I’ve known Paul Cancellieri since 2002 and we were on the same interdisciplinary team once upon a time, so he at least knows me well enough to realize I much I just love coming up with lists about myself (#sarcasm). Paul has tagged me in the edublogosphere meme #MoreHomework. It’s goal is to help readers “get to know the people behind the screens”. I’ve really enjoyed reading the reponses others have written, such as here and here and here and here. But eleven interesting things? About me? Seriously?

However, I was tagged yet again by Jill Thompson. Also, I suppose I can’t just ignore assigned homework. What kind of example would I be setting? So, I’ve attempted the challenge, although you may notice some of the facts “about me” suspiciously deflect to others to whom I am related… #seewhatididthere?

The Homework Meme involves completing three things:

#1.) Share 11 random facts about yourself that others probably don’t already know.

1. Despite the fact that my husband is a huuuge Superman fanatic (like…huge), I’ve never actually seen any of the Superman movies. The old ones. The new ones. Ever. #sorryhoney
2. I’ve also never seen any of The Godfather movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shawshank Redemption (there’s poo involved, yes?) or anything with Bruce Lee. These first two facts taken together have my husband convinced there are things wrong with me. (There may be, but I maintain the lack of specific-movie-watching is not related.)
3. Between teaching in a year round school since 2002, teaching summer school in South Carolina each year I taught there, and going full-time to school every summer in both undergrad and grad school, I am a teacher who has not been “off for the summer” since I was a student in 1994. I’m fine with this, since I much prefer to be indoors during the summer anyway.  #airconditioningfan
4. My dad’s dad worked for RCA. His projects there included the electronics for the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) for the 1969 first man on the moon landing. My paternal grandfather was literally a rocket scientist.
5. My mother’s dad was a biochemist who worked on cancer research, specifically the aging of cells. As children, my mother and her sisters were part of the his research on cholesterol, which is also still referenced by most specialists in that field today. (My mother has recollections of she and her sisters having blood drawn, but just thought that’s what all dads did.)
6. I am the only one of my siblings without a PhD in my chosen field. #nopressure
7. I would rather lick the floor than eat a pickle. They are cucumbers soaked in distilled pure vile evil. Just eww.
8. I traveled to 16 countries in Europe during the summer between my junior and senior year in high school playing concerts with a group called, “The Carolina Ambassadors of Music.” With the exception of a short trip to Niagara Falls, it’s the only time I’ve been outside of the US.
9. My marriage is both interracial and interfaith. Some people find stuff like that noteworthy. #shrug
10. We have two boys (now 7 & 5). When our younger son was born, he was only 27 weeks gestation. He weighed 3 pounds zero ounces and stayed in two different NICUs over two months before he could come home. #scarytimes
11. If I’d gone to Hogwarts, I would have been placed in Ravenclaw. My results from the Sorting Hat Quiz:  Ravenclaw=16,   Hufflepuff=14,   Gryffindor=10,   Slytherin=6.

#2.) Answer the 11 questions posed by Paul.

1. If you could teach anywhere in the world (other than your current location), where would it be?  Korea
2. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, or Green Lantern?  Why?   Superman because I love my husband and he might read this and I want to stay married.
3. What is your favorite comedy movie of all time?   I usually watch comedy via TV shows more than movies. Current favorites include “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Crazy Ones”. Classics for me include “Who’s Line?”, “Scrubs”, and “The Office”.
4. Would you rather have the super power of invisibility or flying?   Flying. I’d rather travel quickly than accidentally overhear things I can’t unhear.
5. If you could drink milkshakes with any person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be?      Real: Neil DeGrasse Tyson. #nerdcrush      Fictional: Professor Minerva McGonagall. #idolworship
6. Favorite dipping sauce?   Chick-Fil-A avocado lime ranch. Hate their politics, looove their dressing. Wait – unless we’re dipping buffalo wings? Then it’s homemade blue cheese dressing all the way.
7. What one quality is your greatest asset?   I’ve been pondering this one for forever now. I just couldn’t think of a good answer, so I asked my husband to answer it for me. He said “determined”, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a way to call me stubborn and dress it in a compliment’s clothing.    Um… my self-assurance?      (#sarcasm)
8. Put in order of most awesome to least: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Lone Ranger, Walker Texas Ranger, Galaxy Rangers, Army Rangers. I had to google images of more of those than I care to admit to confirm exactly what you were talking about. My maternal grandfather served the army in World War II. (In fact, he met a man on Hilton Head Island visiting from Germany whom it turned out had surrendered specifically to him over fifty years prior.) Anyway, mad respect for anyone serving their country with their life on the line and no fictional character can top that.  If pressed, I’d put Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in a very distant second since my husband was almost cast as one.
9. What is the best way to reduce the number of school shootings in the United States? In 1996 after a lone gunman killed 35 innocent people, Australia issued comprehensive controls and banned assault rifles. Their resulting data would suggest that following suit would be an excellent strategy.
10. What mobile app do you use the most often? I’m not addicted to Candy Crush and can stop any time I want to. Stop judging me!
11. On a scale of 1 to 10, how dope do you dance The Robot?    3?

#3.) I come up with 11 questions for others to answer.

1. What is the one biggest challenge you face in the classroom that has a solution?
2. What character from a book, movie, or television are you most like and how so?
3. What’s something other people really seem to like that you think is either totally pointless or a waste of time?
4. Are you a “dog person” or a “cat person”?
5. If you could time travel to any time period in history for one week, when would you choose and why?
6. Favorite type of candy?
7. If you could live forever, would you? Why/why not?
8. In which House would The Sorting Hat have placed you at Hogwarts? Feel free to use this Sorting Hat Quiz.
9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you feel about sushi?
10. What’s your favorite tech tool for the classroom?
11. You’ve just received an unexpected $5,000. What would you do with it?

Here are the 11 bloggers I nominate to continue the #MoreHomework meme. They write great stuff, and I’d love to know more fun facts from the minds behind the screen:

1. Caitlin Tucker
2. Amy Mayer
3. Med Kharbach
4. Vance Kite
5. Jason Lineberger
6. Troy Cockrum
7. Steve Anderson
8. Luke Miles
9. Robin Bulleri
10. Karen McPherson
11. YOU. Yeah, you reading this. If you don’t have a blog, please feel free to leave your responses in my comments section.

Here’s how it works:

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. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer.
5. List 11 bloggers, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.
6. Post back here with a link after you write this.

Go on, you have homework to do.