Is this the School of the Future?

Back in December 2012, I wrote a blog titled “Virtual Learning.” We had applied for and received a DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) grant to pilot a blended learning program at our school. At the time, our enrollment had ballooned, and we were scrambling to find space for all of our students and support services. At the same time, our teachers were encouraged to use technology as a tool to engage and empower student learners.  This was the perfect time to try a hybrid or blended model where students attend school in-person for part of the week and complete their required lessons and assignments independently at home on the other days.

The program exceeded our expectataions. The students, their parents, and the teachers agreed that there were so many benefits including increased student motivation and engagement, a sense of community where teachers and students were learning together, and the opportunity to pilot a new model that could be replicated in other schools or communities.

I have several regrets about my time as the principal at our school. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t find a way to continue the blended learning program after our three-year grant funding ended. At the time, we were embarking on a new adventure, courtesy of another Department of Defense grant which transformed our school. (See my blog about the experience here.) In hindsight, we could have done things differently to continue and expand our blended learning program to include all grade levels. We could have more-widely shared about our program with education leaders; maybe other schools would have been interested in replicating our program. 

I was excited when I heard about the Pineapple Academy that the Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Area started three years ago at Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School. During the COVID pandemic, some parents requested an alternative to in-person learning when schools reopened. The Pineapple Academy received positive reviews from students and parents, but due to dwindling enrollment, it will no longer be an option next school year.

I knew that HIDOE had started a Hawai`i State Distance Learning Program (HSDLP) during the pandemic, and I was able to speak with Program Director Chad Nacapuy. I've known him for many years now; we bonded because of our common goal of increasing the use of technology with students.  The Hawaii Department of Education recognized that some parents and students would want an alternative to in-person learning.  Program Director Nacapuy explained that HSDLP is a program and not a school. Creating a school, even a charter school, would have been more difficult and they would not have been able to launch as quickly. Just like any new program, there are challenges, but there are so many positives that educators can learn from. 

Students can enroll from any public school in Hawai`i since HSDLP is a program, not a school. Students can participate in their home school activities (including athletics, events, and other extracurricular activities if their home-based school allows it) and if things don't work out with distance learning, they can return to in-person learning. When students graduate, they will receive a diploma from their home school.  

Program Director Nacapuy shared that HSDLP provided an essential service for Maui students after the wildfire in August. Many parents opted to enroll their children in HSDLP to ensure that they could continue to learn and to be supported by their teachers and classmates. The Pineapple Academy teachers were also involved. They provided essential SEL (social-emotional learning) lessons virtually, and many families took advantage of this opportunity. Now that Maui schools have reopened and HIDOE has encouraged in-person learning, many of those students attend school in-person on Maui.

There are no plans to discontinue the HSDLP; in fact, this program can hopefully be expanded. One of the benefits of  blended learning is that students are able to be better managers of their time.. Think about it. How much time during the school day is actually spent on instruction and learning? According to this article, “Time is a School’s Most Precious Resource. Where Does It Go?”  a study of elementary schools found that just 64% of the day was devoted to academic subject activities. So in a 6-hour school day, less than 2/3 of the day, or about 4 hours, is spent on academics. If students in distance learning environments are self-directed learners who manage their time so their required assignments are completed efficiently, they can then use the extra two hours to learn something new, to collaborate with classmates on projects, or to participate in activities they are interested in.  Often, elite athletes, those involved in the performing arts, or those who have part-time jobs will see distance learning as a viable option to in-person learning. They get their schoolwork completed and the extra time can be devoted to their other interests.

According to this article, The Rise of Online Learning in the U.S, the number of students taking on-line or distance learning courses in colleges and universities has grown rapidly since 2010. Many non-traditional students - working parents, military members, lifelong learners - are taking distance learning classes because they are more widely available, tuition is often less costly, and the classwork can be completed and submitted at a time that is convenient for them. Students who in the past might have attended college in-person may now opt to take classes on-line. 

It makes sense, therefore, for programs like Hawai`i State Distance Learning Program to expand its offerings to students of all ages, but especially for middle and high schoolers. All of the Department’s General Learner Outcomes are addressed in a distance learning program:

• Self-Directed Learner - Students work independently, ask for help when they need additional support, and manage their time to complete their coursework
• Community Contributor - Students have the opportunity to work with others on assignments and projects. In this day and age, many professionals collaborate to complete research or projects with others in different states or countries. Students can have that opportunity with students from different schools or mentors in the community.
• Complex Thinker - Problems are all around us. Students need opportunities to work together to think critically and to figure out solutions to these problems. 
• Quality Producer - We want our students to be able to recognize and to produce quality work. By working together in a virtual learning environment, students can ask for feedback from their teacher or their peers to improve on their work.
• Effective Communicator - Communication involves speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students in a distance learning classroom have many opportunities to become effective communicators.
• Effective and Ethical User of Technology- HSDLP students have many tools available for learning, doing, creating, and sharing. In this day and age with technology advancing so rapidly, students need to be effective and ethical in their use of technology.

Virtual or distance learning is not for every student, but every student can benefit from the integration of technology to explore, discover, create, and share. When students have these opportunities from the time they enter elementary school, they will be better-prepared to take control of their own educational journey when they get to middle and high school. We need to think outside the box and provide our students with options like the Hawai`i State Distance Learning Program. This is the school of the future.

There is Another Option: Blended Learning

A New Way of Teaching and Learning

Our Students are More than a Test Score

 I recently read an article in Civil Beat titled, "Hawaii Charter Schools Say Test Scores Don't Tell the Whole Story."  I know that many - if not all - of the charter schools in Hawai`i are having a positive impact on their students and school communities despite their Strive-HI data. Students are engaged in hands-on learning, are often perpetuating their culture and their language, are involved in their communities, and are creating the kinds of caring leaders we need now and in the future. Though their test scores may not show it, students ARE learning.

I remember when I was a principal and had just completed a walkthrough at our school which went well. Our students were excited to share with our visitors about what and how they were learning.  During our post-visit conversation, there were many positive comments:  Your school is probably the most vibrant one we've visited. The kids are doing great things. The students are articulate and confidently shared their learning. And then this: But what about your test scores? There it was; the question I knew was coming. I was prepared with an answer, but I don't know if the visitors agreed. To them, test scores were the indicator for whether a school was successful. 

Our test scores were not bad. We were always in the middle of the pack when compared to other elementary schools across the State. Could it have been higher? Sure, but that was not our priority. We didn't ignore the fact that the tests were required. We prepared the students by having them take the practice test and having discussions about the questions and why an answer might be a better choice. Teachers encouraged the students to try hard and to not give up and taught strategies for test-taking,  But test prep was not emphasized and we definitely did not want our students stressing over a test which did not define who they were. 

At our school, we recognized that we are living in a fast-changing world. We wanted our students to have the skills they would need to be the problem-finders and the problem-solvers that our world needs. This slide show from 2014, created by our tech team, was shared with our school community about how our teachers and students were transitioning to a world where technology was viewed as a tool to explore, discover, create, and share. As I examined these slides, I was amazed at how our teachers and students were using technology at a time when it was not prioritized in our school system. 

When the pandemic disrupted schools back in 2020, many educators and students struggled to adjust to distance or virtual learning. Educators were forced to learn how to use technology to plan lessons and to connect with their students. They persevered and learned new strategies and tools; it was amazing! When the pandemic ended and school was once-again in-person, however, it seems that in many cases, technology is no longer a priority. The emphasis seems to be on learning loss and hiring tutors to provide more reading and math to raise test scores of students who fell behind during the pandemic. When will we realize that students are more than a test score? 

Technology does not come naturally to me, and I struggle to learn new ways of learning. I think that's true of many senior citizens. Our students, however, live in a far-different world than the one I grew up in, and our youngsters already use technology seamlessly in their daily lives. Except in school. Unless given the opportunity. 

Today, different forms of technology can change teaching and learning in our schools (7 Emerging Technologies That Will Reshape Education in 2023) but how many teachers know how to use these tools for themselves as well as for their students? Do schools have professional learning opportunities to share new technology for teachers and students  to connect and collaborate with others and to share their learning? Are schools providing opportunities for students to take classes on-line, not just for credit-recovery, but to gain experience with virtual learning? How do we engage students using technology and how can we provide a personalized educational experience for them? These are questions that schools should be discussing; our students need to be prepared for their world, one that is changing rapidly and where learning new technologies is essential.  

In this day and age, we should be looking at students through a wider lens. Test scores and grade point averages should not be the only way we define them. Instead, we should be asking questions such as: What do they want to learn? What are their strengths and their challenges? How do they learn best? How do they work with others? What interests do they have outside of school? How do they get their information? What are their goals? How can we making learning relevant for all students? 

Let's stop defining students and schools only by their test scores in math and reading.

This is one of my favorite videos to share with educators. It is four years old, and is probably already outdated, but the message is clear. Schools today need to prepare students for their future. Using test scores as a way to rank and judge students and schools ignores the individual strengths and interests of all students. Let's do better; our students deserve it!