Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

After installing and playing around with the Canvas mobile app, I have to say that I am a huge fan. It's simple to use and is a great alternative to having to have to pull out our laptops or use our phone's browser to check on simple things like due dates or messages. Installation was easy, just like any other app, and login was a breeze. I can definitely see myself use this app on a regular basis!

Week 2 Story: The Trickster Jackal

The Jackal was a strange creature. In a vast jungle that consisted of countless, colorful animals, the Jackal stood out due to his intelligence and his kind nature. Some would even describe his kindness as naivety. The Jackal was not the only being in the jungle. There was the noble, fierce Lion, who oversaw his domain with intense vigilance. There was the ancient Willow-tree, who showered as much knowledge to passerbys as it did its shade. Other notable denizens were the strong Buffalo and the patient Road. Those who live in the jungle were characters of high moral; all except for the notorious Tiger. The Tiger was a fearsome creature. Unlike the others who live in the jungle, the Tiger was not to be trusted due to his unpredictable nature. Many feared the Tiger; even the mighty Lion was wary of the Tiger. It was only the Jackal that was unafraid of the Tiger, so much so, the Jackal even enjoyed bothering the Tiger for fun. Due to this annoying behavior, the Tiger always assumed the Jackal to be an unintelligent creature. The Jackal knew this, and always enjoyed playing along. The Jackal, when encountering the tiger, would always act as a fool. The Jackal never trusted the Tiger, so he believed that he could use this to his advantage one day. That day finally arrived with the arrival of the kind-hearted Brahman. 

Despite the ferocity the Tiger possessed, he was still only an animal. One day, he was foolishly caught in a trap. For days, the Tiger waited for death. It was not until the Brahman arrive did the Tiger finally concocted a plan to not only escape, but to also feed his hunger. 

"Please help me!" begged the Tiger.

Despite being a stranger to this jungle, even the Brahman knew that the Tiger was not to be trusted. Even so, the Brahman decided to put his prejudice aside and help the Tiger.

"I will help you," said the Brahman as he carefully opened the cage to free the Tiger. 

The moment the Brahman opened the door the Tiger leapt on him and pinned the Brahman to the ground.

"You fool!" laughed the Lion, "You were foolish to have trusted me!"

The Brahman begged for his life, reasoning that the Tiger's life was indebted to him for his generosity. The Brahman even begged for other inputs on the matter. The Tiger, though annoyed, agreed and allowed the Brahman to have others judge the situation. 

The Brahman rushed around the jungle to find anybody to side with him in his case against the Tiger. However, due to fear of death, no jungle dweller dared to stand up against the Tiger. Only the Lion was brave enough to try to help.

"The only way to save your life, generous Brahman, is for me to fight the Tiger to the death," said the Lion dreadfully. 

The Jackal overheard this plan. Despite his immature nature, the Jackal genuinely cared for everybody within the jungle - even the Tiger. 

"What if I told you that I could solve this problem without anybody having to die?" asked the Jackal.

The Lion was skeptical, but he also did not want any deaths within the jungle. The Lion and the Brahman decided to follow the Jackal's lead to solve the problem. Fearfully, the Brahman takes the Jackal to the Tiger. Upon sight of the Jackal, the Tiger became instantly annoyed.

"Not this idiot!" said the Tiger.

"Explain to me what the problem is, my old friend," said the Jackal sarcastically. 

The Tiger went into full detail about what happened and how hunger is a suitable reason for the Brahman's death. The Jackal, feigning as a fool, asks for a visual representation of the Tiger's story. Annoyed but thinking that the Jackal truly was this dense, the Tiger walks back into the cage to show how he was captured. Upon the Tiger entering the cage, the Jackal darted towards the door and slammed it shut. The Tiger, dumbfounded, screamed in agony and anger. 

"How was I tricked by a fool?" cursed the Tiger. 

"You underestimated me, friend. Despite your dishonesty against this kind Brahman, we have decided to spare you." said the Jackal. The Jackal then reopened the gate, this time the Lion and the other jungle dwellers stepping in between the Tiger and the Brahman. The Tiger, embarrassed by the whole ordeal, scurried away in shame. The Brahman thanked the Jackal and the rest of the denizens of the jungle for their support and continued on with his journey. 

Author's Note: This story is based on the the folktale The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal. The story revolves around how a Jackal saves a Brahman from death by tricking the Tiger. In the original story, the rest of the personified characters did not help the Brahman due to loathing and nonchalance. I wanted to add depth to the Jackal and the other characters to further explain the reasoning of their actions. 

(The Trickster Jackal, living up to its name:

Son of Erek)

Bibliography.  "The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal" from Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source.

Reading Notes: Tricksters: Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

The story that I would like to focus on today would be the Indian folktale of The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal. Aside from the actual story itself, the author takes advantage of the use of personification to develop an entertaining tale. The use of personification allows writers to add another dimension to their writing that is usually barred by grounds of realism. For us students, personification is a refreshing theme to use considering the fact that we are often limited to the real world and the requirements of the use of facts in our writings.  In this folktale, we are introduced to several, non-titular characters and see their views as personified beings (in this case, the ability to think and have feelings as humans). The author actually shows these characters - such as the road, the buffalo, and the tree - as embittered characters and shows just how unappreciated they are by humans. I feel that I can maybe redesign the story so that we can maybe see these bitter characters in a happier, more playful light. Another thing I might do is to further develop the Jackal's character. The only reason why I knew the Jackal is the way he is is because of the foreword. Why is the jackal a trickster? Is this a common theme that is resonated in different cultures? Going on a tangent, there is a story I know where a disloyal arms dealer is nicknamed "The Jackal". Is he named this due to his "trickster" nature? In another story, The Hare that Was Not Afraid to Die, a jackal is also a character that steals to gain food. Are jackals just automatically to be assumed dishonest? These are some of the questions that I will have to consider while creating my own story.

(The most mistrusted animal of all time, the Jackal:

The Horror Digest)

Reading Options for the Class

Looking through the UNTextBook, I am just astonished by the sheer amount of stories we have at our disposal. So much so, it is so hard to select just a few subjects that I would like to dive into. A few units, however, that have caught my attention would be the ones that I've already been exposed to as a child and that I would like to explore further: Dante's Inferno, Monkey King, and Homer's Odyssey.

"Dante's Inferno" has always been my favorite of Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy", for its themes and imagery used. I especially enjoyed the end of the story, where we meet Satan, whose image is far removed from that of what we are accustomed to growing up in the United States. I can definite see myself using this for my storybook, maybe playing along with the levels of sins and putting my own spin on them.

The tale of the Monkey King has a special place in my childhood. Growing up, I've watched movies, read books, and heard stories of the Monkey King. I look forward to reading more about Sun Wu Kung and his exploits in greater detail, especially that of how his story ends. Despite having known and seen all the books and movies about him, how his story actually ends since many of the iterations that I know of don't necessarily follow the legend.

Finally, for Homer's Odyssey, my selection of this unit was obvious for myself due to my love for Greek mythology. I especially love how Odysseus, a mere man, is sent on a grand expedition only to have his story be interwoven with that of many famous Greek mythological beings.  One story that truly stands out for me was his experience with the Cyclops. The reason why I enjoyed this story was that it showed that Odysseus was more than just a warrior; he was an intellect who sought to protect his man. Also, the mere imagery of he and his men clinging for dear life on sheep always makes me chuckle.

These are the three units that I am almost guaranteed to look at first for when I decide to start my storybook.
                                   

(Odysseus blinding the Cyclops:

Time Strips)

Time Strategies

When people ask me what I am afraid of, I always respond with something like "the dark", "clowns", or even "crickets". Truthfully my biggest fear is probably running out of time. Admittedly, it is not as crippling of a fear as this man's fear of heights. However, it is still a fear that gives me nightmares at least once a week embarrassingly enough. More specifically, they always revolve around me running out of time for something that is for school, whether it be an exam or due dates for big projects. I'm willing to bet tuition money that later on in the semester I will have a nightmare about missing a due date for this very class!

To combat this fear, I've learned to to suppress my urge to procrastinate and actually be proactive when it comes to my schoolwork and studies. That is my strategy for this class. I enjoy the fact that we are given the opportunity to actually earn all the necessary points for an A weeks before the end of the semester. Knowing that, this gives me motivation to work ahead.

I've read a couple of the articles given to us for this assignment and the two that really stuck out to me were "Four Questions to Help You Overcome Procrastination" by Peter Banerjea (By the way, I love LifeHacker!) and "How to Build a Realistic Study Plan You'll Actually Stick To" by Amanda Collins.  One of Banerjea's questions that really resonated for me was, "How can I make this easier?" As a junior with two Computer Science courses and two upper-level Math courses on top of this course, I need to make it so that those four other classes aren't impeded on by this class (Or vice-versa! I don't want to miss any assignments or write any shoddy posts!). Working ahead allows me to complete the tasks for this class while giving me extra time to work on my other classes. As for Collins' article, I really liked how she suggests "slotting study in", or fitting study/work time in between your breaks. I am allowed to put this suggestion in practice thanks to Dr. Gibbs' suggested study schedule.  For this semester, I hope to develop a strategy that is a blend of both of these mindsets to create something that will truly help me now and in the future. I also hope that you all will take these thoughts into consideration because I wish you all nothing but the best!

Sorry for the extra-long post today!

(How I feel with due dates:

Unanimous Chaos)

Technology Relating to the Class

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, this is my first time blogging. This is a skill that I look forward to developing, not because it helps with my grammar skills, but due to the fact that I am beginning to immensely enjoy it. Even after this semester, I can definitely see myself blogging during my free time as a hobby. Besides blogging, I am somewhat familiar/comfortable with many of the mentioned online tools that we will be using this semester: Pinterest, Google Docs, and Wix (despite the fact that I detested using it for my senior project in high school). Even so, I am always happy to learn more technological tools that will help me later on in life and maybe even during my college career.

(How I'll feel by the end of the semester knowing all the new technological tools I've learned about in this class:

Know Your Meme)

My Take on Class Assignments

I have to admit: before school started, a large part of me was really worried about this class in particular. I have been enrolled into only one online course before and that ended with me dropping it out of fear of falling behind in the first week. Despite that, I have a very optimistic outlook for this semester in regards to this class (hopefully for my others as well). This is my first time blogging ever, and I have to admit that I am enjoying it more than I thought I would! So far, I really like that we are allowed to keep our posts abstract even though we are assigned a specific topic. I really look forward to completing future assignments and can only imagine how my blog will evolve by the end of the semester! Hopefully my other classes won't cause me to fall behind in this one!

(Me, probably, in the middle of the semester:

The Verge)

My Thoughts on Growth Mindset

It is really funny that we are discussing the topic of Growth Mindset considering the fact that, just yesterday (August 20, 2017), my roommate brought this topic up to talk about while we were having dinner. My roommate is working as a student mentor this semester for freshmen engineering students. He spoke about how important it is for these new students to adopt this Growth Mindset as oppose to adhering to the Fixed Mindset that is programmed into us as kids and high school students. I completely agree with his opinion and that of Doctor Carol Dweck. I believe that anyone who adheres to a Fixed Mindset while in school denies them-self of ever reaching a challenging goal, or worse: causes them to not even try in the first place. I believe that a Fixed Mindset is the outcome of either extremely low self-worth or extremely high self-worth. During my time at OU, I have discovered that I originally had a Fixed Mindset and felt defeated after not receiving the A's that I was accustomed to in high school. I later learned that I had to accept that I was not the smartest student in the class, but that I could always improve to become the student that I personally strive to be. This also taught me to not to be better than my peers, but to be better than my former self.

(Cat with the right attitude:

Growth Mindset Memes)

Introduction to a Computer Science Major

Hi everybody!

To introduce myself, my name is Kevin Le. I am a Junior and I am studying to earn a Computer Science major alongside a Mathematics minor. I chose this major and minor due to the fact that I have always enjoyed technology and math as a kid. Studying these subjects now as a college student allows the child inside me to pursue a degree that covers the subjects I have always enjoyed years ago.

With this degree, I hope to pursue a fulfilling career in Information Technology, Cyber Security, or even law enforcement at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Ever since I was a kid (this could probably be accredited to the fact that I loved the Power Rangers), I always had a strong moral compass and knew that I wanted my career to help others. Computer Science, I felt, allows me develop a skill that I can later apply to the aforementioned careers in a competitive way.

I am from Oklahoma City, OK, so I am a huge sports fan. I watch everything from Major League Soccer (MLS) all the way to the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL). My favorite teams, respectively, are the New York Red Bulls, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Dallas Cowboys. The reason why I like to watch all these sports may simply be due to the fact that it allows countless people from varying backgrounds to rally behind teams in a competitive, but friendly, nature.

(My boy, Dak Attack, stealing the hearts of millions and Tony Romo's job:

Sporting News)

My other hobbies include learning/talking about all things automotive (see Jalopnik, my favorite automotive blog), collecting hats, and playing video games. I have always been a believer of the fact that a love for many, varied hobbies is healthy and allows you to keep your social circle open to many  different groups and your mind open as well their beliefs.

In conclusion, this was a brief introduction to myself. I hope I did not bore you. I also hope that you will enjoy my future posts this semester if you are kind enough to take the time to read them. Thank you for your time, and I wish you all the best of luck for the rest of this semester!

My Storybook Favorites

Looking throughout the list given to us, there were many custom storybooks that caught my attention and peaked my interest. I have always been a fan of myths, folklore, and overall fantasy. This leads to my three favorite storybooks: Real Housewives of Greek Mythology, High School Gods, and The Brothers Grimm.

In Real Housewives of Greek Mythology, the author of the storybook takes a playful, satirical approach in likening the Goddesses of Greek mythology to the catty, dramatic women portrayed in The Real Housewives series. The introduction used in the site is quite similar to that of the opening credits of the real life show, where the characters are introduced while emphasizing their entertaining attributes. I very much like the layout of the site in that it is simple, with the "episodes" being listed in order and having the season finale being listed last. This provides a sense of fluidity in a storybook that tells one cohesive story.

(A collection of many Greek/Roman Gods/Goddesses, used in Real Housewives of Greek Mythology: 

Wikimedia Commons)

In High School Gods, Morgan, the author, casts some of the most well-known characters of Greek mythology to fit the archetypes of normal high school students. Morgan teases us with this idea in her introduction, describing these "High School Gods" so that we may become more and more curious to explore her story. As for the layout, this is another good example of minimalism. The site is not overcrowded with splitting tales, just a simple story within each different tab.

In  The Brothers Grimm, the author takes many known Grimm tales and creates an original fusion of that and the unknown Grimm tales. In his introduction, the author teases us with short summaries that has readers guessing what that story is a fusion of. The layout of the page is also nice in that it follows a nursery rhyme theme by using a child-friendly font that is recognizable to those who grew up reading fairy tale picture books.   

My Favorite Place

My favorite place is Lake Hefner, which is only 5 minutes away from my childhood home. I like to drive around the lake during my free time with friends. I also like to take walks to the lighthouse on the lake.

(The Lighthouse overlooking Lake Hefner:

Wikimedia Commons)

Test

This is simply a test post.