Week 15 Famous Last Words

The End.

I wanted to use this week's Famous Last Words to say thank you. This class has been so much fun and i've really enjoyed it. I can't believe i'm already done. I'm looking forward to graduation and feel relieved to have one less thing on my plate, but I wish the assignments I had left weren't so stressful and were as delightful as the ones for this class. So, I want to say thank you to Professor Gibbs and to all of my classmates for making this semester a great one. Everyone wants their senior year, particularly their last semester before graduation, to go smoothly and though i've had plenty of bumps I think this class has definitely been a positive experience. 

Congratulations to all of the other seniors! You're so close to being done! Graduation is in only 25 days! Can you believe it? Are you ready? I'm ready to be there, but i'm not ready to turn in everything that is due between now and then. Anyway, good luck guys and gals! 

With that, I will share my philosophy with y'all and say my goodbye. Create your own bliss and see the beauty in everything around you. Accept things as they are. Tolerate and accept people as they are. Keep an open mind. Let love fill your heart. Find your own truths. Live life. And don't forget to love yourself because you matter and you can do anything you put your mind to!

I hope y'all keep in touch. You can find me on tons of social media sites (except Twitter, I just cannot get into that). 

Facebook me: Bria Waters

Follow me on Instagram: Testiclefestival

Check out my tumblr: CreateYourOwnBliss

Let's swap stuff on Pinterest!

Go to Tanzania with me on my blog: Bria In Tanzania!

Watch weird/funny videos with me on Vine: Bria Waters 

I'm also on Snapchat, but if you want that one, you can tell me on any of the above social media sites.

Made using PicMonkey

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK!

Love, Bria Waters 

2015 BSW Senior 

Week 15 Online Education Review

Please share your thoughts about online education in general and also your experiences in particular.

• I love online classes. I think it gives students an opportunity to learn on their own time and gives instructors an opportunity to get creative with coursework. I loved that this class was set up where we had to keep blogs. It was so fun and didn't feel like a chore to work on! However, I do not think language and math classes should be taken online only because they are so difficult and do not offer that one-on-one assistance that may be necessary to help people (like me) understand math concepts. As for language classes, I think the back-and-forth interaction in a physical classroom really helps you learn the language. Hearing it spoken throughout class and having to speak it conversationally just makes a huge difference in how you store that new language information in your mind. 

What features of online courses are most/least valuable to you?

• Most valuable: ability to work on it in my downtime or anywhere that has access to internet
• Least valuable: with harder concepts, I prefer face-to-face interaction and explanation

Would you take more fully online courses if they were available?

• Oh, definitely! I really have enjoyed my online courses at OU and felt like they were a great asset, especially since i've had to work while i've been in college. 

If you were to design a fully online course, what would it look like?

• I would probably steal your idea of using a blog to turn in assignments. You really helped me learn how to use internet resources by having us use the site and do tech tips. Also, it seems less formal and more like a fun activity. I also would like to incorporate the Famous Last Words assignments, because it helped me, as a student, decompress from the week and gave me an outlet to talk about what i've been up to. It also helps the professor and other students get to know each other which is a little tough to do in an online class. I liked your use of social media too. I wont lie, I think your style for online classes is perfect. You have an online textbook made of awesome resources/stores, your assignments are a great length, you have variety in what we are supposed to do, there's plenty of extra credit opportunities, and the blogs let our personalities shine through. I love it and was so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to take both your Indian Epics and Mythology and Folklore classes. They have been some of my favorite classes and i've really enjoyed them! 

P.S. I liked the picture of the cat on the page where you told us how to do these posts, so I decided to post some awesome cats too!

Zombie Cat

found on LOLFactory

Doctor Who Cats

by Jenny Parks, found on The Laughing Squid

Waffles the Cat as Sherlock Characters

found on Tumblr 

Week 15 Gen. Ed. Review

Please describe your experience with the General Education experience at OU overall and with Humanities Gen. Ed. in particular

• Gen. Eds seemed like a pain, but it was only because I was excited to start my major's coursework. That being said, I think it was a good thing overall, particularly the humanities gen. eds. This is because I took fun courses that taught me about other cultures and countries which I think is important for students, especially if they cannot study abroad and/or have never been abroad before. 

Has Gen. Ed. been an important part of your education at OU?

• Gen. Ed. has been a huge part of my education at OU. It took up all of my freshman year, a chunk of sophomore year, and a few electives following. 

What have you liked best/least about your Gen. Ed. experience?

• I liked the humanities courses (Revenge Tragedy, Indian Epics, Peoples of the World, Intro to Native American Studies, Intro to Non-Western Dance Forms, Mythology & Folklore, and Intro to Religious Studies). These classes were interesting and kept me engaged. I enjoyed the classes and felt connected to my coursework. However, English I, Geology, American Federal Gov't, and Biology sucked. I know the government class was important, but i've heard it so many times! English I sucked only because it was so boring. Biology should have been cool, because I enjoyed Biology in high school and find the typical bio content interesting. However, this class seemed to spend an unnecessary amount of time on corn and how it's all around us. It seemed like we were in a political class about the problems our country is experiencing because of our reliance on corn, a substance our bodies cannot break down. 

What do you think you will remember most from your Gen. Ed. classes?

• I will remember the stories and dances from non-western countries the most. I love learning about other cultures and feel like I would have been more into other humanities courses if my professors had been passionate, knowledgeable, and engaging. 

Also, you might want to take a look at the OU Gen. Ed. website, especially if you have not done that before!  The website is new-ish, and rumor has it that OU is considering a big revision to the Gen. Ed. program.

• I wish I had known about this freshman year! Or really any year before I was about to graduate! It seemed like a pain to find classes that counted. It's a simple site, and I see no real problem with it, but the design is lack-luster. 

If you were to design a Gen. Ed. program, what would it look like?

• It would be a program designed to "take you on a journey around the world." It would talk about world cultures and each unit would center on a certain part of the world. The assignments would be aimed at showing society, values, culture, and the arts in various regions. It would be an into-level class that would be an introduction to world cultures and would not heavily focus on one area or "weird" cultures, but give a little information about a lot of them! 

This just made me laugh, hopefully it makes you laugh too!

Uptown Funk You Up

found on Tumblr 

Here's the song it made me think of:

Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars

by Mark Ronson, found on YouTube

Week 15 College Writing Review

What is your major and what role do writing courses play in your major?

• My major is social work and writing is incredibly important because we don't have many tests. Our papers are long and weighted heavily so we are expected to be able to write well. However, we do not get the chance to write creatively. Our papers are almost always research papers that are written in APA format. 

What kinds of writing-intensive classes have you taken both inside and outside your major? 

• I've taken this, Indian Epics, Revenge Tragedy, Expository Writing, English, History pre-civil war, and multiple research classes. However, all of my social work classes have had long papers and were writing-intensive. 

How have your courses helped you to grow and develop as a writer? 

• My courses have helped me become very efficient at finding and evaluating sources for research purposes, as well as for real-world application. As a social worker, I will have to be able to find resources and information to refer clients to all the time. I feel like i've also grown in my creative writing because I have to really evaluate my writing for class. It's made me a more conscious writer, however, I still have trouble editing my creative writing as compared to my research writing. I think it's because I love writing and I love writing imagery-heavy stories, but am really discouraged to do that in my major's classes because they emphasize being concise and (often) clinical. 

What has been most/least helpful about the writing you have done for this class? 

• The most helpful part about this class's writing has been the ability to write for fun as well as the feedback. I think it has really helped me become a better writer. The least helpful part of this class was probably the backup and checkup. Overall, I loved this class and thought it was really helpful.

What have been the most meaningful writing experiences that you have had in college? 

• My most meaningful writing experiences have probably been my research papers into the effects of nonpharmacological treatments on dementia patients because it's something I am very passionate about and is opening doors for me at Valir where I volunteer. 

If you were to design a writing class for your major, what would that class look like? 

• It would be a mix of short research assignments that would be about finding resources in your area. They would teach you how to sift through the online sources and find important information. It would also feature short posts about particular subjects related to social work/social welfare that interest the individual students (geriatric work, mental health, social welfare policy, international events, human rights, etc.). I think it would also feature a few assignments where the students had to go out and volunteer with an agency then write up a short paper about their experience. Last, I would want them to write about the code of ethics to ensure they know it and can apply it. 

If you were to design a writing class for students from all over OU, not specific to any major, what kind of writing class do you think would be most useful? 

• A class that featured creative writing prompts and some research-based prompts would be nice. Also, maybe assignments that help prepare us for what life is like after college (for instance: how to apply for loans, resume editing, budgeting, healthcare, etc.). I feel like even with college i've been left on my  own to figure it all out because I was the first to go to college and the only family member I know who went to college went long enough ago that things have really changed. 

Don't Forget To Take Care of Yourself!

Self Love Koala

by Alexandria Brooke, found on Tumblr

Week 13 Famous Last Words

Finishing Up

This week I only did Reading Diary A, Storytelling, Reading Review, Essay, and this post because i'm pretty close to being done with this class. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone and how close I am to being done with everything! I just need to hunker down and finish up my capstone paper and really kick butt on this huge research proposal i'm working on then i'll be done with my classwork for the semester. All i'll have to worry about is finishing up my practicum hours and getting everything in order for my trip to Tanzania. 

So, here's what's been going on in my life lately:

• Valir Volunteer Banquet
• This week I got to attend the Valir Volunteer Banquet which was a wonderful little celebration held by Valir Hospice for its volunteers to show appreciation and let us meet each other and hang out. We had DELICIOUS Mexican food, provided by Ted's Cafe Escondido in OKC. It was so good, there was a fajita bar and plenty of chips and salsa/queso to go around. There was also a country/cowboy music singer who performed for us and he was both a good singer and totally charming. I also got to meet the other social work student, Alyssa, who is doing her master's practicum at Valir. I'm going to be doing my master's practicum there and i'm so so so excited about it! They are such a great company and the people there are truly amazing. I love working with them! Anyway, they also gave us each a little thyme plant for volunteering our time and a little goody bag. Last, they gave us a pair of socks to take to our patients so they'll have toasty toes. 
• If you are looking for somewhere to volunteer and enjoy working with elderly people, I HIGHLY suggest Valir. 

Alyssa and I at the Valir Volunteer Banquet

4/12/15

My adorable pot of thyme!! 

From the Valir Volunteer Banquet (4/12/15)

• Calm Waters Under the Big Top Fundraiser
• This past Sunday was the huge Calm Waters fundraiser called "Under the Big Top." It was circus-themed and featured carnival games, a photo booth with exotic animals, popcorn, yummy hors d'oeuvres from local OKC eateries, a live auction, an aerial silks performer, two wonderful circus performers who did acrobatics and dancing, and drinks. It was a pretty neat shindig and I think everyone had a good time. I was there in a volunteer capacity and was in charge of working the photo booth. Man, did I luck out! I ended up acting as an unofficial third animal handler and got to hold onto the sweetest little animals all night. I got to hold a kangaroo joey, a lemur, a fennec fox, a cockatoo, a blue-tongued skink, a baby crocodile, and a bearded dragon. I loved it! The cockatoo surprised me because birds don't usually like me, and I don't usually like them. However, this was the sweetest bird ever! I held him for 20 minutes or so and he rested his head on my chest and licked my collarbone. He cooed and me and put his head on my forehead. He was so adorable and I felt totally comfortable holding him. I wanted to take him home! I also loved the energetic little lemur who climbed up in my hair and jumped on unsuspecting passersby. However, I think the kangaroo joey stole the show. She was so sweet and totally adorable (and so soft!). I also got to work with some really nice people from TapSnap, a next-gen photo entertainment company. Them and the animals really made my night. Plus, Calm Waters got some great donations and raised some money to help out kiddos who're dealing with loss. 

Me with Carlos, the Cockatoo

taken by the TapSnap crew at the Calm Waters Fundraiser (4/12/15)

Me with Princess Elsa, the Kangaroo Joey

Taken at Under the Big Top (4/12/15)

Me with Princess Elsa, the Kangaroo Joey

Taken at Under the Big Top (4/12/15)

• Instagram 
• Here's the pictures I posted on Instagram this week. It's just a selfie and my sweet BooBoo Kitty. I'm totally obsessed with my cat. Give me a follow if you want :) my Instagram is testiclefestival aka Bria Waters. I know the name is weird, but it's from high school and it cracks me up, so I haven't changed it. 

So fresh and so clean.

 Boomer Sooner! 

Sleepy Boo!

Week 13 Essay

Women's Roles in European Fairy Tales

This week I chose to read the Librivox Grimm's Fairy Tales unit, and for this essay will focus on the stories of Rapunzel and Briar Rose (aka Sleeping Beauty). These are two stories that most people in America are likely familiar with because Disney has made movie versions that have been insanely popular. 

Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959)

found on 50sMovie

Disney's Tangled (2011)

found on Amazon

The original versions (the Grimm's versions) of these stories are not exactly the same as in the movies, however, they do subscribe to the same general roles of women that many in today's society still agree with. Women are portrayed as generally helpless and in need of saving, usually by a handsome prince (though the 2011 Disney version of Rapunzel portrays her as a more confident, capable, modern young woman). In the time of these stories' creations, women were subservient, submissive, and seen as being less than men. That idea of women's roles and abilities was then taken into the "New World" when Britain colonized North America. Women were once again placed into a role of doing housework, obeying their husbands, and being reliant on their husband to take care of business. They did not usually fend for themselves, and for the longest time were not allowed to have jobs, vote, or participate in government. Even today, women are not truly equal to men and are subject to objectification and treatment as the lesser sex. 

Sleeping Beauty

by VPdessin, found on DeviantArt

This week's stories kept with the theme of women as dependent on men. In Rapunzel, she does not take it upon herself to find a way out of her brick and mortar prison. She does not stand up for herself or try to escape on her own. When she finally meets a man and decides she's ready to leave, she still relies on him to save her. She does not fight back against Dame Gothel, she just waits for her prince to come. As for Briar Rose, she was a young girl (only 15) and was not told of her impending doom by her parents. Instead of educating her so that she may protect herself, her parents (mostly her father, the king) just burned the kingdom's spinning wheels. Then, on the day she is destined to fall into her 100 year sleep, they leave her alone! 

Rapunzel

by Alicex2, found on DeviantArt

These stories also portray villains as women. Many old stories portray women as inherently evil to justify their treatment of women (who are also sometimes worshiped as goddesses, but still seen as having incredible tempers) as second-class citizens. In both of these stories, there is an evil witch who brings doom upon the young, beautiful maiden and her family. Still, I enjoy these stories, and understand their portrayal of women because of the time when they were written. As for today's society and women's portrayal in media/writing/etc. there really is no excuse. I'm just saying. 

Women's Rights

by Malala Yousafzai, found on the Sojo Blog

Week 13 Storytelling

Notes From My Diary

a blog by Rapunzel Gothel

April 7th

Dear Diary,

Today Mother came to visit again. I love when she comes! I get so lonely up here all by myself. I did, however get a few new newspapers from her.  There were a lot of pictures from a show called "Teen Wolf" and the men in it were.. stunning. Mother takes care of me, but I really wish I could see the world. It seems so beautiful! I went on YouTube today and explored a little. It's like my real window into the world. I watched a few videos about what it's like in London. It seems like a magical place! I love their edgy music scene, and wish I could be there! I like punk music, but i've really gotten into.. dare I say it? Taylor Swift! OMG I love her songs "Shake it Off" and "Love Story!" She is amazing. Anyway, I guess that's all i've got for today.. check my collage out below. I've taken to covering my walls with art and my newest obsession is collages. 

April 21st

Dear Diary,

I have a secret to tell you... I met someone today. Can you believe it?!?! A real person! A most handsome prince of a man came to visit me today. He'd heard me singing as he was riding through the woods near my tower. He said I had the most lovely voice and was so kind. He's nothing like what Mother said men were like. She said they are all evil and selfish, but he seems so wonderful. I think I may have a small crush. I have to admit, I was a little surprised and scared initially when he climbed up my hair... but I am SO glad he did. We talked for hours before I realized that Mother would be home soon and she would NOT be happy to see him. He left, but agreed to come back. I hope he comes back soon! *Swoon* 

April 23rd

Dear Diary,

He came back! He is the sweetest, most amazing person i've ever met (I know that's not saying much, but he really has changed my life). I want to see the world with him! He told me stories of his travels today and all of the cool places he's visited and offered to take me with him. Mother would never approve, but i'm tired of living by her rules! I have another secret for you... I am going to escape this tower prison! My prince charming is going to bring me scraps of cloth each time he comes to visit so I can make a rope to climb out of here. I'm so excited! He is going to come see me every evening from now until the rope is finished and we can get out of here! We have to be careful and make sure mother doesn't find out though... 

This T-Swift song sums up my life right now:

May 10th

Dear Diary, 

The past few weeks have flown by and every day my love and I have grown closer. I'm so close to finishing my rope!! I can't wait to get out of this damn tower! Mother's visits are becoming less of a comfort and more of an annoyance. I just want her to hurry up and leave so I can see him. She just doesn't understand. It's always Rapunzel this and Rapunzel that, "Rapunzel, let down your hair!" I need to spread my wings and leave the nest. 

May 20th

Dear Diary, 

I screwed up MAJORLY today. I wasn't thinking! Mother had just got done climbing up my hair and it seemed like such a chore. She just dead-weights me and makes me pull her up; not like he does. He climbs up so gingerly. Anyway, I slipped and asked why she was so much heavier than he was and she FREAKED! I've never seen her that angry before! She grabbed my hair and twisted around her arm. It hurt so bad, and she cut it! She cut almost all of my beautiful hair off! Not only that, she says we're moving and i'm FORBIDDEN from ever seeing my prince again! I don't know what i'm going to do! All I can do is cry...

June 29th

Dear Diary,

I have no motivation to make art anymore. I don't want to do anything and now the view from my window is even more bleak. There's nothing but sand all around. I fear i'll be stuck here for the rest of my life. This may be my last post, at least for quite some time. 

Evanescence is life. Her voice is so hauntingly beautiful and it's like she read my mind. BRING ME TO LIFE.

September 13th

Dear Diary,

You'll NEVER believe what happened today! I was singing (a rather sad song), and my prince heard me! He told me he's been wandering the area for months searching for me! He's searched high and low and was beginning to lose hope until he heard my voice. He followed it's sound and found me in my new prison. It was like something out of a movie! He broke down the door and scooped me up into his arms. He held me for so long, crying, and telling me how happy he was that he'd found me. I cried too and we kissed for the first time. After the initial shock wore off, we ran off together! I hopped on the back of his horse and we rode off to his home (which is giant BTW) and he asked me to marry him! I know it's sudden, but when you know.. you know! I'll keep y'all posted! 

Things are finally going great! I'm so happy and have the perfect man by my side! 

Check out my ring! Bling Bling y'all!

Author's Note:

For this week's storytelling, I chose to retell the story of Rapunzel from the Librivox Grimm's Fairy Tales unit. I decided to write in a diary blog style because it combines the traditional diary that a young girl/woman would keep with today's technology and brought her a little bit into the modern age. I tried to portray her as a teenager, probably around 17/18 because I thought it would be fun, plus it's more normal for a 18 year old to leave home than a younger girl. I hope you enjoyed it! I didn't change much, just took out the back story about how Dame Gothel obtained Rapunzel in the first place (she took her from her parents in exchange for some rampion from her magical garden). I also took a few details out, but overall kept it the same. 

Image Information:

1. Rapunzel by Yolanda Blazquez, found on DeviantArt
2. Teen Wolf Collage, found on PixShark
3. Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran, found on YouTube
4. Crows by Nicoletta Ceccoli, found on her website
5. Bring me to Life by Evanescence, found on YouTube
6. On hand view of Tacori HT2430SM Classic Crescent Channel-Set Three Stone Engagement Ring for Princess found on WhiteFlash