Sunshine on 11

Recently a few members of my PLN (Marialice Curran, Craig Dunlap, Jamey Boelhower and Jennifer Scheffer) mentioned me in one of their blog posts and it had something to do with an "11 Man Game" or a "Sunshine Award."

What in the world is that?  I found myself asking the same question.   Essentially,  it's a blogging challenge from a member of your PLN that allows them and other members of your PLN to learn a few things about you.

Here are the rules:  (Marialice, I am sharing them from your blog post)

1.  Acknowledge the nominating blogger.

2.  Share 11 random facts about yourself.

3.  Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.

4.  List 11 bloggers.  They should be bloggers you believe deserve a little recognition.

5.  Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they've been nominated.  (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)

11 Random Facts About Me

1.  I am the oldest of four boys.

2.  I shave my head each and everyday.

3.  I am married to my high school sweetheart.

4.  I love to garden and perennials are my favorite. 

5.  I love to cook.

6.  I enjoy cleaning and find it very therapeutic.

7.  I am an avid DIY'er.  I recently refinished the 99 year old Douglas Fir floors on the second floor of our home.

8.  I have a metal plate under my right eye as result of a baseball accident.

9.  I love to learn about Lewis and Clark.  I have traveled and camped along the trail as far as the Bitteroot Mountains in Idaho and look forward to going completing the journey by traveling to the Pacific Ocean.

10. I love bluegrass music.  Some of my favorites would are Town Mountain, Split Lip Rayfield and Old Crow Medicine Show

11. The first record (yes, vinyl) I ever bought with my own money was Billy Joel's "Glass Houses"

The 11 questions I have to answer for Maralice: 

 (Here are Craig, Jamey and Jen's answers)

1. Why did you start blogging? To create a digital presence, and as a way to share some of the things/ideas I was doing in my classroom.
2. What was/is your favorite lesson to teach in the classroom?  When I was teaching Nebraska History I loved my unit on Lewis and Clark, World History was the Romans.  Today, I love teaching students how to CREATE with the iPad.  
3. If education wasn’t an option in any form, what would you be instead? A Landscape Contractor
4. What was the hardest lesson you learned?  That my Dad wouldn't live forever. 
5. What is your proudest moment?  When my children were born. 
6. How do you explain your job to people?  I get to work with teachers and collaborate on the best ways to integrate technology into their classrooms.  I also get to teach or students and parents about Digital Citizenship.
7. If you could send a message back to yourself 20 years ago, what would it say? Don't sweat the small stuff!
8. If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about the public education system, what would it be and why?  Quit testing so much.  Eradicate the industrial revolution learning model that we are stuck in (teachers deliver content to students, students regurgitating information back) and instead start focusing all collaboration, design and creation in the classroom.
9. If you could visit any event in recorded history, what event would you pick and why? That's a hard question for former History teacher.  There are so many events that I would love to witness, but I would actually go back to the last round of golf that I played with my Dad before he passed away.  The day was rainy and our round was slow because we had to wait for the rain as it was off and on.  We were able to have some great father son conversations during our down time.  What I wouldn't give to go back and relish ever minute of that day with my Dad.
10. What is the title and author of the last book you read for fun?  Breaking into the Backcountry by Steve Edwards.  Great read!
11. What book should I read over break? Which book is a must-read and why? Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption  Just read it. It will be one of the best books you have ever read!

11 Educator Bloggers/Teachers that have challenged my way of thinking, inspired me to try something new or taught me how to do something with something they shared:

Greg Swanson           @gregdswanson
Darin Swenson          @Swenson_N111
Greg Miller                @millerg6
Kevin Steinkuhler      @KSteink
Brent Catlett               @catlett1
Jodie Morgenson       @morgetron
Mr. Mansour             @mrmanteacher
Shawn Avery            @mr_avery
Jon Smith                   @theipodteacher
Jennifer Regruth        @jennregruth
Jeremy Macdonald    @mrmacnology

11 Questions I have for my bloggers/educators:

1.  What motivates you?
2.  Is the iPad a distraction in the classroom?
3.  In your opinion, who has been the most influential person in the history of the world?
4.  Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right thing?
5.  What's one thing you have not done that you really want to do?
6.  What is your happiest childhood memory?
7.  What is best part about about current job?
8.  Which is worse, failing or never trying?
9.  iOS or Android?
10.  Do you have a bucket list actually written down somewhere?
11.  Why did you become a teacher?