Avani's Blog

(A Blackboard Showing Gratitude  pxhere ) In this week's Learning by H.E.A.R.T. challenge, I choose to read an article in the Diigo Library. The article I choose was 6 Ways Gratitude Can Improve Your Life and Make You Happier by Victoria Brauer. As I have mentioned before, I struggle with managing my stress. So, I was interested in ways that could help me deal with this issue. Brauer's article did just that.  When I was reading her article, her articled confirmed something I knew already; I have many things to be grateful for. I am incredibly grateful for my family and friends. Without them, I don't know who I would be. By just being thankful, it can take away my some of my worries. Her article taught me something new as well. Gratitude can improve your sleep as it takes away some stress. Because of her tips, I want to end the day with being thankful with what I have. There is something good in everyday no matter how small it is. So, before going to sleep,

The story that grabbed my attention was the Beauty and the Basilisk fairy tale. I heard about this fairy tale when I was really young, but I forgot how the story went. Reading the story may years later, I realized why I loved it. It was a great twist of The Beauty and the Beast. From this story, I learned a few things. The language and writing style of this story was easy to read and illustrative. I noticed that the author did not use complex language to tell the story, instead the author used descriptive language to make the story vivid and engaging. The length of this story was perfect for me. It was not too short or too long. The story provided a perfect amount of brevity, while giving ample information. For example, when introducing the characters of the story, he was brief regardless of when the character was introduced into the story. I personally struggle with writing unnecessary information. So, I am constantly revising and editing. Through the dialogue itself, the author was

Here is my tentative plan for the semester! Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4. Week 3: Ancient Rome - Cupid and Psyche Week 4: Later Legends - Women Saints Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6. Week 5: Buddhism and Hinduism - Ramayana Week 6: Indian Folktales and Fairy Tales Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.] Week 7: China Folktales Week 9: Japanese Fairy Tales - Lang Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11. Week 10: Apache Tribe Week 11: Sioux Tribe Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13. Week 12: Nursery Rhymes Week 13: English Fairy Tales Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15. Week 14: Brothers Grimm - Librivox Week 15: Italian Fairy Tales Once I began exploring the readings, I realized that I interested in fairy tales and short stories. Learning about what stories children all over the w

For this assignment, I read these two articles: Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work by John Spencer and Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head by Sabina Nawaz. When it comes to self-doubt, I am a master at it. I tend to question my work and am constantly editing it before I submit it. Even if I reach a goal, I compare myself to others. This is one of the main problems I struggle with. I try to focus on my own timeline, but I find myself following others' timelines. Furthermore, I am too hard on myself sometimes. Being self-critical makes me abandon new challenges and avoid new things. After reading these two articles, I realized a few things. I need to listen to the positives, embrace mistakes, and trust myself. Although I noted these things, it is difficult to practice them in the current school system. I need to have a certain GPA, test scores, and more in order to reach my goal of becoming a Physician Assistant; mistakes are setbacks in this case.  The one p

Here are my four possible topics! Three of the four topics are related to Hinduism. I got inspiration from Laura when she commented on my post! Hanuman is the Hindu Monkey God and is known for being the Ramayana Hero. Lord Hanuman was incredibly devoted to Rama and proved his dedication though his selfless actions. I am interested in this topic, because I am Hindu. I want to learn more about my religion and this is a great outlet to do so. As there are an innumerable amount of gods in the Hindu religion, I only have a general idea about each god. Hanuman's mother, a heavenly nymph, was cursed and took on the form of a monkey until she gave birth to an embodiment of Lord Shiva. This is one of the reasons why Hanuman is a monkey god. Since there are many aspects to Hanuman, I would like to learn about his early life and his actions. The stories would focus on how Hanuman became a god, fetched the Sanjivani herb, and his punishment for eating the sun . I would retell these stories i

The updated version of this story is here  on my portfolio! One day, a tired mother had to go to the farmer's market. Before the mother left, she asked her three daughters if they needed anything. Her two eldest daughters demanded many things ranging from shoes to an iron board. Although they were the eldest, they had no sense about how to spend money wisely. The youngest daughter, however, kept quiet as her voice could not be heard over her two older sisters. When the daughters left, the mother asked the youngest. "Rose, what shall I bring you from the market?" "Could you bring me three roses, please? It's okay if you can't find them." Being quite surprised at her small request, the mother was motivated to bring her not three but many roses for her daughter. Once the mother made her shopping list and put on her walking shoes on, she left quickly. As the market was a long journey, she left in the afternoon. Slowly, the mother was able

This is the last blog post of Week 1! Looking back, I enjoyed all of the assignments I did! For this assignment, I read Four Questions to Help You Overcome Procrastination by Peter Banerjea and 11 Ways Unsuccessful People Mismanage Their Time by  Áine Cain. When it comes to time management, I burn myself out and that leads to procrastination. Until the task is done, I am constantly worrying and stressing about it. So, I try to complete as much as I can at once. After reading both articles, I realized that was the problem. I juggle too much. I need to set goals one day at a time and spread out tasks throughout the week to be the most productive. From the first article, the author provided 4 questions to motivate a productive work habit. These two questions were helpful to me: "What one thing can I do to get started?" and "How can I make this easier?" I will definitely try to manage my tasks throughout the week and make things easier by doing a little everyday. As

Of the technology tools listed, I only know how to edit images and bookmark pages. This is my first time blogging as well! After reading the descriptions of the technology tools, I am interested in learning about them. I actually prefer the layout of the class. Everything is in one place, and I can always view my work in the future! Using Google Sites is one of the main tools I am interested in! I have never made I website before, so I am excited to learn about it! This is my fifth online class that I have taken. Unlike my previous online class, the layout of this class is different. For my other class, everything was on Canvas. In this class, only the declarations are completed on Canvas and the grading system is based on a student's own evaluation  of their work. I find this easier and less stressful to manage the assignments . This class truly considers the student's schedule , which I love! (Types of Technology Tools by Jason Rhode Flickr )

Based on my first impressions, I believe this class is not only educational but fun! I am most worried about making a Storybook and writing my own stories. My writing skills are satisfactory and not where I would like them to be. I am also not creative when it comes to making a plot. I hope that through this class I can improve and hone my skills. However, I most intrigued by the growth mindset extra credit assignments. After watching the videos from the growth mindset assignment, I became interested in exploring more about the growth mindset as I am going into a helping profession. I am also excited about commenting on my peers' blogs. By looking at their posts, I am able to see different perspectives, learn about writing styles, and get inspiration. Lastly, I do not have a strong reading focus as well. So, I hope to genuinely love reading and continue to read after the course ends! Ultimately, I am excited for this class!  (Growth Mindset Watercolor Drawing by  Xavier Ver

I had previously heard about the growth mindset, but I did not know that it was called the growth mindset. A few years ago, my dad told me a story relating to the growth mindset. In the story, there was a father and a son. The father made sculptures for a living, and the son would make sculptures and ask for his father's approval. The father would always say he could do better. One day, the father was talking to his friend, and the son overheard the conversation. The father told his friend that his son was brilliant and an amazing sculptor. When the son confronted his father, the father said that if he heard the praise, the son would have reached his limit. Ultimately, in the story, the son did reach his limit; he did not improve in his sculpture making abilities. I do not remember the details of the story completely, but this is what I remember.  After watching the videos, I believe I have a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. There are times where I give up and believe that

Hi everyone! My name is Avani Patel, and I am a sophomore. I am majoring in Biology with the hopes of becoming a Physician Assistant.  I choose Biology as my major especially because of its versatility and because of my interest in the sciences. With Biology, I am able to learn the traditional side of the science, and the major itself is incredibly rigorous as it entails complex material and courses. Becoming a Physician Assistant is my goal, but I am still hesitant and unsure. As you can see, I am indecisive. Although this is the case, I am a very diligent student once I set my mind to something. This last year I was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA and obtain junior standing! In my free time, I love watching movies and sleeping! Netflix is something I am always on. My favorite shows right now are Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, and Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. This summer, I was able to do both - watch movies and sleep! My family and I also went to Texas, Arkansas, a

I just finished going through some of the storybooks, and I was interested by the topics that everyone had written about. Hopefully, when it is my turn to make a storybook, I will have my ideas organized. Right now, I am having difficulty just choosing a topic to write about. These are three storybooks that I loved:  The Lovers of Zeus ,  Feral Children , and  Sky Siblings . I was interested in  The Lovers of Zeus  immediately, because I was familiar with this mythological being. The title explained what the author would be writing about, and the introduction gave a detailed background of the storybook by using a narrative. In the introduction, the author added modern references to make the story more compelling. The introduction was well put together and easy to follow. The design and navigation was simple and classy; it was not overwhelming. This storybook was a great example, and I was able to learn much from it. The next one I found was  Feral Children . When I read this title,

Hi everyone! I picked Juno Beach as my favorite place. When I was younger, my family and I would visit our family in Florida over summer break. Every time we went there, my uncle would always take us to Juno Beach. We would swim, build sand castles, collect shells, and play games! Although this seems common and simple, I had the best time since my family was there. We also went to Sea World, Disney Land, and Universal Studios when we were in Florida!                                                                           (Juno Beach in Florida  Wikimedia Commons ) My second favorite place is home. Even though most of the time I am trying to get out of Oklahoma, I find comfort just being here. Going to Lake Hefner and watching the sunset is calming for me. No matter how many times I see it, it is always amazing. Most importantly, my bed is here! Nothing is better than sleeping in your own bed!                               (Lake Hefner in Oklahoma Wikimedia Common

Hello, I can't believe summer break is ending and classes are about to start! Hopefully, this semester goes by smoothly!