Reading Notes: CrashCourse--Theories of Myth

I never thought the discussion of the theories of mythology would be one that I'd enjoy. One of the first things that struck me was Plato being the first philosopher to throw myths and folktales under the bus by establishing the notion that by their irrationality they were false. I've always held sort of the same beliefs, but I didn't realize it was Plato that put these same thoughts into motion way back when. I just figured most people could see the duality of myths with their pleasant fiction but also their non-fictional morals, lessons, truths, etc.

The second bit that struck me was the part on Jung and Freud holding the beliefs that myths were just an extension of our unconscious. Hearing it be presented this way just made sense. They believed that myths served to express what one's conscious was too afraid/unable to express. And so, the subconscious relayed the same message in a roundabout way via myths. As a psychology major I'm always thinking more and more about people's thoughts and the reasons why they do what they do. I may not totally subscribe to these two psychologist's other beliefs, but I think this one regarding myths could have some weight to it.

Bibliography

CrashCourse, Theories of Myth: CrashCourse World Mythology, Source

Plato, a great philosopher. Source 

Techtip: Canvas Profile

The only thing I ended up changing was my profile picture! I had customized almost everything else to reflect what I would like others to see on my Canvas profile. The image I chose was a picture from a popular game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I like the look of my canvas profile a bit more, now. I'm not sure if I'll keep it the way it is, or end up changing the avatar again. But, I am glad I did this techtip and explored the capabilities of Canvas a bit more.  

Week 8 Progress

1. Looking back. Are you happy with your progress so far? What are you most proud of? Do you have a good weekly routine? What are the class assignments that you enjoy the most? Are you using any of the extra credit options? How have things gone in terms of developing your blog and building your website?

I am happy with my progress so far. I think my stories are the thing I'm most proud of. I don't think I've established a good enough weekly routine just yet, but do have an idea of what adjustments I should make. In an odd way, I really enjoy the story-writing. I have never been a fan of writing in general. However, the creative component in story-writing makes it 10x more enjoyable. I have been using a few of the extra credit options here and there! I want to use them more in the coming weeks to be able to finish before dead week if possible. Building my website has come along well! I'm happy with where it is at now. I'm glad I was able to explore google sites and see how to go about working those.

2. Looking forward. Are there any changes you want to make for the second half of the semester? Any pitfalls you want to avoid? Something new you want to try in your writing? Anything you want to change about your blog or your project website?

Some changes I want to make include: doing more work earlier, taking advantage of more of the extra credit, and leaving the weekends more for other courses, research, recapping, etc. I think trying different writing styles for the remainder of my stories would spice things up. It might be a little difficult at first, but I think the nifty product would be worth it. I already take forever to write my stories, so taking a lil extra time to explore a new writing style wouldn't be the end of the world. 

P.S. I cannot believe we're already at week 8! Being busy makes classes fly straight by...

Perseverance is something I've seen myself slowly grow in over the years of undergrad. Here's to 8 more short weeks! Source 

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

1. Feedback in. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the comments and feedback you are receiving from other students in the class? What kinds of comments are you finding to be the most useful? 

-From 1-10, I'd rate the comments and feedback I receive from other students a 6 or 7 out of 10. Most of them seem to follow the same formula. However, ones with actual constructive criticism are like golden nuggets of great information. Hearing feedback from others with fresh perspectives helps out mucho. 

2. Feedback out. Similarly, how would you rate the quality of the comments and feedback you are leaving for other students? Have you found some good feedback strategies? Are you getting some good ideas for your own writing as you analyze other people's writing?

-I'd also rate my feedback to others around a 6. Now having read that feedback page on the WWW and TAG technique, I think that will be a great template to base my feedback upon from here on out. And yes, reading other students' ideas and writings have been a source of inspiration. I really like the setup of this course and how its different pieces feed back into each other.

3. Blog comments. Do you have a sense of getting to know people by connecting with them at their blogs? 

- I definitely do have a sense of connectedness with the other individuals in the class, solely because of the intro posts. This is the only online course I've taken where emphasis was placed on intro posts and truly getting to know your classmates.

4. Looking forward. What do you want/need to do differently to make the feedback assignments more useful for others and/or more useful for you? 

-I would love feedback to be more critical. I think that's such an important factor in becoming a better writer. Having more critical feedback would be a great way to make the most of people's time as they write feedback on stories.  

Battling a perfectionist mindset is something I struggle with. Sometimes, first drafts of stories can take me 2-3 hours! This infographic is one that hits its mark with me. Source

Week 8 Reading and Writing

How well are the reading and writing assignments working for you? 

I think the assignments have been working well! Everything is going according to plan for the most part.

Are you happy with your blog? With your project website?
I'm am very happy with my site! For my blog, I used a function over form approach. I think it's a solid minimalist blog that I'm happy with.

Are you satisfied with how the writing is going for your project? How about your story posts?
I think my writing is going well! I haven't had any issues thus far. I love the idea if the portfolio being the place to showcase your 4 best stories.

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment(s) in your writing for this class?
One of my biggest accomplishments thus far has been just actually writing. It's always been hard for me to follow through with plans to write.

What has been your favorite reading so far?
My favorite reading thus far has been Raja Rasalu and how he killed the giants.

Are your reading notes helping you each week with your story post?
Yes, greatly! I never realized how note-taking like that can make writing so much more effective and impactful.

Have you discovered any new reading/research strategies?
One of the reading strategies I've been using is "spreed" reading! Spreed is a google chrome extension that centers text in the middle of your screen and positions it in a way that allows you to read at speeds upwards of 500 wpm!!! I never set it to read past ~400 wpm or so. Even at slower settings, I still am able to read huge blocks of text much faster and more efficiently. I definitely recommend it for individuals that have to read lots of online text.

Is there anything you want/need to do in order to get more out of the reading and writing experiences in this class?

I think I need to revisit my course schedule and formulate a new one that fits my current schedule better. My primary issue is dedicating more time to the course so I can finish early, but I know that's an easy fix. 

My favorite picture I've used so far is this statue of Horus, an important Egyptian deity. Source