Learning by H.E.A.R.T- Turning a Bad Day Around: Dos and Don'ts

Today I read the unit about turning a bad day around on the Learn by H.E.A.R.T. challenge page. I really liked what it said because I definitely struggle with being stuck in a bad day. I think these tips will be really good for helping me turn those days around. 

Chart of Dos and Don'ts
Source: Harvard Biz Review Twitter (@HarvardBiz)

My favorite tip was to reflect on triggers for the bad days and think of ways to avoid them. I think this would be very helpful because there are some routine things that stress me out, but for some reason I haven't figured out how to avoid them. A goal for myself this next week is to come up with ways to avoid these triggers than just deal with them. 

My second favorite tip was to NOT stay in the same place and change my scenery. This is another thing that I think would really help me break out of my bad mood and turn the day around! 

Source: http://oulbh.blogspot.com/2015/12/turning-bad-day-around.html

Growth Mindset Challenge- Multiple Intelligences

This week, I watched the growth mindset challenge video on multiple intelligences. The video explained how there are eight different types of intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathetmatical, visual-spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. I thought this video was very interesting because it follows my belief that some people are more naturally bright in certain areas than others. For example, I believe that I am very good at languages- such as writing, reading, and foreign languages. However, it is much harder for me to understand concepts such as math and science. In addition, I consider myself to have strong interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, however my artistic and musical abilities are not as strong. 

Meme of the different types of intelligences.
Created by: Marek Bennett 

I also agreed with the video that schools should focus on more than just mathematical and writing skills. I agree that the skills are all interconnected and that strengthening one can also help with the others. I want schools to focus more on helping students develop as full individuals, rather than just develop their knowledge of languages, math and sciences. While all of these are great, I think it takes more than just a strong educational background to succeed in life. For example, in my opinion, having strong interpersonal skills is crucial because relationships are such a big part of anyone's life. Whether you are married, have a roommate, have children, or just friends- it is so important to know how to communicate respectfully and openly with each other to maintain that relationship. Otherwise, the relationship will just deteriorate because it is impossible to read the other person's mind. 

One thing I did not agree with as much from the video is how some activities fall within the categories. For example, I do not consider myself strong at mathematics; however, I do believe I am good at thinking critically and reasoning. To me, those should be in a different category. I am also confused on whether you have to be good at all of the subcategories in order to have that type of intelligence. For example, I consider myself to have a visual-spatial intelligence because I like layout and design on the computer and matching color schemes, etc. However, I am terrible at drawing and art. Does this mean I am not visually-spatially intelligent? Or just that I am maybe not as developed in this intelligence than some others? Is it all or nothing. 

I really enjoyed reading about this topic, though and would like to start applying it to my life. I want to take careful note of the things I excel at and see if I can narrow it down to my top couple types of intelligence that I think I have. Is it possible to practice the types of intelligence I am weaker in to get better at them? Or is it just something you're born with that will forever be the same for you? This is something I would like to discover and see if I can become stronger in all the types of intelligence. 

Source: http://growthmindsetmemes.blogspot.com/2014/12/multiple-intelligences.html

Dreaming of storybook topics

1. Possible Topic: Mermaids. I have always thought mermaids were very interesting creatures. I had always believed them to be fictional characters until the documentary came out on Animal Planet. After watching it, some of my friends truly believe mermaids exist; however, I am still not sure about that. One thing that I think could be interesting to do is to watch the documentary and see if there are any ties to the storybooks or any common themes. In addition, The Little Mermaid movies were some of my favorite growing up. I really want to read Andersen's version of the story. An idea for my storybook would be to create the story of a life of a mermaid and weave in the different people and the experiences she has from her perspective. Another idea would be to create a romance story between the mermaid and a man, but I feel like then I would be retelling the story of The Little Mermaid.

Research so far: I visited the humanity.org website and looked over the different titles to the stories. All of them seemed very interesting to me, especially the ones about mermaids in relationships with other people, such as The Mermaid's Twin Sister and The Mermaid and the Poor Fisherman. I am very curious about the romanticized relationships that men out at sea had with mermaids and the different things that happened. I also visited the Mermaid Wife tales website, since it ties into the theme I am already interested in. I read the first story on the page named The Mermaid Wife. For more research, I would read more stories and see the different themes that persist throughout them. In addition, I would like to read stories from different cultures, if possible, and see if they relate.

Painting by John William Waterhouse

2. Possible Topics: Fairytales and Nursery Rhymes. I like the idea of writing about fairytales and nursery rhymes because they are so comforting. We've all read them growing up, so I think we can all relate to the feeling of being safe at home while our parents read us a story. Also, I think they have the potential to be very whimsical and fun. While this might be more challenging for me to write, I think it would also be a great exercise in creativity. Lastly, I am interested in them because I really only know the Disney version of each of these stories, with a few exceptions. I think it would be really interesting to see the origin of each and read the real story. That being said, I don't know much about the actual stories since I have only watched the Disney versions, so it would definitely be a learning experience for me as well. One idea I had for the storybook would be to focus on fairytales that are in the same setting, but from different cultures to see how they compare if possible. An easier route might be to focus on storybooks from one culture and tie in the common themes there. 

Research so far: After reading the Fairytales and Nursery Rhymes blog post, I have a good idea about the differences between a fairytale and a nursery rhyme. While I like the idea of reading a short nursery rhyme and then expanding, I am more interested in the differences between the Disney stories and the real stories. Because of this, I will probably stick with fairytales. From there, I do have some previous knowledge of true fairytales. While growing up, I heard the real story of Snow White. I have also read Hansel and Gretel from the Brothers Grimm. I really liked each of these stories, so I have high hopes that I would like the others as well. I also visited the Sur La Lune website and saw many stories that looked interesting. From looking at the stories on this website, I'm thinking that I would stick with Celtic fairytales, but I am also open to change on this. 

3. Possible Topic: animal stories. I got this idea when I saw the Everything is Froggy past storybook. I really liked how the common theme was stories about frogs and they pulled from four different cultures. I really like this idea because I could gather information about the different cultures and see the common themes, like I so like to do and then compile them into one story. Also, I like how she was writing from the frog's perspective and gave him a persona of his own. I would like to read different fairytales and see if other animals other than frogs come up multiple times. 

Research so far: I will admit that I have hardly any research so far. I have read two of the stories on the Everything is Froggy blog which gave me some good ideas on how to start. However, I don't want to just copy their idea (or possibly plagiarize) so I would need to come up with a fresh idea on my own. I think as I read fairytales with this in mind, it would be easy to do. I would need to read a lot more fairytales and do some research on which animal I would chose and how I would expand it to fit the whole storybook. 

Screenshot of the Everything is Froggy blog by Tana Moore
Screenshot created 01/29/2016

4. Possible Topic: Greco-Roman mythology. I am really interested in reading more Greco-Roman mythology this semester. Specifically, stories about the women like Andromeda and Medusa. I like how these stories have not been adopted by companies such a Disney or Nickelodeon, so they're not as well known in America but also not as altered. I would like to do a storybook on the women in Greco-Roman mythology because I think it paints a really nice picture of how beliefs were then with gods and goddesses and also how women were historically viewed. Were they celebrated in Greco-Roman culture? Or were they seen as submissive slaves to the men? I would love to learn more about this.

Research so far: In sixth grade, we had a Greek mythology unit where we had to read different stories from Greek mythology. We also had a Greek day where we had to pick a character from Greek myths, research them and develop a profile, and then dress up as that character for a parade around the campus. So, I do have some experience from that; however, I do need to revisit some of the stories. In addition, I would like to read more and really focus on the women through the myths.

Storytelling Week 2: The woman who wanted to be in love

July 2, 1400 B.C.

Dear Diary,

Leah here again. I’m so frustrated. Jacob, my husband, still will not pay attention to me. I mean I get it, he really wanted to marry Rachel. He even worked for our dad fourteen years before he could marry her. It just sucks. I wish he had never come to our house in Bethuel looking for her. I wish father had never promised her to him if he worked for seven years. Or at least I wish I had found someone else to marry before the seven years were up! The tradition is the WORST. Now, I’m stuck married to this man who is really in love with my sister, who is also now his wife, all because there’s some weird rule that I had to get married first. Why couldn’t I just wait to marry someone who loved me? Why does he still have to hate me, even after I’ve given him FOUR sons at this point. How kids has Rachel had? Like, none herself until she finally made her handmaiden sleep with him. It’s so annoying! I don’t know what to do!

Jacob talking to Laban, the father, with Leah and Rachel present
Image from Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster (1897)

October 22, 1401 B.C.

Dear Diary,

I can’t believe Rachel! She is seriously so selfish. Reuben has literally been in the fields for so long and came back with some beautiful mandrakes. Once she saw them, she started begging for them and wouldn’t leave me alone. I don’t know why she wanted them so badly. I guess, because they’re considered “love plants”. But, why does she even need love plants? She already has all of Jacob’s love. He is always kind to me but it’s obvious he’d rather be with Rachel. Anyways, I let her have the mandrakes because she promised that I could stay with Jacob tonight. I really need to talk to him about our relationship because I cannot be treated this way for much longer. I want to go see the counselor in town. That way, I could have a safe place to tell him how I really feel and hopefully they would back me up. It’s just not right and I need Jacob to see that. Especially as our children get older! I want them to grow up happy and with a great father, but right now he’s just so distant.

January 28, 1401 B.C.

Dear Diary,

It’s official, I’m pregnant again. This will be our fifth son together. He was conceived the night that Jacob agreed to start going to counseling, so about three months ago. I’m really hoping that the counseling combined with our fifth child will show Jacob how much I care about him and how much I want this relationship with him. So far, its not really working but I guess a girl can dream. The counselor says to take baby steps and not expect a change all at once. I just don’t know if I have enough patience! I’m praying to God though that it works out. He obviously favors me since I am so blessed with all of these sons, so I guess I will just wait and see.

(Leah, by Michelangelo)

March 6, 1404 B.C.

Dear Diary, 

It’s been a long time since I’ve written! I didn’t realize so much time had passed. I’ve just been so busy raising these children that I hardly have any time for myself. We have six sons now and a beautiful daughter named Dinah. She is such a delight and my little saving grace in this world full of boys. I can’t wait for her to grow up so that I can have someone to talk to and share things with. Another update, I gave up on the counseling and have decided to just be content with my life. I have all of my children and a great house and people to take care of us, so I guess I don’t need any more. Rachel finally had a son of her own, so Jacob will forever be hers. That might sound sad, but I’m okay with it. I should have known since he worked seven years for father before marrying me, and then another seven to marry her. He was devoted to her from the start. I can only hope that, one day, my sons will have great wives that they cherish and that Dinah will have a great husband that loves her as deeply as Jacob loves Rachel. For now, I am going to live my life in contentment with the LORD as my love. HE is all I need. Until next time! 

Author's Note

In this writing, I am retelling the story of Rachel, Leah, and Jacob from the Bible Women unit. In the original, Jacob traveled to Bethuel to his mother's brother's house to find a wife. While he was sitting by a well, he saw Rachel coming to water her father's sheep along with the other herds. She was very beautiful to him and he kissed her at the well. Rachel ran back to tell her father, and once he found out that Jacob was his sister's son, he was very welcoming to him. Jacob told the father that he wanted to marry Rachel, so they worked out a deal that Jacob would work for the father for seven years and then could marry her. Once the seven years were up, Jacob asked for his wife and the father gave him what he believed to be Rachel. However, the next morning, Jacob woke up and realized it was actually Leah who had been given to him. He was very angered by this, but when he confronted the father he told him that he had to follow the tradition that his oldest daughter must be married first. So, they worked out a deal that Jacob would work another seven years and then could finally marry Rachel. Once they were married, the LORD could tell that Leah was hated so he opened her womb and left Rachel barren. Overall, Jacob had six sons and a daughter with Leah. Rachel could only give him sons through her handmaiden until the LORD finally took favor upon her and opened her womb after Leah had many many sons. 

For this storytelling, I wanted to tell the story with more of the woman's perspective written in. The Bible would mention the women, but did not develop them as characters enough for any insight into their personalities or thoughts. I thought a great way to do this would be to phrase the writing like it was a diary entry from Leah, explaining how she felt and the frustration she was experiencing. In addition, the storytelling randomizer gave me the idea of including a counselor for the troubled couples in the story. Therefore, I decided to include that as well. Lastly, the version I read was a King James version of the bible, which is very old fashioned and difficult to read. Following how a diary entry would be, I used very relaxed and common language- the exact opposite of the Bible. 

Note: I chose the month and dates for the journal entries at random. I got the year by looking up the general time that Genesis in the Bible was believed to be written. You can see my source for this information here. 

Bibliography

Source: King James Bible (1661): Genesis 29, Genesis 30, and Genesis 35. This story is from the Bible Women unit. I pulled from the reading focused on Rachel and Leah.

Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: Bible Women

My second reading of the week is the second half of the Bible Women unit from the King James version of the bible. 

The first story I read was the story of the Witch from Endor. This story was really interesting to me because I didn't know it existed in the Bible. I think its really interesting that the Bible talks of calling spirits back from the dead. I was raised to believe that everything the Bible says is true, so I am now questioning my previous belief that spirits and witches were not real. I want to read 1 Samuel to read the story in context and find out more. I also really like magic and witchcraft (The Harry Potter series was one of my favorites to read and watch) so this is maybe something I would like to include in my story.

In the three stories about Esther, I loved how strong of a female lead Esther was. Her personality and her thoughts were more developed to me than the other women in the previous stories. In my writing, I really like the idea of having a strong, influential female lead.

Queen Esther by Edwin Long (1879)

Another story that really interested me was the story of Mary and Elizabeth. This was another part of the Bible that I had not previously read before. I did not know that Mary had a cousin that had also seen an angel and that when Mary spoke to Elizabeth, she knew she was the mother of the Son of God. I love how the Bible is so interconnected and that different books in the bible connect the stories and add more to them. This continuity and connectivity is something that I would love to include in my stories, even though I believe it is difficult to master. 

Week 2 Reading Diary: Bible Women

For this unit's reading, I read the unit called Bible Women. I was really interested in this unit because I grew up in a Christian faith-based home, but I had not really read much about the women of the Bible. Each story from the unit was from the King James version of the Bible. 

The first woman that really interested me was Eve. I have mixed emotions about Eve because she is so trusting, but to a fault. I think trust and faith in people is a great trait for women to have. However, her trust is what got her in trouble. Especially in today's society, I think it is important for women to be discerning and intelligent so that they can support and protect themselves. This is something that Eve lacked. I also think, on a deeper level, Eve can represent the struggle women in society face today between the traditional women's roles that they are still expected to uphold versus the transition towards women empowerment and being independent. Eve's trusting nature and the trick she fell victim to represents the traditional women's roles- especially the stereotype that women are easy to deceive and should be dependent on men to take care of issues. However, she is trying to break free of these and that is why she believed the snake and told her husband that they should eat from the fruit. Her having made such a large mistake could represent the setbacks that women face in their striving towards breaking the stereotypes. Maybe this is a stretch? It kind of makes sense to me?

Adam and Eve in the Garden.
Painting by: Lucas Cranach from the first half of the 16th century

I also like how many of the Bible stories had messages that underlie the actual story. For example, the story of Hagar and Sarah tells the story of patience. Sarah was impatient for a child so she gave her husband Hagar to have a child by. It was God's promise that Sarah would have a child with Abraham even in her own age. If she had had patience, she would have waited for her own child instead of having a son by Hagar, which ruined their relationship and ended up with great conflict between Hagar and Sarah. In my own writing, I would like to implement these subtle messages if possible.

Another factor I would like to include is foreshadowing. God tells Rebekah, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." This is such foreshadowing about two future countries and the role they each will have. All of these women in the unit are such vital parts of history according to the Bible. 

One thing I would change about theses stories, if possible, is to develop the women as characters more. They are mentioned in the stories and are important, however they are not developed as characters at all. I would like to know more about their personalities and their thoughts. **Storytelling idea for either retelling this story or my writing in future stories".

Lastly, I think the story of Potiphar's wife adds an element of comic relief. To me, she is such a typical immature mean girl! She wanted to be with this guy and he denied her, so she lied about the story to make him look bad. It seems like a modern day movie and made me laugh a little bit because it was so unexpected in a book as serious and revered as the Bible.