Wailele a me Wailani

Around AD 500, Hawai‘i was settled by the Polynesians and around AD 1000 Aotearoa (New Zealand) was settled as well. The migration of the Polynesians is impressive considering that the islands settled by them are spread out over great distances—the Pacific Ocean covers nearly a half of the Earth’s surface area.

Today, Dr. Kepa discussed many interesting topics with our classes, focusing on knowledge systems of the Pacific Islands. What stood out for you in his talk? (For example, Capt. Cook, Tahitian wayfinders, mo‘olelo, Polynesian voyaging, etc.)

How will learning what you did today influence your thoughts about legends and traditional knowledge? How can you apply this knowledge to your life?

Open House

It was a sincere pleasure meeting all of you at Open House. Your concern and love for your child touched my heart and reinforced my desire to do my best for the students.

While driving to school today, I was thinking of how much I love my job. I look forward to stepping into my classroom every morning, and during the day I never watch the clock to see if it is time to go home. In fact, I wish the day was longer. No matter how carefully I plan, I never know what to expect at the start of each day which makes my job very exciting.

I look forward to another fun week of learning. Personally, I get to relearn all the subjects that I daydreamed through when I was a student.

For parents who would like to more about my thoughts on education, please click on the Andy Chung’s Soapbox page on the right.

Students, after watching Shift Happens, please write a response to the the information that you heard/saw.
Parents, after watching Shift Happens, what are the thoughts that you would like to share with your child on being a student in the 21st century?

If you would like to see Shift Happens again, please click on the site under Articles for Parents on the right.

In your own words, what can you tell me about these pyramids?

How could understanding about these models of learning help you in your future?

Today was your first day of class as a 5th grader.

*How was your day today?

*What were your thoughts and impressions?

*What do you expect from this school year?

In a recent survey, fifth-graders in Minnesota spent slightly more than four hours a week on homework–significantly less than the six hours in Sendai, Japan and a vastly smaller amount of time than the thirteen hours in Taipei.

Research in the last decade has begun to focus on the relationship between homework and student achievement and has greatly strengthened the case for homework. Although there are mixed findings about whether homework actually increases students’ academic achievement, many teachers and parents agree that homework develops students’ initiative and responsibility and fulfills the expectations of students, parents, and the public. Studies generally have found homework assignments to be most helpful if they are carefully planned by the teachers and have direct meaning to students.

But, according to Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, there is almost no evidence that homework helps elementary school students achieve academic success and that it helps older students. Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll on America’s families. It robs children of the sleep, play, and exercise time they need for proper physical, emotional, and neurological development. And it is a hidden cause of the childhood obesity epidemic, creating a nation of “homework potatoes.”

What do you think? I would also like to know what the parents think as well. There are no right or wrong answers.