Tech Tip: Blogger Template

I had originally taken this class 2 years ago, but had to drop in the first week due to being enrolled in too many credit hours. So I already had this blog when I enrolled in this class this spring. I had already designed it and made it custom to me, but I decided I would update it and make it more personal to the modern me. My favorite color is pink and I like to think that I am a happy, bubbly person so I chose the bubbles/lights on a pink background to subtly let my personality show through the visual aspects of my blog.

Learning Challenge: Depression with JD Baker

I chose to watch a video and read an article by JD Baker about how he struggled with depression called JD Baker on depression, stigma in mental illness, and finding strength. He is a student at OU like I am, and it is comforting to know people are going through the same things you may be experiencing when you feel like you are alone. Depression runs in my family, like most families, and I have always worried about battling it, but it is nice to know there are others who are going through the same things I am.

I thought this was a nice quote for someone struggling with sadness or depression.

 

Thomas Edison

Week 2: Feedback Thoughts

The first article I read was Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it. I read this article because I struggle a lot with not being able to accept rejection. I usually spread myself so thin trying to not hurt people and not let them experience rejection from myself that when I am rejected, I take it extremely hard. I feel like I am working so hard to please everyone then no one is willing to do the same for me. I really liked that this article explained why rejection hurts so bad. As described in the article, rejection is connected in the brain with activity experienced with physical pain. I had already heard this before, but it is nice to be reminded that those feelings are actually something completely physiological.

The second article I read was Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head. I read this article because I feel like often times we are our own worst critic. This is usually the case for me as well. I like how the author listed tips for getting past the negativity associated with self criticism and turn it into productivity.

The third article I read was Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset. I liked this article because we previously watched a video about Growth Mindset, and I really liked the idea of teaching to learn instead of to memorize and regurgitate. I like that Goldberg gives tips on how to give feedback like a mirror in order to be constructive and not destructive. I like how Goldberg mentions how changing your mindset will ultimately benefit both parties.

The fourth article I read was The Difference Between Praise That Promotes Narcissism vs. Healthy Self-Esteem. I read this article because again I liked the idea of a shifted mindset. I am always interested in learning how to think in different points of view. I like how it talks about changing the way you give people praise in order to steer away from narcissism.

And this image is a lighter tone about my struggle with criticism. 

Dealing with 'Haters'

Week 2 Storytelling: The Story of Samson

Samson appeared to be like any other infant at birth; however, as he grew older, he couldn’t help but feel different than the other children. He would play with other children around his age, and he would often get in trouble for being too rough and hurting the other children. He was just playing though, just like all the other children. He would imitate exactly what they did, but it always ended badly with a child bruised or hurt from Samson’s rough play. When he had asked his parents about this oddity of his, they had told him he was to not participate in the play of the children. So Samson pushed aside these feelings of abnormality and decided it best to just not participate in rough housing in order to prevent himself from hurting the other children as his parents had suggested.

As Samson grew up and reached early adolescence, he started experiencing judgement and harassment. The other boys would battle with tests of strength and bravery. Samson always refused to participate in this banter fore he remembered the consequences of his rough playing from his childhood. The other children started poking fun at Samson. They would say he was weak. He was feeble like a girl. They would mock him, “His hair was so long, he even looks like a girl”. Samson had never gotten his hair cut because his parents forbade it. Samson was hurt by the children’s vicious words. All he wanted to do was prove them wrong and show he was not feeble. He could stand the torment no longer. He ran to the home of his parents and as he was running through a tree filled area he thought, ‘Why couldn’t he just show everyone he was strong like the other kids! He was just as brave; he had no fears’. He stopped his running and started to sob in the middle of the forest. His anger was welling up inside him and he turned and with all his force he punched the trunk of a large cedar tree. He started to pull his hand back into himself, but his hand had gone at least half a foot into the trunk of the tree. He looked amazed at the scene. How did he do that? Maybe the tree was rotten and giving way. Then he noticed the tree creaking and starting to buckle from the force of his impact. He quickly moved away from the tree as it tumbled to the ground. He quickly ran back over to the tree to examine it. It was a healthy tree that showed no signs of rotting or weakness. He had to test this again. The fallen tree was at least 10 meters tall and 1 meter in diameter. Samson reached around the tree as best as he could, and attempted to lift it. He easily lifted it from the ground into the air.

‘How could this be possible?’ he thought. He put the tree down and continued home to his parents. Once he arrived he told them of the days’ events and what a miraculous thing he had discovered. His parents realized they should have told him sooner, but they didn’t want him to use his strength inappropriately or get hurt from others who may view him as a threat and attempt to harm him. They told Samson the whole story about how he was given by God to them and he could never cut his hair or he would lose his strength. 

 

Samson 

What his parents feared had become a reality; someone had seen Samson in the forest and word got out that Samson possessed super strength. Many wanted to challenge him and test his strength. Samson did not want to use his strength for his selfish, greedy desires so he fled from the town so he would no longer be pressured to use his strength for his own gain.

Author's Note: I used the story of Delilah and Samson and showed Samson as a child before he knew he had super strength and before he met Delilah. I had originally started reading Bible Women. Then realized I was familiar with almost all the stories so I decided to read Jewish Fairy Tales because it would have all new stories to me. However, I chose to write a story from the Bible Women: Delilah. I chose to write from Samson’s point of view growing up. Enjoy!

Reading Notes: Jewish Fairy Tales, Part B

I am reading Part B of the series I started yesterday titled: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa. I really enjoyed Part A of this series and was excited to continue reading Part B. I hope to write stories similar to this that show traits of some well known stories with a few twists and filler for some missing parts in the original story.

The Sleep of One Hundred Years: I liked that this story is one that discusses things that we see a lot of in modern day movies and entertainment. I like that it has time travel. It was an interesting story, but it wasn't my favorite because it didn't really seem like there was much of a plot or story to it.

King for Three Days: I didn't like this story too much because there was a lot of war, death, and destruction. I did enjoy that the rabbi Rashi had predicted correctly the future of Godfrey de Bouillon. It seemed that Godfrey got what was coming to him from his lack of sympathy for human lives.

The Higgledy-Piggledy Palace: I liked that this story was the traditional story of Abraham going traveling with his beautiful wife, and his wife's beauty being discovered and taken to the Pharaoh. I like that God was with Abraham and Sarah through everything and was watching over them in all their situations. I liked that the story ended somewhat happily.

The Rabbi's Bogey-Man: I like that this story is kind of like an old time Frankenstein story except he builds a helper for the Sabbath day. The woman helper then destroys some of the town and is killed in the fire she made. As the rabbi makes another helper, he turns disobedient which leads to his demise as well. This story was just a fun story that didn't really get to gruesome or uncomfortable.

The Fairy Frog: This was my favorite of the stories I read today. I liked that it ended happily. I liked that the son followed his father's request without questioning them, and he and his wife gave even when they had nothing more to give in order to fulfill the wishes of Hanina's father. I liked that in the end they were rewarded for their obedience and compassion towards the commands they were given.

 

The Fairy Frog