Ruben's Blog

I really appreciated both articles that I read. The “Differencebetween Praise and Feedback” article was really interesting. I feel like it tackled the issue of parents simply throwing blind compliments at children and instead taking the time to give context their comments. The main takeaway was become more involved and interactive with children. This could be more beneficial than vague praise statements. The other article I read was “Presence Not Praise.” It dealt with the issue of praise possibly being toxic, especially if the praise was simply directed toward accomplishment and not toward the effort. To answer to the questions from the post, I always try to give feedback every time I get the chance, because I know how much I appreciate feedback. It’s an invaluable resource and if it is handled correctly, its boundless potential. However, I feel that being constructive is very important and making sure that your criticism is wanted. For instance, if I am in the ...

I chose to do a story about the gods and devas so I did my research on that. First, I found a list of the gods and goddesses: List Link -Resource Link To begin, most of the stories that I have ever heard about gods/goddesses have always been very dramatic so I would like to steer in that direction. Unrelated, I noticed that Vishnu was associated with Rama, who was in our reading, so this caught my eye. I might have to find a way to introduce this into my stories. Moreover, I learned that in Hinduism many of the gods represent "forces of nature" or "moral values. So I thought that could find some sort of conflicting value that needs to be resolved between the gods. In addition, from what I was taking away, some of the gods have half-siblings called asuras. I thought this was interesting. I can see myself creating a story of a power struggle between the asuras and their counterparts, the auras. I can imagine a interesting story where they are pitted against one o...

My current 6 hour schedule is more or less. 1 hour every day Monday-Thursday. I have usually been taking Friday off for my other studies and making up the remaining 2+ hours over the weekend. I really appreciate the opportunity to take those assignments slow. Moreover, I have been completing and enjoying many of core assignments and completing a good amount of the extra credit. I don't know how much time I will be able keep the extra credit up, but I always like to have a cushion! Anyway, I think I will keep this schedule, its been working well for me. Lastly, it looks like I am building toward an A.                                                                Online Class meme, just kidding though!

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.” – Harold B Melchart This quote really resonates with me. I have set forth many goals during my time in college. And now that I am a senior, I can happily say that I have completed many of them. I have done this by always being mindful of my goals. However, being focused is a interesting way to think of it, because it is also important focus and never lose sight of your integrity of things you hold dearest to you. Smell the roses every now and again and enjoy the adventure!

I always use the canvas calendar. Back when we were on D2L, it was necessary to use buy a calendar and go through each of your syllabuses to annotate important dates. With canvas, it is so much easier to stay in the know! Also, its not even like you constantly have to log in and check a digital calendar. Everyone I know is already logs into canvas on the daily. And on the side there are calendar reminders which are super helpful. I know that I have benefited from this. In fact, my mother is a Professor at a college in Tulsa. She loves canvas, so I think it easier to navigate for the instructor as well.

Narayan's Ramayana Part B of the tale begins takes back up with Rama being exiled. Those close to him are outraged. I think that it is appropriate for Rama to have a calm demeanor and insist that his brother remain calm as well. As far as the direction of the story from this, with respect to Rama escaping the crowds, I feel like it paints an accurate picture of who Rama should be. If I were writing the story, I would follow this direction for my protagonist. One thing that I did not understand, however is Rama seemingly reluctance to assume the kingdom. Perhaps, I initially thought this was to add humility to his character. During his exile, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana visit sages and encounter a bird that offers them his protection. I really liked this sort of “diamond in the rough” scenario. I’m uncertain if this were directly from the gods. If this were my story, I would make this a gesture from the gods, since they were the ones who originally sent him. Next, t...

Overview Link In this tale, I really appreciate the parallel story such as how the king needs a son and the gods need a human being who can defeat ten-headed Ravana. I am thinking that I will tell a story where two worlds combine. Moreover, I really like one need is simple such as wanting a son and the other is very intense such as slaying the Ravana. In my opinion, this creates irony which adds an amusing nonchalant layer to the plot. Further, I would want to incorporate different types of characters in my story if it allowed for it, such as the different demons, sages, kings, gods and mortals. It applies predisposed traits to the characters without needing to offer much introduction. One part that I feel that I would change would be the teachings that are offered to Rama. For some reason, I would really like it if Rama didn’t need to be taught anything or guided to fight the demons. I feel like this makes him seem a little unprepared. However, I don’t mind that...