters if I made them human. The message of the story is “Do not trust alone to outward appearances”.  I made sure the character Hanna shared traits that the young mouse possessed. The young boy Blake was the cock warning Hanna to stay away from his home.  Lastly, the mysterious figure in the window  that watched Hannah walk back home played as the cat.    

 

Bibliography: "The Cat, The Cock, and the Young Mouse" in The Aesop For Children written by anonymous with Pictures by Milo Winter (1919)

My Favorite Place

I don't have a favorite place or any favorite thing. In fact, those who know me consider me to be the odd one because of this; however, I will share with you one of my cherished memories and why.

In Kansas City, there is an amusement park called Worlds of Fun.  I have not been there is over twenty-two years, but I remember the games, and the rides that I rode.  I remember the people who I was surrounded by and the feelings that I felt.  It was the first time I had went to this place, and I was excited to be there with my family.  If you have ever been to Frontier City in Oklahoma, it resembles that amusement park a bit.

This was a family trip like no other.  It was not made up of just parents and siblings.  This trip included the whole EXTENDED family, and I just happened to be the youngest of them all.  I was the brat, without the bratty behavior, but was babied because I was the youngest of my cousins.  I was able to stay up late with the big kids, eat what I want, and have first pick at everything. Throughout the whole excursion, what I remembered most was the water rides that I was able to take part in, and the family photo that we all took at the end of the trip.

What makes this experience and memory favorable, is that it was the last time that I was able to see  and spend time with my family as a whole.  As time passed, things that were once not important became important and the issues that were important became lost.  I have found that with age we loose the importance of the simple things; such as, quality time, leisure, and happiness.  Without these things life becomes tense and overwhelming.  Sometimes, we do have to take time to smell the roses, and play in the rain.

Beautiful Rain Pics

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