Topics for My Storybook

I am really looking forward to the Storybook project. It was really neat to be able to read what other students have done in the past and to learn from them. The stories I read gave me plenty of ideas for my project!

The first one that interested me was in Andersen's Fairy Tales. As I mentioned in the past I really enjoy fairy tales! For me, it reminds me of the innocent times I had as a child, sitting in my room reading about princesses and dragons. When I was reading the Princess and the Pea, I thought it was pretty funny how Hans Christian Anderson made the princess almost inhuman with her ability to feel a small pea through tons of comforters. So many fairy tales include princesses, which I love due to watching countless Disney movies.

The second one I found interesting was also in Andersen's Fairy Tales. The topic is about a mermaid! I was one of those kids who always pretended to be a mermaid at the city swimming pool. I love reading plot twists on fairy tales that I am so familiar with. The new story is usually completely different and will have a new moral to the story. I'm really looking forward to putting my own twist on fairy tales as well. Someone had mentioned using my nieces in my stories and I think this would be the perfect place for it! Then I will be able to read my Storybook to them!

The third storybook topic I thought would be fun to do is Egyptian Myth. For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with ancient Egypt. I loved learning about the mummy processes and how their government was run. Everything about them was intriguing, including learning about the gods. Egyptians believed in many gods. I think it would be interesting to learn about several of them and what their life story is about.

The last topic I found interesting was the Canterbury Tales. In high school, I read the Canterbury Tales. I wish I could remember the stories, but unfortunately, I can't! This is the reason I would like to do the Canterbury Tales as one of my Storybooks! When I was doing research on the Canterbury Tales I found out that the stories were written in verses. I love the way old English is written which is another reason I find these so interesting.

Dorigen and Aurelius from Chaucer for Children

(Source: Wikipedia)

Storytelling Week 2: Brave Ones

The Iliad: The Rousing of Achilles

VERY fierce was the fight for the body of Patroclus, and many warriors fell both on this side and on that, and the first to be killed was the man who had wounded him in the back, for when he came near to strip the dead man of his arms, King Menelaüs thrust at him with his spear and slew him. He slew him, but he could not strip off his arms, because Hector came and stood over the body, and Menelaüs did not dare to stand up against him, knowing that he was not a match for him in fighting.

Then Hector spoiled the body of Patroclus of the arms which the great Achilles had given him to wear. But when he laid hold of the body, and began to drag it away to the ranks of the Trojans, the Greater Ajax came forward, and put his big shield before it. As a lioness stands before its cubs and will not suffer the hunter to take them, so did Ajax stand before the body of Patroclus and defend it from the Trojans. And Hector drew back when he saw him.

~~~

Menelaus holding Patroclus
(Source: Wikimedia)

The group of men stood outside the building, trying to find the best way to get inside. The intensity of the flames grew by the minute. Sweat rolled down their faces as they paced in their uniforms. Chief Marks yelled at his men to assemble in front of him. Time was not on their side.

"I think our best course of action is to get in through the basement," Chief Marks said in hurried words. "If we can cut the flames off through there then we can work our way up. Any questions?"

"We can do it, chief!" Lieutenant Alex exclaimed. "Lets go!"

The only thing on their minds was if they were going to reach Patrick in time.

"We never leave a man behind," the chief said softly. Fear was clawing at the chief. In his 8 years as chief, he had never lost one of his men. He was not going to start now. He would bring Patrick back to his family.

~~~

When they first arrived on the scene, the fire was only on the third floor. Mission number one was to make sure all of the civilians made it out of the building. A team assembled to go inside. The initial search for survivors showed that everyone made it out, except Captain Patrick.

Ten minutes after the firemen came out, a single survivor walked out. His face was blackened and his clothes were torn. He tried in his strained voice to say something. "He's ... still... there..." the victim cried.

"Who?!" Chief Marks demanded. "Who is still inside?"

"Fireman... got me out... ceiling fell in on him," the man finally said.

After a look around, Chief Marks realized who of his men was missing.

~~~

After the firemen crawled in through the basement window, they ascended the stairs to the first level. The smoke was grayish, black. They still had visibility and found the next set of stairs in minutes. They could feel the time slipping away from them. It cut at them like tiny knifes in their throat. 

The second floor was much worse. Their visibility cut in half. The smoke was so black they had to crawl on the ground and use their arms to feel their way around. 

Lt. Alex reached the stairs first. He led his team up the stairs. They could feel the heat on them as if they were in a furnace. Reaching the top of the stairs, the team realized they could go no further. The beams from the ceiling of the building lay before them and underneath it lay Patrick. 

He had been knocked out. The team split up, two on each side of the beam. Lifting with everything they had, moved the beam off. 

They had to move quickly. The building would not last much longer, and the sound of the fire was growing in their ears. They heard the building beginning to collapse....

~~~

"You've got to get out! Now!" shouted Chief Marks into the radio. There was no answer. He had been shouting for the past five minutes. Pleading with his men to respond. The building was about to come down. 

Chief Marks laid his head in his hands. What would he tell the families? He could not bare to think of it. His heart was on fire for his men. It was his job to protect them and he had let them down. 

"What is that?" one of the firemen asked. "Coming out of the fire?"

Chief Marks looked up and could not believe what he saw.

Author's Note: I chose this story from the Iliad because I enjoy reading about people who are heroic and put other people's needs before their own. My dad was a fireman for over 25 years and was the fire chief for 7. The men risk their lives every day they put on the uniform. I thought of my dad when I was reading The Rousing of Achilles. The Great Ajax protected Patroclus body from anymore harm. He stood between the body and the fight. So I chose to do this over firemen because so many times they are forced to protect other people from raging fires which I substituted for the fight.

Bibliography: The story at the top is from The Iliad: The Rousing of Achilles which was retold by Alfred J. Church in 1907.

Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: The Iliad

The Iliad: Retold by Alfred J. Church

Second Reading: The Rousing of Achilles
"As a lioness stands before its cubs and will not suffer the hunter to take them, so did Ajax stand before the body of Patroclus and defend it from the Trojans."
 - The great protector - brave

Coward vs. Brave
Hector answered: "I am not afraid of Ajax, nor of any man. But this I know, that Zeus gives victory now to one and now to another; this only do i fear, and this only, to go against the will of Zeus. But wait here, and see whether or no I am a coward."

Menelaus holding Patroclus

(Source: Wikimedia)

I love the idea of the horses crying for over Patroclus. The horses stayed in position and remained where Patroclus had stationed them.
"The horses of Achilles stood apart from battle, and the tears rushed down from their eyes, for they loved Patroclus, and they knew that he was dead. Still they stood in the same place: they would not enter into the battle, neither wold they turn back to the ships.

Week 2 Reading Diary: The Iliad

The Iliad: Retold by Alfred J. Church

First story giving background: The act of stealing - Why did they choose Helen in the first place? 

The King said to them: "Now you must all swear that you will be good friends with the man whom my daughter shall choose for her husband, and that if any one is wicked enough to steal her away from him, you will help him get her back."

Athena changed the entire future by stopping Achilles from killing the King. If she had not intercepted Achilles, the story would have a very different ending. 

The Quarrel: cont.
Achilles wept after the girl, Briseïs, went with the heralds. The heralds were forced to confront Achilles. 

Achilles calls upon his mother, daughter of the sea, to request the help of Zeus. 

Why was Zeus, at one time, locked up and chained by the other gods? 

Achilles wanted the Trojans to conquer the Greeks and make them flee in an effort to make Agamemnon feel foolish. 

What Thetis did for her son
Zeus knew there was going to be trouble. 
"For a long time Zeus sat saying nothing, for he knew that great trouble would come out of this thing. But Thetis still held him fast by the knees and by the beard; and she spoke again, saying: "Promise me this thing, and make your promise sure by nodding your head; or, else, say outright that you will not do it. Then I shall know that you despise me."

Thetis pleading with Zeus by Ingres

(Source: Wikipedia)

In some respects, Zeus was afraid of his wife and did not like displeasing her. 

Hera was also afraid of her husband.

Dreams personify a person, or a god. The dreams take commands and are able to enter a person's mind, giving instructions. 
Dreams can make a person believe in something that is false. 

Learning Challenges: It's all in the H.E.A.R.T.

This is another topic I have never heard before, but it caught my attention immediately. Health/Happiness, Empathy, Attention, Reading, Time - Every single one of these topics are things that make up being human. I find it difficult to choose only one of these topics because they are all vital in my life and important. 

Heart of Vegatables

(Source: Flickr)

H. Health/Happiness

Every time I see my dad he always says, "Smile! It's a good day. Life is too short to be unhappy." This is something I agree with wholeheartedly. Life really is short! The older I get, the shorter my days seem to become. My hours become fleeting moments that pass without any acknowledge from me. We only get one life to live on Earth. If we live our lives happy and excited about opportunities and adventures, then we have less regrets. Health is also a major component in our lives. We have this one body and it's up to us to nurture it and take care of it. I think that's why it's important for daily exercise and to be mindful of the things we eat. This is the area I have recently been working on. It's too easy for me to say that I can just workout tomorrow, or the next day. I've made it my goal to not quit on myself or my body. Even if I only get 30 minutes on the treadmill, that's 30 more minutes than I had. I have even started watching the foods I consume by doing meal preps at home. By doing this I can cut my cooking time down, allowing me the time to do something else. 

E. Empathy

I like to think empathy is something every person has. Empathy is also another important topic in life. There is nothing better than being able to help someone achieve goals or strive towards something they want. To be a part of another person's happiness is a special thing. People deal with their emotions differently. I think it's good for us to understand the place where people's emotions come and to be sympathetic and aware of their needs. 

A. Attention

As you mentioned, there are so many things to distract us. We are obsessed with technology, constantly trying to squeeze too many activities in each day, and in a way, somewhat removed from focusing on ourselves. A lot of times I find myself spread so thin that I can't enjoy the moment because I'm already thinking ahead to my next project or next activity. This is definitely a problem for me. 

R. Reading

Reading, is perhaps, my favorite thing to do in my spare time. I love reading thick books because I love the feeling when I finally finish it. There is so much knowledge out there for us to gain and I want to learn as much of it as I can. The great thing about reading is that we can teach ourselves things and learn about history, or science, or about what's happening in the world.

T. Time Management
I think time management and attention sort of go hand in hand. I know that when I paying so much attention to one area of my life, I lose out on other important things. Without time management, I would never make it class, or take care of homework and turn it in on time. I think I could always improve my time management. 

The Discovery of Growth Mindset

The concept of growth mindset and professor Carol Dweck are completely new to me. Watching the videos was the first time I have heard about it. I found the idea of it really interesting, especially now with the new generation. In some cases, it seems like many people now are given things without having to work for it. They are missing out on what it means to strive for the things you want.

Quote from Carol Dweck's Memes

(Source: Blogspot)

"What's the problem with easy?"

 My parents have always made sure to push me and made me challenge myself and my abilities. They say that "nothing worth wanting comes easy." If you aren't willing to fight for something or working for something, then you aren't learning anything or striving to be better at something. I think it's important for us to always strengthen and grow our minds. It keeps our minds alert and healthy. Since I was raised this way, I think I am the same way in my school work. My first attempt at something may not be the best. I rely on criticism and more information to make my work better. So I think in a way I use the idea of 'not yet." Although when I played sports in high school, I think I was the complete opposite. I wanted to be perfect (which I was not the greatest by far). I settled often for mediocracy in sports.

In my major, broadcast journalism, the idea of "not yet" is used a lot, although we are unfamiliar with that concept. We are constantly changing and revising stories, trying to make them better. We never settle for okay. Even when our stories hit the air, we are never fully satisfied with our work. This pushes us to work harder on the next piece of work.

I am definitely curious about growth mindset and would love to learn more about it, including how to use it in my daily life.  I truly want to excel in my final broadcast class this semester, and I think the growth mindset idea could really help.

My Storybook Favorites

The first Storybook that caught my eye was The Legend of Odysseus. As I have stated before, I read the story of Odysseus in high school and continue to enjoy learning about the many adventures he had on his journey. The introduction is placed in the the future which I thought added a nice touch to the actually time the events took place in stories of Odysseus. During Odysseus' journey, he encountered many obstacles and I liked how this Storybook chose to dissect only a few of them. It made for a very entertaining part of the whole. I also really enjoyed the characters that were chosen to discuss the legend of Odysseus. The physical part of the Storybook was very simple which allowed the reader to focus on the story.

Odysseus blinding the Cyclops

(Source: Wikipedia)

The second Storybook I noticed was Which is the Real Cinderella? I have probably watched or read every show, book, or movie that is based on the storyline of Cinderella. I thought the introduction was a very cute way to start the project. All of the animals were convinced they had the correct story of Cinderella. She then gave four different versions of Cinderella and each of them contained a different picture. I haven't heard any of the stories so this was really neat for me to read. 

I chose Hotel California next because I really like the song from The Eagles. The writer caught my attention from the labels at the top. The second label had a great entrance to begin the Storybook. I loved the storyline immediately. The layout was colorful and easy to read from. It was so easy to navigate through the site which made me like it even more. The pictures added a lot to the story. The characters had many speaking parts which I thought helped the story immensely. 

Overview: UnTextbook Choices

To begin my journey in this class, for week 2 I have chosen Homer's Iliad. I had a wonderful high school teacher who was very enthusiastic in her teachings of Homer's Odyssey. I have not read the Illiad yet, and really look forward to it. I hope to follow up in my third week and read Homer's Odyssey. The Odyssey was a favorite of mine in school.

Greek Manuscript of the Iliad (lines 245-253)

(Soure: Wikipedia)

The next unit I am looking forward to reading is Alice's Looking-Glass. I know very little about Alice In Wonderland and even less about Alice's Looking-Glass. I mainly have my childhood thoughts of what I remember from Alice In Wonderland. I've heard of many of the characters and would really like to know more about them. 

Another unit I found fun was Grimm (Crane). There is a show on ABC called 'Once Upon A Time' that puts a twist on many of the Disney stories we know about. I have a slight obsession with Disney characters and stories, plus I love reading and learning about different versions and styles of classic stories. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I love Disney stories and animation. The next unit I want to read is Arabian Nights. If you have watched Aladdin, then you only have a short glimpse into the story. I can't wait to learn more about the lamp and the storyline. 

Introduction to the life of Ashley Nicole Wheeler

My name is Ashley Wheeler and I am graduating in May!!!  I graduated with 28 students from a small country school. I am originally from Altus, Oklahoma and moved to Norman after I completed two years at a community college in Altus. I have three brothers, two sisters-in-law, and two nieces. I am crazy about my nieces and I have tons of pictures of them on my phone!

My major is broadcast journalism. I switched my major to journalism after my first semester at OU. I was a pre-pharmacy student but realized I needed a major where I could be more expressive. My favorite part about this major is that I am able to meet new people. Every interview I conduct, I am able to converse with someone I've never met. My biggest accomplishment last semester was putting a package together for OU Nightly about the penny sales tax that President Boren proposed for Oklahoma. It was the first time I really liked one of my projects. 

I am a full-time student and I work part time for a company that sells tickets to concerts, Thunder games, etc. The cool part about working for this company is the sometimes-free tickets to games! I am involved in pageants and have competed in Miss Oklahoma several times. This year will be my last year to compete. 

My absolute favorite artist is Adele. She wrote every single song on her album. I love her form of writing and how she uses her life experiences in her music. She is the type of artist I strive to be. I think her new album is incredible!! My favorite song at the moment is called ‘All I Ask.’ I think she is even more incredible live. The song is posted below for your enjoyment!

Adele singing

(Source: Wikipedia)

I’ve been singing since I was 6-years-old and I have been playing the guitar for the last 5 years. So in my spare time, I love singing, playing my guitar or curled up on the couch reading a good book. I have read the Harry Potter series all the way through at least four times... and it never gets old!

Week 1 Storytelling: Lessons From Frogs

Some Boys were playing one day at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of Frogs. The Boys amused themselves by throwing stones into the pond so as to make them skip on top of the water.

The stones were flying thick and fast and the Boys were enjoying themselves very much; but the poor Frogs in the pond were trembling with fear.

At last one of the Frogs, the oldest and bravest, put his head out of the water, and said, "Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death to us!"

Always stop to think whether your fun may not be the cause of another's unhappiness.

~ ~ ~

My family has always been the most important thing to me. My wife and I have many children.

We occupy a pond on land called Frogman Farmland.

I have always taken pride in teaching my children important lessons about life and the human world.

 I’ve long understood how the human world views us. We are small to the eye. We are said to cause warts. We are not special creatures, but we are harmless and friendly.

We spend most of our days in our beautiful pond we call home; we enjoy splashing in the water and hunting for food.

Regardless of others views, my children know how to treat each other, how to treat humans, as well as other creatures.

I’ve taught them about love, respect, and how to put others before themselves.

I believe everyone can learn these lessons and put them into motion.

Our lives are short so it’s important for us to make an impact while we are alive.

It’s not often we have humans pass by our pond. When they do, we usually wave and they wave back.

One sunny day I hear the laughter of small boys approaching our home.

I make sure to alert my family so they are aware of the visitors.

The boys finally arrive at the edge of our pond, kicking rocks and pebbles along the way.

One boy begins to throw a stone into the pond. The second boy imitates the first.

They start throwing more and more stones. I fear for the safety of my family.

It’s the safety of my family that finally brings me to confront the small boys.

I begin to shout at the boys, begging them to stop.

“Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death for us!”

The first boy stops throwing the stone and looks at me. By looking in his eyes, I can see he did not mean us any harm. He did not realize his actions had consequences.

“You see, my family and I live in this here pond. I know you humans are having fun, yet the damage could be bad.”

The first boy looks at me with sad eyes and speaks. He did not know that we Frogs inhabited the area. He speaks the truth through his apology. 

Everyone and everything can learn daily lessons. It may not always come from a conventional source so it's important to pay attention. 

 Frog in a pond.

(Source: Pixabay)

Author's Note. By reading the fable at the beginning, you know only a small part of the story. The lesson that is displayed at the bottom of the fable reminded me of the things I have learned my parents. They have instilled in me life lessons that I hope to teach my children one day. For my story, i thought it would be appropriate to give more background information about what caused the Frog to become upset and voice his thoughts to the small children who did not know any better. I think lessons can be told in anything and can be taught by anyone no matter their stature. 

Bibliography. The short story below is based off of an American fable called The Boys and the Frogs from the Project Gutenberg Ebook (2006).