The What School Could Be Podcast

92. A Magical Mystery Tour to MOD., with Dr. Kristin Alford Aug 21, 2022

Dr. Kristin Alford has a Bachelor's Degree in Minerals Processing Engineering and a PhD in Ferrosilicon Corrosion in Dense Medium Plants from the University of Queensland. Dr. Alford, a futurist, also has a Master's in Strategic Foresight from Swinburne University. Yes, there is an interesting difference between being a futurist and having a degree in strategic foresight, whose connotation has a bias towards action. Most importantly, Dr. Alford is the Director of the Museum of Discovery at the University of South Australia. Stay tuned because Dr. Alford and I are going to take you on a magical mystery tour that dives deep into what learning could be. This episode was edited by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music is by the master pianist, Michael Sloan. To support this show, please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast app.

91. Joy, Imagination, Kindness and Mentoring, with Parul Punjabi Jagdish Aug 07, 2022

My guest today is Parul Punjabi Jagdish, who came onto my radar screen because of a talk he gave in Las Vegas attended by one of my previous guests, Robert Landau. Currently, Parul is the CEO of AIME Mentoring, Inc. (USA), a global movement founded in Australia. Parul’s resume is long, and deep. So what is AIME Mentoring? In 2004, AIME founder Jack Bancroft sketched an idea of a social network for good, one that connected university students as mentors with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students in Australia, building bridges between two different groups, to lead to educational equity, exchanges of worth and value, and for the mentors a deeper connection to a different lived experience. To learn more, dive into the episode! My editor is the talented Evan Kurohara. Theme and interlude music is provided by master pianist, Michael Sloan. If you love these episodes, please give our series a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.

90. Three Times 20 for the Next 20: Kevin, Aaron and David Jul 25, 2022

In his 21 years at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Kevin Matsunaga has taught over a thousand students how to use cameras and editing software, and how to conduct interviews and tell stories. He emphasizes that the digital media program also teaches students important life skills, like how to work in teams, meet deadlines, communicate effectively and solve problems. “Our goal has never been to produce that next Spielberg,” he says. “It’s always been to just give them opportunities that they would never have had in a regular classroom.” Says Aaron Schorn, “Being a teacher in this world is being a jazz musician. You know your standards, you know how to perform, and then you just free form it based on your student population." Schorn co-founded Nalukai Academy Startup Camp, a free 10-day technology, entrepreneurship and design boarding camp offered to high school students each summer on Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. Experienced entrepreneurs serve as consultants, and students develop products, business plans and investor pitches. In 2017, David Sun-Miyashiro started HawaiiKidsCAN, a local advocacy chapter of the 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, which advocates for equitable learning environments for all students. Phoenix Maimiti Valentine, a former participant in a HawaiiKidsCAN program and now a board member, says Sun-Miyashiro mentored her to speak to her Wai‘anae Coast community about better education. “David was supporting me the whole time,” she says. “He’s one of the most amazing teachers I’ve met. He encourages students and he pushes them to do things that maybe they hadn’t imagined they could do. He urges them to share their voice and their opinion with the world.”

89. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships, with Ashley Mika Ito-Macion Jul 10, 2022

Ashley Mika Ito-Macion is an educator at Kanoelani Elementary School in Honolulu and a proud Hawai‘i State Teacher Fellow. She has a passion for helping her colleagues and working to create opportunities for educator growth. Ashley also was recently awarded Teacher of the Year for the Pearl City-Waipahu Complex, which is in Honolulu, Hawai'i! She is also the founder of the Hawaiʻi Distance Learning Forum For the University of Hawai'i at Manoa College of Education Ashley writes: This is one of my favorite funny stories. In my senior year of high school, I had to take an extra class. I chose Early Childhood Education, thinking it was the class where you got to take care of a fake baby. It turned out to be a class about creating lesson plans and working with students. I went home to tell my mom that I think I found my passion in teaching. She also mentioned that she wanted to become an educator when she was younger. I got this overwhelming feeling and just knew I was meant to be an educator. Editing provided by Evan Kurohara, music by Michael Sloan.

88. Laura McBain: Educator, Designer, Leader, Climber, Runner, Futurist Jun 25, 2022

“Over her years at High Tech High, Laura McBain (now at the Stanford d.School, K12 Lab) did almost every job it was possible to do - teacher, principal, graduate school instructor. She can hold her own in any conversation about policy, standards, school design, school change. But the most important thing about Laura is she is all about FUN! Having it, creating it, sharing it. She never loses sight of the fact that learning has to be fun to be engaging. She wants learners of all ages to have those "WOW, that's amazing" moments. And she makes them happen, all the time.” ~ Larry Rosenstock, Founder, High Tech High

Links:

Educator as Futurist: Moving beyond “Preparing for the future” to “Shaping the future”

New View EDU Episode 19: The Role of Failure and Risk in Designing Deeper Learning

Stanford d.School K12 Lab

Design Thinking

Laura McBain: Build Relationships With Students Early

Human Bias Is Everywhere in Tech. To Fix It We Need to Reshape Computer Science Education.

Laura McBain - Twitter

**71. (Reissue) Dr. Cara Chaudron, Hawaii’s 2022 Charter School Teacher of the Year** Jun 06, 2022
Dr. Cara Chaudron is a math enthusiast born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i. She teaches 6th grade math at the School For Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, known as SEEQS, a public charter school near and dear to my heart. I have done two previous episodes with SEEQS faculty, including Zoe Ingerson and school founder, Buffy Cushman-Patz. Dr. Chaudron is a shining example of what it means to teach for deeper learning and student engagement. 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 71. (Reissue) Dr. Cara Chaudron, Hawaii’s 2022 Charter School Teacher of the Year appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**87. Weaving Together Mastery, Competency and Relevant Learning, with Emily McCarren** Jun 05, 2022
Since 2015 Emily McCarren has served as Punahou School’s Academy Principal. Punahou is the largest, and one of the oldest private schools in the United States. Originally from Vermont, Emily graduated from Colby College in Maine where she majored in Spanish and Biology. She served as captain of the Alpine ski team and lacrosse team. Emily holds two master’s degrees: Spanish Literature and Educational Leadership. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Hawaiʻi, where her dissertation examined the role of teacher care on a student’s online learning experience. 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 87. Weaving Together Mastery, Competency and Relevant Learning, with Emily McCarren appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**86. Reading the Wave, Reading the World, with Lipoa Kahaleuahi** May 23, 2022
Today my guest is Lipoa Kahaleuahi, innovative educator, deep thinker, champion surfer and the executive director of Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike (also known as Hana Build), a truly remarkable experiential learning program on the island of Maui. In this conversation, Lipoa and I range widely over a number of topics, including the remarkable way her life is a literal representation of the phrase, “it takes a village.” This episode was edited by the talented, Evan Kurohara. Our theme music and musical interludes come from the vast library of master pianist, Michael Sloan. To help spread the word about this podcast, please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast app or aggregator.

The post 86. Reading the Wave, Reading the World, with Lipoa Kahaleuahi appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**85. Rewilding Teaching and Learning, with Ayana Verdi** May 09, 2022
Ayana Verdi is an educational leader and mother of two who, with her husband John in 2016, established the Verdi Eco School to provide hands-on educational experiences for children in the historic Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, Florida. The school quickly grew to become the first K-8 urban farm school in the southeastern United States and has now expanded to include high school learners. 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 85. Rewilding Teaching and Learning, with Ayana Verdi appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**84. Nothing Less Than Restoring Humanity to Learning, with Chris McNutt** Apr 25, 2022
In the About section of his amazing resume Chris McNutt, co-founder of the Human Restoration Project and a digital art and design educator from Columbus, Ohio wrote: “I’m obsessed with revolutionizing education to meet the needs of students. Instead of standardized tests and rote learning, why not create equitable, authentic, and relationship-centered experiences where students can flourish? Let students lead their educational pursuits.” “Quiet” is the name of the musical interlude piece for this episode, composed and played by Michael Sloan. My editor and audio consultant is the talented, Evan Kurohara. Please leave us a review and or rating in your favorite podcast store.
Continue reading
The post 84. Nothing Less Than Restoring Humanity to Learning, with Chris McNutt appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**83. Denise Karratti: Openness and Grace, Warmth and a Collaborative Spirit** Apr 10, 2022
“The best thing about Denise Karratti is not even all of the things she does, it is the way she does them-with complete openness, grace, warmth, and a collaborative spirit. Denise is grounded in our place and invested in all of the people who contribute to our communities. She is a connector and an innovator, and is going to be an incredible administrator in the near future.” (Kristen Brummel, Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellows Coordinator) *Crimson* is the name of the musical interlude piece for this episode, composed and played by Michael Sloan. My editor is the talented, Evan Kurohara. Please leave us a review and or rating in your favorite podcast store.
Continue reading
The post 83. Denise Karratti: Openness and Grace, Warmth and a Collaborative Spirit appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**82. For Chad Carlson, It Starts With One Stone** Mar 27, 2022
My guest today is Chad Carlson, the Director of Research and Design at One Stone Lab School in Boise Idaho. Chad is one of the most innovative, creative and imaginative educators and education leaders ever to come across my radar screen. To say he, and One Stone Lab School work “outside the box” is a vast understatement. In all ways, Chad and One Stone dispense with boxes and approach students as bundles of joyful potential and promise, as agents of their own lives and futures. 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 82. For Chad Carlson, It Starts With One Stone appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**81. Dr. Mark Hines, the Obi-Wan Kenobi of Deeper Learning** Mar 13, 2022
Today, I welcome back to the show Dr. Mark Hines, the Director of Kupu Hou Academy, and the founder of the Mid-Pacific Explorer program at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. To his friends and colleagues, Mark is a Jedi warrior who uses The Force to help public, private and charter school educators find their inner deeper learning practice. To support this show, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast store.
Continue reading
The post 81. Dr. Mark Hines, the Obi-Wan Kenobi of Deeper Learning appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**80. Janelle Field: Totally Driven, Relentlessly Positive, Always Learning** Feb 27, 2022
You have heard the phrase “drinking from a firehose,” right? Well, listeners, you are about to have one of those firehose moments. Fasten your seatbelts because the next hour is going to get pretty crazy. Janelle Field is the PK-12 Teaching and Learning Engagement Coach at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Public Schools located in central Minnesota. When I interviewed her, it was 3 degrees Fahrenheit in her neck of the woods. But inside her schools, the heat was on and the learning was happening, big time.
Continue reading
The post 80. Janelle Field: Totally Driven, Relentlessly Positive, Always Learning appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**79. Centering on Love, Justice and History, with Shiloh Francis** Feb 12, 2022
In this first episode of 2022, I speak with Hawaiʻi Technology Academy’s (HTA) Shiloh Francis, a remarkable history and government teacher. HTA is a blended learning charter school with seven campuses on four Hawaiʻi islands. Shiloh has leadership roles in two HTA professional development cohorts: The Teacher-Leader Cohort and the Center for Love and Justice Cohort, among many other projects and roles. She is relentlessly focused on student-driven, real world learning. This episode is edited by Evan Kurohara. Our music is a gift from the master pianist, Michael Sloan.
Continue reading
The post 79. Centering on Love, Justice and History, with Shiloh Francis appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**78. The Power of Backwards Design, with Darciann Baker** Dec 31, 2021
My guest today is Darciann Baker, a faculty member at the Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi campus. Darciann is a Native Hawaiian woman, born and raised in Hawaiʻi. Her entire career has been dedicated to the perpetuation of the Hawaiian language. It is an endeavor she has held close to her heart ever since she found her Hawaiian identity when she was 15 years old. (The special oli, the Hawaiian chant that blesses this episode was written and performed by Kalei ‘A’arona Lorenzo, my guest’s high school classmate and basketball teammate. Mahalo, Kalei for this beautiful beginning to a wonderful episode.) 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 78. The Power of Backwards Design, with Darciann Baker appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**77. The Deepest Meanings of Language and Community, with Dr. Julie Mowrer** Dec 14, 2021
Speaking of a thousand points of light, my guest today is the deeply insightful, Dr. Julie Mowrer, Acting Director of the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Dr. Mowrer is also the Director of the English Language Institute (ELI), also at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the founder of the Bonner Leadership Program.
Continue reading
The post 77. The Deepest Meanings of Language and Community, with Dr. Julie Mowrer appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**76. Meeting Students Where They Are At, With Wes Adkins** Dec 06, 2021
Speaking of a thousand points of light, my guest today is Wes Adkins, a math teacher at James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, the largest school in all of Hawai‘i. He proudly works in an inclusion classroom, promotes self-paced learning environments, and implements project based learning assessments. Nipsey Hustle and Vector90 inspired him to work in STEM education and teach students the skills for locally minded entrepreneurship. A first generation college graduate and a film buff all his life, Wes recently won a $25,000 Education Innovation Teacher Challenge grant for his proposal to have his students create the Ewa Beach Drive-In. The award was given by Farmer’s Insurance Hawaii and the Public Schools of Hawai’i Foundation. Wes sees launching a drive-in cinema as a great way to harness his students’ varied interests and help them develop diverse skills, from engineering the movie screen to curating and creating films, and developing business plans, computer apps, even recipes for the snack bar. “The possibilities are limitless,” Wes notes. “I’m a firm believer that if you can just find something that you love, you can learn about the rest of the world through that thing that you love.” Wes is also deeply interested in culturally responsive pedagogy, ethnomathematics and the “gamification” of learning, especially math. A Teach for America corps member, Wes is in only his third year as a math teacher. “You wouldn’t know that he is a math teacher because he integrates so many things,” James Campbell High School Principal, Jon Henry Lee once said. “And that’s what’s going to make the learning that much more powerful for the student. It comes from these integrated projects where you connect the dots. He captures their imagination first. A lot of students, the second you talk about geometry or math and things like that, sometimes it turns them off, right? But if you talk about a project that incorporates all the things they care about, whether its the marketing, pulling together the engineering, creating stories … that’s what clicks with students,” notes Principal Lee. Wes hails from California and his wife is from Japan, so Hawai’i is a perfect midway point for their growing family. His first year at James Campbell High School was disrupted by the pandemic, but his students are now fully back on campus. Wes has an undergraduate degree in film and digital media production from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a masters in culturally responsive education from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. My editor and creative consultant is Evan Kurohara. Theme music is provided by my friend of 40 years, Michael Sloan. You can find his music, 12 albums and over 100 songs in Spotify, Apple Music and all the other major music platforms. Please stay safe and healthy, listeners, and please get vaccinated. *A hui hou*, and take care.
Links:
Drive-in Theater Article
Drive-in Theater Site
Spark and Inspire Film
Hawaiʻi Public Radio Interview
MANGA High
Ethnomath
YayMath!
Pixar in a Box
Durable Skills
The TFA Learning Lab
Episode Theme Music by Michael Sloan Editor and Creative Consultant, Evan Kurohara
The post 76. Meeting Students Where They Are At, With Wes Adkins appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**75. The Many Passions and Projects of Educator, Dr. Tammy Jones** Nov 23, 2021
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.

**74. Communications, Deadlines and Teamwork, with Kevin Matsunaga** Nov 14, 2021
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.

**73. From Defensive End to Philosopher in Residence, with Chad Miller** Nov 01, 2021
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.

**72. Russell Motter: Renaissance Man, Raconteur, Teacher and Mixologist Extraordinaire** Oct 27, 2021
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 Kurohara
The post 72. Russell Motter: Renaissance Man, Raconteur, Teacher and Mixologist Extraordinaire appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

S3:E2 Of Piko Pals and Green Labs, with Lianna Lam Oct 04, 2021

Speaking of 1000 points of light, today my guest is Lianna Lam, who is passionate about community and public schools, viewing both as places to seed and cultivate Aloha! Lianna’s love for public schools sprouted from her time at Ahuimanu Elementary School on the Windward Side of O’ahu, where she benefitted from loving and dedicated … Continue reading "S3:E2 Of Piko Pals and Green Labs, with Lianna Lam"

**68. On Being The Daylight, with Erin Medeiros** May 24, 2021
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.

**67. Two Epic Teacher-Leaders, Melissa Montoya and Wrayna Fairchild** May 17, 2021
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 .

**66. Hawaii’s Living Treasures, Art and Rene Kimura** May 10, 2021
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 .

**65. “Making It” Author, Stephanie Malia Krauss: Part 2** Apr 25, 2021
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.

**64. Beautiful Kauai’s Teacher of the Year, Serena Cox** Apr 18, 2021
What is parent coaching professional development and how does it help build healthy learning communities? What are co-created rubrics and what is the long term impact of films like ***Most Likely to Succeed***? Serena Cox was a Comprehensive School Improvement Resource Teacher, in the Kauai Complex Area but now is back at Waimea Canyon Middle School as Vice-Principal. She was the Kauai Island Teacher of the Year and a teacher of the year at two middle schools in South Carolina. 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 64. Beautiful Kauai’s Teacher of the Year, Serena Cox appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

63. The Crazy Busy Puzzle Master, Buddy Leong Apr 12, 2021

Fasten your seatbelts, listeners. This episode is going to blow your mind. Buddy Leong is a senior at Punahou School, which likely makes him 17 or 18 years old. Judging by his LinkedIn profile, he has accomplished more in his short life to date than most of us have accomplished in our lives combined. I think it’s best if I let Buddy introduce himself via the “About” section of his LinkedIn page. Buddy writes, “I’m an aspiring social entrepreneur, youth leader, and investor.” Now that I have teased you, listen to the conversation! 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 63. The Crazy Busy Puzzle Master, Buddy Leong appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**62. Robert Pennybacker, Hawaii’s “Can Do” Renaissance Man** Apr 05, 2021
When I called Robert Pennybacker a “Renaissance Man” during my interview he seemed not to know why I attached the term to him. I can say with some confidence that folks in Robert’s network see him as exactly that. He is a poet, writer, producer, director, traveler, technologist, deep thinker and the very definition of both a specialist and generalist. He is also one of the founders of HIKI NŌ, arguably the most remarkable state student news network on Planet Earth. This is no joke, listeners; I am not engaging in hyperbole. There are lots of student news programs around the nation, but none with the mission and vision, nor the scope and reach of HIKI NŌ. A USC Film School graduate, Robert has driven HIKI NŌ forward for 10 years now, the last year a remarkable pivot during this Covid-19 pandemic. He is the Vice President of Learning Initiatives at PBS Hawai’i, where HIKI NŌ lives. This program’s impact on kids is simply staggering and today we are going to hear how it was built and what drove Robert to move it forward. Robert Pennybacker’s resume is long and deep. Early on he was a local television marketing director. In late 2000 he started his own advertising/production company called Pennybacker Creative, LLC, then joined PBS Hawaiʻi as Vice President of Creative Services in late 2007. His awards and recognition include the 1984 Regional Emmy Award for Television Promotional Spots; 3 *Pele Awards* (Hawaii’s ADDY Awards) for excellence in advertising; he oversaw the promotional campaign for one of the most successful network affiliation switches ever (when Hawaii’s NBC affiliate switched to FOX). Robert is an independent filmmaker who has written more than 20 documentaries about life and people in Hawaii. As I wrote earlier, he is a poet and writer. In 2007 he became the Vice President of Creative Services at PBS Hawai’i and oversaw all local programming, on-air promotion, interstitial production, station branding, and the production of on-air fundraising for the station, as well as management of personnel. Robert and I go back pretty far. We played high school football together back in the 70s at Punahou School. He was a tight end, I played center, which makes this moment special for me. As always, our post-production and original theme music is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Check out Daniel’s website to learn more, or to book him for your next music gig. If you love these episodes please write us a review and rate us in your favorite podcast store. Stay safe, wear your masks and get vaccinated when it is your turn. And bring kindness and compassion into the world!

The post 62. Robert Pennybacker, Hawaii’s “Can Do” Renaissance Man appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**61. Character Teaching Knowledge Practice, with Kaleialoha Aarona-Lorenzo** Mar 21, 2021
Kalei ʻAʻarona-Lorenzo is a *kumu*, or teacher of music, culture and Hawaiian language at the Kamehameha Schools Maui campus. She is the 3rd educator from this campus, including middle school teachers, Kui Gapero and Ululani Shiraishi, that I have featured in this series. She is a shining example of an educator with both a laser focus and a beautiful, big and expansive view of life, learning, love and humanity. 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 61. Character Teaching Knowledge Practice, with Kaleialoha Aarona-Lorenzo appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**60. The Most Beautifully Relevant Learning, with Florence Scott** Mar 15, 2021
This was Florence Scott’s first podcast interview so it was understandable that she would text me after the fact asking if it was normal to be rethinking her responses to my questions. In some ways, her text to me illustrates at the deepest possible level who Florence is: A deeply reflective educator who lives and breathes relevant learning. Florence, who teaches at Hawai’i Technology Academy’s Kauai campus believes with all her mind and all her heart that learning is constant day in and day out, year in and year out. 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 60. The Most Beautifully Relevant Learning, with Florence Scott appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**59. Why Small Schools are Epic, with Jeanne Wilks** Mar 08, 2021
What do we do about kindergarten teachers quitting their jobs, citing top down “seat time” mandates as…child abuse? And in what ways did teachers become learners again because of Covid-19? These and other questions are addressed by Jeanne Wilks who served as the Interim Head of Holy Nativity – a small, independent school in East O’ahu – from July 2019. After leading the school during the challenges of transition and COVID-19, the board appointed her permanent Head of School. 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 59. Why Small Schools are Epic, with Jeanne Wilks appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**58. “Making It” Author, Stephanie Malia Krauss: Part 1** Mar 03, 2021
Part I: 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 58. “Making It” Author, Stephanie Malia Krauss: Part 1 appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**57. Teacher Surfer Writer Builder Poet: Jonathon Medeiros** Feb 28, 2021
What do teachers need from their administrators? According to Jonathon Medeiros a bit of magic. What magic, you ask? Jonathon writes: “Too often, while teachers are reaching toward our students, inviting them in and making them feel valuable, administrators are planning meetings in air-conditioned offices by filling time slots and checking compliance boxes instead of thinking about who their teachers are, what we might need, what we bring to the table. These are opportunities missed.” Jonathon has been teaching and learning about Language Arts and rhetoric for 15 years with his students on Kauaʻi. 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 57. Teacher Surfer Writer Builder Poet: Jonathon Medeiros appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**56. Traveling to Two Moons, with Matthew Tom** Feb 22, 2021
What can we educators do to insure that kids coming out of elementary school don’t have their natural, innate curiosity, creativity and ingenuity crushed out of them by middle school, and later, high school? What is student-driven learning and what is the real meaning of student agency? In this episode I interviewed Matthew Tom, a teacher and media specialist at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in central Honolulu on O’ahu. Matthew engages his students in ways I find completely inspiring and want everyone to know about. He is the Faculty advisor for Stevenson’s media service organization, which specializes in event photography and producing digital media content for the school. Matthew’s program seeks to build and maintain a positive campus culture, excite students about photography and videography, and build student skills in digital media production. Matthew is also the faculty advisor for *Tusitala*, which is the Literary and Arts Magazine at Stevenson recently recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English. Tusitala means “the teller of tales” in Samoan and is the name Samoans gave to Robert Louis Stevenson when he traveled there. Matthew has taught or been an edtech specialist in Hawaii, Japan and Washington. His undergraduate in English is from Willamette University. He has a masters in curriculum and teaching from the University of Oregon and is currently in a professional practice, doctoral program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. Matthew’s teacher website is an absolute wonderland of student exhibitions of learning and imaginative curriculums. In the years ahead Matthew will be one of Hawaii’s leaders when it comes to students owning their learning journeys. As always, our theme music and post production is provided by Daniel Gilad of DG Sound Creations. For more on Daniel, or to book him for your next music gig, check out his new website or Facebook page. Please stay safe, wear your masks and bring kindness into the world. Until next time!

The post 56. Traveling to Two Moons, with Matthew Tom appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**55. Unrulr’s Capturing Learning, with Fred Delse and Will Reppun** Feb 15, 2021
What does it mean when we talk about “capturing” learning (as if learning is some sort of fish in the sea)? What is the relationship between student and teacher when student-driven learning sits at the core of the classroom, or learning space? It’s these and other essential questions Fred Delse and Will Reppun tackled when they decided to found and develop the learning capture app, Unrulr, which is now being tested and used by public, private and charter schools here in Hawaiʻi. “What makes Unrulr special is that it speaks the language of social media, which is the parlance of today’s youth. Being able to express yourself with words, pictures, videos and other formats means that you can paint a really unique picture of who you are and what you’ve done.” (Evan Beachy) Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.

The post 55. Unrulr’s Capturing Learning, with Fred Delse and Will Reppun appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

S2: Teacher Voice Special #3: Susannah Johnson Jan 01, 2021

On October 25th, 2020 the Honolulu Star Advertiser published a column by Susannah Johnson, founder of Individualized Realized LLC, co-founder of IMPACT Bound and former educator at Assets School. The column was titled: Reimagining education with purpose is needed in a pandemic, and for the future. In this Teacher Voice Special #3, Susannah reads her … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #3: Susannah Johnson"

S2: Teacher Voice Special #2, with Jon Medeiros Dec 25, 2020

In an October 28th, 2020 blog post at XanEdu Jonathon Mederios wrote about about curiosity as a planning tool for educators. It’s a fabulous blog post. Here, in this Teacher Voice Special #2, he does an out loud “semi dramatic” reading of his post. It is my intention that when educators publish in public places, I … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #2, with Jon Medeiros"

**54. Aaron Jamal Schorn, Capstone Man** Nov 30, 2020
My guest today for this final episode of Semester 1 of Season 2 is Aaron Jamal Schorn, Nalukai Foundation Program and Academy Startup Camp Director, and Capstone Coordinator at Hawai’i Preparatory Academy on Hawai’i Island. At Nalukai, Aaron creates and implements curriculum, hustles to find mentors and teaches digital storytelling. Outside of Nalukai he is focused on creating student-centered systems to authentically tell the story of learning communities. Aaron has published articles on local magazines including this one about teaching in the time of COVID. At Hawai’i Preparatory Academy (HPA) he teaches Digital Journalism and Social Entrepreneurship courses that are centered around Product-Based Learning, the Lean Startup methodology, project management, and building digital brands. His classes are supported by mentors across industries working directly with students on their products. Aaron’s professional background is in international business, digital storytelling, operations, management, UX/UI, and content creation. Most importantly, Aaron is the Capstone Coordinator at HPA, which gives kids in the 5th, 8th and 12th grades the opportunity to build a project that elevates and improves their surrounding communities. Aaron’s work on capstone programs is pioneering and will globally shape the way these types of opportunities are given to students in the future. Back in February, 2020 his 90 capstone students were moving intently towards the second half of their projects. Then, COVID-19 hit and everything went upside down. Undeterred, not only did HPA students execute pandemic pivots and complete their projects, they also completed their public exhibitions of learning, this time in virtual spaces built and designed by Aaron. I was one of the observers invited into these digital exhibition spaces. It was…epic. In this Semester 1, Season 2 capstone episode Aaron and I dive deep into what school could be, what learning could be, what student agency would be if we turned ownership of learning over to them. As you listen to Aaron, note the joy in his voice when he talks about Hawaiʻi and the ways his students are shaping its present, and future. Aaron is a dear friend who has inspired me to jump higher and reach further towards this show’s credo, which is “100% by Yesterday.” As always, our show’s theme music, and editing is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel, or to book him for your next music gig, navigate to his Facebook page. If you love this episode, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast store. Semester 2 of Season 2 starts again in February. Until then, stay safe, wear your masks, stay physically distant from one another and please, bring kindness into the world. We need more.

The post 54. Aaron Jamal Schorn, Capstone Man appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**53. Writer, Poet, Teacher, Mother, TFA Alum: Jannica Breslin** Nov 23, 2020
Metamorphosis, dragon flies, Hoʻokipa writers, coffee talks, Poetic Couture, Carol Dwek and finding the Filipina within, oh my! My guest today is Jannica Breslin in an episode I am calling my **Teach for America Special**. This is a partnership with Jill Baldemor, the Executive Director of Teach for America Hawai`i. When I offered Jill the opportunity to name a TFA Hawaiʻi alum to be on this podcast, after some consideration, she named Jannica Breslin. There have been many TFA alums as guests on this podcast, but none specifically named by TFA Hawaii’s top brass, which is way cool. Jannica is a middle school language arts teacher at Konawaena Middle School on Hawai‘i Island. She was a 2009 Teach for America corps member, which would make this her 12th year in education. Jannica was in the same cohort year as Justin Brown, who I interviewed on this podcast for Season 1. TFA Hawaiʻi Executive Director, Jill Baldemor said the following about her pick for this episode: “Jannica is a humble local girl, a public school graduate of Farrington High School, and not as well known, but definitely a bright light in her approach and leadership, which has been especially apparent during COVID. She was one of the first teachers to proactively stand up informal teacher collaboration groups to share best practices in distance learning and she’s helped her school a bunch in the transition.” In this episode Jannica and I ranged across a variety of subjects including her passion for writing, her love of vulnerabilities and growth mindsets, her Aloha for TFA and what it takes to get middle school kids excited about words. She is funny, thoughtful (there are long pauses between my question and the start of her responses) and she cares deeply about children. Jannica teaches with another, former podcast guest, Shawna Gunnarson. What an extraordinary opportunity for kids in Kona to learn from Shawna and Jannica! As always, our theme music and editing is done by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. You can learn more about Daniel at his Facebook page. I am super pleased to note that 41 out of 41 listeners have given our podcast a 5 star rating. We appreciate this very much and thank you for the wonderful written reviews. If you love these episodes with remarkable and innovative educators and education leaders, please give us your own rating and write us a review at your favorite podcast store.

The post 53. Writer, Poet, Teacher, Mother, TFA Alum: Jannica Breslin appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**52. Marching for Justice and Planet Earth, with Kawika Ke Koa Pegram** Nov 16, 2020
What exactly is student voice? This question has become the hot topic in public, private and charter schools here in Hawaiʻi, for which I am glad. Sometimes the conversation revolves around giving students agency over their learning. At other times we talk about public exhibitions of learning and the ways students might articulate what they know and what they can do. Conversations around student activism, especially around ways to encourage kids to be politically active, seem fewer and farther between. I wonder sometimes if we are afraid to encourage this kind of deep community involvement for fear that parents might object or schools might feel liable. My guest today is Kawika Ke Koa Pegram, a recent graduate of Waipahu High School now matriculating at American University in Washington, DC. Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.

The post 52. Marching for Justice and Planet Earth, with Kawika Ke Koa Pegram appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**51. She Lives On The Edge Of Her Seat: Ululani Shiraishi** Nov 02, 2020
I have learned, as a podcast host, that some episode interviews are question and response, and some conversations are more…intimate. My episode here with Ululani Shiraishi is decidedly the latter. Ululani gave me a gift during this interview, a phrase I will use in my life going forward: *Working at the edge of your seat*. She comes from a place of part frenzy crazy, and part deliberate intentional. And she is always, always working at the edge of her seat. This conversation touched on what it means to be 100% wife, 100% mother, 100% teacher all at the same time; the purpose of getting a graduate degree; the energy generated when one is forced to “pivot” (to use an overused Covid-19 term); the current revolution in education and the crazy cool things going on at Kamehameha Schools, Maui Campus; the special things that happen when we leave just a little room for margins in our lives, and much more. This will easily go down as one of my favorite interviews in either the 1st or 2nd season of this podcast series. There were times when I forgot I was recording the thing. Ululani is a treasure, a luminous and effervescent being on an epic personal and professional journey. More on Ululani Shiraishi: she is a Kamehameha Schools Maui, middle school language arts teacher who is deep into SEL, Hawaiian culture and trans-disciplinary teaching and learning. She is on the KSBE Maui Middle School Leadership Team and is a close partner with Kui Gapero, one of my early guests on this podcast in Season One. Ululani is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools’ Keala‘ula Innovations Institute, which is a creative learning program where Kamehameha Schools teachers focus on professional development. The program spotlights learning in terms of creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking, skills that are essential for students to succeed today and tomorrow. Ululani also taught in Hawaii’s public schools as a National Board Certified Teacher. At Kamehameha Schools Maui, she is an ardent believer in simultaneously teaching the heart and intellect of kids through engaging inquiry-based learning experiences. She is currently working on a graduate degree in student learning and well-being. Hope, self-efficacy, curiosity, and good old fashioned hard work drive her teaching and life. My huge thanks to Evan Reppun Beachy, who directs the Kealaʻula Institute for recommending Ululani. As always, our theme music and post-production editing is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel check out his Facebook page. If you love this episode please give us a rating and review in your favorite podcast store. Take care, be safe and bring kindness and compassion into the world.

The post 51. She Lives On The Edge Of Her Seat: Ululani Shiraishi appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**50. Questing to Find the Golden Fleece with Argonaut Chris Balme** Oct 25, 2020
Chris Balme, my guest for this episode, writes: “Middle school is one of life’s great forks in the road. As the time when puberty begins and thus incredible neurological changes are taking place, middle school has an outsized impact on child development. For some students, it’s the time they begin to find their voice, their social identity, their sense of self in a bigger world.” Chris is the founder of the Millennium School and the Argonaut School in the Bay Area. He is also a warm, funny and caring educator who wants make “school” all that it could be. Editing done by your host, Josh Reppun using Alitu.

The post 50. Questing to Find the Golden Fleece with Argonaut Chris Balme appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**49. A Reverence for Student-Centered Learning, with Kumu Kaulana Smith** Oct 19, 2020
The Kupu Hou Special: When I asked my dear friends, Mark Hines and John Cheever at Kupu Hou Academy to recommend a Kupu Hou friend and supporter to interview for this podcast, they both immediately and enthusiastically recommended Po’o Kumu Kaulana Smith. Kumu Kaulana is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School located near the ocean in a small township on the northeast shore of Hawaiʻi Island. Laupahoehoe serves approximately 300 students from pre-school through 12th grade. Kumu Kaulana has worked with Hawaii’s students in public education and the community for many years. She came to Laupahoehoe Charter School with experience in the fields of Special Education and Administration. She has experience with a variety of student-centered learning programs, interventions, and support services in partnership with an array of organizations including the Foundation for Excellent Schools, the Pacific American Foundation, the Hawai’i Network of Learning Communities, the High Tech Youth Network, and Kupu Hou Academy. She also participates with parent and community groups in enhancing student and school development, including Laupahoehoe Governing Board, WASC Accreditation and the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools. Previously, Kumu Kaulana served at Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School in Special Education and as Student Services Coordinator. From the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, Kumu Kaulana has a Bachelor of Arts in English. From Chaminade University in Honolulu she has a Master of Education in Special Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. In this conversation we ranged across education in ancient Hawaiʻi to the broad expanse of project-based learning. My editor, show consultant and sound engineer is Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Daniel, an amazing musician, created the original theme music heard in these episodes. To learn more about Daniel or to hire him for YOUR next music gig, check out his Facebook URL.

The post 49. A Reverence for Student-Centered Learning, with Kumu Kaulana Smith appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**48. Our 2019 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, Mathieu Williams** Oct 12, 2020
My guest today is Mathieu Williams, our 2019 State Teacher of the Year who constantly strives to be…better. It’s why I love the man, why I admire him so much, why everyone in Hawaiʻi, public, private, charter and community admires him so much and why his students love working with him. He is the ultimate guide, coach, sponsor and mentor of our Hawaiʻi youth, and for that, we are all grateful. Mathieu is the Director of the Hawk Media Program at Kealakehe Intermediate near Kona. His students edited this and all my early episodes.

The post 48. Our 2019 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, Mathieu Williams appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

**47. She’s Been Published!, with Danielle Mizuta** Oct 05, 2020
To be a learning coach, a teacher-leader, an educator coach and an expert on kids with special needs, some on the autistic spectrum, you have to be a deeply empathetic person…right down to your core. Danielle Mizuta has empathy in spades. Empathy is in her DNA. I have known this for a long, long time. She and I got our graduate degrees about the same time, in the late 90s. Over the years she has been a tremendous supporter of my @MLTSinHawaii “movement,” at film screenings, event design sessions and professional development workshops. So it is with great pleasure that I present Danielle here, today as my second season’s 6th podcast guest. Over these 90 minutes we ranged through teacher capacity building, the best of service-learning, a chapter she wrote for a recently published book from the Ahimsa Center (see her photo) and the promises we should be making to our public, private and charter school kids. And much more. If you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review at your favorite podcast platform. Here is more info on Danielle. Danielle Mizuta, MEd, taught special education in the Hawaii State Department of Education for 13 years. She has taught and co-taught in fully self-contained, resource, and inclusion classrooms in elementary and high school settings. Danielle earned two Masters in Education degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Educational Foundations in 2004, and in Special Education and Teaching in 2007. She served as a State Level, Lead Mentor for the Hawaii DOE mentoring beginning teachers new to the profession in their first to third years. She also supported complex area Induction Coordinators with their mentors, mentor forums, and beginning teacher PLCs (Professional Learning Communities). Danielle also trained master teachers in mentoring skills to support new teachers at their schools in instructional mentoring, coaching and observation and analyzing student work. Additionally, Danielle completed a term as a Hawaii Hope Street Fellow and Regional Teacher Fellow Coach with Hope Street Hawaii. Currently she serves as an Instructor for Leeward Community College and a Learning Support Specialist at Punahou School, supporting faculty, staff, and families of students with learning differences. As always, our original theme music and episode post-production is by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel’s work, explore his Facebook page. Take care, wear your masks, maintain social distancing and be kind to one another!

The post 47. She’s Been Published!, with Danielle Mizuta appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**46. The Genome of SEEQS, with Buffy Cushman-Patz** Sep 28, 2020
*In schools, as in life, the commodity in shortest supply is time. How we spend our time is how we enact our values* (SEEQS.org). Buffy Cushman-Patz and I have known each other for a long time. Mere words cannot capture the enormous respect I have for her and the work she has done in our community. And, it was my high privilege to be on the team she assembled to write SEEQS charter. So what is SEEQS? It’s the School for Examining the Essential Questions of Sustainability, a secondary public charter school in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi founded in 2013. It currently serves approximately 180 students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades (though its charter calls for the eventual creation of a high school). SEEQS offers a community-focused, interdisciplinary project-based, tuition-free secondary school experience for Oahu families. This episode is different than any that come before. I decided to use Buffy’s resume and record of accomplishments to build questions that would help the two of us examine the genome, the DNA of her school. The result is not a deep dive into the weeds, but a marvelous hot air balloon trip to 30,000 feet above our object, with strands of SEEQS DNA floating around us like lovely clouds. More on Buffy: In 2010-2011 Buffy was honored with an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. She served her fellowship year at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. Buffy completed her Masters in School Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 2012. She has been a strong and clear voice for education redesign in Hawaii. She is a member of the Hawai’i Innovative Leadership Network and a mentor to other public, private and charter school leaders in this state. Ted Dintersmith once said, on live TV, that he could have filmed his acclaimed documentary, *Most Likely to Succeed* at SEEQS, which is the ultimate compliment. – As always in this 2nd season, our theme music and post production editing was provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. To learn more about Daniel, or to hire him for your next music gig, check out his Facebook page. I hope you enjoy this conversation! If you do, please give us a rating and review in your podcast store.

The post 46. The Genome of SEEQS, with Buffy Cushman-Patz appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**45. Coastal Erosion and Other Subjects, With Dan Gaudiano** Sep 21, 2020
Dan Gaudiano is the Academy Science Department Head at Punahou School. He has a BA in geology from Colgate University. At the University of South Carolina Columbia he earned an MS in geology, and then a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Dan has written in scientific journals, authored scientific papers, been a coastal geologist and a scientific researcher. He was the lead coordinator for a water conservation project in Hawai’i and has been a curriculum resource teacher with an emphasis on technology integration. (Catch this article in the Punahou Bulletin to know more about ways Dan thinks “beyond the classroom.”) A number of my colleagues have mentioned Dan’s seminal presentation on student stress at the 2019 Schools of the Future Conference. Most of all, what you get from reviewing Dan’s body of work so far is that he cares deeply about kids and learning. There is no doubt that he has a growth mindset and is continually developing his teaching practice. In this interview Dan and I talked about inch deep and a mile wide, vs. posthole learning. We talked about student travel and his own trip to Samoa as part of the *Malama* *Honua* voyages. We went deep into capstone projects, design thinking, competency-based learning and what it takes to build communities of practice. It was a marvelous conversation. If you like it, please give us a rating and review at your podcast store! As always, this episode was edited by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Find out more about Daniel at his Facebook page. This series is funded by Ted Dintersmith, the author of the bestselling book, *What School Could Be*.

The post 45. Coastal Erosion and Other Subjects, With Dan Gaudiano appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**44. All Good Things are Wild and Free, with Christina Hoe** Sep 14, 2020
“All Good Things Are Wild and Free” (Henry David Thoreau). As it turns out this episode is four years in the making. At the very start of my work with Ted Dintersmith and his film, *Most Likely to Succeed*, Christina Hoe, a humanities teacher at Le Jardin Academy, reached out to me via an intermediary and asked to bring all 77 of her students to my 2nd MLTS screening in January, 2016. What followed was a wild and crazy ride that resulted in her students doing a deep dive into education. Four years later, Christina is my interview guest! How cool is that? Editing provided by DG Sound Creations.

The post 44. All Good Things are Wild and Free, with Christina Hoe appeared first on @WSCBPodcast.

S2: Teacher Voice Special #1: Matthew Tom Sep 09, 2020

Hey everyone, this is the What School Could Be in Hawaii podcast. I am your host, Josh Reppun. From time to time it is my intention to highlight educator voices as they pop up across media platforms in Hawaiʻi. Whether these voices come to my attention in a blog, guest posts on Civil Beat online, op-ed … Continue reading "S2: Teacher Voice Special #1: Matthew Tom"

**43. The Epic Journey of Lory Peroff, So Far** Sep 07, 2020
At the end of this episode Waikiki Elementary School educator, Lory Peroff read the following excerpt from a poem: The people I love the best, Jump into work head first, I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, Who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, Who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, *Who do what has to be done, again and again*. (Marge Percy “To Be of Use”) In so many ways, Percy’s stanza captures what Lory thinks, what she feels and how she approaches each day with her family, her faculty colleagues and her student learners. On several occasions Lory has described herself as “doing things I didn’t know I couldn’t do.” Amen, Lory! Lory’s journey, in this episode, starts with the Pease Corps in Uzbekistan, moves to Tonga, then to Boston and ultimately to Hawaiʻi. Along the way her focus is relentlessly on kids. She has taught 4th and 5th grade in Honolulu and in Taiwan. Her undergraduate degree, from the University of Colorado, is in the arts and psychology. She has a masters in elementary education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she earned a 4.0 GPA. While at the University of Colorado she did an exchange program in Ghana, West Africa. Lory has lived and worked on multiple continents. Her worldview is expansive and she has great range. Lory is an advocate for teachers as writers, and has written extensively on life and learning for Honolulu Civil Beat, Medium, Education Week and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She is a distance swimmer and runner, and loves to travel. Most of all, Lory is hugely respected in public, private and charter school circles in Hawaii. Her voice is clear and strong. She is #publicschoolproud and a leading light for whole child instruction. (Post production and original theme music provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Creations. To learn more about Daniel’s work, or if you are interested in hiring him for your next music gig, email him at dgcreations808@gmail.com or navigate to his Facebook page.)

The post 43. The Epic Journey of Lory Peroff, So Far appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

**42. Matthew Lynch, Building Sustainability Initiatives** Aug 31, 2020
Matthew Lynch and I recorded this interview back on March 24th, just as the Covid-19 “shelter-in-place” lockdown began in Hawaiʻi. What we planned to do in person suddenly had to be done via Zoom. The resulting audio is pretty sketch, but wow, Matthew and I covered some serious ground over a 90-minute conversation. Matthew is the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for all 10 campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system. Four years ago we met at a special Ted Dintersmith-hosted gathering at PBS Hawaiʻi. At the time I recall Matthew telling me, to my utter astonishment, that the UH systems had no sustainability degree. In Hawaiʻi? What? Matthew’s job at the time partially included helping students cobble together classes that might result in the perception of sustainability expertise. Since then, wow!, Matthew has come along way and accomplished so much. To know the details of his journey you will need to listen to the episode! Over 90 minutes Matthew and I covered a range of topics, including ways Covid-19 will profoundly change living, and learning at every level. Matthew also serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Kahumana Organic Farm, and as Sustainability Measures Co-Chair on the Board of Directors for Hawaii Green Growth, which is a public-private partnership. The Office of Sustainability at the University of Hawaiʻi functions as a backbone organization, working across UH campuses to complement, support and enhance the incredible sustainability work that has been emerging over the past decade. Matthew’s office provides coordination capacity for campuses to share information and resources with each other and accelerate action to strengthen the environmental, social, cultural and economic health of our islands’ communities. To learn more about Matthew’s work, click on the University’s website. Post production for the What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast is provided by Daniel Gilad at DG Sound Creations. Daniel is also the musical director for our episodes. His original music creations are sprinkled throughout the episode timeline. To learn more about Daniel’s work, or to hire him for your next music gig, email him at DGcreations808@Gmail.com, or visit his Facebook page.

The post 42. Matthew Lynch, Building Sustainability Initiatives appeared first on @MLTSinHawaii .

Student Voice Special #1: Daniella Lopez White May 17, 2020

Daniella Lopez White is a graduating senior, Class of 2020, at James Campbell High School on the West Side of Oahu. She is also a member of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders. On December 1st, 2019, well before our Covid-19 pandemic began and before Hawaiʻi moved to distance learning, Ms. White wrote a column in … Continue reading "Student Voice Special #1: Daniella Lopez White"

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The What School Could Be Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected