Learning Challenges

HEART -- Health/Happiness, Empathy, Attention, Reading, and Time

When I first looked at these words they didn't mean much to me. I thought I was pretty well balanced in all aspects for both school and life in general. However, as I explored Learn By H.E.A.R.T I realized these words carried a lot more meaning to me.

I thought of "Health" as being centered around exercise and eating healthy, but what I read was all about mental health. That really hit home with me because I suffer with anxiety attacks. It's something that I'm really dealing with working on. My attacks come on randomly and all at once. I constantly search for new ways to calm me down, and I have yet to find something that really works. So far I have been looking to yoga to help fight anxiety. So getting a handle on my health (anxiety) is the biggest thing I'm working on. It is my biggest struggle.

(Image found on Flickr)

Another word I need to work on is the "Time" aspect. I have a lot of trouble juggling my responsibilities. My time management has always been a weakness of mine. My life would be much more efficient if I found a way to stay on track and really focus on not procrastinating.

HEART -- Those words now have meaning, and I'm sure that everyone could pick a word and admit that they could work on that in their life.

My Thoughts on Growth Mindset

I found Carol Dweck's opinions very interesting. I always enjoying getting to hear someone else's point of view because more often then not it gets my mind thinking in different ways.

In the first video, "The Power of Believing that You Can Improve," she used the word "yet" a lot. She used it in the context of failing a class, but instead of calling it failing a teacher would say you haven't completed it yet. I found this to be a very unique method, however, it is a method that I do not agree with. For me it seemed like babying a student. I feel like it is a nice way of saying you failed a class, and I think that it would lessen the motivation for students to do well. I feel like it would make students feel there is less of a consequence for not passing. I think teachers need to treat their students like adults and be upfront with them.

I agree completely with Carol's second video, "Make Challenge the New Comfort Zone." Students should not feel accomplished when an assignment was easy for them and they did well. I believe that students should feel a sense of accomplishment when something was hard for them and they did well. It is good to test someone and push them to learn more. Carol makes a great point in this video.

(Quote from Carol Dweck's Mindset and Image made with Cheeseburger.com )

I have decided that I will spend my semester trying to grow in storytelling. I struggle with this a lot because it is something I have been exposed to very little.

My Storybook Favorites

There were so many amazing storybooks I looked at, but eventually there were three that stood out among the rest. Well mainly their titles caught my attention!

Immediately I was very curious what Kindergarten Shenanigans was. I could not imagine what sorts of mischief Kindergartens could get into. When I opened the storybook the picture on the cover was that of the Principal’s Office. I instantly pictured what Kindergarten was like for me and I never came close to seeing the Principal! The introduction did a great job of clarifying things and explaining what the rest of the storybook entailed. I was relieved to read that “Kindergarten Shenanigans” was really just a book a teacher was reading to her Kindergarten class.

(Flickr)

Since I am an avid watcher of the channel E! on television, I knew I had to learn more about E! News Special: Diary Reveal. I watch E! far more that I care to admit. Kardashians is my guilty pleasure. I loved how they set up the storybook just like E! News. It made it very relatable and easy to understand, especially by having Guiliana Rancic be a part of the story. By setting up the storybook like this it makes it very intriguing and has me anxious to read more and figure out what the big news is!

Last, I was very interested in the storybook A Dog's Afterlife. This one was a no-brainer for me. It absolutely had to be in my top three because I love dogs more than anything! The title reminded me of the movie, All Dogs Go to Heaven. I used to watch that movie all the time, and I truly believe that there are dogs in Heaven. I love to picture my past dogs hanging out in Heaven. However, I don’t feel like the design of the storybook really went along with the title and theme.

My UnTextbook Overview

For my week 2 reading I have chosen to do Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche because the description said that the story is very similar to "Beauty and the Beast." That immediately caught my eye because it was one of my favorite Disney movies. The description also said that "Psyche is the greatest fairy-tale princess of all time," and I am very excited to see if I agree!

  (Cupid and Psyche , photo by M. Simoncini)

While browsing through the UnTextbook there were many units that caught my attention. Unfortunately, I will never have the time to read them all! Out of all the units I saw, there were three main units that really sparked my interest.

First, Alice in Wonderland because I think it is an especially interesting story. I loved the movie, and there are so many quirky characters. I think reading it will give me a much greater understanding. 

Next, I want to learn more about English Fairy Tales because I really love fairy tales but I would love to learn about how they are different in England. 

Last, I am very excited to read about Robin Hood. It is a such a great story that I haven't heard since I was little, and I would love a refresher.  

Introduction to a Senior in College

Hi my name is Kristine Arning and I am a senior. With graduation quickly approaching all that’s on my mind is finding a job. I am a advertising major and enterprise studies minor, and I am hoping to find a job in either Dallas or Austin. I love advertising because it allows me to be in a career where I can add a little creativity and fun.

(The Dallas Skyline)

My biggest accomplishment in my college career has been getting an internship in New York City! Two summers ago I interned as a media planner at MediaVest. I learned about the industry, as well as about myself. I loved living in the city, but I have no plans to move there permanently because it is too far away from my friends and family.

My family is the most amazing people I know. I have two older sisters who are basically my best friends. In fact, my oldest sister is married and just had a baby. My nephew is the greatest addition to our family and we love him more than anything! He is seven months old and the center of attention.

(My Nephew)

I am so lucky to have met so many great people in college. I found all of my best friends in my sorority, Pi Beta Phi. They are the greatest girls I’ve ever met and my life wouldn’t be the same without them. My friends are extremely important to me and they are the ones who keep me sane while studying and keeping up with classes.

In my free time I like to hangout with my friends. I watch way too much TV, and I love watching movies. I have recently started practicing yoga, and I absolutely love it! It is such a great way to relax while staying in shape.

That’s a little bit about me! :)

Week 1 Storytelling: The Baker's Man

PAT-A-CAKE, pat-a-cake, baker's man!

(So I will, master), as fast as I can:

Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T,

Put in the oven for Tommy and me.

(Traditional Nursery Rhyme)

~ ~ ~

Once upon a time there was a little bakery on top of a huge hill called Tommy’s Bakery. At the bottom of the hill was the little town of Greensville and it was always filled with people bustling about. Everyone in the town loved the treats that came from Tommy’s, but they especially raved about the cakes! In fact, when the wind blew just right people claimed the could smell the treats cooking in the bakery at the top of the hill. People traveled far and wide for the delicious treats because the stories of Tommy’s delicious cakes traveled fast.

However, one quiet and normal day in Greensville a young boy, named John, went up the hill to buy a cookie, and to his dismay the bakery was closed and there was a envelope with a letter inside taped to the door.

(The Letter On The Door)

The letter read:

“Attention townspeople: 

I can no longer continue to bake because I have fallen ill, and I am to sick to cook. The bakery will stay closed until further notice. I will consider reopening if there is someone who can cook that is willing to learn and perfect my recipes. 

Best regards, 

Tommy” 

John took it upon himself to take on this duty and learn to be Tommy’s successor. He knocked on the door and he could faintly hear Tommy instruct him to come on inside. When John told him he wanted to learn to bake, Tommy was grateful he offered, but he new it would not be easy to teach him. After countless hours and many burnt and ruined cakes, they were both feeling a little discouraged. They decided to give it one last chance. John carefully prepared the batter and put the cake into the oven. When the cake was done it looked delicious, but he wouldn’t be sure until Tommy tasted it. He wanted his finished product to looks as good as he hoped it would taste, which meant lots of frosting! He wrote “J & T” on the cake to show his appreciation for Tommy. John cut Tommy a piece, and to his surprise Tommy loved it! He was so glad he took a chance on John and not longer had to worry about his bakery because he knew it was in good hands. 

(The Cake John Made)

John was now and forever would be “the baker’s man.” 

~ ~ ~

Authors Note: I'm sure most of you have heard Pat-A-Cake, but if not you noticed from the original rhyme at the top that it is a very simple story. It is just about someone baking a cake, and that is all. It reminded me a lot of someone learning how to bake, so I just elaborated on that. I wanted to give reason behind why the person in the original story was baking a cake, and what brought him to that moment in time. It was such a simple plot that I felt that I needed to give the story a little bit more depth. Therefore, I did not necessarily change too much, but instead I gave it background information and an ending as well. I chose to use that image of the cake because in my head that is what I imagined the cake to look like. It looks like a perfectly crafted and delicious cake. I think it will help my readers image the story a little better. My overall goal for this story was to give a nursery rhyme that every one sang when they were younger a little bit of purpose. It is supposed to show readers that a helping hand goes a long way. 

Bibliography: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Pat-A-Cake" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897).

These are a few of my favorite places...

Here are three of my most favorite places...

Grapevine, Texas is where I grew up, and I lived there my whole life until I came to college. It is a very important place to me. Grapevine is home.

Grapevine Texas Main Street. Web Source: http://www.grapevinetxonline.com 

Another important place in my life is New York City, and more specifically Central Park. I interned in the city for the summer of 2014. That summer I did a lot of growing up and NYC represents that. Central Park was always my favorite place to go when I wanted to relax.

(Image Information: personal photo of Central Park; photo from July 2014.)

My last favorite place is a place where I visited and felt truly happy and at peace there. This place is a secluded beach in the British Virgin Islands. The beach looked untouched and the water was so peaceful. I visited there on a family sailing trip and we all dream about the one day we will return. It instantly became our "happy place."

(Image Information: personal photo of the BVI; photo from June 2013.)