The What School Could Be Podcast

Dr. Tammy Jones is a Project Coordinator for PLACES Hawaiʻi at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, supporting teachers on the Waiʻanae Coast to develop place-based curricula. She is also the curriculum developer and co-facilitator of Try Think, a program run in the state correctional facilities and sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities. Dr. Jones has worked closely with Dr. Thomas Jackson and the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education to promote Philosophy for Children Hawaiʻi, known as p4c. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator! The post 75. The Many Passions and Projects of Educator, Dr. Tammy Jones appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

I have wanted Kevin Matsunaga on my podcast for a long, long time. Kevin never imagined he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become a teacher. He found his calling as the digital media teacher, coach and guide at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on the island of Kauaʻi, and his students have won too many national video competitions to count. In 2007, the Hawai’i Department of Education recognized Kevin with a Kauaʻi District Teacher of the Year award. The impact he has had on kids in our public schools since 2007 is simply staggering. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator. The post 74. Communications, Deadlines and Teamwork, with Kevin Matsunaga appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

A college football defensive end and a philosopher meet at a bar. The defensive end asks, “What’s the meaning of life?” The philosopher replies, “Missed tackles, my friend. To many missed tackles.” Dr. Chad Miller is a former NCAA football star, our 2012 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year, a National Board Certified teacher, and currently a Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Institute for Teacher Education. Dr. Miller also serves as the Director of Teacher Development at the University’s of Hawaii’s Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator. The post 73. From Defensive End to Philosopher in Residence, with Chad Miller appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

It’s hard to rank all the things I love about Russell Motter – history teacher, lover of great music, epic thespian, good cook, creative innovator, Atlanta Braves and Falcons fan, among others – but the fact he mixes a mean Sazerac, my favorite cocktail, sits at the top of the list. Russell and I taught together in the history department at ‘Iolani School from 2010 to 2014. When I say taught together, I mean it literally. We team-taught US History, merging our two classes into one very cool section that at times traveled to the outer edges of innovation in education and what history could be. (To see a very cool video about our work, click here.) But I get ahead of myself. Russell has a BA and a masters in history from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has been teaching in the history department at ‘Iolani School for 26 years, and was its department head from 2005 – 2013. Russell and I co-founded and co-directed the Education Innovation Lab at ‘Iolani School during the 2013/2014 school year. He has been a curriculum consultant for Punahou School’s PUEO program; he coordinated ‘Iolani’s capstone program for two years. Currently he is the course leader for ‘Iolani’s APUS history program. Russell has also taught at the college level here in Honolulu. If you ever have a chance to read Russell’s resume you will see that he has a miscellaneous projects section a mile long. Highlights include working on a team that brought technology to ‘Iolani’s campus in the form of a K12 iPad 1:1 program, the second school in Hawaii to do so. I also served on that team with Russell. It was a blast. More than anything, in my humble opinion, Russell’s work bringing incredible guest speakers to ‘Iolani School is a highlight. Speakers include Barbara Field, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, John Hope Franklin (a personal hero of mine), Wynton Marsalis and Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize Winning author of the incredible book, The Warmth of Other Suns. Oh, I almost forgot, Russell, originally from the Great State of Georgia, acts in local theater productions here in Honolulu, is a master mixologist and, in an earlier life, was a hotel bellman. To say he has lived a rich and intentional life is an understatement. My editor, creative consultant and sound engineer is the wondrously creative, Evan Kurohara (SØZEN), a self-taught audio engineer and producer born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. He is currently working in Honolulu and aspiring to reach new heights by dedicating himself to exceptional quality work through creative and analytical meticulousness (his words!). Our original theme music is provided by my friend of 40 years, virtuoso pianist, Michael Sloan. Michael has produced 12 albums with over 100 songs and is featured in Apple Music, Spotify, and all the other major music platforms. You can also find his work at his YouTube channel. He has listeners in over 100 countries and over 2000 cities, to date. Songs featured in this episode include, “A New Day,” “Oasis,” “Mysterious Dancer” and “Fuchsia.” There are two other clips of songs downloaded from a open source site: “Pass the Plate” and “On the Rocks.” Please support this podcast by providing a rating and review at your fav podcast app! The What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast is funded by Ted Dintersmith and WhatSchoolCouldBe.org. Please stay safe, keep wearing your masks in crowded public spaces, and please get vaccinated. Until next time, mahalo, a hui hou!, and please be in good health.  Theme music provided by Michael Sloan Editing and creative consulting by Evan KuroharaThe post 72. Russell Motter: Renaissance Man, Raconteur, Teacher and Mixologist Extraordinaire appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

Lianna Lam is an educator and leader passionate about community and public schools who views both as places to seed and cultivate Aloha! Lianna holds an environmental engineering degree from University of California at Davis and a Masters in Education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has worked as an engineer, science teacher, sustainability coordinator and as a STEM Coordinator. Currently she is leading Kaimuki Middle School on a marvelous journey towards student-driven learning through a project KMS is calling the Voyager Center. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app! 

My guest for this first episode of our 3rd season is Dr. Edna Hussey, a passionate and dedicated educator committed to the advancement of an educated citizenry, children’s rights to quality learning AND the professionalism of teachers. Mention Dr. Hussey’s name anywhere in Hawaiʻi and you will get mad respect and admiration. Continue readingThe post 69. Reading The World, with Dr. Edna Hussey appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

What does it mean to be the daylight for someone? Erin Medeiros is an epic educator at Kanuikapono Learning Center, a K–12 Hawaiian-culture-focused school in Anahola on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. Erin seeks renewal in literature and hiking, biking, or playing at the beach with her educator husband, Jonathon and their two daughters. She views teaching as a deeply creative profession and encourages her students to develop their attention to the past and present, to observe and question life. This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator. The post 68. On Being The Daylight, with Erin Medeiros appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

What must schools do to build caring and connected communities? What is student-driven learning? What learning challenges are authentic and real-world? What must schools do to help students become fully human? What does it mean that “school is in but class is outside”? How can schools help students and staff navigate the complexities of this age of acceleration? Why put Yertle the Turtle on trial? Today my guests are Wrayna Fairchild and Melissa Montoya, two charter school educators selected for the Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows program. To introduce them I am going to read the section of the Public Charter School Commission’s newsletter announcing their appointments to the cohort. “The Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows Program brings together outstanding public school educators from across the state and provides teachers with peer and community engagement skills, tools to facilitate focus groups, along with communication and advocacy strategies. The program is run out of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Leadership Institute. The competitive applications process includes submission of narratives, recommendations and an interview. When asked why she applied for the Fellowship Program, Melissa Montaya (Kamaile Academy) said, ‘… I wanted to be a part of an organization that wants to elevate teachers, outside of my own organization. I believe in collective and collaborative teams, so I am beyond ecstatic to engage in opportunities that support public education on a larger scale. Hawaiʻi deserves a system that promotes excellence at all levels of education.’ Wrayna Fairchild (Voyager Public Charter School) said she applied for the program, ‘because I want to further develop as a teacher-leader. I have been fortunate to take on a teacher-leader role at my school and have had the opportunity to participate in national teacher-leader cohorts. Applying to be part of this special group that supports education at the state level seemed like a great fit for me.’ She added, ‘Hawaiʻi has some amazing, talented educators. By helping to connect these teachers, and working to support their classroom efforts, the practice of all is elevated.'” As always, our original theme music and post production is provided by Daniel Gilad of DG Sound Creations in Honolulu. Please stay safe, friends! Continue to wear your masks where required and please, please get vaccinated. Until next time, a hui hou! The post 67. Two Epic Teacher-Leaders, Melissa Montoya and Wrayna Fairchild appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

What does wise school leadership look, sound and feel like? How do we, as a nation, unleash the creativity, the imagination, the innovation that we seem to know already exists in every kid from birth? What’s the core idea behind the creation of K-12 pipelines to fields in STEM and space? Why work so hard to create these pipelines for kids? What does it mean to live effectively in a human made world? Profoundly impacted by the Challenger disaster, twenty years ago, Art and Rene Kimura created Future Flight Hawai‘i, a space-themed educational program, while Art, a former teacher and school administrator, was assigned to the Office of Space Industries, part of the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. When that office was closed in 2002, the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium adopted Future Flight Hawaiʻi as the centerpiece of its K-12 educational programs where it continues to grow and touch the lives of so many. With their ongoing affiliation with Hawai‘i Space Grant, Art and Rene have created a whole host of educational and public outreach activities that have reached an estimated 150,000 students, their parents, and teachers. Their work includes K-12 educational programs, science nights, courses for teachers, grants, and participation in local, national, and international engineering educational programs. For a sampling of programs Google search online for Future Flight Hawai‘i, or Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Day, or Astronaut Lacy Veach Day and/or Robotics in Hawai‘i. Former Hawai’i Governor Linda Lingle, in her 2008 State of the State Address, called Art Kimura the father of Hawai‘i robotics, which is epic. In 2015 Art and Rene were named as Living Treasures of Hawaiʻi. The Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium posted the following comment online in that moment: “The HSGC ohana extends our heartfelt congratulations to Art and Rene Kimura upon being named Living Treasures of Hawai‘i. Among six recipients, the Kimuras were recognized as visionary educators and proponents of science. Bestowed by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i, the Living Treasure Award recognizes and honors individuals ‘who have demonstrated excellence and high standards of achievement in their particular fields of endeavor, and, through their continuous growth, learning and sharing, have made significant contributions towards enriching our society.'” As always, post production and original theme music was provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Please stay safe, everyone! Wear your masks and for the love of the gods, please get vaccinated. The post 66. Hawaii’s Living Treasures, Art and Rene Kimura appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

 Part II: What does it mean to live in an “open source society”? What impact is the so-called Age of Acceleration having on your school age children? When did the blue collar, white collar paradigm start to shift? What does it mean to be “cognitively fit”? What is the impact on kids of being hyperconnected but totally alone? Why will going to college or pursuing a postsecondary credential increasingly feel like shopping on a poorly organized Amazon? A few weeks ago Stephanie Malia Krauss published her first book, Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World. Within hours it had rocketed to the top of Amazon’s education category. Why? This episode was edited by the talented Evan Kurohara. Our theme music comes from the vast catalogue of pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this podcast, write us a review and give us a rating in your favorite podcast app or aggregator. The post 65. “Making It” Author, Stephanie Malia Krauss: Part 2 appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.