ALOHA ‘ĀINA PROJECT PLAN AND REFLECTION
Q: Where did you start?
A: We chose four wahi pana (storied places) that would be the focus of this Aloha ‘Āina project based unit and divided ourselves and our students based on student interest.
Q: What plans did you have?
A: Our plan was to create a more personalized experience for our students to connect to ‘ike kūpuna (insights, perspectives, knowledge, and practices) and alaka‘i lawelawe (servant leadership).
Q: What was the focus of your work this year?
A: Aloha ‘Āina- love for the land and its people
Q: What question were you interested in learning more about?
A: From our experiences at our wahi, how can we give back to this ‘āina momona?
Q: What did you do?
A: We went to each wahi six times (we also went to Maui for one week) and engaged with our alaka‘i and each other in meaningful work around the concept of Aloha ‘Āina. Students completed and shared twenty-eight service projects to give back to their wahi.
Q: What kinds of changes did you try this year?
A: We made countless revisions to our performance assessment/product, we had to refocus ourselves on keeping our final performance task personalized, and we modified our schedule to accommodate mixed team grouping (students were no longer split between two teams).
Q: What kind of data or evidence did you collect around these changes?
A: Revisions to our Curriculum Map, extensive Google Docs notes, and email communication
Q: What changes did you make along the way from your original plans?
A: We kept our student journals from the very beginning which captured students emerging understanding of Aloha ‘Āina. We also kept our original shark tank idea, and students were still be able to pitch their ideas for fifth grade students, ‘ohana, and their wahi alaka‘i. But they did not put their plans into action . . . yet.
Q: What did you learn?
A: There was a lack of student based knowledge and understanding of aloha ‘āina beyond mālama ‘āina. . . but a majority of students preferred the outdoor classrooms.
Q: When you study your evidence, data, what did you notice?
A: Haumāna, kumu and alaka‘i needed more time. Students were extremely motivated to put their service projects into action and many of their passions and talents emerged during this process.
Q: Insights?
A: We realized that this experience cannot just be "stop and drop" to prepare for our visits, it needs to be embedded in our everyday curriculum.
Q: What might you change because of what you learned?
A: Continue to collaborate, rethink and modify our schedules to accommodate for flexible grouping and TIME. We are already backward mapping the next school year so that students have enough visits to their wahi and resources to build on the projects that were shared with them, and implement their own projects. Our goal for next year is to figure out ways that we can balance and leverage each child's strengths to showcase their passions and talents within their smaller groups. Most importantly work on our curriculum so Aloha ‘Āina is truly integrated.
Q: What are you going to do next?
A: Our Papa ‘Eono team completely changed our schedules from two teams of three teachers (2 language arts, 2 math, and 2 social studies) to three teams of two teachers (3 language arts, 3 math) . . . and 1 Aloha ‘Āina Project. I MUA!
A: We chose four wahi pana (storied places) that would be the focus of this Aloha ‘Āina project based unit and divided ourselves and our students based on student interest.
Q: What plans did you have?
A: Our plan was to create a more personalized experience for our students to connect to ‘ike kūpuna (insights, perspectives, knowledge, and practices) and alaka‘i lawelawe (servant leadership).
Q: What was the focus of your work this year?
A: Aloha ‘Āina- love for the land and its people
Q: What question were you interested in learning more about?
A: From our experiences at our wahi, how can we give back to this ‘āina momona?
Q: What did you do?
A: We went to each wahi six times (we also went to Maui for one week) and engaged with our alaka‘i and each other in meaningful work around the concept of Aloha ‘Āina. Students completed and shared twenty-eight service projects to give back to their wahi.
Q: What kinds of changes did you try this year?
A: We made countless revisions to our performance assessment/product, we had to refocus ourselves on keeping our final performance task personalized, and we modified our schedule to accommodate mixed team grouping (students were no longer split between two teams).
Q: What kind of data or evidence did you collect around these changes?
A: Revisions to our Curriculum Map, extensive Google Docs notes, and email communication
Q: What changes did you make along the way from your original plans?
A: We kept our student journals from the very beginning which captured students emerging understanding of Aloha ‘Āina. We also kept our original shark tank idea, and students were still be able to pitch their ideas for fifth grade students, ‘ohana, and their wahi alaka‘i. But they did not put their plans into action . . . yet.
Q: What did you learn?
A: There was a lack of student based knowledge and understanding of aloha ‘āina beyond mālama ‘āina. . . but a majority of students preferred the outdoor classrooms.
Q: When you study your evidence, data, what did you notice?
A: Haumāna, kumu and alaka‘i needed more time. Students were extremely motivated to put their service projects into action and many of their passions and talents emerged during this process.
Q: Insights?
A: We realized that this experience cannot just be "stop and drop" to prepare for our visits, it needs to be embedded in our everyday curriculum.
Q: What might you change because of what you learned?
A: Continue to collaborate, rethink and modify our schedules to accommodate for flexible grouping and TIME. We are already backward mapping the next school year so that students have enough visits to their wahi and resources to build on the projects that were shared with them, and implement their own projects. Our goal for next year is to figure out ways that we can balance and leverage each child's strengths to showcase their passions and talents within their smaller groups. Most importantly work on our curriculum so Aloha ‘Āina is truly integrated.
Q: What are you going to do next?
A: Our Papa ‘Eono team completely changed our schedules from two teams of three teachers (2 language arts, 2 math, and 2 social studies) to three teams of two teachers (3 language arts, 3 math) . . . and 1 Aloha ‘Āina Project. I MUA!