Famous Last Words: Three More Weeks!

This week, I am gearing up for the end of the semester, as graduation is only three weeks away. It's hard to believe that the past four years at the University of Oklahoma have flown by so fast, but I am incredibly excited for what's coming next in my life! I will spend the next several weeks soaking in academics, friendships, and my favorite parts of Norman. Then, in one month, I will be moving to southwest Idaho to pursue a position with Teach For America, and am eager to face important challenges in a new city. My summer will be a complete whirlwind, with the weeks split between Norman, OK, Boise, ID, Houston, TX, and my hometown of Muldrow, OK. Until then, I hope to slow down and fully enjoy the moments immediately ahead of me. 

THREE MORE WEEKS, AHH 

photo by kaitmaddox photography

I plan to finish this semester strong in all of my classes, which will require me to buckle down and test my self-discipline and I complete remaining homework assignments and papers. In the midst of studying and writing, I want to set aside time to make genuine connections and heartfelt memories with my friends. Time to pour into relationships is incredibly important to me before moving so far away for two years, but I will need to carefully balance social desires with academic requirements. Finally, I want to thoughtfully choose a few locations and activities in Norman as part of a farewell tour – it will be my last opportunity to enjoy Norman for awhile. I'll definitely need one last gelato from il Dolce, a vulcan and cream soda from Midway Deli, and a long afternoon snoozing and reading in my hammock at the Duck Pond! Past that, I would love to hear some suggestions about Norman experiences that I should not miss before I go!

Wikipedia Trail: Lewis Carrol to Betty in Blunderland

This week, I decided to do a Wikipedia Trail for extra credit. My trail took me from Lewis Carrol to Betty in Blunderland.

1. Lewis Carroll: Earlier this evening, I commented on a classmate's post about the Jabberwocky, and Carroll's tendency to create delightful poems from gibberish words. As a result, I decided to read more about his interests and writings outside of the Alice books, with which I was already familiar. 
2. Through the Looking Glass: However, familiarity won out, and I found myself on the page for Through the Looking Glass. I loved learning more about the Jabberwock, and especially love The Walrus and the Carpenter. 
3. The Walrus and the Carpenter: This has been one of my favorite poems since childhood; although I was creeped out by its depiction in the Walt Disney movie. From this article, I was delighted to learn that the poem was the inspiration for the Beatles' I Am the Walrus. 
4. Betty in Blunderland: This is a short film featuring Betty Boop. In the animated short, she is completing an Alice in Wonderland puzzle, when she falls asleep and dreams of her own Wonderland adventure. 

The Jabberwock

Learning Challenge: I Wish My Teacher Knew

For this week's Learning Challenge, I read an article about the book I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz.

An example response collected by Mrs. Schwartz

I was already familiar with this book through my work with Teach For America, and am always moved by selections from it. I think it is absolutely touching that Mrs. Schwartz went to such efforts to get to know her students, and I hope that I can implement a similar project in my own classroom. 

I also admire the project Humans of New York, which I think does an excellent job of promoting empathy for people, and telling their unfiltered stories, without revealing identifying information. 

Growth Mindset: 10 Reasons Why Failure is Important

10 Reasons Why Failure is Important

This graphic confirmed for me that failure helps to make us more resilient, and builds character, while also teaching me that failure can be a valuable tool for perpetuating a growth mindset. After studying this graphic, I'm curious about the work of George Couros and Kim Pollishuke, and will definitely look up more of their writings! 

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

For some extra credit this week, I tried downloading and installing the Canvas App on my iPhone. I found the entire process very simple, but was somewhat annoyed by the amount of time the application took to download and install (I blame OU WIFI). In the future, I expect that I will use this app mostly to check updated grades, or announcements posted by my professors.

Reading Notes: The Brothers Grimm (Crane), Part A

For an extra credit reading this week, I have chosen selections from The Brothers Grimm, from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane and illustrated by Walter Crane. I chose this unit in hopes of finding new twists on familiar stories, and was not disappointed. Within Part A, I found an adaptation of Cinderella called Ashenputtel, and a story reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel called the Robber Bridegroom.

The Bride leads her rescuer home through the woods.

The Robber Bridegroom
In this story, a maiden's father has promised her to a suitor, but the young woman has some doubts about her potential husband. Despite all of his attempts to win her heart, the woman simply does not trust him, and doubts that his feelings for her are true. Eventually, the suitor insists that his bride come visit his home, and leaves a trail of ashes in the woods so she may find her way. As the bride travels to meet her groom, she drops peas and lentils along her path.

Once in his home, the bride is met only by a bird, who warns her of the dangers that await her there. As the bride explores the home, she stumbles upon an old woman, who tells her that her "groom" is a member of a band of cannibals, who will force the old woman to cook up the bride for dinner. The old woman hides the bride, who watches as another younger lady is killed, cooked, and eaten by the band of robbers, who the old woman drugs into a deep sleep, allowing herself and the bride to escape.

The bride and the old woman find their way home along the path of peas and lentils. Later, at the wedding, the bride reveals the crimes of her groom, who is captured and killed by the bride's family.

Along with being generally disturbing, I found this story to have several major plot holes. First, why isn't the bride's community concerned with the number of young women that has gone missing? How did the old lady come to work for the band of robbers? Why should the bride burst her? If the bride knew of their crimes, why did she wait until the wedding to reveal the true nature of her groom? If I were to rewrite this story, I would aim to answer some of these questions, while maintaining the dramatic nature of the original.

Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

Today, I am completing my reading of our British and Celtic unit for Mythology and Folklore. For this week's reading, I have chosen selections from The Nursery Rhyme Book  by Andrew Lang, with illustrations from L. Leslie Brooke. As I wrote on Wednesday, nursery rhymes are going to prove rather challenging for this week's storytelling assignment. Nonetheless, I am excited to accept that challenge, and am eager to see how I can redevelop and interpret these classic rhymes.

Jack and Jill

Part B, while mostly similar to Part A in length and style, contrasts significantly in content. As I previously mentioned, I was surprised by how dark some of the nursery rhymes in Part A were, as they feature themes like death and abuse. In Part B, however, I truly enjoyed the section of rhymes entitled Love and Matrimony. There were familiar rhymes like Jack and Jill and Georgie Porgie within this section, but they were accompanied by surprising new stories like Sylvia and Simon and Jack Sprat. Furthermore, I found it interesting that many of these rhymes referred to food as an important part of the relationship between the two characters. From Part B, I primarily learned that the nature of nursery rhymes, while humorous, is also concerned with the lives and needs of the rhymes' audience.

Jack Sprat
This short rhyme (five lines) tells us Jack could eat no fat, and his wife could eat no lean, so together they could always lick their plates clean. As a basis for a relationship, complementary eating habits seem silly, but so do many of these rhymes.

There was a Little Man
In this somewhat longer rhyme, a little man asks a little maid to marry him, to which she replies "But what shall we have for to eat?" this rhyme signifies the importance of provision in a marriage. If I choose to write a more romantic or loving nursery rhyme, the concerns of the audience, such as where their food will come from, must be considered.

Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

This week, I went in a different direction with my reading choices. We are still working out of our British Isles unit in Myth and Folklore, and I was intrigued by the option to read nursery rhymes. I ultimately opted for selections from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang, with illustrations from L. Leslie Brooke. While I was familiar with a handful of the rhymes, and ultimately enjoyed the reading, I quickly realized that I had unwittingly stumbled across a challenge for this week. I am most comfortable with writing short, episodic prose, but these rhymes are typically very short, humorous, and of course, rhythmic. I have some doubts about my ability to write in this style, but am excited to test myself with this week's storytelling.

Traditional Punch and Judy Puppets

What I found most fascinating about Part A was how many of the rhymes have dark themes, such as Babes in the Wood, Punch and Judy, and Solomon Grundy. As I write, I want to capture that essence of the rhymes, emphasizing a light tone while exploring a heavier idea.

Babes in the Wood
This rhyme tells the story of two children who were kidnapped and left in the woods to die. It relays their fear and tears over their fate, and even describes how their corpses were treated by the woodland animals. I struggle to think that such content was once considered suitable for children, and would like to learn more about the nature of this story. Was it meant as a warning to children, or as some sort of social commentary?

Punch and Judy
This is a very short rhyme, only four lines, and tells of Punch giving his wife, Judy, a black eye over a pie. Typically, Punch and Judy puppet shows include depictions of violence, yet are considered humorous. Again, I cannot help but question if this is truly child-friendly content.

Solomon Grundy
Another short rhyme, Solomon Grundy tells how Solomon was born, married, and died over the course of a week. I can't seem to derive any deeper message or commentary from this one, although I have heard previous references to it in popular culture.