This was an Awesome Opportunity!

 This morning’s local newspaper had an article about a sea urchin project (“Taking back the Bay”) that is making a difference in Kaneohe Bay and Waikiki. I was excited when I read this article because back in 2012, some of our students had an opportunity to  be a part of this project (Sea Urchins Project-Based Learning) and we even made a video of the experience. (The Time We Became Citizen Scientists) 

I remember visiting the sea urchin facility at Sand Island - they were still in the infancy stages - and I am thrilled that they have been successfully producing so many urchins over the years. They have definitely made a difference in the health of the reefs by eating the invasive algae. Seeing our students’ excitement and listening to their conversations about this project was so worthwhile, but although we learned so much  from this experience, it was quite a challenge for our teachers and students. Sadly, we had to discontinue our participation after two years. We realized that sustaining an environment where the urchins could thrive was difficult in a school, especially when we were not near the ocean or the Sand Island facility. 

This kind of project might be a challenge for younger students, but what about high school students? We need to stop thinking that school is the only place for students to learn. The community can provide learning opportunities that students cannot get in a school setting such as application of skills in the real-world, time management, asking questions and researching to find answers, communicating effectively with others, and being an effective worker in a real-world environment. Many of these skills are related to our Department’s General Learner Outcomes (GLOs)

I think the six GLOs are an important part of the learning process, and they are: Self-Directed Learner (The ability to be responsible for one's own learning); Community Contributor (The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together); Complex Thinker (The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving); Quality Producer (The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products); Effective Communicator (The ability to communicate effectively); and Effective and Ethical User of Technology (The ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically).

The GLOs were developed through a collaborative process involving Department of Education staff as well as representatives from higher education, businesses, and the community. These are the desired outcomes we want for all students who graduate from our Hawaii schools. All students are expected to demonstrate these GLOs.. The problem is that we observe students demonstrating these outcomes only in the school setting. How can we expand their experiences so students can realize the importance of these learner outcomes in the real world?

I suggest that students should have an option to do an internship in an area they may want to pursue, post-high school. Let’s take the sea urchin project as an example. A student might be interested in environmental studies or oceanography, and working in the hatchery might be an opportunity to explore and learn more. The student, the hatchery manager or another designated person at the facility, and the teacher would determine expectations for the internship (number of hours per week, what the expectations are, what the responsibilities will be, etc.). The student and teacher/advisor will agree on requirements which would include accountability as well as demonstrating the General Learner Outcomes. One of the requirements could be a reflection of the learning process via a blog, a video portfolio, or an app such as Unrulr. This could also be a way for the student to communicate with the teacher. At the end of the internship, students would participate in a ‘showcase’ where they share with an authentic audience which would include their work mentor about their experiences and what they learned.

Today, many teens do not have work experiences because school and other activities take up much of their time. . Community internships could be a way to provide students with experiences that will help them when they are applying for a job especially if they have never held a summer or part-time job prior to graduating with their college degree.

We need to start looking at our community for opportunities to prepare our students to be successful after they graduate. Education is not confined to a school building; students need to demonstrate the General Learner Outcomes in the world outside, not just in school, All of us bear responsibility to ensure that our students are prepared when they enter the workforce. Internships can be a win-win for both our students and the community. Investing in our students can pay dividends in the long-run.