Panelists
Among the school leaders and others who testified at the
Legislative hearing on Future Ready Learning:
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Keone Farias - Complex Area Superintendent for Kau-Keaau-Pahoa
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Abey Qureshi - Principal, Mililani Mauka
- Wade Araki - Principal, Kaimuki High
- Mahealani Kiyan - Coach and former teacher, Nanaikapono El
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Students from Mililani Mauka
Timeline: Pilot program
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Year 1 (2013-14): $8.2 million funded devices and professional development at eight DOE schools.
- Fall 2013: Professional development and devices for educators
- Spring 2014: Devices for students
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Year 2 (2014-15): $400,000 in federal Impact Aid funds used to continue professional development, analysis.
What our educators are saying
At Mililani Waena Elementary, Principal Dale Castro, teachers and students describe what learning environments are like as a digital pilot school.
Debra Knight, Principal, Nanaikapono Elementary School
"It really made an impact in the school in terms of attendance, increasing student engagement, and an intangible piece — bringing our families and communities closer into the school to support education."
Lisa Nagamine, Principal, Moanalua Middle School
I cannot emphasize how much value the pilot project training and professional development has brought, and continues to bring, to our staff. It is imperative that educators — administrators included — master the technology before handing the devices to our students; anything less would be akin to putting a car in "drive" before knowing how to operate the vehicle. Our staff is putting their work on Google Docs to exchange ideas, curriculum and other notes. The computers have allowed teachers to be more collaborative, which translates into more efficiency and effectiveness in our classrooms. Many of our students are already on a path of being technologically savvy. We must make sure that they are good digital citizens, and this pilot program allows us to enforce that lesson.
VIEW STORY
Wade Araki, Principal, Kaimuki High School
As the former principal of Benjamin Parker Elementary School and the current principal at Kaimuki High School, helping prepare all students for success in life is my primary responsibility. A critical component of that responsibility is providing teachers in my school with the tools they need to be effective in delivering instruction that is tailored to meet each student's needs. In my experience, technology in the classroom — for students and teachers — is a great tool for engaging students and personalizing instruction to meet their needs. Technology is the great equalizer that busts the myth that Title I schools and certain student subgroups can't succeed.
VIEW STORY
Success Stories
Students travel virtually to Kilauea for lessons in science, culture. Keaau Elementary students wearing Google Glass and staff armed with laptops and MiFis broadcast a virtual field trip via Livestream and Google Hangout to Nanakuli Elementary, Hale Kula Elementary, University Lab School and Peterson Schools in Mexico City (which is teaching Hawaiian as a third language), along with other viewers on the Internet. VIEW STORY
Lava Relief Google Mapping Project. University Lab School and Keaau High School students teamed to create rich maps of schools to help orient new students who were displaced by the Puna lava flow. The students were given tablets, and could explore maps with linked Youtube videos of descriptions of the buildings, Google Glass tours of the buildings, links to more detailed room maps and teacher assignments, and links to Photospheres of classrooms. VIEW PROJECT
Students at Nanakuli Elementary receive devices for the first time. Note the excitement of something as simple as a login screen for these kids in the pilot program.