This week, I had the opportunity to speak with school leaders in Hawai`i and I shared that despite the Covid crisis, teachers and schools are doing amazing things. Out of this crisis came opportunities to try new ideas and to do things differently with their students. I shared a number of examples.
In the spring of 2020 when schools suddenly pivoted from in-person learning to distance learning, many teachers were unprepared. Yet, they quickly learned how to use new technology tools such as Padlet, Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Jamboard to communicate with and engage their students and families. They discovered other tools they could use as well for different subject areas. Now that most schools have returned to in-person learning, teachers have new resources to use to integrate technology into their classrooms. The beneficiaries are the students and the teachers.
Lianna Lam, Kaimuki Middle School teacher, shared a Padlet she had created for their STEAM Innovation Lab which opened to the whole school community during the pandemic. There are hands-on activities for students, teachers, and families to explore and discover. This STEAM Center activity she shared shows how students at her school are concerned about problems in our community. They will be exploring an important question about restoring and conserving our fresh water. These middle school students are getting a head start on examining environmental and social problems that impact the quality of our lives.
Derek Minakami, principal of Kane`ohe Elementary School shared this on Twitter: "Social distancing necessitates that 1/2 of each upper grade classroom eat outside their classrooms. A 4th grader got fed up with the metal folding chairs falling down when stacked against the wall & designed this device to hold the chairs." The fact that a fourth grader would be able to see a problem and design then build a solution is a testament to the school and the educators who encourage meaningful and real-world thinking processes. Amazing!
When school resumed for in-person learning, many schools created outdoor spaces for classes to meet because it was safer than being indoors where Covid germs were more likely to spread. Jennifer Lee, a first grade teacher at Hale`iwa Elementary School shared that much of the teaching and learning in her class these days is outdoors. Her students love working in their vegetable garden as well as their butterfly garden. They are becoming keen observers and are learning so much by being in their outdoor classroom. They are not only raising butterflies, they are also growing food. The kids are reading, writing, sciencing, learning math, and learning to work together on their projects. Jennifer's excitement when she speaks with me is contagious; I can't wait to visit her classroom!
The Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua complex area knew that some parents would want an option for their elementary school students, so the Pineapple Academy was created to provide distance learning. Students are enrolled from different schools in the complex area, and a teacher is assigned to each grade level. Teachers plan activities to address grade level standards, and students meet with their classmates and their teacher daily. From all I have heard, the Pineapple Academy has been successful. Students are thriving, parents are very satisfied, and the teachers have learned so much from this experience. Hopefully, the program will be expanded to create more distance learning opportunities for students, not just in the Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua complex area but throughout the state as well.
I shared about Ka`u Dream at Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary School in an earlier blog. This is a project that has the potential to revitalize the Ka`u community, and it is so exciting that the school is at the center of the changes.
As the Chinese proverb states, "In every crisis lies the seed of opportunity." I am sure that all schools have examples of being innovative despite the challenges of teaching during a pandemic. It's time for schools to share these successes!
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