Feedback Strategies

When giving feedback to other people in my life, I try to think about their side of the story and how they're going to take it. I'm generally a very honest person, but the honest answer doesn't always give the best feedback. If someone's paper is not written very well, I never tell them it's not good enough. I always give them specific ways they can improve.

When working as a dance instructor, I was taught a great way to give feedback: sandwich the comments. Start out with a positive comment, give them constructive criticism or a way they can improve, then finish with another positive comment. Therefore they're leaving on a high note.

I ready both "What Kinds of Messages Helps Kids Grow?" and "Be a Mirror" and I learned a lot from both articles. In the first one, I didn't realize how important the feedback process was especially to younger children. If you comment on the ways they can help learn a skill, they will be more motivated to do it instead of giving saying, "try again!" The second article gives ways of how evaluators can give feedback in ways that won't reflect back judgement which has a really positive effect on a person's mindset. These articles were really helpful in learning new and different ways for giving feedback!

Proverbs 18:15 Source: Flickr

Topic Research

I'm really interested in the Irish Ghost Stories topic and decided that was the topic I was most interested in from last week's assignment. After spending a little time in Ireland, I was fascinated with the history of the country. All the buildings are extremely old and hold some sort of story. There are a lot fables that haunt each place. A lot of the stories I'm going to read about are true to an extent. They come from real history or places and have been passed down. The book, "True Irish Ghost Stories" by John D. Seymour have a lot of stories about occurrences of ghosts and the supernatural in Ireland. The first, "Haunted Houses in or Near Dublin" is really interesting. Dublin is the only city I've been to in Ireland and believe me I can see why people would have these haunted occurrences. These people recount the many times they have come in contact with a ghost. Whether it's waking them up from their sleep or seeing the ghost in their kitchen many times, these people believe that what they saw was real. On the other hand, there are other people who say that the reason they are seeing these things is because the estates are very old, not because it's a ghost. Another part of the book is, "Haunted Places." This part of the book focuses on specific places in Ireland that people see similar things. People will tend to see a little girl in the middle of the street as they drive by or seeing a strange figure in the distance. Because these people have been told some see these things, maybe they convince themselves that they are seeing them as well when they visit. Another interesting part of the book is, "Legendary and Ancestral Ghosts." These are all the stories that are passed down from generation to generation. Growing up, it's always interesting to hear these different stories. These stories tend to lean more toward monster stores and ghost stories. I think it will be really interesting to dive more into this topic and discover more of these stories.

True Irish Ghost Stories by John D. Seymour

Reported Haunted House in Ireland. Source: Wikipedia

Week 3 Story: Eve and Adam

When all land, patterns, and creatures were created, God decided to create the ultimate man setting an example for mankind after. God created the depiction the most beautiful woman that will ever be created. He named her Eve to represent her simple yet unmatched beauty.

Eve walked with the caress of a floating antelope. She had golden hair that waved only when she walked. Her complexion matched a tinted porcelain and was left untouched. She could do what others only dreamed of. She could bear children and withstand extreme amounts of pain. She was undoubtedly beautiful. Her male counterpart, Adam, was a little more complex to create.

Adam was brute. He showed many animal like characteristics. He was savage by nature. He grew hair like an ape and had poor hygiene. He walked like bear hunting for supper. He fought like a warrior but only when provoked. He was no match to Eve.

Eve and Adam lived as one, working together to create the power of their existence. Eve carried great responsibility. She nurtured and cared for all the living creatures that roamed the earth. Adam protected the world from natural and cosmic forces that would danger them. They were a team, but a team unlike any other.

They were meant to marry to show the world how much they cared about the unity and harmony. Although Eve had no desire to marry Adam. He was repulsive and no match for the beauty she exuded. The two instead parted forces because of their many differences.

Now, Eve nurtures the many beautiful creations God has constructed. Adam creates wild forces from the wind, earth, and sea to try to destroy the wonderful creations Eve protects to prove that they will always live in harmony when together. Eve knows the creations will prevail on their own if they are kept happy.


Authors Note:
In the original story, it talks about how Eve was made to be the companion for Adam and all the flawed characteristics she possesses. I wanted to make Eve the main character and show that she is unmatched compared to Adam. It is a tiny feminist take on the original story.

Story Source:
Eve by Louis Ginzberg

Eve. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve; The Beasts of the Creation

This story starts out with both Adam and Eve crying because God speaks to them as their protector. They feel God is acting as parental figures in their lives. Adam was given the responsibility to name every creature that God created and now Adam's fear is that even though he had the responsibility of naming them, they will plot against him to destroy him and Eve.

At first, God said he planned on having the beasts destroy Adam and Eve because they had gone against the Lord and therefore couldn't see any creations. But then he decided the beasts should become familiar with Adam and Eve and to not give them any trouble. After, the beasts learned to respect Adam and Eve. God decided to let Adam and Eve come in contact with the creatures and they began to worship God for everything he had done for them.

When Adam and Eve walked out of the cave they had been in, they were greeted with a garden rooted next to the Tree of Life which had flowing rivers going off of it. They had taken the water and the beauty for granted and decided to never overlook the beauty of creation again.

The Beasts of the Creation by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr.

Adam and Eve and Priest. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve; The Ideal Man

This week I decided to learn more about the Biblical unit, more specifically Adam and Eve. There are a lot of great stories about Adam and Eve and even though I am a Catholic, I don't know that much about the stories of Adam and Eve. I decided to take this opportunity to learn more!

"The Ideal Man" talks about the creation of Adam and how he came to be. He is thought of to be the perfectly created man. His body proportions were extraordinary and didn't compare to the generations of men that came after him. He was the goal for man. Other men were compared to Adam because they exhibited similar characteristics. In the end, those characteristics that were similar ended up being their downfall.

When Eve was created, she was also known as the perfect woman and that no other woman even compared. However, Eve didn't compare to Adam, he was the perfect man. God put a soul into Adam's body so that he could life fully and because souls fill the body like God had filled the world. When his soul was put in by God, he became alive.

Adam possessed more wisdom than other men because he was given more responsibility. He was responsible for naming each animal God created. Adam was even responsible for naming himself because he was the lord of all creatures. He was given even more responsibility when creating language and writing. This story says God created earth, and Adam was responsible for determining the settlers of earth.

The Ideal Man by Louis Ginzberg

Adam and Eve; Source: Wikimedia Commons