Clara's Blog

I feel like before this week I forgot how busy I become during the semester. I feel like I don't have much time outside of school and other activities. This was the first week of assignments since syllabus week doesn't consist of much homework, so hopefully this next week I'll be better adjusted to my new schedule. I felt off schedule all week because we didn't have class Monday, which meant I didn't do anything Monday. I'm also trying to get ahead in all my classes now so I don't fall behind later, which makes things a bit more hectic in the beginning of the semester. My biggest adjustment with my classes and time management is the different coursework than I'm used to having. I'm usually enrolled in more math and science based classes, but this semester I have more reading and writing classes. Reading and writing assignments usually take me longer, so I find myself dedicating more time to homework than I usually do. I have started to enjoy writing ...

I started my Wikipedia Trail with  Meiosis because that's one of the topics were learning about for my biology class. Simplified, meiosis is a process that that exchanges genes between to the pair chromosome given by each parents which produces genetically unique recombinant chromosome. This causes us to be genetically distinct and look different from our parents. The second article I went to was about sea urchins . I clicked this link because everything else in the previous article was science based, and I wanted to read something other than science. I also thought it was interested that meiosis was first discovered in sea urchin eggs. The third article I was linked to was about the  abyssal zone . I was drawn to this link because this layer of the ocean remains in perpetual darkness. Since this layer is dark, plants cant grow, so it can be a death trap for many organisms. The last article I clicked was the  Deepsea Challenger , which was the submarine designed to...

For this weeks learning challenge I read  "10 proven ways teachers can improve their sleep" by Sarah Marsh. Even though I'm not a teacher, I wanted to read this article because I struggle with insomnia which makes it hard for me to wake up and maintain focus during the day. This article confirmed that my worst sleep habit, using my phone or laptop until I get tired, is actually keeping me awake. This article also me about some of my habits have been hurting my sleep schedule, the biggest one being the time I exercise. I typically work out at night, probably a few hours before bed, because I have early classes and usually work/study until the evening. The article states that there should be roughly six hours between exercise and bedtime to allow the body to cool down. Also, the temperature of your feet can cause a bad night of sleep if they're too cold. I'm mostly curious about the 90-minute rule, that claims it should be easiest to wake up every 90 minutes after ...

For this week, I read the Growth Mindset article "The Emotional Weight of Being Graded, for Better or Worse" by Linda Flanagan. This article confirmed that it isn't uncommon to lose interest in a subject when the main focus is grades. I always felt like subjects became less interesting when my only goal was to get an A in the class instead of genuinely learning the subject. Before reading the article, I didn't know that many teachers were moving towards replacing grading and testing with other types of assessments. Since this is the first self-graded class I've taken, I'm curious to see how my own interest in this course will change throughout the semester compared to my interests in other courses. Already, the coursework for this class has become more enjoyable than my other classes because I don't feel as stressed for assignments. I'm also wondering if this grading system was applied to every course, if the students would continue to learn or if the...

For this Tech Tip, I decided to try out the DuckDuckGo browser. Before this assignment, I had never heard of this browser before. I really like this alternative because it doesn't track and sell my personal information. The advertisements on my browsers have never bothered me too much, but I'd prefer to prevent them if possible. I didn't use the Google browser too often before because my default browser was Bing, and I've been too lazy to try it. I enjoyed DuckDuckGo after trying it out though, and I changed it to my new default browser. The DuckDuckGo Duck  Source:  Wikipedia

Goblin City from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W.H.D Rouse Characters: She-goblins -shapeshifters -wanted husbands -ate new sailor husbands Sailors -married goblins -eaten by new wives :( Captain -noticed shapeshifting wives -terrified Fairy -kind -hated goblins -magic horse Notes: The characters in this story weren't given very distinct roles, but rather lumped together as a group. The goblins eating their husband reminded me of black widow spiders who usually eat their mate. The fairy was very important character since she saved all the sailors, but was very vaguely described. Did she have a previous experience with the goblins to make her dislike them? Where did she get her magic horse? Also, why were the sailors so easily persuaded into marriage? The plot of this story had many unique twists and parts. (The Flying Horse Source:  W. Robinson )

The first article about feedback that I read was  "Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work" by John Spencer. I was drawn to this article because I typically feel like writing and creative work isn't my strong point, so I usually don't feel confident and the work I do. Almost of all tips Spencer listed are things I've had problems with in the past. I think the two tips that will help me the most are the first two, which advised me not to compare myself to others and to abandon perfectionism. Despite knowing that writing isn't my strongest skill, I always find myself comparing my writing to others, which causes me to feel self-doubt about my work. On of this, I'm a perfectionist and struggle to turn in assignments if they aren't perfect or don't meet my standard. I think adopting all seven of Spencer's tips, especially the two I mentioned, will help me improve my creative work. The second article I read was "Silence the Critical Vo...

To start the topic brainstorm, I browsed through the project topics listening. The first topic that stuck out to me was The Gods/Devas topic. This topic grabbed my attention because I've had an interest in Greek mythology, and a video from this week described the parallels between Indian and Greek mythology. I'm more drawn to this topic because it will allow me to learn about many of Hindu deities, instead of focusing on one. After researching the Hindu deities on Wikipedia, I saw there was plenty of material and information that I will be able to use for my project.  The second topic I was drawn to was  Karma . I've always believed in the spiritual principle of karma that good intentions bring good fortune and bad intentions bring bad fortune. While I have a basic understanding of karma, there us a lot to the theory and principle that I didn't know. After some research, I learned that the definition of karma is very diverse in Hinduism. Karma is also a theme t...

Once, in a tropical rainforest, a Sloth was comfortably hanging in a tree as he usually spends his days. He spent every day, all day in trees sleeping and slowly eating, but rarely went down to the forest ground in fear of predators. Sloth had become very wise because he had spent many years hanging in the trees, observing the rainforest and the animals that inhabited it. Other animals despised Sloth for his wisdom, especially the Tiger’s wife. Tiger’s wife demanded her husband, Tiger, to find Sloth and bring him back to her so she can eat his heart. This seemed like a daunting task for Tiger, since the Sloth lived so high in the trees, but she refused to take no for an answer. Tiger knew exactly where needed to go to find Sloth, since Sloth doesn’t move too often. Tiger approached Sloth and said, “Sloth, don’t you ever get tired of staying in the same tree day after day?” Sloth replied, “Sometimes, but I am too slow to travel across the rainforest and it can be dangerou...

The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart , Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock Characters: Brahmadatta -King of Benares Bodhisatta  -Buddha -Monkey -quick wit Crocodile -foolish -outsmarted by monkey -sad and miserable -sorrowful Crododile's mate -desired to eat the heart of the king of monkeys Summary: The plot of the story begins with the Crocodile's mate wanting to eat the heart of Bodhisatta. The Crocodile offers to carry the Monkey across the river, but tries to drown the Monkey once the Monkey trusts the Crocodile. The Monkey outsmarts the Crocodile by convincing him he keeps his heart in a tree. The Crocodile believes him, and when the Crocodile takes him to the tree. the Monkey is able to escape. The Crocodile returns to his home feeling sad and foolish. Plot: To me, the most important event was the Monkey escaping the Crocodile. I thought it was ironic that the Crocodile was able to fool the Monkey into trusting him in the beginni...

I've decided to read the Public Domain Edition of the Ramayana. I chose this version because I like that the stories are told in different styles and authors. I also like the ability to listen while I read because it will help me maintain focus while I read. Lastly, the online version is free and easily accessible, which is always a benefit. The first comic I'm interested in is  Hanuman: The Epitome of Devotion and Courage . I became interested in this character after watching the "Rock on Hanuman" video, so I specifically looked for a comic involving him. I'm looking forward to learning more about him and his abilities. The second comic I'm interested in is  Saraswati: Stories of the Goddess of Wisdom. This comic grabbed my attention because I've always had an interest in any stories involving gods or goddesses. I also liked that this comic book contains several different stories about Saraswati and how she became the goddess of wisdom. Th e first video ...