Time Strategies

 

Study planner.

    When it comes to time management, I'll be the first to admit I'm not the best at it. It's something my parents are always on me about. My mom is constantly saying I need a planner or calendar to write out my assignments and other engagements going on. I always didn't like the idea of a planner because it personally stressed me out. Having to think a month in advance to write down everything I had going on made me a bit on edge. However, I just read How to build a realistic study plan you'll actually stick to. And it put things in perspective for me. It made me rethink the way a planner works. I don't have to plann out the whole month ahead of time. I can start small by just planning out my weeks. For example, most of my classes that are online are asynchronous. So I can get ahead if I want to. I do have three classes that aren't that way. If I can get as far ahead as possible in the asynchronous classes then I'll have more time to focus on my other classes during the week. I especially like how I can finish this class early. It will help me out a bunch in the long run. 

    It was also nice to know that procrastination is natural. In How to Beat Procrastination, I learned that our brains are naturally set to procrastinate and push things off. Our brains have an easier time focusing on things right in front of us rather than what is far off in the future. One of the tips to avoiding this was to focus on the first task. I know I always find the first step challenging. Once identified and mapped out I think I will be able to conquer the task at hand with more ease.   

Technology: Thoughts

 

Technology image

    When it comes to technology I am actually familiar with some of the tools we'll be using this semester. While I haven't had much experience with Blogger, I have done some blogging in the past for a JMC class. Plus, Blogger wasn't too hard to figure out after the first few posts. I have also had a lot of experience with Tumblr. Back in 2014 I was one of those kids that was on that site constantly. So when it comes to the time to make a website, I'll definitely be using Tumblr. Another site I have used before for image editing is Canva. I used to use Canva to make images for my cover photos of my Instagram highlights. The only other tool I wasn't familiar with was Twine. I'm interested to get onto the site and start learning how to use it. Hopefully by the time I do need to create a branching story I will have mastered the controls of that program. I really like the online environment this class possesses. I feel like I am really getting into the class with each blog post and hopefully tha will translate to a growth-mindset towards this class.   

Assignments

 

Fountain Pen writing 

    My first impressions of this class were great. I love how I can get ahead if I need to especially with all of my other classes being online now. That will definitely help with my weekly course load. After reading through some of the storybooks for the previous assignment, I'd say I'm looking forward to those the most. I love to write creatively and that assignment seems right up my alley. As far as extra credit options I enjoy interacting with others so I could see myself engage in some extra comments on others' blog posts. As I previously stated I love writing I am also excited to possibly partake in the microfiction extra credit opportunities. Lastly, I also want to take a look at some of the music and music videos my fellow classmates share and possibly share some of my own. 

Growth Mindset

 

Illustration of the Growth Mindset

Before this assignment I had never heard of Carol Dweck or the growth mindset. After watching her TedTalk, I was very interested in this Growth Mindset. After understanding the difference between the fixed and growth mindset I was able to apply this into my own life. I realized that when it came to schoolwork I would have a fixed mindset. I would shy away or complain about the harder classes or assignments. I actually freaked out a little and realized how much this applies to me when Carol Dweck explained how those with a fixed mindset have described classes as boring. I have said this many times before that I don't usually do well in a class unless it is a class that I genuinely enjoy and look forward to being in.

However, when it comes to cheerleading I believe I have a growth mindset. Any time our coach tells us to try a new or harder stunt I automatically get really excited. Even if I know that it might take a few times to work the stunt out before we hit it. Another thing that stuck out to me was the idea of praising the process. Which is something that we do a lot in practices. A lot of the times when you work a stunt over and over you start to find new ways to throw it that might make it hit. So when we're all together and watching the small adjustments being made for the betterment of the stunt we will usually praise our teammates. I thought that was interesting pretty cool to se Carol Dweck's ideas actually performing in my life!  

Introduction

My name is Hunter Morris. I am from Virginia, more specifically the northern D.C metro area. Back home is very different compared to here in Norman, Oklahoma. Life in Oklahoma seems to be at a much slower pace than it does back home. I am a student at Gaylord School of Journalism. My major is Creative Media Production. I hope to get into film or music video production when I graduate. I am also minoring in Spanish. My dream is to travel abroad to a spanish speaking country (preferably Spain) and spend time there speaking the language and learning more about the culture. 

In my free time I usually like to read or watch a good film. My favorite types of books are classic novels. I'm currently reading Emma by Jane Austen, and loving it! When it comes to movies and tv I'm not picky whatsoever. I enjoy pretty much anything. However, I do have an affinity for the Marvel comics movies. I am picky when it comes to music. I mostly listen to alternative, pop-punk, and rock. You would never catch me listening to country music I'm sorry to say. I mean no disrespect to those who listen, it's just not my cup of tea. 

When I'm not watching movies or listening to music I am usually at practice. I am on the All Girl cheerleading squad here at OU. We cheer at football games, basketball, volleyball, men and women's gymnastics, soccer, and wrestling. On top of all that we have our own season during the winter break where we stay on campus and practice twice a day everyday until nationals in January. SO what I'm basically trying to say is that when I do get free time I revel in it. 

Last semester was a bit of a peek at what we are getting to experience fully this semester. I have taken online classes before so I feel pretty confident in how this semester will pan out. One of my favorite classes from last semester was actually online. It was called Music in Film. I got to learn about different composers and what their work did for the mood of a film. It was a great class for me because I got to watch a bunch of classic films but also got to learn some music theory and what different speeds of rhythm can do to an audience. I even got to take a "modern" song and put it to a silent film. I had chosen a Charlie Chaplin film called "The Circus" and used Britney Spears' "Circus" as the background music. 

  

Film poster for Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus"

Storybook Favorites

 

Old Books

    Each storybook I selected intrigued me not only by their titles but as well as the creative route the author used to retell these classic stories. 

    Wizarding World Tales immediately caught my attention due to my affinity for all things Harry Potter. The title and the introduction made it clear that this storybook would be something I am interested in. The intro made me curious to see how and which myths would be incorporated to an already fantasy universe. The layout and design of this storybook was very simple and organized. It made it easy to find each story and navigate the website. For each story the author used images that related to the setting of story. It helped the imagery of the story and created a picture in my head while I was reading. I also appreciated the author's use of under appreciated characters in the Harry Potter world.  

    I believe that any Sooner fan would fall in love with this storybook. Modern Myths takes the classic story of Helen of Troy and the Trojan Horse and adapts them into a modern day college football battle between rival universities. The introduction did a great job at setting the scene for the impending battle. It also helped introduce the characters and their traits. The author's use of imagery worked in their favor as well for this storybook. They included pictures of Lincoln Riley and included a description of their role in the story underneath. 

    The last storybook I read through caught my attention with its classic title. Tales of Davy Jones Locker recalls all the original stories of pirates such as Blackbeard, Ching Shih, and Calico Jack. However, it adds a spin to the mix by the introduction of the character Mari, a cruise ship employee who wakes up in Davy Jones locker after falling overboard her cruise liner. The introduction seamlessly flowed into the first part of Mari meeting calico Jack. It made me more eager to keep reading and see if she can make it out of there. The design portion of these stories were my favorite over any of the others I read. Because these stories were based off of historical figures the author included drawings of what these characters would've looked like. They also included pictures of items that were of importance in the stories. It helped with the imagery and visualization of the story.  

Hilton Head Island...My New Favorite Place

     Last week my family and I went on vacation to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I had only been there once before when I was 1 so I didn't have many memories of it. My grandparents go there often and talk about it all the time so I was excited to see what the hype was all about. We stayed at the Sea Pines community, which is where this picture was taken. Inside of Sea Pines there are shopping centers and different marinas throughout the property. I enjoyed visiting Harbour Town to relax, eat, and watch the boats leave the marina. The lighthouse in the picture is one of the most recognizable when anybody mentions Hilton Head Island. Fun fact, Michael Jordan used to have a home in one of the neighboring communities on Hilton Head Island!

 Harbour Town July 2007. Harbour Town Lighthouse: Wikimedia Commons

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