Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

In less than a minute, I had downloaded an app onto my iPhone that would give me convenient access to any course I am taking. Of course, the app to which I refer is the Canvas mobile app. Installation was very straightforward, and logging was just as easy. I've found the app to be incredibly useful because I'm not always around a computer, and an app (when properly made) makes navigation much more intuitive than using a browser on a phone. If I need to reference a syllabus, it's a few taps away. This is alone justifies switching from D2L. Education is further relying on technology and the Internet by the semester, so it makes perfect sense that this content should be just as available as seeing what a friend had for dinner on Instagram or what "share if you agree" is the latest trend on Facebook. In the past, I have constantly referenced the Canvas app, and I only see myself referencing it more often as more classes migrate to Canvas. I plan to continue using this app to keep up with the multitude of assignments and class alerts I'm sure to have. This app has been a bug-free, hassle-free experience I'd recommend to anyone.

Wikipedia Trail: From Aesop's Fables to the Olympic Games

1. Aesop's Fables: I began with Aesop's Fables because it was the source of the story I based my Week 1 story on. Aesop's Fables is a compilation of fables which were written by the titular Aesop. Aesop was a slave who presumably lived in ancient Greece. The fables cover many topics including religion, ethics, and social issues.

Portrait of Aesop by Velázquez in the Prado, Wikimedia

2. Ancient Greece: I next moved the article on Ancient Greece, the area believed to be the home of Aesop. Many of those fables which originated so long ago survive to this day. The timeline of Ancient Greece includes the Archaic period, Classical Greece, Hellenistic Greece, and ended with Roman Greece. Technology and mathematics flourished during this period. Astronomy was created and Hippocrates, "father of medicine," lived during these times.


3. Western Culture: I then followed Ancient Greece to an article on Western culture; Ancient Greece provided the basis from which modern Western culture grew. Western Culture refers to the values, beliefs, ethics, etc which emerges from Europe. Western culture societies are primarily rationale-based which influences everything from science to politics. In fact, Western culture is where democracy begins, a very prominent form of government.


4. Olympic Games: Finally, I followed Western culture to the Olympic Games. Sports, after all, have always been a commonplace in Western cultures. The Olympic Games are a massive collection of competitions competed in every four years by many countries and include summer and winter versions. The Olympic Games originated in Olympia, Greece, from which they derive their name.

The Olympic Rings, Wikimedia

Growth Mindset

I had not heard of Carol Dweck before this assignment, but I have heard of (what I now have a title by which to call it) the growth mindset. "Praise the effort not the result." Starting college, I would say I had a black-and-white fixed mindset. The credit goes to high school. How are you compared to your peers? GPA and class rank. It's about quantifiable differences in the students. I had it drilled into my brain that grades are all that matter. They're what get you high test scores, which gets you scholarships for college. I'm sure this routine wasn't designed with the intentions of conditioning students to not challenge themselves or to not take risks. But it was a side-effect, and we must now deal with it. However, like the video explains, we cannot solely treat the symptoms. In other words, we can't just tell everyone "C's get degrees!" to try and get students to challenge themselves. Instead, we must treat the "disease". Start way back where these mindsets first take hold -- at a young age.

Coming into OU was weird because I would hear a bunch of support for challenging myself while simultaneously hearing how important grades still are. These two ideas seemed, at first, to contradict each other. But that was because of my fixed mindset. Now I get it. Challenge yourself and you'll still do fine because you're putting in the effort. It's been a hard process to try and switch mindsets. At first, I was always looking for the easiest classes to fulfill requirements. After taking a few challenging courses, I see how much more rewarding they are. High school me would have scoffed at the notion of taking a perspectives class (a class that was primarily essay based and full of reading). But in hindsight, it's one of my favorite classes I've taken, and I accredit that to the challenges I faced.

This idea of a growth mindset is a rather fascinating thing. I've always had a competitive drive, and I've been satisfied with what that has brought me. But to know there's an arguably better way? Why aren't we pushing that?! Even if I don't (yet) naturally embrace challenges, I do try to be aware of it and force myself into challenges. I have three courses this semester that involve quite a bit of writing. That makes me uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. But I know my writing should improve. And maybe I'll ditch the habit of putting off writing assignments! I hope that I someday enjoy the uncomfortable.

Source: Growth Mindset Memes. Image generated by Cheezburger

Time Strategies

Tattooed To Do List, Wikimedia

 

I first began learning about some time strategies by reading The Important Habit of Just Starting. For me, this really seems to be the biggest hurdle I face when tasked with something. "Zero percent finished." At the start, there's nothing to say "Hey! Look what you've already done! You're that much closer to being finished!" There's an entire journey to be made. And most importantly, there's probably a deadline attached. But that's not an issue for me; it'll be complete by the deadline. This often manifests with essays. It seems like I challenge myself to see just how long and important of an essay I can push back starting. A week until it's due. 5 days. 3 days. Due tomorrow. And yes, sometimes due today. But once that first step is taken, now that's progress. It's quantifiable work. Now the ball is rolling, and it should be smooth sailing from there on out. It reminds me of when one of my accounting professors likened it to doing the dishes. Sure, a full sink is overwhelming and can be put off until the next day. But start with a fork. Then you're in progress and can just keep going.

Sticky note checklists. If I have a project, you can guarantee I have dozens of sticky note checklists to go along. You'll find them on my laptop, on my desk, on the walls, and sometimes on the back of my phone. And yes, I do prefer physical lists. Tap or click the web page to cross off a to-do item? No thanks. I find very little satisfaction in that (other than the mere fact of finishing something). But to strike out a to-do item with a pen or to draw that check mark next to it? Sign me up! There's something satisfying about the physical connection of it; it's almost like you've literally destroyed the objective. And just like The Psychology of Checklists promotes, checklists often prove quite the incentive. This is how I usually tackle just about any project. Figure out what needs to be done, make a list of small tasks, and begin. Even Santa Claus makes lists.

It's pretty simple to see how these two aspects come into play for this class. I'm already provided a list of things to do, with day-by-day deadlines. Half of the planning is already done! Now I just have to assign these tasks to myself. I have two hours each Monday? Cool, how many of the tasks can I get done in two hours? Nice, now my plan is complete. Of course, I always like to build in some breathing room. Life happens. But by building a road map, a daunting task becomes manageable.

Reading Options

 

I've challenged myself to read more. Looks like this class is going to help me do just that. I feel like I'm standing in a library as I peruse through the different reading units available. Do I want something familiar or do I want something new? I ask myself this before settling on one particular unit -- Adam and Eve. I was raised up in church, so I know the classic story of human beginnings. It had something I'm acquainted with. But this unit also offers something more than just the basic story. It expands into what is, for me, unknown territory. What else is there to this story? Looks like I'm going to find out.

Furthering my look, I came across Panchatantra, noted for its nested stories. I like this one because of the depth added into the stories. It's a bit like world-building; the nested stories add to an already established world, further fleshing it out. It reminds me a bit of the movie Inception, so I think it might be one definitely checking out.

The third story I looked into was the Philippines' Folktales. My closest friend is Filipino, and he has lived a part of his life in the Philippines. I've rarely heard any folktales or stories outside of the US based ones, so these two facts coupled together piqued my interest in learning more of foreign stories. They're stories I could ask him about and get authentic information about, as well as get his stories on his experiences with the folktales.

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Image Information: George Peabody Library, Wikimedia

Storybook Favorites

I began my search for three of my favorite storybooks by randomly generating them. This quickly became irksome. So I instead opted to look at the long, compiled list, hoping a few titles would jump out at me. That did the trick. Since all of the storybooks are based on pre-existing work, I wanted to choose ones with source material I was familiar with. Doing so led me to better appreciate what each author was doing. I could get "it."

The first blog to capture my attention was Twilight Zone: Fifth Dimension. I couldn't tell you how much time I've spent watching The Twilight Zone. What I could tell you is which episode first gave me nightmares as a child. So I definitely had to open this one up.

 The Twilight Zone, Flickr

From the get-go, I figured it was pretty safe to assume this storybook would be based on Rod Serling's sci-fi hit. I really enjoyed the introduction because it did a good job at capturing that slightly unsettled feel Rod Serling's narration produced. I liked the dark color scheme as it contributed to the eeriness that I could tell the author hoped would manifest.

Overall, I really enjoyed the script format of the stories. I thought it was a unique way of presenting the stories, a style I rarely see. I appreciate that the author wanted the reader to use their own imagination for the audio and visuals because the mind often can produce something scarier than what a production company can. However, it was a bit weird when a picture was provided of something that was included in the story since it was stated that much was to be left to the reader's imagination. I think more vaguely related pictures would have done a better job of keeping the reader submerged in the story.

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The next storybook I noticed was Alice's Journey through Social Media. What an interesting, modern twist to give to a well-known story. What would a girl like Alice post to her social media? What kind of language would she use? I had but one choice; I had to cyberstalk Alice!

Alice's Snap Story, generated by SnapSR

The introduction made it abundantly clear that Alice was definitely a "basic white bitch." I say that, not in a condescending manner, but in appreciation for the author nailing the Internet meme-of-a-stereotype. The way Alice narrated her experiences and her responses and reactions made this something special, something that couldn't be accomplished with just any story. 

I found it nice that the author broke up each story into many paragraphs. With all of the emojis, improper grammar, and countless uses of "literally", it made it much easier to digest. The inclusion of the social media posts was also great to see. Intentional or not, I think it was nice to the different ways Alice represented herself on the various social media platforms. I liked how clean the interface was, something social media often tries to accomplish. I'd definitely use the social media posts within my stories if it ends up being relevant enough to use.

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The third storybook to win my attention was Mount Olympus Gossip. I knew of many of the Greek stories, mostly from my middle school fascination. The numerous "Who slept with who?" (or "Who slept with what?") from the ancient myths would surely produce massive quantities of gossip. So with that thought, I opened it up.

I liked how reading the introduction felt like I was reading Entertainment Weekly. It had the journalistic feel with the proper dose of hear-say. It felt like someone really had that inside scoop on all things Olympic Gods. Aside from the diction, I felt like the introduction was pretty bare-bones. I felt like the introduction could have used a more tasteful layout to better emulate a gossip magazine. 

Overall, the design was a bit underwhelming. I thought it would be better to include the images closer to the top of each story rather than throwing them at the bottom. I also think the titles would have been better using clickbait-y titles. In addition, the word "gossip" makes me think "speculation", so I think the stories could have used some theory-work. Maybe not in the facts of the stories, but possibly in motives? I think all of these things considered would help create a more cohesive, gossip-esque storybook that I felt like the author intended but fell short of.

Week 1 Story: A Shadow Away

At the crack of dawn, a small dog, no bigger than a new born human, made its way into the forest that occupied the land west of its equally small dwelling. This male dog sought out what would hopefully end up being its dinner. As the dog neared a creek that ran through the wooded area, it passed another dog. However, this dog was female, and it just so happened that the male dog was at the right age to begin breeding. The two dogs interacted, and the male dog decided to try and impress the female dog.

So off he set again to find food. However, now he was looking to also to feed another mouth. He quickly found the path he followed each day and followed it to where he could expect to find small game. Today, however, he seemed to have worse luck than days before. It was two in the afternoon before he was able to capture anything for dinner. Disappointingly, the rabbit he caught was rather small, and he knew it would not feed both him and the female dog. So he stayed out until nearly five trying to find more. He noticed the sun would soon set, so he started his journey, meat in his mouth, to where he first met the other dog. He decided that he would give her all of the food and hope tomorrow would bring better luck.

As he crossed the river, he looked down and saw, what he thought to be, another dog carrying meat. This dark dog looked rather small, so he decided he would try to ambush him and steal the food. He jumped towards it to snatch the meat away, but in doing so, he dropped his own meat. Unfortunately, what the male dog did not know was he was actually seeing his shadow. As the dog surfaced the water, he watched the dinner swiftly move down the river. With disappointment at hand, the dog scurried home, making sure not to be seen by his could-have-been companion.

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Author's Note: Aesop's original story follows a dog which was crossing a brook when he notices his shadow. The dog believes his shadow to actually be another dog which also has a piece of meat. So the dog decides he wants to have both pieces of meat, and in trying to do so, loses the only real piece of meat. For my story, I first wondered if there could have been an ulterior motive. What if this dog had another mouth to feed? So in my version, I imagine a scenario where the dog is acting in an arguably less selfish way. However, he still loses his food when he resorts to the selfish act of trying to steal.

Bibliography: The Dog & the Shadow in the Fables of Aesop, retold by Joseph Jacobs. Web source.

Picture: Rabbit taken by Cecil Law. Source: Pixabay

Introduction of a Bearded (Future) Accountant

My name is Todd Riddle, and I'm a current accounting major. I come from a small town of about 3,300 people, so adjusting to Norman took some time. Aside from taking classes, I also serve as a program director for the Union Programming Board. In other words, you'll probably be able to find me any given Friday night at the Union helping put on an event. Like my title implies, I have a beard, an unruly beard (for now). I've had it since 10th grade, and it has pretty much become my identity. Here's a picture that was taken of me for a UPB event promotional video. And yes, they asked me solely because of my beard.

Personal photo captured by Francis Phan

One class I took last semester that I greatly enjoyed was a perspectives class on food, culture, and society taught by the wonderful Dr. Sarah Tracy. Throughout the semester we read several books about the world food systems, ingredient manipulation, and how farmers are affected by legislation. It challenged our class to think critically about many facets, from sustainable growing to GMOs to corporate affairs. We even ended up taking a class trip to the Norman Natural Grocers to examine their model of business which includes a strict GMO blanket ban on their products. It opened my eyes to problems our society faces, allowed me to examine my own diet from a new perspective, and led us to examine the nuances of eating. We also wrote papers about our Thanksgiving dinner, so that, too, made the class really cool.

I have seen a lot of classmates including mentions of their favorite music. One band I saw as an opener for a concert was MUTEMATH. I hope to one day see them in concert as the main act. Here's one of my favorite songs by them, "Used To".

One thing I have been challenging myself to do is read more. One book I have recently read is Leah Remini's Troublemaker, a memoir on her experiences with the Church of Scientology. I actually received this book from a game of Secret Santa played among a small group of friends. But it wasn't too secret because I was able to deduce who my secret Santa was. (Thank you, Audrey!) I've found it to be an incredibly engrossing, and flat-out hilarious, account of her time with the Church. As a supplement, I've also been watching her A&E mini-series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Though I find this topic to be extremely fascinating, I'll move on to another book in lieu of sharing my commentary.

Troublemaker

One novel I have recently read is Silence by Shūsaku Endō. It follows a Jesuit priest as he travels to Japan on a mission trip. Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese has also recently adapted it into a major motion picture, a "passion project" of his. (Edit: I saw the movie, and I was blown away by how faithful and amazing it was!) My best friend came across this novel while Hastings was still having its liquidation sales. We would go together and browse through the hundreds of book that were becoming more discounted by the day, and on the day of 60% off, he decided to grab it. In retrospect, the book was worth full price.

Silence, Shūsaku Endō

As for this winter break, I spent it at home doing the one thing I love the most -- sleeping. My mom sometimes gets offended because she thinks I'm just trying to avoid her. I just roll my eyes and look for food. During the breaks between sleeping, I'm probably watching Netflix (because who has time for this during school?) Waking up at two in the afternoon will soon have to change, but I will milk every day I have. Will I hate myself for waiting so long to adjust my sleep schedule? Yes. But am I content for now? Yes, yes I am.

This is my first foray into creative writing, so please bear with me as I get the hang of this.

Favorite Place

A favorite place of mine is the Rocky Mountains, specifically in Colorado. Here I spent several childhood spring breaks skiing, snowmobiling, and drinking hot cocoa. The various ski villages were always something I looked forward to with its eclectic array of shops and restaurants.

Downtown Colorado Springs. Web Source: Wikipedia Commons