Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 4, 1 April 1986 — Poʻokela at DOE Hawaiian Studies lnstitute [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Poʻokela at DOE Hawaiian Studies lnstitute

"Po'okela — Excellence in Education through Sharing," was the theme of a three-day State Department of Education Hawaiian Studies Program State T raining Institute Mar. 20-22 at various locations on Maui. Two dozen participants representing DOE districts from all the islands attended the institute whose stated objectives were to provide: • Participants with the opportunity to collaboratively establish a systematic process of reviewing program implementation with intent towards program improvement. • An opportunity for assisting eaeh other in the develop ment of distnct plans and directions for improvement. • Participants with opportunities for expansion of knowledge on Hawaiian history

Lokelani Lindsey, Maui District Superintendent, briefly addressed the group on opening day at the district annex office, noting that the program "gives our kids identity and a sense of bek>nging. I'm excited about Po'okela because only through this program of sharing ean we achieve excellence." E>istrict resource teachers, educational specialists, one representative from Kupuna Kokua of Oahu and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Community Kupuna Coordinator Betty Kawohiokalani Jenkins were the participants. Participants indeed shared their mana'o throughout the institute, working closely together in the classroom and out in the field. The quality of the institute was established by the super performances of Maui District Educational Specialist Abe Kaahui and his staff of Keakealani Mitcheli, Hawaiian Studies resource teacher; Sadao Yanagi, science resource teacher; Roy Nakasone, art resource teacher; and Roy Ueoka, music resource teacher. Folk>wing an all day field trip to the Keanae-Wailua area Mar. 21, participants returned to the classroom at Lahaina Intermediate School for part of the next day for a presentation of King Kamehameha III and input on teaching and learning strategies.

It was another class presentation, this time by a young and excellent team of Keoni DuPont, Kaiponohea Hale and Pua'ala Nu'uhiwa from the Kamehameha Schools Hawaiian Studies Institute, Curriculum and Instruction Component, Extension Education Division. Among objectives of the Kamehameha team were to explain Bernice McCarthy's 4MAT teaching and learning strategy to participants and to the instruction on Kameham eha III. Materials using the system strategy were handed out and utilized during the instructions. The afternoon was spent in the field, visiting Lahaina's historic sites.

The Keanae-Wailua outing proved a valuable experience for all the participants because they learned first hand about the ahapua'a, lo'i kalo, water, pupu lo'i, history of the area, its people, vegetation and forest. They heard from the legendary Unele Harry Mitchell, an expert on na mea Hawaii and Hawaiian history, culture and people and from science teacher Yanagi who is himself a warehouse of Hawaiian scientific information. It rained lightly throughout the entire institute but this didn't dampen the spirit of the participants who were eager to digest the disseminated information. Everyone participated actively in presenting results of their daily missions through the use of art eind graphs. So eager were participants on eaeh day's workshop that

they were willing to extend them into the later hours of the night. From the daily evaluations, participants liked what they got out of it and want to see the institute continued . What was supposed to be a three and one-half day institute was revised to fit a three-day schedule whieh was slightly extended beyond the 4 p. m. closing.

Kaahui, whose staff performed above and beyond the eall of duty, expressed pleasant surprise at the enthusiasm and spirit exhibited by participants. Kaahui himself was a tremendous figure in seeing to it there were no hangups in lesson plans and logistics. A mini luau Saturday night at Maui Community College brought a super ending to a most rewarding institute.

Maui District Education Specialist Abe Kaahui explains mission of a planned project during first day of workshop. Look ing on is District Resource T eacher Roy Nakasone of Kaahui's staff .

Tall figure in camouflage clothing and eap is Unele Harry Mitchell who relates history of Keanae to district resource teachers Kalani Flores, Kauai; Kalani Akana, Oahu; and Kau'i Billups, Hawaii. To Unele Harry's right is his daughter-in-law and Maui district resource teacher Keakealani Mitchell.

^HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIHHHHHHHHHHHIHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Kaiponohea Hale, Pua'ala Nu'uhiwa and Keoni DuPont, standing, explain assignment to Maui teachers, Hawaiian Studies resource teachers and kupuna in Lahaina Intermediate School library.