Reading Notes- Metamorphosis: Pygmalion

This piece interested me because I love Greek mythology. Given that it was written during the time of the Roman Empire, and later translated, the wording was a bit odd. While writing or speaking in the authentic dialect can be quite fun, I feel the best part of writing a story based on tales like these would be getting to rewrite the parts in the modern vernacular. Ovid, the author, was very detailed in his descriptions of the statue-turned-woman. That level of imagery is definitely something I will strive for in my own pieces. Some of the transition phrasings, however, make it sound like the reader missed the beginning part of the piece.

Marble Statue Woman White Veil
Source: Max Pixel

Story Referenced: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

Exploring the Reading Options

Looking at the UnTextbook, the three categories that jumped out at me the most were:

1. Brothers Grimm

Stories from four different collections of the Brothers Grimm's stories are available, and I'm a sucker for a good fairytale. Although something tells me it won't be quite like the Disney versions. The sub-groups are Ashliman, Crane, Hunt, and LibriVox.

2. Italian Popular Tales

I'm taking my third semester of Italian right now, so it should be fun to learn more about the culture while learning the language.

Italian stories will always be second to Italian food.
Source: Pixnio

3. Myths of the Cherokee

As with the Italian tales, I love learning about other cultures! Plus, I almost feel obligated to explore the people who initially settled in the Oklahoma area since I didn't grow up learning about it.

**Shout out to Blogger for automatically saving a draft of this right before my dumb self closed the tab without publishing!**

Time Strategies

I've always struggled with this particular skill. I'm literally typing this post an hour before I have to get ready for class, and it was technically due last night. Luckily I have a pretty relaxed schedule this semester that should allow me to stay ahead of my school work.
Based on my schedule gaps, I will be splitting my work up into two 3 hour gaps on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I tend to do better if I can finish a task in one sitting, so these large chunks of time will work really well for me! I think another useful tool will be making checklists. I am very much the 'Type A' person discussed in the linked article (what's wrong with color coding your folders?). However, I am a HUGE procrastinator and it always comes back to haunt me. I have half a mind to print out these four questions and hang them up on my wall!

Source: WikiMedia Commons

More Thoughts on the Class... Technology

Although I am new to blogging, everything has been going great so far! I was familiar with most of the basic tools we've used so far, but Blogger is completely new to me. I like it! Doing in text links to sources makes everything flow so much better, and the google filter for usage rights is VERY helpful. I've never had to think about usage rights before.

How it feels when I'm using all of my new blogger skills
Source: Max Pixel

Thoughts on My Assignments

I must admit, I was a bit hesitant to take and online course at first. I attempted to get my American Government class out of the way via an online class this summer. Due to a change in my job responsibilities that left me with less free time than anticipated, as well as just a lack of time management and motivation on my part, I ended up dropping the class. It just wasn't worth the stress.

The pool where I have worked as a lifeguard for the past two summers (August 3, 2017)

However, coming out out of week one I am SUPER excited about this course! The grading format is very relaxed, it's about a topic I'm actually interested in, and if all else fails, there's a ton of extra credit!

Growth Mindset

Like with my freshman year Intro to Psychology class, watching the videos on Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset was very much a string of 'ah-ha' moments that made me think "oh, so that's what's wrong with me". Growth mindset is a view on teaching, and really life in general, that tells kids to focus on the word 'yet'. Rather than telling kids they failed a class, one Chicago high school would award the grade of 'Not Yet'. As someone who went through the entirety of their secondary education on the 'excellerated' track (one step above honors), I wonder how my life might've been different had the emphasis been put on learning rather than standardized test scores. By Dweck's accounts, children's love for learning would be better nurtured by this method of instruction. I was fortunate enough to have a father that, looking back now, followed that ideology very closely when it came to life skills. Mistakes were okay, as long as I learned from them. This encouraging outlook definitely influenced my continuing curiosity in the real world. I have held many jobs, even more certifications, and to this day stick to the motto "I'll try anything once. Sometimes even twice just to be sure (within reason)". Unfortunately, street smarts and book smarts are not the same thing and I didn't have quite the same experience in the classroom. I was constantly praised over a grade, rather than my effort or actual ability. As Dweck said in her 'Make Challenge the New Comfort Zone' video, "We tell kids they should feel good when things were easy for them and they got everything right; that's a cause for celebration Not in my book. In my book it means you're not learning as much as you could. If it was easy, you probably already knew how to do it." This statement is very much the case in most public schools. As a result, I have yet to develop necessary study habits to survive college. My grades were always good enough, so there was no reason to examine the process, or even know how to. I hope in the coming years- as I get out of my GenEds and into the classes that apply to my field- that I can rediscover my passion for learning that I know still lingers somewhere deep inside and make my college career about the challenge rather than just checking a box.

Growth vs Fixed Mindset
Source: Flickr

An Introduction to Me

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Handwerk. This is my second year at OU and I am a Biochemistry major. Here's a little bit about me-

Where I've Been:

My hometown is Woodsboro, MD. I talk a little bit about it in my Favorite Place post. I graduated from Walkersville High School in 2017 with a class of 260, so the massive amount of people at OU is still a bit crazy for me. I played soccer all the way through my sophomore year of high school and have been in the orchestra since I was 9 years old. I play the Violin and Viola, as well as a little bit of self taught guitar. l was a member of the stage crew for my middle and high school productions for 6 years and even did Mock Trial in 9th grade. This summer I went camping with three of my best friends from high school (without adult supervision- no one died) and then went straight into working 40+ hours a week as a lifeguard. I also did a lot of pet sitting this summer, which was super fun!

Day One of our crazy camping trip. We were all still so optimistic.

Marley, a dog at watched this summer.

Yogi, Marley's brother.

Remmy, another dog I watched, snoozing on my lap with his sister Pheobe in the background.

More Pet Sitting
Left to Right- Zoe Nagel (human), Grendle (dog), Ioana Draghici (human), and Theodin (dog)

Where I Am:

This year I will be taking Italian 3, Physics 2 for Life Science Majors, Experiencing Music, Organic Chemistry 1: Biological Emphasis, and this class! I am a member of Alpha Sigma 
Kappa, a social sorority for STEM majors. I love procrastinating with YouTube and Netflix and have already spent WAY too much money on iced mochas at The Bookmark. I recently went on a 2am Walmart run with my roommate (I managed to successfully drive her car since she was too tired- it's a manual transmission) and am now the proud owner of an Eeyore onesie. It even has a tail. I'm actually super excited about this class and exploring the world of blogging!

Shameless Plug for my Sorority. Come check us out!

Where I'm Going (Hopefully):

My dream at this point is to become a Forensic Toxicologist and probably work for the FBI. Although, if I've learned anything over the almost 20 years I've been on this planet, life hardly ever goes as planned. Sometimes though, the ride is much more exciting than the actual destination.

Storybook Favorites

These are in the order I found them in!

#1- Creatures of Irish Lore, Nicole Griffing

Cliffs of Moher
(Image found on the Introduction page of the discussed storybook)

Griffing's storybook focuses on close encounters with creatures from old Irish tales. While many have heard of banshees, leprechauns, mermaids, and fairies, Nicole's take really brings these magical beings to life. Opening with a group of three American tourists hitchhiking across Ireland, the three friends get stranded in a downpour and stumble into an old pub seeking shelter. The pubs owner, and elderly Irish man by the name of Jack O'Connell, tells the young trio about his experience with a banshee that resulted in the passing of his friend. The subsequent stories with the rest of the creatures are told as Mr. O'Connell's friends wander into the establishment. The division of the story into sections by which magical being was being discussed fit well with the flow of the story and the dialogue from the locals being written in the phonetic vernacular added a bit of charm that brought the story to life even more.

#2- Happily Ever After? A Prince's Perspective, Kate Brandon

In her storybook, Brandon examines a handful of Disney Princes and their second thoughts on how they ended up where they are, ten years after the original endings many know and love. The page has a logical set up, being split into which prince is being focused on. Being a huge Disney nerd myself, I was a bit disappointed in the choice to follow the original tales from the early first millennium, especially given the photo choice for the introduction page:

Disney Couples
(Image found on the Introduction page of the discussed storybook)

However, the author did leave notes explaining the differences between the early tales and the Disney adaptations that would be very helpful to those not familiar with those versions. Overall, the stories explored were excellent in concept, but felt a bit rushed. I personally didn't think the approach was too terrible, but would prefer to stick to Jon Cozart's interpretations in the future.

#3- Hell On Earth, 'Virgil'

This storybook focuses on giving the reader an experience similar to the protagonist in the Italian classic Donte's Inferno. While the creator does not give their real name, the credited author is none other than Dante's own guide, Virgil.

Virgil
(Image found on the Introduction page of the discussed storybook)

The story begins with a first person introduction from Virgil, then shifts to a second person writing style as the reader is given an 'experience' in three of nine sins Dante explored the layers of Hell for. Addiction, wrath, and murder are shown via the reader 'becoming' an individual guilty of said sin. The approach to story telling taken in this particular tale was unique to the other two that I looked at in that it involved the reader directly. Not only were the actions in each scenario quite detailed, but the emotions were very well written too. That is not always good however, as the final experience, murder, is quite intense and is not recommended for younger or easily disturbed readers.

My Favorite Place

I don't generally like to choose favorites. It always feels like I've forgotten something or someone that should've been more qualified. Not to mention the fact that my preferences tend to change with my mood. With that being said, my favorite place at the moment would have to be my home. What can I say? The homesickness is finally hitting me. I'm from Woodsboro, Maryland- a small town a couple miles northeast of the center of Frederick county. The town is four blocks wide, Main Street is 1.2 miles long (according to Google Maps), and we don't even have a stop light until you try to turn onto the highway.

Map of Maryland with Frederick County highlighted (right)
Map of Frederick County with the town of Woodsboro highlighted (left)
Source: Wikipedia

A three hour drive can get you anywhere from the cities of Baltimore and Washington DC, to the mountains of Morgantown, West Virginia, to the Gettysburg National Battle field, or even to the beach in Ocean City, Maryland- a notorious party city where everyone goes to drink underage right after their high school graduation. But more than the place itself, it's my friends and family I miss the most. So I guess that actually makes my favorite place wherever they are.

Family Portrait- Clearwater, FL October 2017

Back Row- Left to Right: Andrew Handwerk (Brother), Katheryn Acker (Friend who got dragged along on the trip)

Front Row- Left to Right: Jim Handwerk (Father), Jessica Handwerk (Me), Darla Handwerk (Mother)

Source: Terri Handwerk (Grandmother)

Group Photo- January 2018
Back Row- Left to Right: Rachel Wilson, Katheryn Acker, Brittany Doster
Middle Row- Left to Right: Zoe Nagel, Kaitlyn Oberhaus
Front Row- Left to Right: Jessica Handwerk, Ioana Draghici
Source: Ioana Draghici

Testing! Testing!

I've never blogged before, so we'll see how this goes...