Growth Mindset

I really enjoyed learning about the growth mindset through this lesson. I had never heard of Carol Dweck or the growth mindset before, so this was all new information to me. I loved how Carol described the grade of "not yet", and how instead of receiving a failing grade, a grade of not yet reassures a person that they are on their way to success. Growing up an athlete, I know how important this is. I was constantly learning new skills, which meant also constantly 'failing' to perfect them at first. I would have been so discouraged if every time I didn't hit a skill perfectly, I was told I failed. So it is strange how we don't feel the same way about kids in school.
The growth mindset is something I am interested in, and I think will come in handy throughout the rest of the semester. I am in some classes that will be very challenging for me, and having a positive attitude when it comes to my grades in those courses will help me to be successful.

The higher you climb, the more you can see. Blogspot.

Time Strategies

Time management is something that is hard to get a hold of but will save your life once you master it. I know this first hand... The strategy I find most helpful in managing my time is to plan it from week to week. Obviously things come up, and you can't always plan for everything. But usually I will plan out my week by blocking out my class and work times. Then I will designate certain time slots to studying, homework, or leisure time.  I have found this to be extremely helpful in managing my time!
One article I read was 4 Questions to Help You Overcome Procrastination. I liked this article because it breaks down steps to avoiding stressful time crunches. It highlights the important components of effective time management such as planning and organization. It's always tough to get in the groove of a schedule at the beginning of the semester when it's all new classes and class times. But I plan to use these same strategies this semester to manage my time and help avoid procrastination!

Image Source: Agent News Journal.

Reading Options

I am choosing to read the Public Domain Edition: Ramayana. The main reason I chose this version is because it includes illustrations where as the other version does not. I am a visual learner, and pictures really help me to understand material I am reading in any scenario.
The pictures on the Indian Epics Images page were not familiar to me, but I find them very interesting.

Image Source: Bhishma and Yudhishthira. In this scene from the Razmnama (a version of the Mahabharata translated into Persian; this manuscript is a version by Da'ud, 1598), Bhishma tells Yudhishthira the story of the King Brahmadatta and the bird Pujani

I was drawn to this picture because of the coloring. A lot of the photos on that page use bright colors and intense shades, which are things that usually stand out. But since this photo differed form them, my eyes were attracted to it.

I am very interested in religion. I do not know much about Islam, and even less about Buddhism and Hinduism. The only religious text I have read is the Bible. But religion all together has always been extremely interesting to me and I would love to learn more about the beliefs of the people of India.

Storybook Favorites

Hello,

Here are my 3 favorite storybooks from The Storybook list of Indian Epics!


When Love Confesses

The topic of love is something I think we are all at least somewhat familiar with at this age. The title of this story suits it because the reader already knows by looking at the title that the story will be about love. The introduction to this story did an exceptional job of getting my attention. I like how the whole thing started out with dialogue, it made me interested to read more and see what happened. The design of the pages is simple and clear which made it easy to navigate the site. I found this picture of the two interesting and beautiful.

Rama and Sita. Source: Google Sites.

Tales of Love

This story caught my attention because the student discussed love stories and offered 3 different endings, giving the reader the option to explore different situations love causes. I think the title is broad, but it works because the storybook includes different stories! The introduction is helpful. The student clearly states what the reader can expect. I think the introduction is a bit wordy, but other than that, the design and set up of the storybook is clear and straight forward. I like the manner in which the student broke down the information into the different pages.



Zoo Animal History

I was intrigued by this story because I am an animal lover! (Although I came to find that wasn't exactly what the story was about). I also enjoyed the introduction of this story. I thought it was interesting how the author started off by introducing herself as the tour guide on a trolley. It was informal and friendly, just as a real tour of the zoo would be! The organization of the story is great. The only thing I would change about this storybook is the font that the author used. Although it looks appealing for titles, it was a little distracting having to read multiple paragraphs of text with it.

Introduction to a Cat Lover

Hello Everyone!

My name is Emma and I am a sophomore majoring in Supply Chain Management! I was born in Tulsa, (Sooner born and sooner bred), but have lived in the Dallas area for about 8 years! I graduated from Allen High School in Allen, TX.
As you can tell from my post title, I love all things cats! Blankets, pajamas, socks, stationary, pictures, coffee mugs, most of mine had cats on them. I have one cat at home in Dallas. Her name is Kiska and she is a 12 year old Siberian, and here in Norman I have a black kitty named Nikita and she is 2 years old. They are my babies and I love them so much. I know what you're thinking... But I'm not ACTUALLY a crazy cat lady, not yet anyway.

Nikita, Photo by Emma Hensley 

Kiska, Photo by Emma Hensley

In addition to loving kitties, I spent most of my life as a cheerleader. As soon as I could walk I was flipping, and carried that all the way through high school at an elite level competitively as well as school cheer. My freshman year at OU I was also a cheerleader! I decided to not do it this year because I thought it was best for me to be able to focus all my attention on school and my sorority! I went to the world championship for all of cheer a total of 5 times (09', 11', 12', 13', 14'). In those 5 years my teams placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd! 

 Cheer Camp, 2015, Photo by Emma Hensley

 OU Football Game, 2015, Unknown Photographer.

OU Football Game, 2015, Unknown photographer.

Worlds 2014, Photo by Drew Shot You Photography (have permission)

So that is a little bit about me! 

Week 1 Story: An Unlikely Friendship

An Unlikely Friendship

One early morning a young fawn goes out to graze on grass for breakfast. The same morning, a little tiger goes out to find some breakfast of his own.

As the fawn wanders around fields looking for luscious grass, she sees the little tiger watching her close. She says “Hello little tiger! come over to me.” and over came the little tiger. As the little tiger approaches, fawn has no fear. She exclaims “Oh little tiger, your stripes are so pretty!” and little tiger replies “So are your spots.”

“Oh won’t you come search for sweet grass with me, then we can eat together little tiger!”

"The Unlikeliest of Friends" DailyMail.

The two wander the field until the fawn finds the grass she wants to eat, but the little tiger says “Fawn, I am sorry, but I just don’t like grass.”

The fawn says “Oh little tiger don’t fret, I will find you something to eat.”

The fawn trots back to her home, where she asks her mother what she could giver her new friend to eat. Her mother says frantically “Sweetie, tigers are not our friends. You mustn’t go back to see the little tiger, for your life will be in danger.”

But the fawn said “No momma, this tiger is kind. He wouldn’t eat me!”

The fawn gathered some berries, and got ready to leave, but her mother just wouldn’t let her go. Just as fawn sets the berries down, there is a knock at the door. Mother opens the door to see a little tiger patiently waiting.

The fawn says “Little tiger! Look here, I have you some fresh picked berries!”

“Berries sound delicious fawn, may I come in to eat them with you?” says the little tiger.

The little tiger then joined the fawn and her mother for breakfast consisting of fresh berries. He enjoyed them greatly, and even had seconds. And every day after that day, the fawn and the tiger ate breakfast together.


Authors Note
The Fawn and The Little Tiger
The fable begins similar to my story, with the fawn and the little tiger searching for breakfast. The tiger refuses to eat the grass, so the fawn goes home to find him something. The fawn’s mother tells how lucky she was to escape the tiger’s presence alive, and how tigers are the most dangerous predators in the wild. The fawn then trembles in fear of what could have happened if she went back to the tiger. I basically kept the ideas from the first part of the story, but changed the ending by making the friendship between the fawn and the little tiger continue.

Bibliography
“The Fawn and The Little Tiger” from Indian Fables by Ramaswami Raju. Web source.

My Favorite Place: Historic Downtown McKinney

The day after I graduated high school, my parents moved into a charming little house in the historic district of McKinney, Texas. Our home is in the heart of downtown McKinney, about a 45 second drive to the town square. In the center of town square is the original city courthouse that was established in the late 1800's, and it's surrounded by a number of restaurants, coffee shops, clothing and antique stores, and other small town attractions. I love downtown McKinney because it is a timeless place. The people are sweet, and the small town feel makes every visit enjoyable.

Downtown McKinney

Farah Fleurima. Source: Zagat.