A partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu and Kamehameha Schools this past summer provided a professional development opportunity for educators serving students of Hawaiʻi.
UH West Oʻahu partnered with Kaulu by KS Digital to pilot two sponsored online courses geared toward professional development for K-12 educators. The courses were Educational Technology (ETEC) 379 Advanced Educational Media and Technology, offered in UH West Oʻahu’s Summer Session I, and Education (EDUC) 210 Hawaiian Ways of Knowing in Education, offered in its Summer Session II.
Students enrolled in these two courses were selected by Kaulu by KS Digital, a new digital learning portal to connect haumāna (students) and ʻohana to a broad range of community-created learning opportunities built on a Hawaiian cultural foundation. The students were then invited to apply to UH West Oʻahu for its summer sessions. Students included educators throughout Hawaiʻi in public, private, and charter schools.
“Given the expansion of digital learning across all levels of education during the pandemic, professional development to support teachers in learning how to leverage educational technology and best practices for digital teaching and learning is essential,” said Dr. Gloria Niles, UH West Oʻahu Director of Distance Education and Coordinator, Office of Professional Development and Academic Support (OPDAS).
Niles continued, “For our students in Hawaiʻi, it is also important to ensure that digital learning is centered in Hawaiian culture-based education. The collaborative pilot project of the sponsored courses in Summer 2021 between Kaulu by KS Digital and UH West Oʻahu provided this unique opportunity for educators serving our keiki in Hawaiʻi.”
Niles coordinated the development and enrollment process as a liaison between Kaulu by KS Digital, and UH West Oʻahu’s Admissions, Registrar’s Office, and faculty.
Professor Jonathan Schwartz taught ETEC 379 Advanced Educational Media and Technology, which enrolled 20 students. The educational course explored the essential elements needed for the acquisition of knowledge and universal design for learning.
Associate Professor Cathy Ikeda taught EDUC 210 Hawaiian Ways of Knowing in Education, which 17 enrolled students. The course introduced concepts and methods related to Hawaiian ways of knowing, including Hawaiian epistemology, ʻike kupuna, cultural transmission, and Hawaiian values.
Currently, there are no specific plans yet to offer again UH West Oʻahu/Kaulu by KS Digital-sponsored courses.
“However, we have discussed a mutual interest in continued collaboration in the future,” Niles said.