I am a member of the Kualiʻi Council, a recognized council to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Chancellor. Kualiʻi Council is the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council representing Native Hawaiian faculty, staff and students regarding relevant Hawaiian issues, problems and concerns. One of the missions of Kualiʻi Council is to increase Native Hawaiian administrators, faculty, staff and students, parity to the general Hawaiian population in our islands. That being said, as a representative of this council, I am a member of the UH Mānoa's Strategic Working Group on Engaged Learning.
Engaged Learning was one of the priorities from our campus's strategic plan. There were other priorities and such groups established - PhD funding, Engaged Scholarship (Native Hawaiian scholarship focused), Sustainability, and Instructional Innovation. Our focus was on retention and graduation for undergraduate students. The charge was to develop a comprehensive plan by December 2012 for strengthening and assessing different forms of engaged learning that can, and should, take different forms in different disciplines including undergraduate research (paid and unpaid), service learning, internships (paid and unpaid), clinical practica, capstone courses, study abroad, international exchange, etc.
Well......It's the end of Spring 2013. These working groups were formed in August or September 2012 and were expected to suggest a few recommendations to the Strategic Planning Committee, that then will be recommended to the chancellor. The make up of the membership comprised of faculty and specialists already in some program that further engages students academic learning experiences of reading the textbook and trying to attentively listen to the teacher's lecture. Now that our charge was over extended and towards the end of the school year, a few recommendations has been drafted and will be approved at our last meeting towards the end of this month.
It was pretty interesting to hear from faculty and specialists about their particular programs and services that are already offered through their own departments. Some truth, these meetings with these faculty and staff are really boring. Seriously, it is a tiresome environment, that once in a while, seems, very rarely, exciting. It is now the end of the school year and we need to submit something, or else there wonʻt be any funding attached to our proposed recommendations. Definitely an interesting point, which makes me wander, is/will funding be the major driving force to get these recommendations in?
The recommendations pretty much focuses on capstone projects and eportfolios. Capstone projects are already a required component of some academic programs, and will require buy-in from the faculty and etc. Whereas, eportfolios will take more resources to develop and maintain. For more information of my working group and the others, here is the link to our notes: UHM Strategic Working Groups
One of the questions was: How do we engage our faculty to do engaged learning?
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
662.4 Reflections of Tonights Class
Tonights class focused on the presentation of 2 groups - the first group focused on assessment and developing change, and our group technology and online/long distance education. Both of our presentations took up the whole class tonight, which at first, I thought was going to be pretty short. Hence finish class early. However, that didn't happened. It was more than just a presentation. It included various hands-on experiences and small group discussions, that made the class more actively engaged.
I really appreciated the first group's reading on assessment - The Learning Organization: Assessment as an Agent of Change by Patricia M. Dwyer (2006). The main focus was on Kotter's (1996) 8-step process for creating change. It is a basic framework towards developing change within an organization structure. The 8-steps are:
As Bonnie mentioned, not all steps are applicable. The question for the first activity was about the barriers to change, the question being, "What curricular change is needed in the context you work in?" So, where I work at is in a non-academic unit, student services. Our primary focus is undergraduate education, the recruitment, retention, and advising of the teacher education programs. One barrier or a gap in our unit as student services is serving graduate students. There are a few times that prospective students are interested in our graduate programs and inquires about it, as we are somewhat the first line of defense. The current policy is to refer them to that academic department. We are a student services unit and we should service all interested and current COE students.
To enable change and using Kotter's (1996) 8-step process, I thought it was necessary to at least start off with 4 steps - 4 easy steps.
Step 1: Identify opportunities to service COE
The current sense is serving undergraduate students, the teacher education programs and the kinesiology program. Further identifying the opportunities for graduate education will potentially increase the visibility of COE. The potential opportunities could include recruitment, retention and initial advising for graduate students in COE.
Step 2: Identify Liaisons
Developing a coalition of 1 faculty from each department/program will enhance the capabilities of student services.
Step 3: Develop a vision and strategy
As a collective group, developing a vision and a strategy will set a foundation to that sense of urgency.
Step 4: Communication
Communication is vital with the dean, the student services unit and with the liaisons.
I hope these steps could start the change that I would like to see.
Technology and online/distance education is a rapidly increasing field within education. The study and use of it is highly valued in teaching and learning. I felt our group did a great job, briefly introducing to the class to several educational technology tools. There are a vast array of educational tools, although the ones we briefly introduced are very commonly used in educational settings. I also really liked the article that we chose for everyone to read, Social Learning Theory and Web-Based Learning Environments: A Review of Research and Discussion of Implications by Janette Hill, Liyan Song and Richard West (2009).
The article highlighted "social learning" as the main point of learning online. It is definitely a tool that can enhance student's learning capabilities, at the same time, decrease their interest or attention span in learning. Although it is quite a different environment, online learning/distance education requires active engagement. Morever, depending on how the curricular is structured for the online class, it can also provide learning experiences that the teacher is unable to provide.
I really appreciated the first group's reading on assessment - The Learning Organization: Assessment as an Agent of Change by Patricia M. Dwyer (2006). The main focus was on Kotter's (1996) 8-step process for creating change. It is a basic framework towards developing change within an organization structure. The 8-steps are:
- Establishing a Sense of Urgency
- Creating a Guiding Coalition
- Develop a Vision and Strategy
- Communicating the Change
- Empowering Broad-Based Action
- Generating Short-term Wins
- Consolidating Gains and Producing More Changes
- Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture
As Bonnie mentioned, not all steps are applicable. The question for the first activity was about the barriers to change, the question being, "What curricular change is needed in the context you work in?" So, where I work at is in a non-academic unit, student services. Our primary focus is undergraduate education, the recruitment, retention, and advising of the teacher education programs. One barrier or a gap in our unit as student services is serving graduate students. There are a few times that prospective students are interested in our graduate programs and inquires about it, as we are somewhat the first line of defense. The current policy is to refer them to that academic department. We are a student services unit and we should service all interested and current COE students.
To enable change and using Kotter's (1996) 8-step process, I thought it was necessary to at least start off with 4 steps - 4 easy steps.
Step 1: Identify opportunities to service COE
The current sense is serving undergraduate students, the teacher education programs and the kinesiology program. Further identifying the opportunities for graduate education will potentially increase the visibility of COE. The potential opportunities could include recruitment, retention and initial advising for graduate students in COE.
Step 2: Identify Liaisons
Developing a coalition of 1 faculty from each department/program will enhance the capabilities of student services.
Step 3: Develop a vision and strategy
As a collective group, developing a vision and a strategy will set a foundation to that sense of urgency.
Step 4: Communication
Communication is vital with the dean, the student services unit and with the liaisons.
I hope these steps could start the change that I would like to see.
Technology and online/distance education is a rapidly increasing field within education. The study and use of it is highly valued in teaching and learning. I felt our group did a great job, briefly introducing to the class to several educational technology tools. There are a vast array of educational tools, although the ones we briefly introduced are very commonly used in educational settings. I also really liked the article that we chose for everyone to read, Social Learning Theory and Web-Based Learning Environments: A Review of Research and Discussion of Implications by Janette Hill, Liyan Song and Richard West (2009).
The article highlighted "social learning" as the main point of learning online. It is definitely a tool that can enhance student's learning capabilities, at the same time, decrease their interest or attention span in learning. Although it is quite a different environment, online learning/distance education requires active engagement. Morever, depending on how the curricular is structured for the online class, it can also provide learning experiences that the teacher is unable to provide.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
662.3 Towards Developing a Hawaiian-Indigenous Education Course
I mentioned in my first blog about developing a Hawaiian and Indigenous education course for my EDCS 640M: Indigenous and Post-Colonial Perspectives in Education. So, I thought I share the syllabus that I developed as a final project for this course. Please feel free to read through it and comment. As I mentioned in last weeks class, I really did not know what I was doing - I had no idea! I simply - if you can call is simply, used previous syllabi from other classes as a template to develop this course. I believe it is highly needed here at the College of Education.
Guest Speakers: Dr. No'eau Warner, Professor and Dr. Laiana Wong, Professor, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge - UHM
Guest Speakers: Dr. Tania Ka'ai, Professor and Dr. John Moorfield, Professor, Te Ara Poutama, Auckland University of Technology
Guest Speaker: Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua, Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science, College of Social Sciences - UHM
After Punihei's class night, I kept going back to this proposed course the curriculum. The questions she posed:
1) What does it mean to be Indigenous?
2) Of what consequence is it to be Indigenous?
3) Of what consequence is it to recognize the Indigenous peoples of the place you are in?
4) Of what consequence is it to use Indigenous curriculum in higher education?
Really interesting questions, as I try to reflect on how I can answer these questions - given my background experiences and with what I just shared. I really wanted to highlight question #4 and share what I had shared with my classmates in our small groups discussion. The first thing that I focus on is the word "use." How is it going to be used? Who is going to use it? Incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the curriculum can be challenging. It may and can also have consequences on how it is used. How is it delivered to students? What teaching methodologies are used? Which then leads to "curriculum." What consists of the curriculum? How is it defined as "Indigenous curriculum"? These are more questions to keep in mind.
Developed November 2012
EDHI 601 Introduction to Hawaiian & Indigenous Education
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Indigenous Education is relatively a young developing field
of study that derives it's very existence from Indigenous Studies. As a global movement of renaasicnce for
Indigenous peoples and their knowledge, meanings, teachings and learning in
western educational systems, Indigenous Education has brought it's own ways to
combat Eurocentric-American hegemonic knowledge.
Hawaiian education will be the primary focus of this course,
along with other perspectives in Indigenous education and how both affects one
another. This class will briefly
cover historical and contemporary issues facing Indigenous peoples and
education. In order to establish a
Hawaiian and Indigenous foundation in education, we will cover many literature
written by Indigenous scholars.
The literature will help students to develop an Indigenous
holistic approach to the idea of Indigenous education, and include such topics
like: Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching, history, language and cultural
revitalization, curriculum, research and methodologies, political and social
issues.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1. Analyze and critique contemporary
issues through an Indigenous critical framework
lens.
2. Apply different solutions to the
current issues facing Indigenous peoples and their
education.
3. Synthesize current Indigenous education
trends.
MISSION OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
To work as a diverse, just, and democratic community in
three areas:
w
Teaching - prepare new educational professionals and
provide on-going professional development in education.
w
Research - increase the knowledge base in education
and related fields through the production and application of educational
research.
w
Service - serve as partners and leaders for
excellence in education.
The College also recognizes its responsibility to enhance
the well-being of the Native Hawaian people, and others across the Pacific
Basin, through education.
HAWAIIAN & INDIGENOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Department for Hawaiian and Indigenous Education is a
interdisciplinary 30-credit program within the College of Education offering a
Masters of Education (MEd) in Hawaiian and Indigenous Education for those who:
(a)
are currently working with Hawaiian and Indigenous populations or at a Hawaiian
and Indigenous public, charter, immersion schools or at a university/college
institution.
(b)
have a desire or interest to work with Hawaiian and Indigenous educational programs.
This program provides students the necessary Hawaiian and
Indigenous foundational knowledge to become educational leaders with the
opportunity to explore issues of importance to Hawaiian and Indigenous peoples
and to specialize in their area of interest. The department's main target group are Hawaiian and
Indigenous students committed towards the educational futures of all Indigenous
peoples around the world.
REQUIRED READINGS
There is a required reader for this class: EDHI 601 Hawaiian
& Indigenous Education Reader, which is available for purchase from the
Marketing and Publication Services (MaPS). For more information see http://manoa.hawaii.edu/crdg/curriculum-materials/maps/.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS
Class attendance and participation 10%
Journals (10) 25%
Paper 1: Identity in
Education 15%
Paper 2: Solution to a
Problem 20%
Field Study/Internship 30%
Class attendance and participation (10%)
Students are expected to be promt to class and ready to
engage in learning about Hawaiian and Indigenous education and to participate
in the discussion of the readings in hopes of gaining a better understand of
Indigenous education.
Journals (25%)
There will be a weekly journal to refect, pondor, analyze
and/or question about the current readings and class discussion. Journals should be minimum 1 page
double spaced and dates for the particular week of class.
Paper 1 (15%)
This paper is a self-reflection of your identity in
education. What are the different parts
that make up your identity and how does those parts impact your education? Maxium 4-page double spaced paper.
Paper 2 (20%)
What is an issue or problem and what are possible
solutions? A 15-20 page paper
addressing (1) the issue or problem, (2) historical and contemporary facts, (3)
possible solutions. Please cite
readings from this class or other relevant works in your paper.
Field Study/Internship (30%)
In order to gain better understanding other than reading and
discussing is to experience it.
The field study/internship will allow students the opportunity to be
involved in a Hawaiian and Indigenous educational environment and gain possible
insights that the current literature may lack or reinforce the student's
understanding. The student must
intern for 4-weeks (10 hrs/week) under the supervision of a Hawaiian or
Indigenous educator and help assist that person in day-to-day
responsibilities. A formal
agreement must be made and signed by both the student and the supervisor.
After the 4-week internship, students must write up a 6 - 7
page paper about their internship and include the following (a) the Hawaiian or
Indigenous education program, (b) what your role and responsibilities were, (c)
what are the current problems or issues facing this Hawaiian or Indigenous
education program, and (d) possible solutions to overcome those problems or
issues. Please also include
relevant readings from the class to connect theory and practice.
GRADING POLICY
All assignments for the course grade will be assessed
accordingly to the standard grade policy.
Late assignments are accepted, however, 1 point will be deducted from
overall assignment grade.
100 - 94
|
A
|
93 - 90
|
A-
|
89 - 87
|
B+
|
86 - 84
|
B
|
83 - 80
|
B-
|
79 - 77
|
C+
|
76 - 74
|
C
|
73 - 70
|
C-
|
69 - 60
|
D
|
59 Below
|
F
|
APA STYLE
All papers must be formated according to the current
American Psychological Association (APA) formating style. For more information see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
http://www.apastyle.org/
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Please be sure to cite your sources when appropriate. Copying, quoting without quotation
marks and not crediting the source is are forms of plagirism, which constitutes
academic dishonesty. If you are
unsure of how to cite your source, see above for helpful websites about
formatting your paper correctly in APA format. Academic dishonesty can be found in the UH General and
Graduate Informatino Catalogue and UH
Student Code.
COURSE OUTLINE
(Subject to change)
Week 1 - Introduction
Week 2 - Indigenous ways of knowing and teaching
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Chun - A'o
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Hau'ofa - Our Sea of Islands
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Janke - Indigenous Knowledge and Intellectual Property
Week 3 - History of education for
Indigenous peoples - Due: Journals 1 & 2
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Benham - The Voice"less" Hawaiian: An
Analysis of Educational Policymaking 1820-1960
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Menton - A Christian and "Civilized"
Education: The Hawaiian Chiefs' Children's School 1839-1850
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The Brown Quarterly - The Challenges and Limitations of
Assimilation, Indian Board Schools
Week 4 - Language and culture revitalization
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Warner - The Right, Responsibility and Authority of
Indigenous Peoples to Speak and
Make Decisions for Themselves in Language and Cultural Revitatlization
w
Henze & Davis - Authenticity and Identity
w
Ka'ai-Mahuta - The Impact of Colonisation on te reo Māori
Guest Speakers: Dr. No'eau Warner, Professor and Dr. Laiana Wong, Professor, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge - UHM
Week 5 - Language
and culture continue - Due: Journals 3 & 4
w
Moorfield - Teaching and Learning an Indigenous
Language through its Narratives
w
Wong - Authenticity and the Revitalization of Hawaiian
w
Iokepa-Guerrero & de France - Nest of Voices: Early
Child Care and Education in Hawai'i
Guest Speakers: Dr. Tania Ka'ai, Professor and Dr. John Moorfield, Professor, Te Ara Poutama, Auckland University of Technology
Week 6 - NO CLASS. Start Field Study/Internship.
Week 7 - Curriculum
w
McLaughlin & Whatman - Decolonising Curricula in an
Australian University
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Lambe - Indigenous Education, Mainstream Education and
Native Studies: Some Considerations
When Incorporating Indigenous Pedagogy into Native Studies
Week 8 - Studies (Indigenous, Hawaiian, Māori,
Native American/American Indian, Pacific,
Aboriginal/Torres Straight) - Due: Journals 5 & 6
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Nakata - Australian Indigenous Studies: A Question of
Discipline
w
Wesley-Smith - Rethinking Pacific Island Studies
w
Reilly - What is Māori Studies?
w
Champagne - Is American Studies for Real?
w
Ward - The Hawaiian Studies Program
Week 9 -Research and Methodologies
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Smith - Imperialism, History, Writing and Theory
w
Hart - Indigenous Worldviews, Knowledge, and Research
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Kahakalau - Indigenous Heuristic Action Research
Guest Speaker: Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Ka'opua, Assistant Professor of the Department of Political Science, College of Social Sciences - UHM
Week 10 - Research continue - Due:
Journals 7 & 8
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Hudson & Russell - The Treaty of Waitangi and
Research Ethics in Aotearoa
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Brayboy - Towards a Tribal Critical Race Theory
w
Battiste, Bell & Findlay - Decolonizing Education
in Canadian Universities: An Interdisciplinary,
International, Indigenous Research Project
Week 11 - Political and Social
Issues
w
Ismail & Cazden - Stuggles for Indigenous Education
and Self-Determination
w
Fredericks - Indigenous Issues in Higher Education
w
Nakata - The Cultural Interface
w
Benham & Heck - Political and Cultural Determinants
of Educational Policymaking: The Case of Native Hawaiians
w
Kaomea - Contemplating Kuleana: Reflections on the
Rights and Responsibilities of Non-Hawaiian Participants in Programs for
Hawaiian Education
Guest Speaker: Dr. E. Kahunawai Wright, Director of Native Hawaiian Student Services Kauhale, Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge - UHM
Guest Speaker: Dr. E. Kahunawai Wright, Director of Native Hawaiian Student Services Kauhale, Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge - UHM
Week 12 - NO CLASS.
Due: Journals 9 & 10
Week 13 - Presentations
Week 14 - Presentations
After Punihei's class night, I kept going back to this proposed course the curriculum. The questions she posed:
1) What does it mean to be Indigenous?
2) Of what consequence is it to be Indigenous?
3) Of what consequence is it to recognize the Indigenous peoples of the place you are in?
4) Of what consequence is it to use Indigenous curriculum in higher education?
Really interesting questions, as I try to reflect on how I can answer these questions - given my background experiences and with what I just shared. I really wanted to highlight question #4 and share what I had shared with my classmates in our small groups discussion. The first thing that I focus on is the word "use." How is it going to be used? Who is going to use it? Incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the curriculum can be challenging. It may and can also have consequences on how it is used. How is it delivered to students? What teaching methodologies are used? Which then leads to "curriculum." What consists of the curriculum? How is it defined as "Indigenous curriculum"? These are more questions to keep in mind.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
662.2 The International Experience
Here's my "international" experience:
So, after these few weeks talking about internationalizing the curriculum, internationalism, and intercultural, I've been always reflecting on my international exchange. My BA is in Hawaiian Studies and my area of concentration was kumu kahiki - Polynesian and Indigenous Studies. I started learning the Māori language, which is very similar to Hawaiian. I always wanted to travel to Aotearoa-New Zealand. Therefore, I decided to do an "international" exchange. Unfortunately, I went at the wrong time, where it was winter time! But, I managed, this islander who is used to heat and sun, survived sunless, cold, rainy and wet months at 50 degrees. I also have a blog, was supposed to be a daily blog of my experiences, but it got overwhelming to do a blog daily. Check out my other blog Kamakana in Aotearoa!
So, I attended the University of Waikato, located in Hamilton, the Māoridom, the center of where the Kīngitanga Movement emerged. This international exchange was basically to get electives out of my way and to broaden my horizon. And it did! I was stoked to have done this! One of the best parts was going over with a few others from Hawaiʻi. Plus, having family there now. A Hawaiian Aunty from here now lives there. It was definitely internationalizing my educational experiences through a different university in a another country.
Everything was different, the food, the people, the culture, the environment, the curriculum, the system, everything. So, actually participating in this internationalization of higher education, I can see the value of doing this. But I really wander, how the universities benefit from these. The Mānoa International Exchange (MIX) program is different from the Study Abroad Program. The MIX program has agreements with many universities around the world sponsored by various departments or units. Besides the student part of it, it can also include faculty exchanges and joint research opportunities. UHM has agreements with all the mainstream NZ universities.
In the end, I greatly benefited from this experience and I really wished these experiences could have been offered to many of my peers in Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies. Although it is a financial challenge for students to do these exchanges. But, if the universities are really pushing for this type of movement, then financial support needs to be there. Basically, I paid tuition and fees to UHM. Everything else (airfare, accommodations, fees, food, etc.) I paid. I'm very grateful for scholarships and financial aid, which I decided to take out loans offered to me that year - which really helped. This experience cost US $10,000. Trust me, it was worth it. If I had to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I also wished I stayed an extra semester (since they really wanted me and the others to stay), but it was leaning towards graduation.
And because of this experience, it has pushed me towards a direction of obtaining my PhD here.
So, after these few weeks talking about internationalizing the curriculum, internationalism, and intercultural, I've been always reflecting on my international exchange. My BA is in Hawaiian Studies and my area of concentration was kumu kahiki - Polynesian and Indigenous Studies. I started learning the Māori language, which is very similar to Hawaiian. I always wanted to travel to Aotearoa-New Zealand. Therefore, I decided to do an "international" exchange. Unfortunately, I went at the wrong time, where it was winter time! But, I managed, this islander who is used to heat and sun, survived sunless, cold, rainy and wet months at 50 degrees. I also have a blog, was supposed to be a daily blog of my experiences, but it got overwhelming to do a blog daily. Check out my other blog Kamakana in Aotearoa!
So, I attended the University of Waikato, located in Hamilton, the Māoridom, the center of where the Kīngitanga Movement emerged. This international exchange was basically to get electives out of my way and to broaden my horizon. And it did! I was stoked to have done this! One of the best parts was going over with a few others from Hawaiʻi. Plus, having family there now. A Hawaiian Aunty from here now lives there. It was definitely internationalizing my educational experiences through a different university in a another country.
Everything was different, the food, the people, the culture, the environment, the curriculum, the system, everything. So, actually participating in this internationalization of higher education, I can see the value of doing this. But I really wander, how the universities benefit from these. The Mānoa International Exchange (MIX) program is different from the Study Abroad Program. The MIX program has agreements with many universities around the world sponsored by various departments or units. Besides the student part of it, it can also include faculty exchanges and joint research opportunities. UHM has agreements with all the mainstream NZ universities.
In the end, I greatly benefited from this experience and I really wished these experiences could have been offered to many of my peers in Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies. Although it is a financial challenge for students to do these exchanges. But, if the universities are really pushing for this type of movement, then financial support needs to be there. Basically, I paid tuition and fees to UHM. Everything else (airfare, accommodations, fees, food, etc.) I paid. I'm very grateful for scholarships and financial aid, which I decided to take out loans offered to me that year - which really helped. This experience cost US $10,000. Trust me, it was worth it. If I had to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I also wished I stayed an extra semester (since they really wanted me and the others to stay), but it was leaning towards graduation.
And because of this experience, it has pushed me towards a direction of obtaining my PhD here.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
662.1 - Memorizing or Learning in Higher Education?
This semester, I enrolled in EDEA 662 Curriculum in Higher Education. Although, I didn't need to take this class, I thought that it would be more beneficial for me (oh, plus thanks to scholarship too!). Before enrolling in this class, last semester I took EDCS 640M Indigenous and Post-Colonial Perspectives in Education with Dr. Julie Kaomea. My final project for this course, was developing a syllabus for a potential class the College of Education can offer, Hawaiian and Indigenous Education - EDHI 601 Introduction to Hawaiian and Indigenous Education.
Not knowing anything about curriculum development and how to develop a syllabus, I used syllabus from previous courses as a template. It was challenging, however, I was encouraged to pursue this new idea. And so, I was advised to develop this class, this syllabus, as if it was a real degree program here at UHM College of Education. So, I envisioned what and how it would look like. I'm hoping to learn as much as I can, to further develop this course and others into a much needed program at COE.
I would like to focus on Tagg's Chapter 7 - Approaches to Learning. After reading Tagg's Chapter 7 - Approaches to Learning, I recalled my undergraduate learning being as the Instructional Paradigm and now, where I'm at now, my graduate learning as the Learning Paradigm. Although I did learn a lot through my undergraduate classes, it is basically instructional until you reach the upper level courses. These courses are the ones that seems to transition or incorporate a little from the Learning Paradigm.
All of the general education courses are Instructional Paradigm. Endless "studying" and "memorization" skills was used to past tests and write papers. Tests that only shows how much you can retain and papers that only show the explanation for the answer. As a Hawaiian Studies major, most of my classes were very instructional. I can only recall 2 classes that was learning, HWST 351 Mahiʻai Kalo (Taro cultivation) and HWST 343 Myths of Hawaiian History. HWST 351 is a hands on class, where learning was actually doing in the loʻi kalo (taro patch) at Kānewai. We cleaned, learned the about the area and the various kalo, planted and pulled kalo. HWST 343 is a engaged class that did not require the teacher to instruct us to remember this and that. We actively discussed literature that challenged us to critically analyze the issue and problems.
Deep Learning vs. Surface Learning
These points here, are really great components to making learning in general more appealing. These 2 HWST class were very active, holistic, changeable and not fixed, very mindful and enjoyable. Many courses lack these deep approaches to learning. It makes me think, what the professors think - oh, if we got them to memorize all of these, then I have done my job.
All of the deep learning points are applicable to graduate studies than undergraduate studies. Now, professors want to hear what you have to say, what you think and understand about that issue, what theory can you apply, etc. It is the total opposite! Undergraduate studies = Instructional Paradigm and Graduate studies = Learning Paradigm. I always remember how I talk to peers about graduate school. There is a fear. I basically tell um, there's no tests, there's lots of reading and writing, but all the wanna know is how well you can talk to that issue. So in my thoughts, it's like how do we make graduate studies into undergraduate studies?
I would like to focus on Tagg's Chapter 7 - Approaches to Learning. After reading Tagg's Chapter 7 - Approaches to Learning, I recalled my undergraduate learning being as the Instructional Paradigm and now, where I'm at now, my graduate learning as the Learning Paradigm. Although I did learn a lot through my undergraduate classes, it is basically instructional until you reach the upper level courses. These courses are the ones that seems to transition or incorporate a little from the Learning Paradigm.
All of the general education courses are Instructional Paradigm. Endless "studying" and "memorization" skills was used to past tests and write papers. Tests that only shows how much you can retain and papers that only show the explanation for the answer. As a Hawaiian Studies major, most of my classes were very instructional. I can only recall 2 classes that was learning, HWST 351 Mahiʻai Kalo (Taro cultivation) and HWST 343 Myths of Hawaiian History. HWST 351 is a hands on class, where learning was actually doing in the loʻi kalo (taro patch) at Kānewai. We cleaned, learned the about the area and the various kalo, planted and pulled kalo. HWST 343 is a engaged class that did not require the teacher to instruct us to remember this and that. We actively discussed literature that challenged us to critically analyze the issue and problems.
Deep Learning vs. Surface Learning
- Deep learning is active; Surface learning is inert
- Deep learning is holistic; Surface learning is atomistic
- A deep approach reinforces incremental theory; A surface approach reinforces entity theory
- A deep approach reinforces mindfulness; A surface approach reinforces mindlessness
- A deep approach to learning is enjoyable; A surface approach to learning is unpleasant
All of the deep learning points are applicable to graduate studies than undergraduate studies. Now, professors want to hear what you have to say, what you think and understand about that issue, what theory can you apply, etc. It is the total opposite! Undergraduate studies = Instructional Paradigm and Graduate studies = Learning Paradigm. I always remember how I talk to peers about graduate school. There is a fear. I basically tell um, there's no tests, there's lots of reading and writing, but all the wanna know is how well you can talk to that issue. So in my thoughts, it's like how do we make graduate studies into undergraduate studies?
Is memorization considered learning or is learning more than just memorization?
Is teaching just to memorize or is it more than just memorization?
Spring 2013 - The Last Semester
Spring 2013 - the semester I have long awaited for to graduate with my Masters of Education in Educational Administration. It's been a pretty long 2 years now, but now it is towards the end, time has gone by fast. So, it's my last semester!!! CHHEEEE HEEE!!! This semester, I have a lot on my plate. I have to complete my internship hours from last semester, complete our research project, work on my master's project and taking two classes: EDEA 662 Curriculum in Higher Education and EDEA 663 Community College Leadership. I don't have to take 662, but I really wanted to, because of my interest in hopefully "Indigenizing" the curriculum at the College of Education (in my future).
On top of that, I also have my graduate assistant position with Puʻuhonua: Hale for Native Hawaiian Student Support, Office for Student Academic Services at COE. Love my GA position and working at OSAS with awesome people!!! The environment is very awesome!
With these being said, the next question is what will I do next? PhD is always the first thought. I definitely have my priority set for a PhD, but my interests lie outside of UHM and outside of Hawaiʻi. So, my current working plan (and some people will say it's crazy) is to obtain another Masters in Educational Technology. Another 2 years, yeap, it's the least favorite thing to do, when I could try to get my PhD. My answer: I would like to get my PhD from Aotearoa. So, I'll spend the next 2 years, because I will complete it in two, getting another degree - saving up for that PhD. All the while, if I can still continue as a GA, or even better, get a permanent job at UHM.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
EDEA 604 Blog 10: My Topic for the Research Proposal
This whole semester has helped me to better understand the complex thinking of becoming a qualitative researcher. And narrowing my research topic or narrowing my criteria is a little challenging. Because I am very interested in so many aspects or perspectives of my topic, that for the sake of time and class, that I need to focus in on one or maybe two things.
My research topic is on Hawaiian identity and higher education, how both intersects one another and/or affect each other. I say both of these, because I see two different relationships between intersection and affect. I don't know if they could both mean the same, or could be different. So my research question would be like: "How, if at all, does Hawaiian identity and higher education intersect or affect one another?"
In trying to narrow my focus between students and faculty/staff/administrator, I am leaning more towards faculty/staff. The reason why I'm leaning more towards this groups is because of how much and how long they achieved the status of a faculty/staff/administrator. And this focus is particularly only at UH Mānoa. Therefore, I believe that my participants were all students at come point in their lives at UH Mānoa. To get their in-depth responses, I believe, will help to possibly shape other future projects with them and with students.
My initial focus were on the Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language programs, because this is the foundation of Hawaiian identity in higher education. This is were everything has come forth from and evolved around the campus. However, I'm thinking about trying to get a holistic Hawaiian approach on focusing on Hawaiian faculty/staff/administrator at UH Mānoa. I have still yet to decide.
My proposals have used historical research as my method, and within that, conduct individual interviews. Now, I would like to look at another method to see how it would look different. So, I'm looking at case study as the method to obtain fat data. And so with that, interview questions is another story.
My research topic is on Hawaiian identity and higher education, how both intersects one another and/or affect each other. I say both of these, because I see two different relationships between intersection and affect. I don't know if they could both mean the same, or could be different. So my research question would be like: "How, if at all, does Hawaiian identity and higher education intersect or affect one another?"
In trying to narrow my focus between students and faculty/staff/administrator, I am leaning more towards faculty/staff. The reason why I'm leaning more towards this groups is because of how much and how long they achieved the status of a faculty/staff/administrator. And this focus is particularly only at UH Mānoa. Therefore, I believe that my participants were all students at come point in their lives at UH Mānoa. To get their in-depth responses, I believe, will help to possibly shape other future projects with them and with students.
My initial focus were on the Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language programs, because this is the foundation of Hawaiian identity in higher education. This is were everything has come forth from and evolved around the campus. However, I'm thinking about trying to get a holistic Hawaiian approach on focusing on Hawaiian faculty/staff/administrator at UH Mānoa. I have still yet to decide.
My proposals have used historical research as my method, and within that, conduct individual interviews. Now, I would like to look at another method to see how it would look different. So, I'm looking at case study as the method to obtain fat data. And so with that, interview questions is another story.
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