Thursday, March 1

Today is Thursday of Week 7. If you have not done your story yet for this week, that means today is Storytelling Day. Let your imagination run wild! Here is a link to all of the Week 7 assignments.

Class Procedures and Reminders

Success Tip: Don't get stuck in a rut; try new styles. There are hundreds of ways any story can be retold, based on what you do with the characters, the plot, the setting, the message. Change a little, change a lot, make a tiny twist, make a gigantic twist: it's all up to you, and you will learn more if you explore a new story style each week just to see what happens!

Project Stack. Yesterday I replied to projects turned in on Sunday afternoon, and today I'll start working on the projects turned in during Sunday evening. While you are waiting on comments back from me about your Project assignment, you can check the stack to make sure I received your email.

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog Stream. Next week is a review week, with a chance to look back and reflect on the semester, and I thought it would be fun to share one of those review week posts here (some people are working ahead); this is Chelsea reflecting on Comments and Feedback.

Word from India. Here's a word that comes from India that might surprise you: CALICO: first it was a fabric from "Calicut" on the Malabar coast of India in Kerala, and eventually... calico became a cat:

Myth Video: Here is some Chinese mythology from Crash Course: Yu the Engineer and Flood Stories from China.

India Comic Book: Today's comic book is one of my favorite Krishna stories from the Mahabharata: Krishna and Shishupala: He Was Forgiven a Hundred Times. See the Amar Chitra Katha blog for the Bizzell Reserve call number and more information.

Proverb of the Day: Today's proverb is from China: The fuller the cup, the sooner the spill. Find out more at the Proverb Laboratory. That is true for a cup of coffee, and also for the metaphorical cup of life.

Writing: It's not really clear where this saying got its start, but it is definitely true: Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter. Find out more at the Writing Laboratory.

H.E.A.R.T.: Here's an item about attention and focus, or lack thereof: Too Many Tabs Open.

Growth Mindset: Today's growth mindset cat knows that finding the right focus can be difficult: If you only focus on the problem, you might miss the easy solution . You can find out more at the Growth Mindset blog.

Video: Here's a video related to focus and attention: Single Tasking and the "Tabless Thursday" Challenge. Find out more at Lifehacker.

Event on Campus: The Center for English as a Second Language Culture Night is tonight from 6PM to 9PM in the Forum Room B2 (details). Find out more about this and other events at the Campus Calendar online.

March 1: Purim. The Jewish holiday of Purim began yesterday at sundown and continues today; the holiday celebrates the events described in the Book of Esther in the Bible. In that Bible story, Esther saved her people from the evil Haman, who was plotting to destroy them. You can read more about Purim in this Wikipedia article. And for your viewing enjoyment, here is Raise Your Mask - Purim by the Ein Prat Fountainheads in Israel:

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