Sunshine Blog Award

Today, I got a notification on Twitter that Jeffrey Humphries @itechteach nominated me for the Sunshine Blog Award 2013. He actually nominated our class blog, but I've been keen to start blogging on here, so I'm going to go ahead and respond on here, but I'll post a link to my class blog as well!

Jeff is an itinerant teacher with our board (OCDSB) and he's the one who, just a year ago, introduced me to the Google Drive. He told me about the accounts that are set up for all students and staff in my board and, since then, my teaching has been revolutionized! I ran into Jeff this week at the first meeting of my Digital Learning Network and look forward to working with him! Check out his blog Technology 4 All and follow him on Twitter. Thanks for the nomination, Jeff!


So what is a Sunshine Blog Award?  A nomination requires some reflecting and some fun at the same time. The requirements include:

• Acknowledging the nominating blogger(s),
• Share 11 random facts about yourself,
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you,
• List 11 bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little “link-juice,”
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and notify them.

11 Random Facts About Shauna

1. I have an undergraduate degree from Mount Allison University with a major in Literature and a minor in Religious Studies
2. I worked for four summers at the most amazing summer camp, Red Pine (I was a camper there from age 2 onwards!)
3. As a kid, I swam, rollerbladed and skied competitively. I haven't skied in 15 years,  or rollerbladed in five but I still swim for fun. One Christmas vacation in Florida, I dared myself to swim 500 laps in a week.
4. My four brothers run a gold buying company with twelve offices across Canada. 
5. I attend just about every Professional Development workshop that I can. In the past month, I attended The Rainbow Youth Forum, The Google Apps for Education Summit, OCDSB Digital Learning Networks and EdCamp Ottawa 2013.
6. I love reading, especially Young Adult fiction, especially dystopian future YA fiction. I read at least a book a week on my Kindle Paperwhite.
7. I've been with my husband, Matt, since we were 17. 
8. I love to travel. I love to plan and if I wasn't a teacher, would probably be a travel agent.
9. I have been to at least two countries in every continent except Antarctica. My goal is to visit at least as many countries as my age, I'm on track for a while, as I've visited thirty-seven so far. 
10. When I was in grade 4, I was selected to give flowers to Princess Diana. I thought that would lead to me marrying Prince William.
11. I don't have any children, but I have three awesome nephews, with one more on the way.

Answer the Following 11 Questions the nominating blogger has created for you:

1. What is your favorite movie of all time? Three way toss up: Wayne's World, Dumb & Dumber and Back to the Future 2.
2. If you could have attended any concert anytime in history, what would it have been? I just wish I'd gotten to see Michael Jackson live.
3. What do you do for fun? Hobby? I love watching TV series on Netflix. Right now, I'm rewatching all of X-Files and starting Episodes. I also love to paint and do crafts.
4. What two guests would make the best comedic pair as co-hosts for the Oscars? Jim Carrey and Mike Myers
5. Cat, Dog or Goldfish? Why? Cats. Because they're hilarious and I want more than the two that I have already. My husband says he is the only thing standing between me an Cat Lady-dom
6. How do you caffeinate? I rarely have caffeine, but when I'm on a long road trip, I drink Coke. I especially like Cherry Coke available in the States
7. Favorite twitter chat? I love the things that go on #bcedchat, especially when they talk student mental health
8. Best place you ever vacationed? I love small, off-the-beaten path places, like Koh Lanta, Thailand, Lombok, Indonesia and anywhere in Lesotho.
9. Best book you’ve read in 2013? 
10. Favorite television shows? Buffy, Arrested Development, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dead Like Me, Survivors, Veronica Mars, Weeds....so many!
11. What is one thing you never/rarely share that you are exceptionally proud of? This one is really tricky, because I don't want to share the stuff that I don't want to share about. However, this was pretty cool. Particularly the letters of support I received for the nomination from former students. Those are the people I'm exceptionally proud of, and the influence I've been privileged enough to have.

11 New Questions for My Nominees!

1. What was your favourite toy as a child?

2. What's your favourite board game?

3. What movie universe do you wish you could live in?

4. Zombies, robots or vampires?

5. What's your favourite TED video?

6. Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is your favourite?

7. If you could start a museum, what would it be called?

8. If you ran a workshop for teachers, what would the title be? (Thanks @msmagiera)

9. What's your best tip for a beginning teacher?

10. What one thing would make your job easier?

11. If you could have any other job, other than the one you currently have, what would it be?

My Sunshine Award Blogger Nominees:

1. Tiiu Tsao (@tiiut)

2. Amy Bowker (@classcollect)

3. Mrs. Martel (@MrsMartel2)

4. Andrew Parent (@parent_ocdsb)

5. Jane Smith (@janesmith)

6. Toby Jones (@rocknrolljonesy)

7. Pamela Jones (@pamguyjones)

8. Anna Hipperson (@annahipperson)

9. Daniel Atkins (@AtkinsTweeting)

10. Lisa Mims (@BriteEyes49)

11. Jen Runde (@JenRunde)

Have fun! I look forward to reading your posts!

The Time I Met Sir Ken

He's like my Elvis. This was a big day for me.

The Myth of the Super Teacher

The Myth of the Super Teacher from EdWriters on Vimeo.

Dean Shareski directed his students to this video on a website for an online class that I've been visiting. Soon, my class will be getting a "Virtual Student Teacher" and he's linking us up with one of his pre-service teachers! The kids and I are very excited.

After watching this video, I sent it off to my Junior colleagues almost immediately. Roxanna Elden did an incredible job validating me and I couldn't wait to share her words with my friends! I also quickly searched up the book she mentioned, thinking that I might actually need to start an educational Book Club (and not just the one in parentheses that my current colleagues and I hold some Fridays after work!)! Fortunately, I have my new Kindle and I ordered a digital copy of her book, See Me After Class.

Welcome!

For years, I've been dipping my toe into the edublogger world, building up a PLN that I access, use resources from and occassionally try to add to the conversation to on twitter or on blogs. I've never really jumped in with both feet, and I figure I can go for some balance.

So here goes, somewhere in between a toe dip and both feet in to the edublogging world!

This is My Teacher Costume will feature teaching ideas, plain and simple. This year, I've found that I have about five years worth of ideas and plans to complete in one year for my wonderful class. I keep them in a number of places, where they're of little use to me and of no use to anyone else. Hopefully, posting them on this blog will give them a little bit of life and make them of use to someone, even if it's me in the future!

Please feel free to use or adapt anything you find on here. Many of the ideas are ones I've borrowed from others, and whenever I can, I'll give credit and link you to the people, places and media that inspired me. If you have ANY questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to leave them!