{"id":1273,"date":"2014-01-05T20:21:13","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T04:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/?p=1273"},"modified":"2014-01-05T20:38:24","modified_gmt":"2014-01-06T04:38:24","slug":"the-curse-of-eleven-getting-our-homework-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/?p=1273","title":{"rendered":"The Curse of Eleven: Getting our Homework Done"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Peek<\/a>
\nTag. I\u2019m it. Worst yet\u2014I\u2019ve succumbed to the dreaded virtual chain letter. I\u2019m late to the party so I am hoping there will be no curse that lands on my family and me if I haven\u2019t completed this on time. The rules: Tell 11 interesting facts about yourself and respond to 11 questions posted by your PLN friend (mine are from Sheila Morissette\u2014are they still your friend if they tag you?) and tag 11 \u201cfriends\u201d with new questions.<\/p>\n

Eleven Interesting Facts about Me:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. I grew up in Nelson, B.C.<\/p>\n

2. We have a tradition for the letter \u201cE\u201d. My parent\u2019s names were Ernie and Esme (Underhill). My brothers and sisters are: Elena, Eldon, Eve, Erik, Elyn, and me (Elisa). My husband goes by the name John but his first name is Erland. His dad\u2019s name was Erland and his mom\u2019s name was Emma. Our children all have \u201cE\u201d names: Elliott, Ethan, Elijah and Ellis.<\/p>\n

3. I killed a bear. Really. Not quite with my own hands. Almost. The car killed the bear.<\/p>\n

4. The best birthday present ever: My oldest son was born on my birthday.<\/p>\n

5. I did grade 4 and 5 in one year.<\/p>\n

6. When we were touring Rome we were robbed of all of our possessions, everything but what we were wearing.<\/p>\n

7. I love<\/i> Eggs Benedict. And, I am particularly fond of breakfast. Period.<\/p>\n

8. I have a weakness for popcorn popped in a real pot on the stove. With butter. And salt. Several times a week. Really. I am going to take a break and make it right now.<\/i><\/p>\n

9. I cut the hair of all the males in my house. Except for my husband. He has some standards.<\/p>\n

10. I had to canoe across a moonlit lake to dig up a treasure chest hidden on the beach; it contained my engagement ring.<\/p>\n

11. Sometimes I like to do fun and crazy things and try to get others to do them with me. Life is too short to be boring. We need to live a little outrageously every now and again.<\/p>\n

The Eleven Questions Given to Me:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.What are you reading now?<\/p>\n

Like right now? This v\u2022e\u2022r\u2022y moment? Like one<\/i> thing? That thought makes me panic. I am never truly reading just one thing. I have just finished Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge<\/em><\/a> by Henry Cloud. The book really gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own practice and things that I wasn\u2019t doing well and needed to do differently. I have just cracked the cover to Innovation\u2019s Dirty Little Secret: Why Serial Innovators Succeed Where Others Fail<\/em><\/a> by Larry Osborne and I am re-reading (because I didn\u2019t learn enough the first time) 8 Things We Hate About I.T.: How to Move Beyond the Frustrations to Form a New Partnership with IT<\/em><\/a> written by Chief Technology Officer Susan Cramm. Her book is written for people like me to help us understand IT in organizations. In between those books, I am reading Sunday Brunch: Simple, Delicious Recipes for Leisurely Mornings<\/em><\/a> (see number 7 above). Oh, and I sometimes read books recommended by my children ages 7, 10 15, and 17. \u00a0Should I stop now?<\/span><\/p>\n

2. How do you stay current in your field?<\/p>\n

I read books (see above). I talk to people. I attend conferences. I visit schools. I hunt down important topics on the Internet. I follow the blogs of thought-leaders. Sometimes I make my way to Chapters, Trinity Western University, UBC or Regent College bookstores to check out the lastest books attached to course syllabi in areas of interest. I most recently stopped at the Seattle Pacific University bookstore and snapped up Nancy Duarte\u2019s Resonate<\/em><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Are you a camper or a hotel person? (Sheila Morissette loves camping.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"If<\/a>
If there is a rattlesnake, I will find it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Camping? Is that what you do in a tent<\/i> with four boys for every year of your married life? Is that what I did with my parents for every year while I lived at home? I can\u2019t actually say I love camping but I do love adventure travel. If it requires a tent, and the adventure is worth it, I will take it on. I\u2019ve camped across Canada to Newfoundland and back via the U.S. I\u2019ve camped thirty consecutive days to the tip of the Baja Peninsula pitching tents on the best beaches around. I have tented the Grand Circle Route and seen sunrise and sunset painted in the skies. I have camped B.C.\u2019s best: canoeing the Bowron Lake Chain, hiking the West Coast Trail, kayaking the Broken Group Islands, and running<\/span> the Juan de Fuca Marina Trail solo. In between, we have explored many State, Provincial and National Parks as well. Hotels? I will do that too. In fact, sometimes I put my foot down and insist on it. Too many times camping, practically stepping on a rattlesnake in the desert, and I am ready for a real<\/i> bed, crisp<\/i> sheets, and walls<\/i> between the outside world and me.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. \u00a0What is the next conference you plan to attend?<\/p>\n

I will be at the 4th Annual Summit on Education Technology for K-12 Schools, Universities and Colleges in Toronto. \u00a0I am presenting this session: Surrey School District: Create a Radical Social Movement to Shift Pedagogy and Deepen Learning with Technology.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

5. What excites you about the New Year ahead?<\/p>\n

Saying \u201cNo\u201d to some things so that I can focus on the work that truly matters. \u201cNo\u201d means \u201cYes\u201d to other important priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. \u00a0Who introduced you to twitter and blogging?<\/p>\n

I think it was Orwell Kowalyshyn (@kowalyshyn), our District\u2019s Information Media Literacy Helping Teacher, who introduced me to the topic, Chris Kennedy (@chrkennedy), Superintendent of West Vancouver, helped me to see it in a leadership context and Dan Turner (@dj_turner), CIO for Surrey, who almost called me a hypocrite for having technology in my portfolio and no first hand experience with social media. Finally, my ah-ha moment came when Heidi Gable (@HGG), a consultant for our district, installed Tweetdeck on my laptop and explained the all-powerful use of #hashtags.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. \u00a0Who would you most like to have dinner with?<\/p>\n

My husband.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. What inspires you?<\/p>\n

Beauty, design, that which is unique, carefully crafted words, and crazy ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Relax<\/a>
Relax on a beach, anywhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. \u00a0What do you do to relax?<\/p>\n

A simple candle lit bath is good, a hard run on a trail, biking out River Road but, truly, a trip to a fantastic beach, some brilliant sun and a chance to do completely nothing is the absolute ticket.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10. Name a couple of bloggers who inspire you.<\/p>\n

I find the stories from many, many of our own school district (#sd36learn) educators particularly inspiring because they are putting ideas into action (Think about the many new Learning Commons websites, genius hour applications, and inquiry-based learning).<\/span><\/p>\n

11. What are you working on that excites you?<\/p>\n

Transforming education. Creating a culture of innovation. Shifting teacher practice. Creating space for teachers to learn from each other. Providing opportunity for students to be engaged deeply in their learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phew! I am done. And now I pass the virtual homework challenge on to my colleagues and possible “friends”. Tag\u2014you are it!<\/p>\n

Lisa Domeier de Suarez, T-L and IML Helping Teacher, @librarymall
\nChris Hunter, Numeracy Helping Teacher, @chrishunter36
\nKevin Amboe, IML Helping Teacher, @amboe_k
\nChris Walton, LST Helping Teacher, @ipadtestkitchen
\nJB Mahli, SS Helping Teacher, @JB_Mahli
\nHugh McDonald, elementary teacher, @hughtheteacher
\nSheila Hammond, Principal, @sgmhammond
\nKaren Steffensen, Assistant Superintendent, @kstef2
\nJordan Tinney, Superintendent, @jordantinney
\nDan Turner, Chief Information Officer, @dj_turner
\nBrian Kuhn, Chief Information Officer, @bkuhn<\/p>\n

No curses provided (although we may no longer be “friends”). See your super-challenging, thought-provoking and provocative questions below:<\/p>\n

Your Homework–The Eleven New Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What is your favorite piece of music and why?
\n2. What would your ideal gourmet dinner be?
\n3. Who are the three people that have mentored, coached or encouraged you the most throughout your career and how have they done so?
\n4. What do you prefer to do in your leisure time? (choose three)
\n5. Name your favorite fiction and non-fiction book. Why?
\n6. Who challenges (helps you to be better at what you do) you the most in your work? Elaborate.
\n7. If you could choose a colour that best described your personality, what would it be? Explain.
\n8. What drives you crazy?
\n9. If you could change one thing in the education system, what would it be?
\n10. What was the most important thing you will do today (work-related)? What is the most important thing you will do tomorrow (work-related)?
\n11. What part of your work are you most passionate about? Why?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tag. I\u2019m it. Worst yet\u2014I\u2019ve succumbed to the dreaded virtual chain letter. I\u2019m late to the party so I am hoping there will be no curse that lands on my family and me if I haven\u2019t completed this on time. The rules: Tell 11 interesting facts about yourself and respond to 11 questions posted by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4,220],"tags":[221],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1273"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1294,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions\/1294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovativelearningdesigns.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}