Saturday, January 25

Today is Saturday of Week 2. Welcome to the weekend! Here is a link to Week 2 for those of you who are finishing up Week 2 over the weekend, and Week 3 is ready to go too. Getting ahead on the week-to-come is always a good idea!

Class Procedures and Reminders

Project Stack. As project assignments come in over the weekend, I'll periodically update the stack so you can check the stack to make sure I received your assignment. Then, on Monday, I'll be replying to the project assignments in the order received.

Tech Tips: Canvas. There are a lot of different Tech Tip options, and the Canvas tips can be really helpful at the start of the semester, like setting up your Canvas notifications or customizing your blog.

Comments. You should all start getting comments on your Introductions this weekend as people start doing the Week 2 comment assignment. (You can do the Week 3 comment assignment too if you want; that randomizer is full of stories now!) Also, sometimes I'll notice a comment on the wrong blog, or for some other reason I'll re-post a comment on someone's behalf; when I do that you'll see "=== comment from NAME ===" to let you know who the comment is from. If you ever need help with the commenting or have a question about that, just let me know!

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog Stream. Here are some beautiful photos from Alisha's favorite places blog post... these pictures are from the West Bank city of Nablus:

Twitter Stream. I really liked this "Corporate Snakes and Ladders" board game graphic that I saw go by at Twitter.

Indian Epics. The original "Snakes and Ladders" is a traditional Indian board game; find out more here. Here's one from around 1800:

That's the origin of the English game "Chutes and Ladders."

100-Word Stories. Today's story is an Aesop's fable: Zeus and the Two Sacks (click title for more info).

Indian Epics Today. The character for this day is YAMA, who is the god of the dead, and also the Dharmaraja, the Dharma-King. More about Yama.

Storybooks. Yama plays an important role in this Storybook: Judge Yama and the Jatakas. The courtroom is a great space for telling a story!

Myth-Folklore Video. Another great storytelling space is a therapy session, as you can see here when Hera realizes she needs help; yes, that's Uma Thurman as Hera! The Mundane Goddess.

H.E.A.R.T.. And as you relax this weekend, think about the technological metaphors you can use: The Joy of Tech-Meditation.

Mindset Cats. The weekend is also a great time for reflection.

Event on Campus. Bizzell Library is full of great study spaces, and it's got good hours over the weekend; find out more at the OU Libraries website (and maybe even try the "My Library" Tech Tip!).

January 25: Burns Night. Every year on this night, people celebrate the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. The tradition is known as "Burns Night" (or "Burns Supper"), and you can find the poetry of Robert Burns online at the RobertBurns.org website. For more about Robert Burns, see Wikipedia, which is also the source for his portrait shown here:

And here's a short animation about Burns:

Check out the Twitter stream for information and fun stuff during the day, or click here for past announcements.