Time to Get Edu-ma-cated!

10Aug08

Sorry it’s been awhile since my last post! I started writing this a few weeks ago, but it’s taken a bit to finish.

The end of April brought the Fellows up close and personal with all things school for Education Day. This particular area is especially important to me since I grew up in the world of academics with a professor for a dad and most of my volunteer efforts are in this arena. I’m a PROUD public school – Go Waiakea Warriors – and University of Hawaii graduate. Must be a warrior thing, no

PCF listens to Senator Sakamoto, Superintendent Hamamoto and HSTA President Takabayashi talk about Hawaii's public school system.

First up for the day was a panel on Hawaii’s public school system featuring DOE Superintendent Pat Hamamoto, Senator Norman Sakamoto and HSTA President Roger Takabayashi.

We learned about the challenges and benefits of running a statewide school system vs. each county managing its own. They talked about the weighted student formula which helps decide how much money each school gets relative to its student population – bottom line – not enough. And we discussed the teacher shortage and how it affects the student teacher ratio. All heavy topics, but very interesting discussion!

Next up was a panel featuring leaders from all over the University of Hawaii system including President David McClain, Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw, West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni and John Morton, VP for the Community Colleges. As a graduate of UH-Manoa and the daughter of two UH-Hilo employees, it was interesting to listen to the issues that are top of mind like curricula, faculty recruitment and retention, facilities improvements, future growth.

Principal Gail Awakuni talks about Teach for America and how she manages the business of her school.

Then we took a ride out to James Cambell High School for a tour and talk with Principal Gail Awakuni and several of the fantastic teachers from Teach for America that are working their magic on campus. We were treated to an amazing lunch prepared and served by the students who are learning about the business of food service. I wish I had a picture, because it looked like something you’d get at the Pineapple Room (which I love)! If you don’t know anything about Gail Awakuni, you have to get to know her. She’s a dynamo and she’s really figured out how to work the system to get what she needs to run her school the best she can for the kids and the teachers. It’s super impressive! We also got to see the learning centers like where they grow hydroponic lettuce for their food service as well as to sell to local restaurateurs.

Next up was a trip to space… Well, not really space, but it sure seemed like it at some points! We visited an awesome little hidden local gem called the Challenger Center tucked away in the unassuming classrooms of Barbers Point Elementary School. The Challenger Center was set up in memory of the crew of the final Challenger Shuttle Mission who lost their lives in 1986. The crew included Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space, and Ellison Onizuka, a Hawaii-born and raised astronaut, so the Center’s mission to excite local kids through education about space exploration is especially close to home.

The Fellows are briefed about the mission to rendezvous with Comet Halley.

Our mission was to rendezvous with Comet Halley and test our STEM skills in the process. STEM is a buzz word in education these days and it stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” After an initial briefing on the program and the mission, we were divided up into two groups. One went off to Mission Control and the other one went to the “Space Station” to set up and begin the mission.

The Space Station ISO crew getting instruction on what to do.

The crew works hard in Mission Control to make sure the shuttle can launch safely.

I was tasked with counting the number of holes in pieces of metal by using a robot arm to maneuver the metal plates so I could look at them. It was a bit tricky to do, but it was fun! The clock is ticking and there’s a lot of distractions and procedures that fight for your attention. It really gives you an appreciation for what the astronauts have to do to get their work done and how they are a team with the folks back at Mission Control.

About an hour later we switched places and found out what our work in the Space Station did at Mission Control. Luckily my team was good at figuring out how to avoid an asteroid field and we were able to launch the shuttle safely to rendezvous with Comet Halley! Normally teachers are given training and they prepare the students in advance of their visit so they have a deeper understanding of their roles and what skills are being tested. It’s a fun way to incorporate the STEM skills in a practical lesson plan and I wish we’d gotten to do something like this when I was in school. Maybe I’d be better at math? Just kidding!

It was an action packed adventure of a day and it really showcased the job our education community is doing to ensure our local kids are getting the best education possible. It’s a tough job and I’m glad there are great people who are dedicated to fighting the battle on behalf of our kids.

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Tags: Campbell High School, Challenger Center Hawaii, DOE, Hawaii, Pacific Century Fellows, PCF, Public School, Teach for America, University of Hawaii