The What School Could Be Podcast

 The first thing that jumps out at you when Chris Stapleton speaks is how passionate he is: About school, about life, about cultural context, about education technology and about what happens when kids from Korea come to study in Hawaiʻi (and vice versa). In this new format for Season 1, Semester 2, which I am calling “Ten Questions For,” Chris defined the role of international schools, tackled the big issues of our New Pacific Century, zeroed in on what makes for great education technology, and raised objections to using the word “project” so much. Oh, and he took on a half-dozen other questions as well. His voice is clear and his responses thoughtful. I am thrilled that he is emerging as one of Hawaii’s education leaders. From the Asia Pacific International School’s website, we learn:  “Mr. Stapleton graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Before attending Wheaton College, Mr. Stapleton grew up in a missionary home in the Philippines where he anchored his faith in Jesus Christ. After graduating he received teaching licenses in Illinois and Colorado. After moving to Colorado to teach 6th grade, Mr. Stapleton furthered his education at the University of Colorado. At the university, he studied curriculum and instruction as well as technology, and he graduated with his master’s degree after two years. Mr. Stapleton taught sixth grade for two years and fifth grade for two years. Since graduating from the University of Colorado, Mr. Stapleton was invited to become a part of their faculty. He has taught educational technology classes at the university as an adjunct professor. Mr. Stapleton has been an assistant coach to girls’ varsity volleyball and boys’ club volleyball for four years. In addition, he founded a media club, which has allowed students to practice logo design, animation, audio recording, and movie-making. Mr. Stapleton believes that student engagement and attentiveness are vital for a successful education. He enjoys fusing technology with education to achieve greater engagement. Mr. Stapleton and his wife love to travel, play games, and build community.”The post 25. For Chris Stapleton, Cultural Context Really Matters appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

It’s not often one gets to talk to a brilliant scientist about college admissions and Paul Tough’s book “The Years That Matter Most,” Ken Jennings vs. an artificial intelligence, an internship at Google vs. a Harvard undergraduate degree, Stanford University’s wondrous document “Uncharted Territory,” and the incredible insights of excellent indigenous science. Even better is the fact that I caught all of this conversation on tape and can present it here in this podcast. Dr. Helen Turner is the VP for Strategy and Innovation at Chaminade University, a small, private college sitting on a lovely hillside above the city of Honolulu. Her resume is 14 pages long; she is a brilliant thinker and articulate spokesperson for things in K-12 and higher education we should all be excited about. (And in a couple cases, such as CRISPR being driven “underground,” very concerned about.) She has a strong bias towards action and innovation. Over a 90-minute interview, which will be released in two parts, Helen and I dug deep into what I called Ten Questions With Helen Turner. Yes, in couple cases we cheated by adding in bonus questions! This recording was done in a special dual-person soundproof phone booth at the Entrepreneurs Sandbox, managed by the one and only BoxJelly Co-Working team. So enjoy, and please give us a rating in your favorite podcast store! From Chaminade.edu we learn: “Dr. Turner is an internationally-regarded researcher in molecular immunology. As well as her position at Chaminade, she holds academic affiliations with the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Department of Microbiology at the University of Hawaii and serves on numerous scientific advisory boards. She collaborates with an extensive network of scientists nation-wide and has trained numerous graduate students for careers as biomedical investigators, science administrators and academics. Previous to her Chaminade appointment, she was an Associate Director of Research at The Queen’s Center for Biomedical Research in Honolulu. Current projects in the Turner laboratory focus on mast cell ion channels as novel targets for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory pathologies, and on the molecular mechanisms by which cannabinoid compounds act as modulators of the immune system. Dr Turner’s relatively young laboratory has been strikingly successful at winning grants from private foundations (The Leahi Fund for Pulmonary Research, The Victoria and Bradley Geist Foundation, The Culpeper Biomedical Pilot Initiative, and the Queen Emma Research Foundation), and from Federal sources (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergic and Inflammatory Disease, and the Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence). In addition to her efforts in seeking funding for her own program, Dr. Turner acts as an invited grant reviewer for the NIH, the British Welcome Trust, and several other funding bodies. Dr. Turner trained at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories and received her Ph.D. from the University of London in 1998. Following a post-doctoral period at the Beth Israel Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, she assumed her position at Queens in 2000. While at Queens, Dr. Turner was head of a team of 10 scientists, whose efforts centered around the biology of mast cells. These immunocytes are central to inflammatory responses and are key players in pathologies such as asthma, eczema and multiple sclerosis.” For more on Dr. Turner’s work, go to Chaminade’s website. The post 24. Ten Epic Questions for Helen Turner, Part 2 appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

 It’s not often one gets to talk to a brilliant scientist about artificial intelligence, college admissions, David Epstein’s book, “Range,” the scary questions of biology and the incredible insights of excellent indigenous science. Even better is the fact that I caught all of this conversation on tape and can present it here in this podcast. Dr. Helen Turner is the VP for Strategy and Innovation at Chaminade University, a small, private college sitting on a lovely hillside above the city of Honolulu. Her resume is 14 pages long; she is a brilliant thinker and articulate spokesperson for things in K-12 and higher education we should all be excited about. (And in a couple cases, such as CRISPR being driven “underground,” very concerned about.) She has a strong bias towards action and innovation. Over a 90-minute interview, which will be released in two parts, Helen and I dug deep into what I called Ten Questions With Helen Turner. Yes, in couple cases we cheated by adding in bonus questions! This recording was done in a special dual-person soundproof phone booth at the Entrepreneurs Sandbox, managed by the one and only BoxJelly Co-Working team. So enjoy, and please give us a rating in your favorite podcast store! From Chaminade.edu we learn: “Dr. Turner is an internationally-regarded researcher in molecular immunology. As well as her position at Chaminade, she holds academic affiliations with the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Department of Microbiology at the University of Hawaii and serves on numerous scientific advisory boards. She collaborates with an extensive network of scientists nation-wide and has trained numerous graduate students for careers as biomedical investigators, science administrators and academics. Previous to her Chaminade appointment, she was an Associate Director of Research at The Queen’s Center for Biomedical Research in Honolulu. Current projects in the Turner laboratory focus on mast cell ion channels as novel targets for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory pathologies, and on the molecular mechanisms by which cannabinoid compounds act as modulators of the immune system. Dr Turner’s relatively young laboratory has been strikingly successful at winning grants from private foundations (The Leahi Fund for Pulmonary Research, The Victoria and Bradley Geist Foundation, The Culpeper Biomedical Pilot Initiative, and the Queen Emma Research Foundation), and from Federal sources (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergic and Inflammatory Disease, and the Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence). In addition to her efforts in seeking funding for her own program, Dr. Turner acts as an invited grant reviewer for the NIH, the British Welcome Trust, and several other funding bodies. Dr. Turner trained at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories and received her Ph.D. from the University of London in 1998. Following a post-doctoral period at the Beth Israel Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, she assumed her position at Queens in 2000. While at Queens, Dr. Turner was head of a team of 10 scientists, whose efforts centered around the biology of mast cells. These immunocytes are central to inflammatory responses and are key players in pathologies such as asthma, eczema and multiple sclerosis.” For more on Dr. Turner’s work, go to Chaminade’s website. The post 23. Ten Epic Questions for Helen Turner, Part 1 appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

What’s the best thing I can offer educators and community members as we start the New Year 2020? The unmistakably clear voices of two remarkable students at the very beginning of their life-long learning journeys. In this episode, meet Phoenix Maimiti Valentine and Dayevin Bunao; both are student advocates-in-training with HawaiiKidsCAN, an innovative nonprofit that seeks to help students dive deep into the legislative process…that they might help shape the future of Hawaiʻi and level the playing field for everyone in this state. Phoenix and Dayevin are both graduates of Nalukai Academy, one of Planet Earth’s most innovative product-based summer camp programs. Phoenix describes herself as a “ʻŌiwi student filmmaker and creative, an optimist, a Home Schooler and HawaiiKidsCAN We Are Voices of Excellence (WAVE) alumni: My student short films are culturally based and have been screened in international film festivals around the world including Hawaiʻi, Seattle, Washington, abroad in Italy, Greece, Brazil, Slovenia, Czech Republic, the Russian Federation and London.” Dayevin thoughtfully notes, “I am a recent high school graduate who is finding my way with internships and volunteer opportunities. I am taking a gap year to learn more about my passions and how I can contribute to the education innovation space. I am an intern at Education Incubator, and volunteer with HawaiiKidsCAN on special projects and WAVE as an Alumni Facilitator. Together, these two special people are the hope of a generation, seeds growing into strong trees capable of wisely withstanding the high winds of our “Age of Acceleration,” a term coined by the New York Times Tom Friedman. Along the way, they are guided, mentored, coached and sponsored by David Miyashiro, the Executive Director of HawaiiKidsCAN, his understudy, Aisha Heredia, and a host of community members who care deeply about kids. So give a listen, and comment if you have time! To learn more about HawaiiKidsCAN, click on this link. If you love this podcast, please give us a rating in Apple Podcasts.  The post 22. Yes, Hawai’i Kids CAN! appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

 I taught Amber Strong her Advanced Placed United States History 25 years ago. Recently, we came onto each other’s radar again and began working on some projects related to educator professional development. As we do this work, I continue to reflect how many kids’ lives have been impact by Amber’s work over the past two decades. The number has to be enormous, and is beyond staggering. Equally amazing has to be her impact on young educators getting advanced degrees and teacher certifications at the University of Hawaiʻi, College of Education, where she serves as a faculty member. And in 2019, a new chapter began: Amber is now the Director of Hanahau’oli School’s Professional Development Center, which is offering intimate and targeted PD around teaching social justice, climate change, art, equity and much, much more. (My father attended the 2nd grade at Hanahau’oli, back in 1920.) So it is with great pleasure that I give to you, esteemed listener, this “on the road” episode. Amber has much to say, and it is all worthy of your attention. From the UH Manoa website we get: “Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau is currently the Director of Curriculum and Research at the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education. For over ten years, she taught secondary social studies in the Hawaii State Department of Education. Her achievements include, National Board Certification in 2006, the Hawaii International Education Week – Honolulu Advertiser 2004 Outstanding Global Educator Award, the Oceanic Outstanding Educator Award in 2005, and the 2011 Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teaching. Her current projects include a brand new secondary level Philosophical Inquiry course, developing the emerging field of deliberative pedagogy, and a new approach to research ethics education. Dr. Makaiau enjoys speaking, writing, engaging in intellectually safe communities of inquiry, and advocating for the betterment of education in Hawaii and beyond.” To learn more about Hanahau’oli School and its Professional Development Center, click here. The post 21. A Progressive’s Progressive, Amber Makaiau appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

As soon as I walked on Stacie Kunihisa’s campus I knew something different was happening. Two student ambassadors guided me on a tour of classrooms and project spaces, and spoke to me at length about how campus culture had changed as a result of a “movement” called Choose Love. Both felt that kids were related to each other in ways not seen before. Kanoelani Elementary is a carnival of interesting ideas and concepts in motion. I saw a full hydroponics garden next to one building, and heard about a series of “academy pathways” based on student inputs. Everywhere my ambassadors took me people seemed to be moving with great intent. Learning…is clearly front and center at this school. At the helm is a self-described “dreamer,” Principal Stacie Kunihisa, who grew up and went to school just down the road. In 2019 Stacie and Kanoelani Elementary hosted a Jessie Lewis Choose Love Movement conference on campus. Its 400 seats sold out in less than two weeks. Clearly there is a growing thirst for SEL training and ideas about how to grow more compassionate public, private and charter school cultures in Hawaiʻi. So what Stacie has to say about her journey, with her faculty, staff, students and parents, is important. She is a leader we can learn from. From Kanoelani’s website we learn the school is an “innovative community of leaders, risk takers and warm-hearted citizens who empower the best in each other. We the community of Kanoelani, strive to: Foster the growth of developing the whole child: Collaborate to set and achieve goals: Provide a dynamic environment to maximize students’ potential: Promote empathy and respect towards others.” Stacie was recently named 2019 Hawaiʻi National Distinguished Principal. She also received the $25,000 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award, which annually recognizes outstanding public school principals in Hawaiʻi for their efforts to provide high-quality learning opportunities for their students. To learn more about Stacie’s work, and what school could be, read her blog. Merry Christmas, podcast fans! The post 20. Kanoelani Elementary Chooses Love appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

When I first heard Dan Kinzer planned to walk the entire circumference of Oʻahu in order to find its “genius,” I immediately concluded I had to have him on this podcast. Even better, for this 7th “on the road” edition I wanted to catch him on the last day of his two-week walkabout. And so it happened. About 9:00AM on a Monday, as he walked his final miles along Kalanianaʻoli Highway in the morning Hawaiʻi sun, Dan, a cup of coffee in hand, paused in my dinning room and fielded my many questions. We talked about planet walking, exploring Antartica, his projects at international schools around the world and his love of deeper learning. Oh yes, we talked about the “genius” he found in every corner of this island of Oʻahu during 21 days of walking. Dan is a special thinker whose mind knows no limits. He is deeply devoted to justice, level playing fields, sustainability, service-learning, biomimicry and student agency. While standing up his Pacific Blue Studios, he serves on the Governing Board of an extraordinary public charter school called SEEQS. From SEEQS.org we get this wonderfully concise bio of Dan: “An avid traveler and adventurer, Daniel Kinzer spent a decade living, working, and learning in international schools, non-profits, and social enterprises across more than 60 countries on seven continents. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Psychology and Neuroscience, he has focused on nurturing explorers and change-makers by growing a learning ecosystem that can inspire and empower them. From 2016-2019, Daniel served as the Director of the Luke Center for Public Service at Punahou School in Honolulu, and as a Teacher Fellow for National Geographic and Ecology Project International. He is currently completing a master’s degree in the field of biomimicry where he’s concentrated on marine ecology and innovative solutions to climate change and ocean-related challenges, as well as applying biomimicry to complex social issues, especially reimagining education. As of 2019, Daniel is launching and co-creating Pacific Blue Studios: a Pacific network of community and place-based, youth-led, design and impact studios leveraging biomimicry, indigenous perspective and cutting-edge technologies as vehicles to help realize a sustainable, resilient, regenerative and inclusive future in Hawai’i, across the Pacific, and around our Blue Planet.” To learn more about Pacific Blue Studios check out Dan’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkinzer/. The post 19. Finding the Genius of a Place, with Dan Kinzer appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

In this last episode of Season 1, Semester 1, Trish Morgan takes our listeners on a magical mystery tour of her Innovative Invention Imaginarium, a maker space and technology laboratory built with a sizable award from Farmer’s Insurance, and with the helping hands of her middle school students at Honolulu’s Stevenson Intermediate. It is not in Trish’s DNA to see limits; she apparently fears nothing and sees each waking minute in and out of school as another opportunity to guide, coach and mentor young people towards the better angels of their nature. Her kids are making many things: Most notably, at least this year, they are making prosthetic and accessibility devices for real clients. Yes, fingers for a classmate born without them: A bionic hand for a school alum who fell victim to nectrotizing faciitis (flesh-eating bacteria): A wearable, all-purpose sensor for a young woman who lost her sight. And much, much more. Trish, in her resume, describes herself as an “Innovative, hands-on, and compassionate educator, offering fourteen years of experience in teaching, counseling, professional development, and teacher leadership. Highly qualified English Language Learner (ELL) and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teacher, with proven expertise in leading students toward academic and personal excellence. Equipped with outstanding ability to make learning accessible to all students through differentiated teaching strategies, positive encouragement, and individualized support.” In terms of awards and grants, we know this about Trish: 100K Farmers Insurance Dream Big Teachers Challenge National Grant: 2017, Lex Brodie’s Above and Beyond Award: 2019, Hawaiʻi Society for Technology in Education, Making It Happen Award: State of California $10K Best Buy Teach Grant. Trish is from California, where she got her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University in Hayward (she graduated cum laude). To learn more about her Imaginarium, Google Trish Morgan; she has been in the news – TV and print – in Hawaiʻi, a lot.  The post 18. Trish Morgan’s Magical, Fantastical Imaginarium appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

Paul Singer has strong opinions about education, but he comes by them honestly. He spent nearly 30 years as Head at The Country School in Los Angeles, then another 11 as Head at Assets School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. His experiences in school at a very young age still shape the way he sees the world, and teaching and learning. Paul has been one of Hawaii’s most vocal advocates for individualized, differentiated “meet students where they are” instruction. His life experiences shape the way he thinks kids, the real world and “school” could and should intersect. Now retired from active duty as a head of school, Paul has formed Singer and Associates LLC, which will serve as a progressive education consultancy platform. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools. From Assets-School.org we hear: “Under Singer’s leadership, Assets acquired the land rights to the school’s campus near the airport and negotiated a merger with the Academy of the Pacific to acquire their Alewa Heights campus, which now houses the Assets High School. He launched the school’s first major capital campaign in decades, already resulting in a new K-4 Village and plans for subsequent efforts on both campuses. His commitment to meeting students where they are also resulted in new after- school and summer programs as well as outreach across the state, sharing Assets’ techniques and strategies with teachers from public and private schools….Singer’s retirement marks the end of a distinguished career as a gifted, progressive educator who has long championed meeting students where they are — academically, developmentally, socially, and emotionally.” Paul served on the faculty at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for 30 years; he taught in the College of Education Teacher Training Program; he served for 10 years on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He served on accreditation committees for the California Association of Independent Schools for 15 years, serving as Chair for many of those years. He holds a B.A. in Sociology, an M.A. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, and an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision from CSUN. He has also completed doctoral coursework in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Southern California. [Episode music from https://filmmusic.io “I Can Feel it Coming” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).]The post 17. Paul Singer, One of Hawaii’s Greatest Assets appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

I first met Sandy Cameli during a facilitated protocol discussion on synchronous, vs. asynchronous professional development. Her passion for education filled the conference room with energy and spirit. Since then I have witnessed her, many times, facilitating sessions on teacher-leadership; I always come away inspired. In this episode Sandy and I dive deep into professional crushes (on noted education authors), tri-level professional growth, identity of leadership, those special kids we remember always, and how teacher-leadership shifts school culture towards student voice, teacher collaboration and intentional school design. Oh yes, we also talk about how happy days keep the grouchies away! Sandy Cameli got her Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) in Elementary Education at Linfield College in Oregon. She has a Master’s of Education Degree (MEd) in Special Education from the University of San Diego, and a Doctor of Education Degree (EdD) Instructional Leadership from Argosy University in Honolulu. She has been a classroom teacher, lecturer, resource teacher, teacher-leader and much more. She is the Co-Owner of “The Chalkboard,” a retail and tutoring center in Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi, supporting teachers and students in K-8th classrooms in West Hawai’i schools. Today, she is the Facilitator of Na Kumu Alaka’i Academy, a program of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Leadership Institute. She is also the current President of the Hawai’i Association of Middle Level Education (HAMLE), and has been published widely. I am forever grateful to Sandy for being such a steadfast supporter of the @MLTSinHawaii “movement.” To learn more about teacher-leadership in Hawaii’s schools, go to https://vimeo.com/362658356. Follow Sandy on Twitter at @DrCameli and @TLA808. The post 16. Sandy Cameli, Coach of Teacher Leaders appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .