Comment Wall
Here is the Comment Wall for my Storybook Site. And here is the link to my Storybook Site:
The Mystical Horses of Hogwarts
Thanks everyone!
The Mystical Horses of Hogwarts
Thanks everyone!
Introduction to a non-traditional OU student
Hi, I'm Kathy! But you can call me Kat, most everyone does. I'm a non-traditional OU student. I'm 46 years old and going back to college. I was one year away from an accounting degree back at the age most kids finish college when we moved away due to my husband's business. Back then, online courses weren't really an option. OU doesn't really have the classes available to finish my accounting degree online and I wanted to shift my focus more to IT so I switched majors to Information Studies. This makes it almost like starting all over again so what I thought would take 2-4 semesters is going to take me pretty much the full four years. My favorite classes in my major have been my programming courses, but I surprisingly also love Human Relations and Business Ethics as well. I also work full-time, at least I did until May when my position as manager for a local saddle shop got down-sized. We thought my husband had found a great job in OKC and that we we
Hi, Kat! First of all, good job in having the link to your comment wall on your portfolio. So far, you are the only one who has made it this easy! It is no surprise, but your portfolio was the one I chose to read rather than finding it as a result of the randomizer. Why? Because I am a sucker for Harry Potter. I am truly excited to see how your portfolio ends up, because it seems that you are writing form a place of real passion. You have done great research in setting up new stories, for I was unaware of many of the facts you listed. That being said, do not underestimate my admiration for Hogwarts! You raised some interesting questions, however I would space out some of your introduction just for the purpose of appealing to the eye. Not only will it look more approachable, but it will also help in making the introduction smooth. Nice job and I look forward to the end result!
ReplyDeleteHi kat,
ReplyDeleteI would like to say I like the subject you have chosen for your project. I had never though to tell a store of the other creatures that live around the school of Hogwarts. The intro you have written is very easy to follow. It simple and to the point. Something I might suggest is breaking it up into multiple paragraphs rather than a giant one. This is a suggested to help keep people from losing their place. As I stated it a lot of good information for your story, but it is all lumped together. I also like how you foreshadowed who the next stories are going to be written on. BY this I mean that I like the transition into the next stories you will be writing. I have always loved Harry Potter and this will hopefully be a good transition of stories that come from that world.
Hey Kat! I love the concept of your Storybook project! You’ve combined Harry Potter, one of my favorite book series, with a great mythological topic: horses! I like the alliteration in your project title, and your introduction is interesting! I really like how you give a brief overview of the stories your project will cover.
ReplyDeleteI do wish your introduction was broken into two or three paragraphs, just to be easier on the eyes. I also think it may look cleaner if you put the image attribution at the bottom of the page. Your introduction picture is the same as your website homepage, and I wonder what if you used a different picture, maybe one of some mythological horses or a different picture of Hogwarts? Finally, I think your first sentence could be a little stronger and more engaging by making it more active. The rest of your introduction is great!
I’m very excited to see what Hogwarts stories you tell with this project! Keep up the good work!
I really enjoyed reading your introduction. You have taken a very different and interesting approach to a popular series. Stories about horses at Hogwarts seems like a really fun idea! I look forward to reading more of your stories. I like how you spin the Harry Potter series into figuring out about what else happened at Hogwarts that wasn’t in the books or movies. This is something that I have often wondered myself as well! It seems like this idea will create a lot of fun and creative options for you to write about. You mentioned the Golden Trio and the horses quite a lot, but I couldn’t tell if every story would involve them sharing stories of their experiences or if it would be a one-time thing. What is your plan for the different stories in your storybook? I think that there are so many avenues that you could take with this idea! Your introduction is very pleasant, but what if you added a picture within the intro to add more to the story? Maybe a horse, picture of the Golden Trio, or Hogwarts would be a nice touch! Your introduction was really great and I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of your story! I I love love the Harry Potter series! I think it is cool you are creating side stories out of this very popular book/ movie! Especially taking a twist that you can relate to in real life! I myself have wondered what else went on at the school when they weren't busy fighting the bad guys.
You mentioned the "golden trio" but never really described who that was? Is it Ron, Harry Hermione? Or a group of teachers? I would go into a little more detail about that.
As far as looks: In my opinion, on the home page I would move the image info to the bottom and center the rest of the words. The banner picture is great. On the introduction page, the image is a little blurry and maybe that is how it is supposed to be? But if not I would change to something a little more clear. Keep the same vibe though! I like the image info on the bottom along with having the comments wall link again.
Hey Kat!
ReplyDeleteWords cannot express how excited I got when I saw your storybook idea! I love the Harry Potter series and have since I was a kid. I think it is so cool that you are getting to expand on it and add your own twist to it. I know there have been stories that I have wanted to know more about but that information wasn't given and I was forced to use my imagination. This is such a great outlet to explore new ideas and adventures about some of your favorite characters! I also love the fact that you want to explore more of the magical creatures from the wizarding world. There are so many that are only briefly shown that I always wanted to know more about! So excited to get to read what the Golden Trio get up to in your storybook! I am sure I will go through those stories as fast as I went through the real books!
Hi Kat! I have to say I really like your storybook topic! I haven't read all of the Harry Potter books (just the first three), but I have seen all the movies. I really like the twist you're going for. I feel like your story could go in a lot of directions, and you have a lot of options to chose from. I hope which ever direction you chose you get pretty detailed with it. This is an amazing set up to a cool story, but I wished it was a little more detailed. I am excited to see what you write, and I am sure it will be fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHello, Kat!
ReplyDeleteI am really intrigued by your title, I love Harry Potter (I watch the whole series at least once a year) and I love horses, I used to jump and show horses as a kid. So, you hooked me in right from the beginning! Are you the narrator of the story that will follow other characters; is the point-of-view first-person or third-person (limited or omniscient)? I think you should add another picture, or two, to your introduction page. You could add a picture of the centaurs so that those who are unfamiliar with that mythical creature can fill in the blank when reading the story. Will you be taking us through other time periods or will each part of your story be set in the same era? Also, I did not understand what the "Golden Trio" was, so maybe you could create an author's note to further explain this group.
I look forward to reading your storybook as you add on to it, great job!
Madi Reynolds
Hi Kat! What first drew me to you storybook was definitely the fact that it brought Harry Potter together with the mythological stories we have been reading in class. I think that was super clever of you to really grab your audience with what we're already familiar with. I really liked how you kept the "Golden Trio" involved and are going to expand on their adventures. Great job so far! I can't wait to see the rest of it!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat! First off, I love Harry Potter, so I got so excited when I saw the title of your storybook. I have been to Harry Potter World 4 times and it never gets old! I love how you started off your introduction. It grabbed my attention and made me want to read more because I could resonate with what you were saying (because I am familiar with Harry Potter and am always so interested when I learn something new about the series. The questions you were asking I had never asked myself, so now I am looking forward to reading the rest of your stories in your storybook. Again, I think you have come up with such a great and intriguing idea that is outside of the box. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteas I am reading your introduction and first story I am watching/listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. I am just curious on who is telling the story? I love that you are writing about the horses of Hogwarts, I enjoy falling down the rabbit hole of fan fiction stories and artwork. Will unicorns make an appearance in your stories? who drinks the blood of a unicorn will only have a half life. I also enjoyed how you mixed the Wizarding World of Hogwarts and that of the mythical stories around the Centaurs. with Hercules and Ravenclaw, ahh so magical. I would only suggest that maybe adding more details about the Dark Forrest, and the settings. those who have read or seen Harry Potter, but it is still always good to be reminded of the little details. also seeing them in new light is always exciting as well.
Hi Kat! When i started reading your introduction i was instantly intrigued and wanted to read your story right away. As someone who is already a fan of the Harry Potter series, i love how you made the story more about your topic rather than the typical main three characters. I like how your story tells from a novel perspective and i know what is going on from all points of view. your story definitely stands on its own but its nice knowing the stories of Harry Potter to refer to. Since I am someone who has seen the series and read it, I would only suggest maybe providing some more information for people who are not familiar with the story. Maybe some more details about the characters and the world they live in and why they are living in the forest and what that forest is. Overall, your story is great and I really enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and I'm kicking myself now for not watching Fantastic Beasts! Your site works great, and the introduction sets a perfect stage for a series of "how things came to be" stories.
I am curious as to who the narrator is, as the first person tense in the introduction doesn't offer their identity. Who is this fictional investigator, and what circumstances led to the interview with Harry Potter regarding the centaurs of the forest? When did the interview happen?
Tying Rowena Ravenclaw to the centaur herd establishment was really smart! The construction of Hogwarts happened much earlier than was aware of, but it's not unrealistic, as so many schools of philosophy and thought were being established during the time of the Greeks and Romans. This was one of my favorite aspects to the story after thinking hard about pre-historical Hogwarts.
I also enjoyed that the entire population of forest centaurs were essentially outcasts, which is doubly ironic considering what I remember of their disdain for the human race and Firenze toward the end of their mention within the book series.
I would change one piece of the dialogue formatting. If you're embedding a quote within the speech of a character ("like so"), it may be better to use an apostrophe within the sentence to denote what is being quoted ("...'quoted speech within a character's story'...").
Here's where I'm referring to in the story:
"...l, and intellectual strengths. "You must use all three if you wish to be truly heroic," he taught them."
Great work! Super fun to read and I can't wait to learn more about the history of the horses of Hogwarts!
Hi Kat! I love this concept. At first, I thought you were only going to focus on the details shared in the books themselves. I love what you did instead! The way you take elements from those stories and weave them into different myths is interesting and fun to read. You tie in great details (such as Hagrid calling the centaurs stargazers) and weave them well into other stories. Your explanation for why centaurs never give straight answers is both interesting and insightful and fills a good gap in the original stories. There are a few things that I would be curious to find out. First, do the timelines of Hogwarts and this myth align? I'm not sure when Hogwarts was founded or the guesstimate of the myth's time period either. Second, how did the rest of the centaurs come to be? Did Chiron bring any centaurs with him? Lastly, there are a few points where the wording is repetitive or a word is excluded, making the sentence confusing to read. You might want to do one more proofread aloud. I find it helps me catch things I missed when I first wrote something. Overall, a very creative topic. I love how you flesh out some original details and give a few seemingly minor characters a storyline of their own. Very well done!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteI am back and reading The Legend of Sleipnir.
I like how this story is about Hagrid telling it, I feel like he is left out sometimes with all his knowledge about the different creatures.
'no one else had every talked about being at Hogwarts!' I think that every should be ever here in this sentence. I want to mention that I do like the connection you made between Loki/Thor/Odin in the Marvel world to the Harry Potter world. From your authors note I also think that it makes sense for Sleipnir to be immortal and living in the Enchanted Forrest at Hogwarts. I still like what you have done overall, but maybe add more images to the story part to help break up the reading for the reader.
Hey Kat, what an excellent merger between this class, your experience with horses, and one of your favorite stories. I am always fascinated by projects that are able to so seamlessly integrate ideas or interests of different origins like this. I like your introduction as well, I think you do a nice job of explaining what’s inside of the Storybook without revealing too much. I really like your first story about the centaurs. I think you have done an excellent job executing your idea of blending the world of Harry Potter with stories from mythology. I like how you have used one character as a frame for retelling the original story. I wonder if the delivery might be more effective in a type of flashback form. It could even come from an errant nap under a statue of Chiron in the Ravenclaw lounge. Overall, great job so far. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteI read your project earlier in the semester and I loved coming back and seeing the progression.
I still love the theme of your project and where you are taking it. The images are great and really make it feel like Harry Potter.I really liked the centaur story. I wrote a story using them and I loved researching about them. I love how you brought them to life with the trio.
I also really liked the story about the Sleipnir. I was not as familiar with this and it was fun to learn and read about. I love that Hagrid is telling the story. He has seen so much in those woods and I like that he is passing on his stories with the trio. It is interesting to hear it from his point of view.
Good job on your project and good luck on finishing the project. I will excited to come back and see it all done.
Hi Kat! First of all, I am a huge Harry Potter nerd so I was immediately excited when I saw that you had Hogwarts in the title. I am an animal lover (very Hufflepuff of me) so I too am interested in all of the unique animals portrayed in the series. I wish there was maybe a picture in your introduction of one of the horse hybrids or something else that ties it all together. I like how each of your stories incorporates actual elements from the Harry Potter series, and combines it with legends of mythical horse hybrid creatures. I especially like how you have Hagrid tell one of the stories, because he is such an important part of the trio’s interaction with animals. Reading your second story it was hard to picture the eight legged horse at first, until I noticed the picture at the bottom. I think it would be helpful to move that picture to the top or to the side so one can look at it as they read. Overall, great job and cool storyline!
ReplyDeleteHey there Kat! I am in Professor Gibbs' Indian Epics class, and this week I had the opportunity of taking a look at a project from your class. I chose your project almost immediately because I absolutely love Harry Potter. In fact, I went to Harry Potter World for my senior graduation trip! The creatures in Harry Potter have always been an interest of mine and so I was so happy to see that was your topic. I was so glad to see that you did justice to JK Rowling in your color/image choices for your site. I loved how you chose to use some darker/cool colors for your project, because they stick out just enough to be appreciated but are not so flashy that they distract the reader from looking at the text. I really like how you chose to give different creatures there own page in the site and you did such a great job in describing the ones you have so far! I look forward to checking out your project as the semester comes to a close, so keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat, I just read through your introduction so I could get a better feel of who you are as a person before I read your story book. I can definitely see why you picked the topic for your storybook and honestly now I am super excited to read them! I grew up horse back riding at my grandfather's farm, he used to train Icelandic horses so the horses I am sued to are quite a bit smaller than the ones you are used to, haha. Now, on too the storybook! I like the approach that you took to the storybook, having a narrator that guides us through the stories, a kind of journalist that interviews and asks the questions that we have worked really well. You also did a fantastic job at tieing in the myths that you chose into the universe that J.K. Rowling has created.
ReplyDelete- Anna Margret
Hi, Kat! First off, I have to say that the first mention of Hogwarts pulled me right in! I love anything and everything Harry Potter, so the idea of basing your entire project off of the horses of Hogwarts is absolutely amazing! I think you have done a wonderful job with the layout and design of both your website and your blog. The pictures you have been choosing seem to really compliment your stories and add some depth to them, as well as making the story flow nicely. I also like that you have taken your life long love of horses and put that into a school project! I haven't seen many people do that, so I am really impressed with how you have been able to implement that into your stories. Overall, I think you have done an amazing job with your project so far and I definitely look forward to reading more from you as this semester goes on!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat!
ReplyDeleteAs a Harry Potter fan I was so excited when I saw the title of your Storybook! I have always wondered about the other creatures at Hogwarts, especially since being introduced to the Thestrals. I think your introduction does a great job at explaining the basis for the stories and giving us a hint at what is to come.
In the first story I think it is so cool that Greek mythology was incorporated into the origin of Centaurs at Hogwarts. I never thought about the two things mixing, but somehow it works! Also, I think you captured Hermione’s curiosity, and Harry’s amazement very well, but I was missing Ron
I was so happy to see Hagrid in the second story. I feel like he would have a lot to say on this topic. I like that it was Godric Gryffindor that found Sleipnir and brought him to Hogwarts. I feel like this is something that a Gryffindor would do for a majestic animal that was in need of a place to live out his life.
Hi again Kat!
ReplyDeleteI just got to read one of your stories, The Centaurs of Hogwarts. This was a story I didn't mind reading one bit because like I had mentioned previously on here, I love Harry Potter. I like how in this story you put background information and pieces from the actual Harry Potter books. That made this feel like a true J.K. Rowling novel. Your story was very detailed and interesting as well. The question Hermione asked was met with a good and interesting answer and made me want to read more. I thought it was also very cool that you put little mythology aspects throughout your story. I never thought about the wizarding world interacting with the mythology world before. I loved this story and can't wait to read more of yours in the future. Great job!
Hi Kat!
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter is my favorite. Therefore, your story is very appealing to me. When i first looked at your project, i immediately recognized that picture and the Hogwarts, and i know that your story was about Harry Potter. Those background pictures that you chose was glamourous. It was good since you chose to tell us about the backside of Harry Potter, things that I, as a reader, didn't know through the original story and the film also. I didn't read all of your stories this times, but i probably will. Your introduction of the Centaur was interested to read. I could feel the curiosity of Hermione and the intelligence of Potter. Your project was well-make. I bet you spent a lot of times for it. Most of project that i had seen were based on legendaries or fairy tales, thus, your project was unique. I am enjoyed reading it
Hi Kat! I read your storybook and thought it was awesome that you used the world of Harry Potter. I have never actually read the Harry Potter books myself, but I have seen enough of the movies and other information to be able to follow your stories easily enough. I think that is great since it makes your story more accessible to people like me who have not engaged with a ton of Harry Potter content in the past. I really liked how you tied mythology stories into each part of your storybook. The information from these that was discussed by the characters seemed to fit into the Hogwarts setting quite well. I also think all of the images you used on your storybook were great and fit each story. Overall, I really enjoyed your storybook and think the idea for yours is interesting. It’s really well written and I think you did a great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat! Great idea for a storybook! I am making the assumption that most people reading your storybook have read Harry Potter and already adore the story line, and I am one of those people! I’m very excited to read more of your storybook! I think your introduction is great because the questions you have about the books have allowed you to create a wonderful story line! I am reading your last story, “The Mysterious Hidden Hippocampus,” and I really love all of the dialogue in the story. One thing that I think you could change to make your story better is to change the picture of the fountain to an animated picture. You are telling a fictional story and your cover photo is animated, so I think it makes sense to add another animated photo. But I also like how you added this real element of the fountain mixed with the character in your story. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Kat, I really like how you have finished out this Project! The images you have included are incredible and do an excellent job of bringing your stories to life. You do this particularly well in the final story, “The Mysterious Hidden Hippocampus.” The initial banner image does an excellent job of setting the scene and then the embedded image refreshes the mind of the reader. One thing you might improve upon is adding more images within your other stories. Many of your stories are longer pages of text, which is great, but a bit monotonous. Integrating a few more images could help you make these stories even more vivid. I have to admit, when I read the title of your last story, my biology bias lead me to think I was about to read a story about a certain part of the brain, so I was a bit confused as to how this fit into your overall theme, but I quickly figured it out. I had never heard of these creatures before. Ultimately though, you have done an excellent job and have a great Storybook, Well done!
ReplyDeleteHey Kat!
ReplyDeleteI'm truly surprised that this is the first time I'm seeing your project this semester considering I've read every Harry Potter book at least 20 times. This was my absolute favorite book series growing up, and may still be today. Once you mentioned looking into the possibility of other mythical creatures at Hogwarts that I may have not heard of I knew I had to read this project! With that being said, I was happy to see you did such a great job conveying these creatures to the reader using characters most people are familiar with. Like someone before me mentioned I think this project would benefit from some additional pictures. I think being as descriptive as possible or providing ample images when you're talking about new mythical creatures would make the story very exciting for the readers and give us an easier time picturing that creature in our heads. Out of the stories you have here I enjoyed hearing about Sleipnir the most. I loved the backstory you provided for it and how you combined Norse mythology into the world of Hogwarts. Overall, fantastic writing!
Hi Kat! First of all, I want to say that when I saw the title of project, I squealed haha. I am a HUGE Harry Potter, so I love the theme your storybook. I'm from the Epics of India class so I have never read anything that you had used as sources but I can tell you've put much thought into your stories. I like that you have multiple Harry Potter characters in your stories and not just the Golden Trio. I like that you used Firenze in your first story about centaurs. I especially like the format of the last two stories. I like that Hagrid is the one telling them the story about the Sleipner and the Hippocampus. It's just like in the books how the trio go to Hagrid and ask him about the three-headed dog, or Hagrid's dragon, etc. Overall, I had a great time reading through your storybook! You did an awesome job on this!
ReplyDelete