Have Blog; Will Fly

Hey gang. Take a gander at this student blogging rubric. The categories include "critical reading, critical thinking, quality of entries," and the like. Elements of this rubric could be tailored to assessing reflection as well.

Day 4 He Wahī Pa'akai

My apologies for the inconsistencies in audio. Not bad for a simple digital camera.

Mahalo everyone for a wonderful summer institute.
A hui hou.

Looking Onward

This summer institute marked the beginning of our journey together. It was very heartwarming to get to know all of you better and to discover what you believe in. Thank you for sharing your aloha with all of us.

As we begin to build, define, and shape the academy for our students, our stories and values will help to strengthen its foundation. May all the good feelings and thoughts we’ve given to each other be preserved in our hearts and planted in this new learning community.

Until we meet again, Malama Pono.

Summer 2009 Hui

Planting our ti leaf in the rich soil

The process of planting ti leaf moved my spirit today. Something happened inside as I listened to folks share their unedited thoughts while placing the ti plant into the ground. My eyes swelled up with tears after about the fifth or sixth person spoke. I sensed that they were truly speaking from their na'au.

My connection to this place is strong and all I could think about was how grateful I am to live and work in this beautiful environment made of rich, nourishing, healthy soil. Planting the ti leaf felt good. It felt good to connect the ti leaf from my home in Manoa to my work place, Kapiolani Community College. At the same time, I think I also felt guilty about taking so much from the land and not showing enough appreciation and respect for all that it has given me and my family.

Mahalo for helping me to reconnect.

Are You Worth Your Salt?

Did you know that Roman Legions were paid in salt? This payment was called "salarium." This is where the word salary came from.

Thank you Kawika, Lisa, Kelli and others for the salt you have given us and for the opportunity to give back to the earth for all that it has given to us. Planting the tea leaves today was a real spiritual experience, connecting us back to the roots from which we all came.

As I felt the salt in my hands, Matthew 5:13 came to mind, "Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose it taste, how can it be made salty again? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on by people."

By calling us salt, God is telling us that we have the responsibility and the opportunity to be a positive influence in the world. In our case, our focus is our students and it is our responsibility to let them see and be touched by the standards we set for ourselves. Like salt we can be:

1. A Preserving Agent---preserving what is good in our students

2. A Penetrating Agent---being active forces to encourage our students to reach for the highest

3. A Pleasing agent---living our lives that we bring out the best in our students

So SALT, keep your taste and continue to increase your influence on your students, your community, and your world.

Aloha and Mahalo to all of you for sharing your stories and delicious treats!

At last....I'm finally able to post!

Mahalo to all of you for such an eye-opening week!

I especially wanted to thank Lisa for her patience in helping me gain access to our group's blog this morning. There was a glitch in receiving the email which invited us all to join the blog, so guess what--I ended up creating my own blog. I now have a greater sense of empathy for students who have many questions about logging into Laulima or uploading files and photos to their e-portfolio.

There were so many "aha!" moments for me this week, and I can't wait to see how these "aha" moments can be applied to our students. I have a notepad full of ideas which stemmed from things you've shared this week.

Thank you for sharing so much of who you are, where you are from, and where you want to go.

I know it's only Thursday, but have a wonderful weekend!

mahalo

Kelli, Kawika, Kanai, Kauka, Kristine, Lavache and all of you who attended these workshops, mahalo.

I began to realize yesterday and today that the great lesson that I'm learning these days is the value of sharing. A word I used to hate, because it seemed that those who shared the most took responsibility afterward for the least when it came to actually getting something done themselves. However, I have seen those folks listed above share and also take responsibility. Not in a compulsive manner, but in a Hawaiian manner that actually got things done. We are more "together" than we were when we started, and start we have, on the road to defining these academies. I have a lot to learn about this style of process, but your examples both help and inspire me .... mahalo to you all...

Kawika, our provider of nutrition and goodness - such a hardworking, wonderful person who has depths as yet unplumbed.... waxing poetic, but for real... thank you for your generosity of spirit and sweat, your sharing so much with us. You do inspire. I want to get in shape so I donʻt have to miss out on the outside stuff again... Thank you to all for your sharing, your compassion and your friendship!
aloha nui loa! Regina

Eureka, I have found it!!! Just the place I want to plant my tea leaf. It seems that a plant is missing here, so I can add mine right in that space. A few steps to the left is the stone pathway to the mountain, the taro patch and the sweet potato patch on the hill.

A'oloko--inspiration for my students....prepare yourselves for your cherished goals. Get all the skills, knowledge, training and education that you need but always remember to look for the "unexpected" that may fall right at your feet. In career theory it is called

"Planned Happenstance."

Stimulating the Mind Through Mo`olelo

Today's hike around Diamond Head allowed us to "talk story" with colleagues we were just getting to know, others who we knew but never had a chance to chat in depth with, and to catch up with old friends. Through Mo`olelo, or stories, tales, or legends, Kawika taught us to chant, and also used repetition to teach us to memorize the chant. Hopefully we'll still remember the chant tomorrow!

Upon first learning of this assignment, I was a bit apprehensive as I never posted a blog before. As I complete this assignment, I see that this assignment has value to me, as it will allow me to relate to my students who complain about the time spent on writing daily reflections and downloading photos to the reflections.

Students often comment how much time they spend writing daily reflections in the fundamental cookery class. They advise fellow students not to take a heavy course load when taking this course because of the reflection writing assignment. One student reported staying up until 2am the first few days of class, due to having to learn to post reflections and download photos.

I'll try to remember to bring my camera tomorrow, to take photos and try to post them.

Until tomorrow.....

He Wahī Pa'akai

He Wahī Pa'akai

Vital Functions of Salt in the Body

1. Salt is most effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats and, Contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, it is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure - in conjunction with water. Naturally the proportions are critical. 

2. Salt is vital to the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells.



3. Salt is vital for balancing the sugar levels in the blood; a needed element in diabetics.



4. Salt is vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in the body. It is used for local power generation at the sites of energy need by the cells.



5. Salt is vital to the nerve cells' communication and information processing all the time that the brain cells work, from the moment of conception to death.



6. Salt is vital for absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract.



7. Salt is vital for the clearance of the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma and cystic fibrosis.



8. Salt is vital for clearing up catarrh and congestion of the sinuses.



9. Salt is a strong natural antihistamine.



10. Salt is essential for the prevention of muscle cramps.



11. Salt is vital to prevent excess saliva production to the point that it flows out of the mouth during sleep. Needing to constantly mop up excess saliva indicates salt shortage.



12. Salt is absolutely vital to making the structure of bones firm. Osteoporosis, in a major way, is a result of salt and water shortage in the body.



13. Salt is vital for sleep regulation. It is a natural hypnotic. 



14. Salt is a vitally needed element in the treatment of diabetics.



15. Salt on the tongue will stop persistent dry coughs.



16. Salt is vital for the prevention of gout and gouty arthritis.



17. Salt is vital for maintaining sexuality and libido.



18. Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on the legs and thighs.



19. Salt is vital to the communication and information processing nerve cells the entire time that the brain cells work - from the moment of conception to death.



20. Salt is vital for reducing a double chin. When the body is short of salt, it means the body really is short of water. The salivary glands sense the salt shortage and are obliged to produce more saliva to lubricate the act of chewing and swallowing and also to supply the stomach with water that it needs for breaking down foods. Circulation to the salivary glands increases and the blood vessels become "leaky" in order to supply the glands with water to manufacture saliva. The "leakiness" spills beyond the area of the glands themselves, causing increased bulk under the skin of the chin, the cheeks and into the neck.



21. Sea salt contains about 80 mineral elements that the body needs. Some of these elements are needed in trace amounts. Unrefined sea salt is a better choice of salt than other types of salt on the market. Ordinary table salt that is bought in the super markets has been stripped of its companion elements and contains additive elements such as aluminum silicate to keep it powdery and porous. Aluminum is a very toxic element in our nervous system. It is implicated as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease.



22. Twenty-seven percent of the body's salt is in the bones. Osteoporosis results when the body needs more salt and takes it from the body. Bones are twenty-two percent water. Is it not obvious what happens to the bones when we're deficient in salt or water or both.



* The information on salt intake is taken from Dr. Batmanghelidj's book, "Water: Rx for a Healthier Pain-Free Life".

Lauaki

Holy crap! Are they kidding me? How can they expect us to paddle for such a long period of time without any training or exercise? My shoulders are burning. Burning. It's like needles of fire in my muscles. No, not just needles - knitting needles. Jumbo-size. No, not even that - scalding metal wedges, prying apart the fiber of my muscles. God. No one else is whimpering. Or begging for mercy. Gotta stick with the pace. Can't let down the team. Ungh!

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. No one else is saying a word. Maybe they've all keeled over and plopped quietly into the sea, one by one, overcome with exertion. Oooh. Falling into the sea. That would feel so good. So coooooool on my aching muscles. I sneak a peek behind me. Huh. They're still all there. How are they DOING this? Maybe they all go to to gym. And lift weights. A lot. Christ, if they had warned me about this, I could have gone too, gotten ready for this marathon.

Trying not to hate Lisa. Trying not to hate Lisa. She has a strong stroke. No dainty slow strokes for this canoe. She really leans forward and digs her paddle into the water. Oooh, ooh. Can't do that. I pulled a muscles in my back trying to change into my swimsuit in the bathroom at work. How stupid is that? Can't lean forward or my back twinges, although not as bad as my shoulders. I think those muscles are actually liquifying and melting out the sleeves of my t-shirt. Or perhaps that's sweat. I dunno. All I know is that I gotta paddle, paddle, paddle. Can't let down the team.

Ungh! Trying not to hate Kawika. What do you mean, we can stop after we've passed the blue catamaran? Whoooooa, that's so far away! Ungh, ungh, ungh. Gotta keep the beat. Gotta paddle, paddle, paddle - HUT! Ok, gotta change sides, make sure I don't bump into Reid. Ungh. What's that trick again? Oh yeah, pull back stronger with the lower arm, let the upper arm do the guiding. Ngh. A little better. Was I splashing Sheryl?

Oh god. Finally we get to rest. I tentatively release the paddle and uncurl my fingers. The water looks cool, clear, and wonderful, but with my shoulder muscles burned out, there's no way I could haul myself back in the boat. I'd flounder and flap in the water like a jellyfish. I risk a poke. Huh. Shoulders still there. How can that be?

Ok, can't go all the way in, but can at least stick my feet in the water. Ah, ah. Feels so good! I lean back and let my eyes unfocus. Some of my teammates slip into the water, frolic alongside the boat. People laugh, talk story. Kawika points out the three streams that feed into the beach, helps us spot Leahi Hospital (we imagine KCC behind it), and makes us laugh. Eh, maybe I don't hate Kawika. I love the rocking of the boat. It's so peaceful. I'm so glad we're out here on the water.

Too soon, we have to head for home. Lisa, cheerful as ever, gives the call to start paddling. She's such a strong paddler. We're lucky to have her setting an even pace. Can't let down the team by missing her beat. I'm grateful for her guidance, and for Kawika's. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have had this gift of time in the ocean. My shoulders still burn, but not, I think as much. Anyway, doesn't matter if they do; I still have to keep the beat, not let down the team, help do my part to get us safely home. I am so grateful for everyone in the canoe, working in unison for the same goal.

Lauaki. Working together as a team. Without the team, I would not have driven myself as far. If I were kayaking by myself, I would have paddled off the shore and come straight back. The feeling that I needed to support the team kept me going way, way after I would have stopped of my own accord. Is this a concept that will work for our students? Is this a concept that will work for us?

Pondering this will have to wait until after I take some ibuprofen.

One paddle, two paddle.....

I am sitting here a shade darker from the sun, completely relaxed and feeling content and peaceful. My spirits have settled in and I feel at one with what is within me and around me. I am experiencing the bliss from the ocean today….the spirit of lauaki from paddling with my colleagues as we sliced through the waters with perfectly orchestrated arm strokes, laughing, talking story, and forgetting to breathe. I longed for the snacks (nay!)

Toward the end of the ride, I finally learned to shift my foot after each ‘hut’ and found different ways to dip my paddle into the water. My right paddle was so much easier than my left paddle, which seemed to go out of control. I was thrown off each time I attempted to take my eyes off the paddle and look at the view, losing momentum and precision. So I learned to focus on the task, and didn’t bother much with ”sight seeing” until the canoe was at rest. However, seeing a honu along the way on my right side, who peeked its head up to witness our passing, was so special.

Paddling is work. It takes form, effort, discipline, power, direction, precision, intention, and team. Question is: do I paddle the way I do work? Do I make meaningful contributions to my team? Do I do with aloha? Do I give my all? Am I a leaner or lifter? How will I do "paddle" with my students? How do I do paddle with life? Much to reflect upon...

Mahalo nui loa, Kawika and Lisa, for this spectacular experience! The memories and feelings are gifts that I will always cherish. And it was a great honor to meet “Papa Napoleon”, who helped to make this all possible.

I started karate when I was 5, and I never really did stop practicing. I enjoy it so much that I now teach it after a long day of ..well ...teaching. Paddling shares many similarities to traditional karate training(I have to make that distinction).

In Japan, there is very little explanation about techniques. In American dojo, the instructors tend to talk A LOT. In Japan, you find out when you're doing it wrong because you either get hit by the Sensei, or you bump someone next to you. The proximity or closeness to someone else is very important, much like paddling. You can hear and feel your mistakes; you'll just know you're off. And like I said in my previous post, you have to just do it and try. After you make the mistake, you learn. You don't learn it in the process of listening.

The training is never spiritual until you feel like dying. In karate training, I always tell my kids, "Don't pace yourself. The training starts only after you're tired." When you're fresh, it's easy to move fast and have good timing, but it's really hard when you're tired, and your true technique comes out when you're pooped. You have to give it all and be sore; then at that point, the real training starts. I really felt like I got better at paddling once I felt like my arm was going to fall off. I think one reason was because I knew the burn couldnt get any worse. But I also think that I started to use the right muscles and got the technique a bit better.

Even though we train in unison, and we want the dojo to be strong, we need to compete against each other. You have to move together during basic training, but you have to strive to be the fastest always. By competing against each other, you raise the level of everyone. If you slack, someone else will slack. I see this happen all the time in my classes. You need only one person to skip class once, and then the lemmings will follow. You have to consistenly pick a target and say "I'm going to be better and faster."

The Perfect Afternoon

Thank you so much to Kawika and Lisa for taking us out for an awesome day!  It felt good being out there and getting in tune with my mind and body.  I got lost in the rhythm of the strokes, the color of the water, the smell of the salt until Lisa called out "hut!' and brought my mind back to focusing on the next change.  Not mindless work, but very mindful.  My senses were heightened to all that was going around me.  Felt good when we were all in sinc and moved the canoe through the water.  Everyone working together, enjoying each other's company, enjoying the moment.  Lauaki.  A nice complement to a morning of brain workouts fleshing out SLOs.  

There were times when I started to feel a little tired, or a little out of sinc, or took a second to wipe the salt water from my eyes.  It was at those times when I felt the power and energy from the group still carrying us forward.  Malama.  The group took care of me.  It was also those times that made me dig in even harder to do my part for the team and give back to everyone.  Thanks for the ride!  Mojitos, anyone?

Day One - Mountain View

On Monday, intrepid walkers braved heat and noon-day sun to walk and talk Diamond Head's story - I drove and enjoyed, but greatly missed Kawika's interesting stories and company of colleagues - did not mind missing the sweat or aching joints though... Our shared mountain view continues to draw me and remind me of this deep connection to the aina. With you all in spirit...

Regina...

Day 3 - Hoe Wa‘a

I wonʻt romanticize the world of outrigger canoe paddling. Paddling takes strength, focus and humility. Lots of humility. Thick skin. And team work. Everyone has to contribute. You depend on the other paddlers to get you somewhere just as much as they depend on you. Canʻt be a scrub. Canʻt be "Iʻll just push as little as I have to so I can go for the ride." Everyone should give as much as they can if not more. And then there is the ocean. Pay attention to her moods, learn what she has to teach you and respect her power - both physical and spiritual. And you have to learn to trust your steersman. You have to learn to trust the leader.
But today, paddling simply means fun. Oh sure, this is about bonding. About making meaning of experience. So while you are paddling out on the water on this beautiful Day 3, take it all in -- the wind, the sun, the water, the coastline, the smiles -- and then reflect on one of the values weʻve been talking about for the past two days. No focused writing prompt here. Just go where the canoe and the ocean take you.
And if you arenʻt paddling with Kāwika today, think about a similar concept -- travel, sports, clubs, whatever connections you make and reflect away.

Patterns - Something to Think About If You Have the Energy

New Growth in the Manele Garden

This is how I see myself, like the taro, growing all the time. I also get the feeling that I will always be in this state, a state of constant improvement. In some way, I think I'd hope to be this way even when I'm 105. There is always something I can improve upon. If I feel that I've reached my goal, there is always a new goal for me. I think that's what makes life interesting.

I certainly hope for my students that when they receive their degree, it's never the end. It's always a constant state of change and growth they'd have to face and deal with. It would be junk if we ran out of goals, wouldn't it? I guess it depends on some people.

Just wanted to throw in a picture of my daughter. I miss her. She constantly challenges me and she's forcing me to change and grow. I hope that she, too, will grow and never think that there's nothing to improve upon. There's always something we can choose to change or improve upon. I hope she will be a lifelong learner because I think life's more interesting that way.

Mary Ann

The Garden Tools.......

Today Kawika brought out a box filled with garden tools for us to use so that we could dig, dig, dig, and dig (did I say dig????) the earth to ready it for our planting of ti leaf plants in a couple of days. He gave each of us a choice as to which garden tool we could use to do the job--the big shovel, the small weeder, or the medium size ax.

When I work with my students, I also introduce them to tools I think they will need to be successful in their lives, their careers. My wish is that they will leave KCC with a tool chest filled with tools and resources to do the jobs they set out to do.

Mo'olelo, Pae Ulu

Before May 18, 19, 20, 21, 2009 lays too far in the past it makes good sense to write this down so in the future should I get frustrated with being a teacher at Kapi'olani Community College I will remember these days.  Okay Napoleon it was the CTE Academy Institute!!!  You got it?  Yup, I got it!  

In as much as these four days is about our students, Im not trying to be selfish but it is about US as well.  I think you guys are the SHI_!  (Saying I learned from the students.  I guess you could say that they are at least trying to turn not so good words into positive words.  You know like, that's SICK.)  The stories that you all have told thus far if listened to by students would surely blow them away.  They think they got it hard hah!

Sorry I know going of the path, never mind but.  So what I think best represents what i do with students.  I think Im similar to the kalo and my students are the keiki that come from the side of the kalo.  Im the bigger leaf that provides shade and shelter for the students  and I forget that nature rules and when the wind blows or the sun journeys they will have to eventually face nature.   

If I had to place what we did in the garden in one of the Hawaiian values I would place it next to Moʻolelo above Pae Ulu (growth stage).  Reason:  today we not only shared many moʻolelo but we also wrote the introduction to a moʻolelo when we began preparing the land for planting.

MOON PHASES

May 18, 2009: (Kāloakūlua) Good for planting anything but potatoes, melons or bananas.  Good reef fishing at night.  We told stories that went below the surface unlike potatoes that grow in dirt mounds or melons and bananas that grow in plain view.

May 19, 2009:  (Kāloapau)  Plant bamboo, sugar cane.  Excellent torch fishing in the evenings on the reef due to the lowing of the tide.  Limu and other shellfish are exposed in the tidepools.

May 20, 2009:  (Kāne)  Excellent day to plant anything.  In the old days this night was reserved for ceremony and ritual and no farming or fishing occured.  Good diving for sea urchins.  Very low tide.

May 21, 2009:  (Lono) Excellent day for planting any type of plant especially those that provide food.  Tide low, sea calm, sand deposited on shore.

 

Kukui tree hou

I found a couple of good metaphors for my teaching in the garden, but the one that seemed closest to what I do every day was this kukui tree. According to Lisa, it has been grown for too long in one pot, and had grown tall but spindly. Kawika rescued it and planted it in the garden, but the top of the tree wasn't flourishing. Instead, a second growth was starting, down at the base of the tree, thick and lush. That touched me. The tree had been grown under less than favorable conditions, and it was adapting to the new environment. The new growth, in an unexpected area more suitable to the tree's new site, reminds me of my non-traditional, older students, who are returning to school in response to change in their lives. I hope that it's my role to provide some of the elements that will allow them to flourish. Even more than my students, however, the tree also reminded me of many of our mo`olelo today. Didn't so many of us have to replant ourselves from a restricted environment to one more full of possibilities?

We All Have Green Thumbs

I had heard about Kawika's garden but had never gotten "the tour" until today.  As we walked through the hillside and learned about the various plants -- where they were from, and what it took to care for them -- I began thinking that these plants were like our students.  Some require a lot of care in order to grow, pollenated by hand no less.  Others are like the ti leaf, "you just poke 'um in the ground or lie 'um down and he going grow" according to our kumu.  Some have surprises you would never expect (put the chili pepper water in my eye, are you crazy?!)  Plants come in many shapes and sizes and from various locations, and although some are of the same variety no two are exactly alike.  

As caretakers of the garden, we use different tools and techniques to care for our plants.  Sometimes we'll try new tools in hopes of finding a more effective method to help our plants grow and thrive.  Sometimes we'll need to pull weeds out of the way, or protect them from predators or the elements so that the plants will be able to continue on their journey.  We will most definitely get sunburn, sore muscles, and blisters along the way.  However, as the days and weeks pass, the work we put into our plants feels so worth it because we see them grow stronger, blossom and begin to provide sustenance, healing and shelter for others.  Very cool.

The one thing we must all remember is to appreciate the beauty of each plant -- some may have shiny leaves, others a beautiful scent or "ono" fruit for us to enjoy.  It's easy to get caught up in taking care of the fragile plants because they seem to need more care or the pretty plants because they always draw us to them; but we cannot forget to acknowledge and appreciate those like the ti leaf for it's special characteristics as well.  Time to work on our green thumbs!

Olulu

While every aspect of Kawika's garden impressed me, there was one plant in particular that grabbed my attention - the olulu. I had remembered seeing a TV show about the scientists that scaled the cliffs to pollenate this plant to prevent it from becoming extinct. I like to think that every student is like an olulu - rare, treasured, endangered...sometimes without hope and in desperate need of someone that is willing to try anything to help them persist.

Thanks for YOUR willingness to scale the cliff for your students. You are an amazing bunch of people. I hope you can let go of your content, your worries, your fears and dream big.

Gardening

Wow, what an awesome garden! Who could have conceived that it would be so welcoming and look this beautiful? The gardener, of course! The garden is only 2 years old and it has a special feeling to it. It has more than vegetation. It is a garden of connections, with plants living in harmony with each other in the silence of their being, proudly displaying their unique natures. Each plant has a legacy, a history, a story. Each plant came from someone and somewhere, and now they are securely rooted in the garden. They will grow with nutrients and lots of loving care. I feel the presence of beings there. It blows my mind to see this garden with a whole new perspective.

I love the four patches of grass planted purposefully under a tree as the starting foundation for an outdoor classroom! The garden is the perfect place for learning. I love it…rich learning environments grounded in nature, culture, reflection and immersed in spirit. How do I teach students early on “how to garden, and how to grow….”. With students, more important to tend to the roots before fruits can be cultivated.

Just do your work

My grandfather was a wise sage. I think that, if I had published his sayings in a book, he would definitely have won the Nobel. The man was born a poet.
I'm going to share one of these family sayings with you, and I want you to promise to never share it with anyone else, for it is near and dear to my heart.

I worked for my grandfather, who was a maintenance director, for a summer as a high school student. There were many times where we had to fix plumbing issues, and many of these issues were rather large. My job would "always" be to dig in the dirt or dig up the cement to find the shutoff valve, normally somewhere on property where some contractor buried it without letting anyone know. Oftentimes, I would have to dig by myself. And like any high school student, I would ask every so often out of curiosity, "Am I digging in the right spot?"

Even though I felt that the question was very simple and justified, my grandfather didn't always feel as I did. Sometimes, when I asked he would look up at me. Sometimes, he would keep talking to the tenant. But, when he did respond, it was normally very philosophical and thought-provoking.

Of the response, I have one solidified in my memory. He said, "You know wot? Shutup and dig."

So guess what? I shut my mouth, I dug, and Ifound the valve.
Nobel worthy I tell you...

Flash forward 15 years later, and I'm now a PhD candidate in English. When I ask a question, the Professor gives me 40 pages to read to answer my question. My thesis defense lasted nearly 4 hours, and it started with 2 questions, and I actually forgot at some points what we were talking about. What are the 40 pages, and why the 4 hours? Well some call it theory.
Some people call it BS, but either way it's an elaborate explanation/a justification.

What's funny is that, when I started teaching, I had a choice. I had spent nearly 6 years in graduate school. I could easily explain the beginnings of rhetoric, the theoretical basis for my writing instruction or the social barriers that make writing unfair for particular groups.
But you know what?

My grandpa rules out in the end. Okay so I don't tell them to "shutup" (maybe I said it once), but the point is the same. You have to experience things first, and sometimes you just have to do it. The explanation doesn't make the work go away. AND, the explanation is NOT the learning. It's the experience that's the learning. We'll go back and create meaning from the experience, but there's no sense in reflecting if there's nothing to reflect on.




















Here's my metonym. I feel that this pic exemplifies what I do (of course in a much gentler way) with my students. They have to dig a trench and only a trench. It's a small task, it's not fun, but it has a larger goal. If I share too much of the larger goal, then everyone's going to second guess why we have to dig the trench.
They cannot see that the end product will be this:




















Maybe seeing the end product will help them after they complete it the first time. But there's no sense in sharing too much with them if they've never done it before.

I think creating experiences for students is an integral component of reflection and learning. I think that's what separates me from my PhD candidate colleages, who have all published and have performed lofty studies for the University. But they no get it. They can talk about the experience, they can analyze it, but I know that my classes focus on creating it.

On a side note, I was very impressed by the garden, and I know how much work all of that required. I apologize if I joked around a bit too much during the exercise.

Garden

Well, it seems that we have a problem here. (How do you say that in Hawaiian?) Our discussion over lunch got down to real issues and the excitement that something might actually happen instead of a lot of meetings and talk and complaining with no resulting activity. The result was that I forgot about the camera... minus 10 points...

However, the picture in my mind is clear. Green and brown. The earth and the life that comes from it. The potatoes, hidden but growing under the earth. The act of preparing the land, planting the seeds, weeding and fertilizing, composting (turning past experience into food for growth) the garden, then one day pull up the plant and BOOM! One large potato. Knowledge follows the same course. We tell students that "math is not a spectator sport". Put in the work and one day BOOM! One large potato (or a grade) which gives you the sustanence and ability to move on well prepared.

Reflections on Le`ahi From a Trini

I am happy that I made that hike up to Le` ahi ( Diamond Head Crater) many years ago when I first came to Hawai`i. Now, because of nerve damage in my foot, I am unable to walk on mountainous places. I do remember enjoying the view from the top. It was spectacular! It inspired me to recite Psalm 121, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord who hath made heaven and earth."

It also reminded me of the mountains in Trinidad and Tobago. The 3 mountains ranges called the Nothern Range, the Southern Range, and the Central Range prompted Columbus to refer to them as "The Trinity" from which Trinidad got its name.

The Hawaiian values that are relevant here are Mo`olelo and Ae wa because the similarities of Trinidad and Hawai`i--the flora, fauna, the warmth, the sunshine, blue skies, and the ocean give me great appreciation for the stories of each place and for my family roots.

Aloha

I forgot our assignment!

Aloha is the most important value I hold. I share this value with my math students on the very first day of class. Math is not the most exciting subject for most students. But I know that I share this value because we need to have love and compassion for one another especially when we're all struggling with a subject that we have some fear of.

I want students to support one another, especially those who struggle. There have been classes where I've been at the bottom at one time or another, and it's so great to have a helping hand from omeone. In the same manner, you turn around and help others in return. Even if it's just to staple your homework! Someone has a stapler to help you out and submit a proper homework.

Most of all, it's the connection you make with fellow students and the instructor when you freely express aloha for one another. Math is not meant to be learned all by yourself in a little cubicle. You need proper discourse and discussion with one another to learn. It's great that the Kahikoluamea Center has extra support like tutors to share in the aloha as well.

Mary Ann

The last one!!

I think I'm the last one to post a blog. This is really neat. I have no excuse for my lateness except that I slept 10 hours last night. As soon as I got home, I crashed, thinking I'd wake up late at night to work on this blog. Next thing I knew, it was 830am. Yikes!

I really enjoyed sharing a bit of ourselves in the morning, even though it took one hour longer than expected. I appreciated the time and patience we all took to listen to one another.

The walk was an ordeal for me. Physically, I realized I wasn't in great shape and my mind kept floating around as to when I could close my eyes and fall asleep on the grass. It made me realize that even though I was physically tired, I could still push ahead and try to see if I could make it. You never know how much you can push yourself until you try. This was a good lesson for me.

Ooops, I think we're about to start sharing our reflections now. I promise to write more.

Day Two - Manele Garden

Mahalo for thought-provoking posts on Le‘ahi.

Todays activity will take us to Kāwikaʻs garden at the Mālama Center. Your blog challenge is take a photo or stop to draw a sketch of one plant or one place in the garden that best represents what you do with students and then share your thoughts.
We have cameras should you need one and if you need help scanning your image, let me know.

What Was Once Invisible

I have walked and jogged (more like semi-crawled) around Le`ahi many times. I have paddled in front of and past Le`ahi many times. Over the years, whenever I look at Le‘ahi, I have seen racers on bicycles, people walking their dogs, construction workers sitting on the rock wall having lunch, lovers holding on to one another mezmerized by the ocean, tourists posing for cameras. Le‘ahi is iconic. It is probably the most recognizable and most photographed landmark on our island, and yet, what do we really see when we look at Le‘ahi? Before yesterday, I was convinced I knew Le‘ahi until we made the stop to learn the second line of the chant - Kani Kapahu o Maui, Kaneloa, Papa‘ena‘ena. The eyeʻs lens changed focus.
So many different levels of "seeing" took place for me on the our walk. It was like looking at a painting without the image. What we think is familiar, really is not. What I really saw was familiarity, a learned image -- not the thing. Like the story of the aliʻi surfer -- someone thought to blowup the reef, and now the surf break is gone, but hearing the story made that break "visible."
So how do I "see" a student? Another faculty member? Am I looking at the person? Or am I simply seeing what I think I know? ‘āewa. Everything has a lineage -- people, landmarks, texts, ideas. Lineage is often made up of what we cannot see. Perhaps this is what I want most to remember in a classroom. Make was seems invisible, visible.

Reflection

On our walk yesterday, Kawika shared a story: when the alii went surfing the Hawaiian people were not allowed to be on the waves, but one afternoon a chieftess was surfing and a man on the beach caught her eye, and when she came in from surfing she gave him her special lei so he could go surf even though there were still some alii in the water.

I don't why, but I thought a lot about the chieftess. I was struck by her empathy and her lokomaika'i (generosity) and her ola kiho maikai (goodheartedness). For me, empathy (I'm not sure what it means in Hawaiian), the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another, is so important especially as counselors and teachers since our students come in with such a variety of past experiences, and starting college is such a transitional point in their lives. I hope I am attuned to what our kahikoluamea students are feeling and that I can be there to offer that symbolic lei to them.

Ho'omana'o i Holomua (Remembering so that we can move forward)

As we walked around Le'ahi today I couldnt help but remember all the mo'olelo that we shared in the morning about where we come from.  It reminded me that we are all indigenous people whether from Hawaiʻi, England, Scotland, Japan, Trinidad, North America, China, Philipines, etc.  

The sound of shoes and slippers on the pavement, stories of past events leaving our mouths became the pū (conch shell) that announced our arrival to the homes of Kaʻalāwai, Kuilei, Ka Pahu o Māui, Kupalaha, Kahaloa, Ke'au'au, Papa'ena'ena, Kapua and other individuals that we met on our path.  Our Wahī Paʻakai (gift) to these people were ourselves and our chant.  

Āewa was one of the values which was evident in that we aroused our ancestral memory and for each story we told we pulled our ancestors to the forefront which in turn allowed others into knowing a different facet of who we are.  

It was truly an honor to be in the presence of fellow colleagues who make up the lineage of Kapi'olani Community College.  

Kawika

Values: Malama and Aloha

In 1980 I entered my first Honolulu Marathon when my father, an avid runner, encouraged me to run it with him. At the start-line, I told him, "Dad, just run ahead. Don't slow down for me. I'll see you at the finish-line." As he raced forward, my eyes followed him until he disappeared from my sight.

Five and a half hours later, I found myself struggling up the long gradual incline of Kahala Avenue, with finish-line and father still out of sight. I was totally exhausted and I still had to get up and over Diamond Head, aka "Heartbreak Hill."

When I finally reached the Triangle Park, (at the very same spot our CTE group stopped to chant), I saw my Dad, smiling and waiting for me. Tired and out of breath, I gasped, "Don't stop! Go! Cross the finish-line!" My Dad calmly replied that that was what he had already done, but sensing that I might need some support, he had run back up Diamond Head to find me and help me finish. OMG...that's so Malama!

As my Dad proceeded to accompany me up my last hill, I complained, "It's so hot! This sun is killing me!" Without saying a word, he adjusted his position, allowing me to complete my run in the comforting shade of his shadow. Now, that's Aloha.

In my teaching, I will challenge my students, but when they struggle, I will remember to malama with aloha.

So what does it mean?

I have to admit that I wasn't necessarily awestruck by the power of story (mo'olelo) today. The storyteller and story are both powerful, I agree. But the true power is in the meaning(s). Is the storyteller creating meaning with the words, or is the listener constructing meaning while the story is being told? It's an age old English question. I think it's both, sometimes. Today, I instead wondered about my own method of creating meaning. What do I do every day that either creates meaning or that is meaningful? (not that much) And then why does walking with everyone and hearing stories produce meaning? Is it because it's the most meaningful thing I've done all semester? And I'm not referring to anything philosophically or spiritually deep in that Depak Chopra way. And then I started to think about my students.























Amidst Kawika's stories about places, I couldn't help but watch the cars pass by. I know that the road is such a cliche' symbol, Jack Kerouak ya ya ya..progress, success blah blah I don't like the road as a metaphor personally, but I'm going to run with it. You don't really learn anything on a road, unless you're learning to drive. It's the places that the road takes you to that are important and full of meaning. That's what Kawika helped to create for us today. And really you have to get off the damn road to really experience anything and to produce meaning from the place. That's why us locals laugh at people on tourist buses. But then again, the road and sometimes the lost driver are excellent metaphors for our student's past educational experiences, and it's also a great metaphor for how they learn and how they operate. They just travel, yeah? They no get off. They don't really think "about." They just go (or in my case no go class). Maybe that's what we have to teach them. I'm not Hawai'ian, so I don't have an opinion of blowing the road up and sending all that is American back to the mainland, but I do think that the Hawai'ian value of making meaning from what you do is the way to go. And I think that's what we really need to infuse in the classroom. We have to surround them with tools that produce meaning from what they do, and then we have to put them back on the road. But hopefully, after we're all done, they not lost in the end.

Tanks eh!

Walking around Le`ahi, looking at the kiawe trees against the dry grass of the hillside, reminded me of being back in Kawaihae on the Big Island.  I fondly remember our summer fun camps where we’d sleep at the pavilion near the beach, take walks to the heiau and the shark’s cove where we were told Kamehameha would sit on the rock and feed the sharks and sting rays as they circled in and out.  True?  Not sure, but pretty cool stuff nonetheless for a kid in elementary school.  Experiences like these are the ones that I carry with me and help to define who I am today.

 

Many stories were shared with me by my grandma, aunties and uncles, and parents around the kitchen table about their life experiences.  “You know we had to pick and carry 100 pound bags of coffee?  Your mom was so strong!”  “Your grandpa was taken to an internment camp during WWII (because, as an architect, he was seen as a person of influence in the community.)  They just took him away.  When grandpa came back he never talked about it.”  These stories and these people helped to shape my values of hard work, loyalty, the importance of family, the love for good friends, the importance of education, and the desire to want more for the next generation. 

 

The art of mo`olelo seems so simple and yet can have such a profound impact in a very lasting way.  I sometimes share my own personal stories when working with students as the self-disclosure helps to illustrate that I understand what they’re going through – and give some ideas on how to deal with a situation.  Other times it’s to make connections – or just for fun!  Isn’t that why we’re still here?  Eh, where you from?!

Reflection

Diamond Head has been in my back yard for years, and I’ve known it as this crater that can get brown and dry in the hot dry months, or lusciously enriched with green on wet and rainy days.

But today’s experience led me to see Diamond Head as the great “Le’ahi”, a live goddess who continues to attract many visitors from around the world to her feet. Mahalo to Kawika’s wisdom, I was humbled by this awareness and could feel her overall presence as I walked the road at the foot of the crater. I was so impressed with spiritual aspects of this experience that during my quiet reflection, I had a vision of humbling myself at Le’ahi’s feet, apologizing for my lack of awareness of who SHE really was.

I learned that it is not just the mountain, (or the crater), but the spirit that moves within, that is alive and free, that inspires all learning and teaching….a’oloko. The challenge for me is to help students be inspired by who they already are, and what is already within them. Can we ignite their spirits so they become the fire of their own lives and light up the world?

Thank you for a wonderful day of learning and fun!

Susan's reflection on the Leahi walk

The value that I feel most strongly during our walk was mo`olelo - story telling. Kawika broke our journey at several key locations, teaching us one line of the 'oli holo at each place. While I had heard and memorized the 'oli before, it was inside a classroom, focusing on the words written on a chalkboard. The 'oli had much more meaning, and its story was much more richly illustrated, as we matched each line with its physical location. "Kani ka pahu o Maui" now has a vision - steep plunging green hillside spotted with tufts of purple bouganvillea - and a scent - sea salt air - and a physicality - heat beating down on our heads and shoulders - that made the 'oli, for me, tell a story, not just name long-ago locations on a dusty map. I wish I had a photo of Kawika bending and swaying like an olaniu while we sat by the shoreline and memorized the third line of the chant. It makes me smile just to remember it.

While the 'oli itself might not be intended to be a story, because Kawika illustrated its words so compellingly, it became a story to me as we chanted it. Being in the location made it memorable.

The subject matter of what I teach in LAW 101 is very far from a Hawaiian place chant. If there is a kernel I can take away from this experience, though, it is the value of an immersive experience in fixing a teaching experience into a student's experience and from there into his or her memory.

'Oli Holo

Mahalo

It was awesome to be outdoors today with my colleagues learning about the names and places surrounding Kapi’olani Community College. Hearing Kawika tell his mo’olelo, his stories about places such as Kaimuki helped me to remember the effectiveness of storytelling.

My students bring their mana’o into the classroom each day as I learn so much from them. As a faculty member, I know it is my kuleana to facilitate student learning by creating a safe environment where students can take risks and share their stories, their mo’olelo also.

When I understand where my students are coming from or their world view, I think I can begin to make more meaningful connections with them. It’s all about giving them a voice, relating to them—their world, engaging them in learning…..
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Looking at the beautiful flowers and plants with the vast ocean as a backdrop, I was reminded of the natural beauty of Hawaii. I felt sad to see graffiti on some of the signs along the hiking path.
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I especially enjoyed the conversations I engaged in along the way with my colleagues. Mahalo nui for an enjoyable time.

le'ahi

The memory from the walk was of the sound of traffic interfereing with the beauty of nature. I have never walked this road slowly, and therefore never saw the beauty, or the buildings, so clearly.

Today: the feeling of being drawn to the beauty of the crater above and the ocean below while being interrupted by the sounds of cars and the sight of construction trying its damndest to bury the beauty of nature.

Kawaika told us about malama, the "faded torch", which calls to us for support, and a'oloko (misspelled because it's not in the dictionary) which provides inspiration for teaching (if I understand it correctly).

A lesson would be to demonstrate how progress with integrity might be possible. The practical implications of zoning? In math, interpreting data demonstrating the affects of pollution from different sources.

Well, the final episode of 24 is on so I have to go!

Nā Wa‘a Eportfolio Research Project

Presentation give at LaGuardia Community College

Nā Wa'a Research Project

Introducing Nā Wa‘a for students.

Day One - Reflection on Le‘ahi

For this prompt, your challenge is to reflect on the walk we took to Le‘ahi. Did the walk and the place inspire a memory, lesson or personal anecdote you would like to share? Link this reflection to one of the Hawaiian values that Kāwika taught you earlier this morning. Now go further. How could you use this experience in your teaching? Post your reflection and any photos you took on our walk. Instructions on how to post can be found here. Instructions for posting photos can be found here. For a Hawaiian dictionary, click here.

He wahī pa‘akai

Translated, this ‘ōlelo no‘eau literally means "just a packet of salt," but figuratively, the proverb has a much deeper meaning; "something good; a gift of anything one has grown or made" or simply put, a gift made with great skill and personal investment of time and hard work. In searching for the right name for our summer institute, we wanted a word that would best represent our goals: exploring our connection to Hawai'i and using these connections to integrate the knowledge we have in our respective fields to better serve our students through Kahikoluamea Academy learning communities and guiding their development within a Hawaiian values context.

The operative word is "connection."

Pa‘akai is a physical manifestation of the connection between sea, land and sun -- elements that make Hawai‘i, Hawai'i. Salt has been used by Hawaiians medicinally, in ceremonies and as a valuable food preservative. Most importantly, the Hawaiian tradition of making and harvesting salt is a long and labor intensive process that brings together families, thus creating community. We hope that you find these connections - literal and figurative -- with Hawai‘i, your home, and with each other during this summer institute.