Portfolio Guide

The Real Story Behind Sindbad's Third Voyage: This tale was inspired by The Voyages of Sindbad and is based off of the Third Voyage, where Sindbad and his crew deal with a man-eating giant.

Saint Pelagien: This story is inspired by the tale of the same name in the Women Saints. The tale revolves around a woman's decision to disguise herself as a man in order to become a monk.

The Little Jackal's Nightmare: This tale is a spin on a tale from African Stories (Lang). In the original, the animals must keep the tricky jackal from drinking from their well.

The Power of Song: The original story tells of an unfortunate event involving a little boy and his untimely singing. I chose to put a spin on the story, making it more positive. The tale comes from the Canterbury Tales.

Woodpeckers Exposed: The original story comes from the Tejas Legends unit and tells the story of how the woodpeckers came to be. My take on the story involves a different fate for the troubled tribe and their children.

Online Education Review

I think online education is wonderful. I appreciate being able to complete material on my own time, and I also like that I can do everything from the comfort of my home. I already have a rigorous schedule as a result of classes, internships, and work, so taking online classes for me leaves me time to do other things during the day.

I would take more online classes if they were offered. This would especially help out in the summer, because I don't look forward to having to take an 8 AM math class. Online classes are a great resources for students, and I have enjoyed taking them throughout my college career.

(Working from home)

Gen. Ed. Review

I liked some general education classes more than others. For my psychology degree, I had to take several science and math classes that I didn't enjoy, so that aspect of the general education requirements I didn't like. I didn't see the point in taking so many classes when I had no plans to go the research route, but I guess I could just write those classes off as interesting learning experiences. The humanities gen eds, however, have been more enjoyable for me because of the greater freedom in choosing classes. I also prefer online classes, so the general education classes that provide this sort of learning experience have been more interesting to me. The gen. ed. classes that I got to choose were in the departments of history, anthropology, and music. I like all of those subjects, so that made the requirements less of a chore to complete.

(Knowledge is power)

College Writing Review

I have two majors: Art History and Psychology. Both of my majors require a great amount of writing because a lot of my projects involve research. Most art history classes require a lot of memorization as well as lengthy essays. My upper division psychology classes often required that we write essays about various studies and issues.

I had some really great teachers in high school that taught me how to write well. With their help, I was able to easily pass my concurrent English courses and moved on to more difficult writing. I think a strong foundation in writing is crucial to the writing process itself. Had I not had some great and patient teachers back in high school, my writing in college would not be what it is today. I would have to say that my art history courses helped me the most with my writing. Last year was especially beneficial for me because I took American Art, which is a writing intensive course. One of the elements of writing emphasized in that class is the use of active verbs, and students lost points on their essays if they had any sort of passive verbs. My writing became more personal and creative as a result of this course.

The most helpful part of this class in terms of writing was the storytelling. It forced me to think about stories from different perspectives, which is always good. The least helpful writing was probably the reading diaries. I enjoyed keeping up with the stories I read, but the diaries didn't really help me in my creative writing.

I think this class definitely helped hone my writing skills. Writing regularly allowed me to work efficiently. Mastering something without regular practice is impossible, which is why weekly writing assignments were the best thing for my writing skills.

(Too bad my laptop doesn't look like this)

Famous Last Words for Week 14

I seriously can't believe that this semester is almost over. It really didn't hit me until last Tuesday, when one of my coworkers mentioned how much they had to do over dead week. I didn't realize why they were so stressed until I had that "aha" moment.

I think this week my best writing was my storytelling. I sometimes have no idea what to write about, which is why I haven't written a storytelling post every week, but this week I didn't over think anything and came up with a story I was happy with! I appreciate that this class required that I write something every week, because it has definitely kept my creative juices flowing.

I had the chance to check out some new Storybooks this week, and once again I was very impressed with the amount of work that went into each one. All of them are so different from one another and so great in their own ways. The finalists deserved the extra shout out because their work really is exceptional.

This week, we watched a movie in my cinema class that once again reminded me of all the Native American folklore I've read in this class. There were several references that I felt I understood better because of the stories I've read in this class.

So much is happening this time of year! The Memorial Marathon was this weekend and so was Relay For Life. Next weekend, something just as important will take place. The Autism Oklahoma Piece Walk and 5k will take place downtown, and I'm so excited about it. I'm on the committee for the event, and I've seen so many incredible people work really hard to make the event a reality. I'm excited to help in any way I can and see all of the people that come and support the cause.

(Autism Awareness Ribbon)

Week 10 Storytelling: Woodpeckers Exposed

Have you ever wondered why a woodpecker pecks? Has that thought kept you up night? Even though you may have not lost sleep over such a burning question, it may benefit you to know the cold, hard truth.

Firstly, let me just tell you that woodpeckers are smarter than most birds. They have a method to their madness, and they go about their activities with immense dedication. They are also discrete in their activities. If you watch a woodpecker and they notice you, they will stop what they are doing and will go around to the other side of whatever they happen to be pecking and will only stop to catch a quick glimpse of you every once in a while.

(The Majestic Woodpecker)

Their big secret? They all used to be Indians.

This tribe was once a thriving and populous group of people, and their main source of wealth was their abundance of the mescal plant. This plant had certain bulbs that grew from the main stem, and when eaten, the bulbs were said to give the eater magic powers. For hundreds of years, the tribe traded these bulbs for goods and livestock. They also traded the plants themselves for something much more valuable.

The bulbs were traded for infants.

You see, because the tribe had the power to grow and trade this magical plant, they had more power than all other people on the planet. Because of this, the spirits made a deal with the very first chief long ago. The deal was that the tribe couldn’t have children from their own tribe. Instead, children had to come from all different tribes in order to maintain diversity and help with the trades.

For this reason, once a year, various tribes would bring one infant to this particular tribe in return for a mescal plant.

This way of life went on for quite some time before disaster struck. One day, the mescal plants began withering. Some say it was a change in the wind. Others claim that the harvest was somehow sabotaged by jealous tribes from the area. Whatever the reason, it quickly became apparent that the tribe would lose their most valuable commodity. As the years went on, more and more plants withered and died, until at last the Indians had nothing to trade.

Their population began to diminish and after twenty years, the tribe had shrunk from hundreds of able-bodied men and women to a group of thirty. That’s when they knew they had to get help.

The went to the tribe’s medicine man, an ancient man so old that some said he was born at the beginning of time. He contacted the spirits, who offered him a solution.

In order to fix the problem, they said, the remainder of the tribe would be turned into woodpeckers. Unbeknownst to the tribe, there were still mescal plants in the world. The spirits had changed the plants into trees in order to keep them from going extinct. The spirits said that the woodpeckers would have to peck at trees, and once they found a mescal tree, they would be able to harvest it and get a child in return.

The Indians agreed to do this and soon flew off to the far corners of the world in search of the mescal plant. They would make nests in an area of trees and would then start pecking at all of the trees in that area. When they would come upon a mescal tree, they would harvest the bulbs and would get an egg in their nest the next morning.

This is how the tribe has managed to survive and even thrive. Although life for them is much more challenging now, the woodpeckers complete their tasks dutifully and never lose sight of their goals.

Author's Note: This tale was based off of Why the Woodpecker Pecks from the Tejas Legends unit. In the original, the Indians that are now woodpeckers make the mistake of eating the mescal plant in order to feel the magical powers. The mescal plant knobs were supposed to be eaten by the medicine men only, and if others ate them, bad luck would befall them. Everyone gradually begins to eat the knobs, so one of the gods of the sky decides to hide the children inside hollow trees to keep them safe. The people go to this god in order to get their children back, but he turns them into woodpeckers so that they can find their children. For my version, I decided to change it just a tad and blame the lack of mescal plants for their misfortune.
When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936)
Web Source: UN-Textbook

Week 14 Storytelling: No Canine Left Behind

One day, a hunter and his dog were out in the forest looking for game. They hunted all day, going all through the marshes and thickets, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Discouraged, the hunter decided to call it a day. As they had been going into the depths of the forest all day, their way home was a long one, and they got out onto the main road well after midnight. 

 (The hunter and his dog)

As they neared the village, they happened to pass a cemetery. The sight of the cemetery at such a dark, late hour frightened the man, and he picked up his pace. He had scarcely drawn his gaze from the cemetery when all of a sudden, a corpse in a white shroud appeared in front of him! The hunter’s chest tightened and his palms became clammy and cold.

“I’m going to make a run for it!” he decided out loud and broke into a sprint.

Unfortunately for him, the corpse happened to be just as quick, and in no time, the corpse began to gain on the man. Luckily for the hunter, his dog was right at his side. Just as the corpse was about to grab the man’s jacket, the dog jumped up and bit the corpse’s arm! A fierce and loud fight ensued between the dead man and the dog. The hunter, however, didn’t see any of this as he ran to his house on the outskirts of the village.

The next morning, the hunter woke up his whole family and told them what had occurred. He waited anxiously on the front porch, hoping that his trusty dog would show up. He waited all day, and when the sun finally began to set, he saw the dog slowly coming up the road toward the house.

He was overjoyed! He had almost lost hope and realized he would never find a dog as loyal and good as the one that had protected him from the fierce corpse. He ran out to the dog and began to embrace him, when all of a sudden, the dog’s appearance began to change.

The once lean, somewhat mangy dog began to transform into a handsome young man. His fur changed into lavish clothing, and he soon stood looming over the hunter.

“Foolish hunter,” said the prince once he had finished transforming, “You should not have left me back there to defend you. The corpse came there to challenge you to a wrestling match to see if you were worthy of his blessing. If you had stayed and won the fight against the corpse, he would have bestowed upon you great riches and power, but because you fled, I was the one that showed my strength and courage to the dead man. We fought all night, and at the first light of the morning, he praised my efforts and turned me into a prince with great riches.”

The hunter begged his former pet to share some of his riches with him, but the prince refused to give him anything because the hunter hadn’t stayed to help him out. Not long after, a lavish carriage pulled up to where they were standing, and the prince climbed in and rode off to his new life. 

Author's Note: This tale was based off of The Dog and the Corpse in the Russian Folktales unit. In the original tale, the dog is left by his master to fight a corpse that has appeared before them and wants to kill them. The dog and corpse fight all night, and in the morning, the corpse fell motionless to the ground. The dog then held a grudge against his owner because the owner didn't try to help the dog. In the end, the dog had to be killed because it kept trying to kill the owner out of anger. My version of the tale is loosely based on the original, but I wanted the dog to get some kind of reward for fighting the corpse. 
Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by W. R. S. Ralston (1887)
Web source: UN-Textbook