Monday, April 13, 2015

Online Education Review


 
                                                                      Computerized Classroom
Please share your thoughts about online education in general and also your experiences in particular.

I have found online classes to be a great option for me as a student. Although I believe that some classes that are offered online shouldn’t be, they are still a great alternative.

What features of online courses are most/least valuable to you?

I enjoy that most online classes allow students to work at their own pace. I realize this can be beneficial to some while harmful to others, but it has been great for me. My only reservation would be the inability to get a questioned answered immediately in an online class; I frequent my professors’ office hours in traditional classes.

Would you take more fully online courses if they were available?

Not within my department. If they were gen ed classes, then yes.

If you were to design a fully online course, what would it look like?

1)I’d allow the student to work at their own pace; 2) I would hold office hours; and 3) I would provide the student with the liberty of choosing some of their course material (much like in this class).

Gen. Ed. Review


 
                                                                    For The Good of the People
Has Gen. Ed. been an important part of your education at OU?

It has. General education has provided me with the opportunity to learn about an array of subjects that afforded me with a unique perspective on life. I’m glad that I have been able to take these classes. Although at times they were boring or tedious, they assist in creating a well-rounded educational experience.

 What have you liked best/least about your Gen. Ed. experience?

As I mentioned above, these classes were typically tedious and sometimes time consuming. However, in retrospect, they were beneficial for me during this time of great personal growth. Moreover, I am thankful for the opportunity that I’ve had to take my general education classes because they’ve provided me with the tools to critically analyze everyday issues.

 What do you think you will remember most from your Gen. Ed. classes?

I’ll unequivocally remember this class because of the training in a skill (writing) that I’ll use for the rest of my life. Other than that, I’ll never forget the arduous nature of my Native American philosophy class.

If you were to design a Gen. Ed. program, what would it look like? 

It would have to provide students with a class choice that covered topics that were pertinent to their success in the ‘real world.’ I like to look at things practically.

College Writing Review


 
                                                           Scientific Writing
 
What is your major and what role do writing courses play in your major?

Health and Exercise Science. I don’t believe that a single writing course is offered in the department.

What kinds of writing-intensive classes have you taken both inside and outside your major?

I haven’t taken a single writing-intensive class in my major. All of my writing classes have come as upper division non-western/western civilization electives.

How have your courses helped you to grow and develop as a writer?

This course has by far been the most influential (even more so than English composition) in my development as a writer; I’m glad that I chose to take it.

What has been most/least helpful about the writing you have done for this class?

What is most helpful is the fact that we as students get near daily feedback on our works. This allows for time to go back, learn, and grow as a writer.

 What have been the most meaningful writing experiences that you have had in college?

The most meaningful writing experience was certainly this class. Other than this, most all of my writing has been done in the form of lab reports.

If you were to design a writing class for your major, what would that class look like?

The only way that I could envision this type of class fitting into our curriculum would be to have the class read research articles on topics in the field and write analyses to said articles.

If you were to design a writing class for students from all over OU, not specific to any major, what kind of writing class do you think would be most useful? 

I would have to design the class such that the students would have to read and write about something that they find interesting.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Famous Last Words for Week 12


So all of my classes are beginning to wind down here in the last few weeks of the semester. I feel so close, yet so far to finishing up this semester. I have three group projects and three papers that I’ll be working on between now and then. However, it will all be well worth it here in a few weeks.

I’m really looking forward to what life has in store for me. I have to admit that things have shaped up very well for me. I’ve been accepted into the physical therapy program that I wanted to attend (with scholarship!), signed the lease for my new apartment (which is awesome), and will have an awards banquet to celebrate my completion of a research program that I’m in here on campus. Additionally, I spoke to a friend of mine in the program who informed me that I’ll have the option of doing one of my clinical rotations in the city of Los Angeles! That would be very cool. Luckily, I have a friend who will be living in Orange County and my girlfriend’s family live in the San Fernando Valley. I think that it would be awesome to be able to practice what I love in such an awesome place and then leave the clinical site and go out and relax on the beach each and every day. Or even better, to be able to go hiking at one of the many national forests in California on the weekends. Ah – dreams.
 
                                  (personal photo of my girlfriend taken at Yosemite in July of 2014)


Earlier this week I had an exam in one class that is very interesting, yet very challenging also. I tend to like those classes the most – the ones that force you to really learn and apply the course content.  I’m ready to finish up all of my projects and turn my focus on studying for my three finals. Luckily, I should be able to get the grades I want in my classes even with average test scores!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Week 12 Storytelling: Mango Tree Travels


“Grandpa, why must we walk to this tree again?” asked Danzell.

“The route that we must take is not quite suitable for an automobile,” responded Bhoj.

“And how many hours will it take us to get there?” implored Kuroff.

“About 7,” said Bhoj.

“Ahh, that’ll take forever!” whined the boys.

“Hush, now you both wanted to go,” added Kirsa. “Hurry and eat your breakfast so that you can head out before dawn.”

They gathered their travel gear and headed west for the mango tree just as the sun breached the horizon. Luckily, the path they were set to travel was lined with mature sandalwoods; they would be spared some of the parching sunlight of a typical Indian summer day.

“Grandpa, my feet already hurt,” exclaimed Danzell half an hour into their trip.

“Oh my, what have I gotten myself in to?” thought Bhoj.

The three made their way through countryside on the tranquil dirt path. A calming breeze at their backs made it easier for the boys to handle the walk.

Just as the three began to hear to the Ganges off in the distance they came across a familiar face.

“Bhoj, what a pleasant surprise!” shouted Rasalu, Bhoj’s longtime comrade.

The two exchanged a hand shake and hug that only true friendship can elicit. The boys hadn’t seen their grandfather smile that big in quite some time.

“Well, who are these two handsome lads?” said Rasalu jovially. “Surely they can’t be kin to someone as ugly as you.”

The boys glanced at one another and broke out in the type of laughter that wrenches your stomach.

“He’s our Grandpa,” said Kuroff.

“Well, where are the three of you headed?” beseeched Rasalu.

“The mango tree,” responded Bhoj.

“That must be close to half a day’s commute from here on foot!” quipped Rasalu.

 “Would you like to take my elephants? I’ll come along, too; I haven’t been to that wonderful tree in years. We would cut travel time in half.”

Bhoj looked at the boys seeking their approval.

“Yeah!” rumbled both boys jumping up and down.

“Very well, let us go and prepare them for travel,” said Rasalu.

The four then set off on the trail towards the mango tree on elephant.

“Wait till we tell Dad what we did at Grandpa’s this summer!” proclaimed Kuroff.

“He’ll be so jealous,” added Danzell.

The boys were now able to enjoy the scenery from a marvelous vantage point as they made their way west. They crossed the Ganges and began on the low incline at the base of mountain range.

“Let us stop and enjoy the scenery,” said Bhoj.

“Of course,” agreed Rasalu.

They continued in this fashion of stopping and enjoying the marvelous views all the way to the peak of the mountain.

“The MANGO tree,” shouted the boys as they breached the zenith.

 

                                                                             Mango Tree

Rasalu commanded the elephants to lower themselves so that the boys could hop off.

They both then darted off to touch the tree and look out over the summit of the mountain.

“Wow, Grandpa was telling the truth,” exclaimed Danzell, “there is an entire valley full of people just on the base of this mountain.”

Rasalu, taken back by the boys’ enthusiasm for the lei tree, asked, “How in the world do you have these boys so excited to explore nature?”

Bhoj responded, “Oh, you know. I still tell my tall tales from time to time.”

 
Author's note: I wrote this story in third person so that I could provide the reader with the perspectives off all characters. I hoped to be able to illustrate an adventure that took place in the Raja Rasalu unit. I didn't make any significant changes to the story. What I did do was expand upon the section of the story from their journey on the way to the mango tree.
 
Bibliography: Swynnerton, Charles. Adventures of the Punjab Hero Raja Rasalu.


 

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Week 12 Reading Diary B: Rasalu and Hunter



The king plays music in order to lure in game, and then shoots and kiils them? This sounds like an old-world version of a deer feeder.

It seems like in most of these stories, there is some type of condition. And it is this condition that makes the entire story so interesting – let’s see what is in store here.

And now all of the conditions set forth are being broken. I can’t say that I didn’t see this coming.

This scene of the dying buck is so terrible!

And now the doe wishes to take her own life??

And now the two fawn die as well?? Wow. This can’t possibly get any worse, can it?

This story of the hunter is not what I expected; it is much more somber.
 
                                                                         Hunter's Prize

Week 12 Reading Diary A: Prince Rasalu




The king has two queens? Hmm… polygamy.

Wow, this story went south very very fast ha ha.

And now the prince has the ability to perform miracles! Wow.

So now the Raja Salbahan is going to come face to face with the son he attempted to have massacred? This seems to spell for quite a dramatic ending.

Why would Lona eat the grain of rice if she was forewarned of the events that would ensue?


He and his equine must grow and develop some sort of special relationship. I can’t imagine growing up with a horse, a parrot, and no other children.
 
                                                                          Prince and Pal

See! That is what happens when kids are rendered in isolation.


Rasalu will serve as a tribute? This sounds familiar… Hunger Games?

The giants have the heads of… cows? Odd.

 

 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Essay: The Life of Buddha


                                                              Siddhartha's Exposure



This unit was actually quite interesting for me. I did not know a great deal about the life of the man who would become Buddha, so this was all new information. Initially, I expected that the unit would be centered around Buddha and Buddhism; however, much to my surprise, it was largely about the boy’s experiences and what led him to become the man he was.

I did not necessarily have a favorite or least favorite story with this unit. As I mentioned, I found all of them to be quite informative as well as entertaining.

The background information did do a thorough job of describing what to expect. I can’t say that anything should be changed there.

I don’t believe that there were notes for any of the stories in the unit. However, I enjoyed this because I was allowed to explore the stories and make connections on my own. The one section I thought could have been improved was the section over the Fair Maidens and Gopa’s dream: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-gopas-dream.html  I wasn’t aware of the events surrounding Gopa’s marriage to Siddhartha or the events surrounding the birth of their child. Although this information was included as an additional link, I felt as if this was pertinent information about Prince Siddhartha.

This reading unit served its purpose for me in that it provided a detailed account of the life of prince Siddhartha. I took this class hoping to be able to take something away about other cultures, and this certainly fit the bill.

I saw several connections between this unit and much of the two other epics that we read about. Primarily, some of the same characters present in this unit were in the Ramayana. I did not expect to have these stories overlap like they did – but it was a pleasant surprise.