MaikaNagata

EDUC643
ReflectionQuestions
*Unit
Whydidyouchoosetheparticularlesson?
IchosethisunitbecauseitwassomethingthatIwasfamiliarwithhavingjust

finisheddoinganO&PinanAlg2Trigclassinthepastspringandhavingtaughta

Hokuleaunitinmy8thgradesummerschoolmathclass.Ifeltthatthesetwothingshada

lotincommonsowhenIfoundoutaboutthelessonplanIthoughtthatthetwowouldbe

abletoworktogetherwell.Theunitcircleissomethingthateverystudenthastolearn

whiledoingtrigonometryandIknewthatsomestudentshadtroublewithrememberingit.

Iwantedtotryandcreatealessonplanthatwouldhelpthesestudentstoovercomethat

obstacleandlearntrigonometry.

*FamilyandCommunity
Whatweresomeofthesuccessandchallengesyouhadwhenattemptingtoinclude
andincorporateFamilyandCommunity?
SomeofthesuccesseswasthatIhadbrainstormedaheadoftimeaboutalesson

planandhowIwouldincorporateHawaiianculture.Thismadethetransitionaloteasier

whenIhadtodoFamilyandCommunity.IthinkthatanothersuccesswasthatIhad

incorporatedalotofthingsthatwouldbementionedlateroninthereadingssowhenI

reeditedthelessonplanIdidnothavetochangeasmuch.Ingeneralthestarcompassand

theunitcirclehavesomuchincommonthatitmadeitasuccess.Ialsoamluckyenough

tohavefriendswhoareadeptinNativeHawaiiancultureasresourcesforhelponthe

lessonplan.AsapersonwhohaslivedinHawaiibutamnotNativeHawaiianIhave

someunderstandingoftheculturebutnotalot.Therefore,Ireliedonthearticlesinthis
class,thereflectionsofclassmates,andtheinformationofmyNativeHawaiianfriendsto

createalessonplan.

Ontheotherhandthechallengeshadtodowithactuallyincorporatingthetwo

lessonstogetherandfiguringouthowtheywouldworkinaclassroom.Havingthetwo

lessonswhiletryingtomaintainenoughtimeintherestofthesemesterwasprobablythe

hardest.Ihopedthatwiththeinclusionofthestarcompassthestudentswouldgaina

betterunderstandingandmasteryoftheunitcircle.Ialsofeltthathavingthemcomeup

withtheirownmnemonicwouldfurtherlocktheunitcircleandstarcompassintothe

studentsmemories.

*Howmightyoubeabletocapitalizeonthosesuccessesandovercomethose
challengeswhenrevisingorcreatingcurriculainthefuture?
IfIwasateacherIwouldhavealotmorecontrolofthecurriculaandthepacing

ofthatcurricula.Thiswouldhelptolessentheimpactofsomethefailurescoveredinthe

lastquestionandgivememorecontroloverwhen,what,andhowIteach.Ialsothink

thatitisimportanttousetheresourcesavailabletomeasateacher.Thisincludespast

lessonplanscreatedbyteachers,lessonplanscreatebyNativeHawaiiangroups,likethe

PolynesianVoyagingSociety,andtheknowledgeofmyfriendsandfellowteachers.

TeachingthestudentsofHawaiiisreallyagroupeffortandIshouldnottakeitallon

myselftocreateorrevisecurriculabutworktogetherwiththegreatercommunityof

teacherstomakethecurriculaforthestudentsofHawaiibetter.Iambynomeansan

expertinHawaiianCultureandIshouldworkwiththosewhoareinordertomakemy

jobeasier.

*Whattools,materials,and/orresourcesmightyouneedtotakebetteradvantageof
theknowledge,skills,andexperiencesofFamilyandCommunity?
 IthinkbuildingtheconnectionsbetweentheteachersandthegreaterHawaiian

communitywillhelpinordertoincorporatetheknowledge,skillsandexperiences.

Teachersarenotexpertsincultureandweneedtodiversifyourselvesandmake

connectionswiththosewhoare.ThingslikewhatwedidfortheCulturalExperiencewill

helptofostertherelationshipsneededtopushtherevisionsofcurriculainHawaii.The

hardestpartiswhentherearenobridgesformedandteachersarelefttotheirown

devices.Therearealsoalotofresourcesontheinternetthatteachersmightnotbeaware

ofthatcanhelptomaketheexperiencealoteasierfortheteacherswhenchangingthe

curricula.AnotherresourcewouldbetheactualNativeHawaiianStudentsandhowthey

seewaysofincorporatingtheirknowledgewiththematerialthattheycoveredorwill

cover.QuestionnairesaboutmathintheirdailylivesoraboutNativeHawaiianwaysof

thinkingaboutmathmightgivetheteacherinsightsintowhatthestudentsarethinking

andthebestwaystoreachthem.

Students
*Whatweresomeofthesuccessesandchallengesyouhadwhenattemptingtofind
relevancywithinanexistingunit?
SincethePolynesianVoyagingSocietyisdoingsuchagoodjobrightnowwith

theHokuleastriparoundtheworld,Ihadalotofsuccessfindingrelevancywiththis

unit.ThecanoeandthevoyagingaspectsareveryimportanttoNativeHawaiianculture

andthiswasafunlessontosharethatwiththestudents.Ilikedthatthelessonplan

connectedthestudentswithsomethingsoancientandessentialtothelivelihoodofthe

NativeHawaiians,thevoyagingcanoes,andwithsomethingnewthatwascreatedbya

NativeHawaiian,thestarcompass,byNainoaThompson.Inaddition,Ithoughtofways

toimprovethelessonplan.Ithoughtthatusingaguestspeaker,whowasanavigatorfor
thevoyagingcanoes,wouldputextrarelevancytotheworkthestudentsdidbecausethey

couldseehowitwasusedintherealworld.Anotherwaytoincreaserelevancywouldbe

tohavethestudentsvisitaplacewheretheycouldviewtheconstellationsthattheywere

learningabout.Thisplacecouldbetheactualcanoesthattookthevoyage,aplanetarium

toviewthestars,orevenabeachfarfromtheambientcitylightswherethestudents

couldseeandsharewhattheylearned.Allofthesewouldincreasetherelevancyofthe

unitandhelpthemtoseetherealworldapplicationofwhattheywerelearning.

*Howmightyoubeabletocapitalizeonthosesuccessesandovercomethose
challengeswhenrevisingorcreatingcurriculainthefuture?
Ithinkitisalwaysimportanttotryandincorporatepeopleandplacesinto

curriculawhenrevisingit.BothofthesethingshavealotofimportanceinNative

Hawaiiancultureandwouldhelptocreaterelevanceinwhatthestudentsarelearning.

Peoplehelptogiveafacetothelessonandwouldgivethestudentsachancetointeract

withanexpertintheircraft.Thisgivesthestudentsthechancetoseehowwhattheyare

learningactuallyworksintherealworldandallowsthemtoappreciatetheancientcraft.

Italsoallowsthestudenttolearnthestoryofthepersonandthebackgroundand

connectionsthatthepersonhasinthelargercommunity.Findingaplaceallowsthe

studentstoseewherewhattheyarelearningabouttakesplace.Placeshaveanimportance

totheNativeHawaiiansbecauseofthestoriesofthemandtheconnectionofthelandto

thepeople.Irealizedthiswhenwedidourculturalexperienceandreallygainedan

understandingoftheimportanceoftheplacewewereworkingfromtheworker

associatedwiththesite.Hetoldusthenames,historyofthenames,andthereasonsfor

thenamesoftheplacewewereworkinginandthesurroundingarea.IreallyfeltlikeI
waspartofthelandatthatpointandhadgainedadeeperunderstandingoftheNative

Hawaiianconnectiontotheaina.

*HowwillyouchangeandgrowinordertobetterunderstandyourNative
Hawaiianlearners?
Ithinkthatexperienceisoneofthebestwaystolearnandgrowinordertobetter

understandmyNativeHawaiianlearners.ThemorethatIcaninteractwiththemina

handsonbasisthemoreexperiencethatIwillhavewiththemenablingabetter

understanding.Ihavetorememberthattheyhaveadifferentculturethentheonefoundat

schoolandIshouldactivelytrytoincorporatethatcultureintothelessonsthatIteach.

Thiswillhelpallofmystudentstogainabetterunderstandingandrespectfortheland

thattheylivein.Ialsothinkthatmoreexperiencesoutsideinthecommunitywillhelpme

togrowtounderstandmystudents.Thingslikevolunteeringtocleanupastreamorto

buildhousesfortheNativeHawaiiansthroughHabitatforHumanitywillallowtogaina

betterunderstandingofthecultureandthepeople.Also,talkingtomyfriends,colleagues

andmentorsaboutmyNativeHawaiianstudentsandwaytoaccommodatethemwillhelp

metochangeandgrowintoateacherwhounderstandsNativeHawaiianlearners.Iam

luckythatIhavefriendswhoaredoingeducationalthingsforNativeHawaiiansandI

havetomakesurethatIusethemtogainabetterunderstanding.

CulturalExperience
*Howmightyoucontinuetoincludeandincorporateculturalexperiencesforyour
NativeHawaiianlearners?
IthinkthatCulturalexperiencesandimportantforbothNativeHawaiianaswell

asnonNativeHawaiianlearners.SincethestudentsthatIwillbeteachingliveinHawaii

theyhaveaconnectiontotheculturewhethertheyknowthatornot.Therefore,

incorporatingculturalexperiencewillhelpallofthestudentsnotjusttheNative
Hawaiian.ThatbeingsaidIhavetotryandusetheresourcesavailabletometogivethe

studentsopportunities,mostlikelyafterschoolorduringtheweekends,toexperiencethe

culturalexperiencesofferedinHawaii.Theseexperiencesneedtobethoughtout,well

planned,andtestedbeforelettingthestudentsexperiencethem.Thekeyiskeepingan

openmindandcollaboratingwiththeNativeHawaiiancommunitiestoprovidefunand

worthwhileexperiencesformylearners.Iliketheideaofusingtheguestspeakersand

theirknowledgeofwheretheirmaterialispracticestohelpcollaborateacultural

experienceformylearners.

*Whatresourceswillyouneedtocontinuetoincludeandincorporatecultural
experiencesforNativeHawaiianlearners?
TheresourcesthatIwillneedwillmostlybetheconnectionsthatIhavemadeand

willmakeasateacher.Theseconnectionswillhelpmetofindgoodculturalexperiences

andfindwaystoincorporatethatintothecurricula.SpecificallyfortheNativeHawaiian

learnersIwillneedtokeepincontactwiththeNativeHawaiiancommunityandthe

peoplewhoareactivelytryingtopreserveNativeHawaiianculture.Theinternetwillalso

providemewithsomeideasandcontactfortheculturalexperiencesbutIthinkthatword

ofmouthandconnectionsthroughpeoplewillhelpthemostatvettinggoodexperiences.

AnotherresourcethatcouldbeusedwasKamehamehaSchoolsandtheteachersthereas

wellasthestudentsstudyingNativeHawaiianatUH.Bothoftheseresourceshave

connectionsintheNativeHawaiiancommunityandcanpointmeintherightdirectionof

culturalexperiencerelevanttomyNativeHawaiianlearners.

Language
*WhatmightyoudotoconsistentlyincludeleloHawaiiinyourcurricula?
 Ithinkusingthelanguagewhenpossiblewouldbeaneasywaytoincludelelo

Hawaiiinmycurricula.Thiscanbelearningandusingsimplephrasesthroughoutthe

daywithmystudentstoincorporatingthewordsintothelessons.Inadditiontospeaking

thewordshavingthestudentswriteandusethelanguageintheirpresentationswillhelp

topreservethelanguage.Byhavinglessonsthatarenolongerstrictlymathbutinstead

incorporatesomeaspectofHawaiiancultureIwillbeabletohavemystudents

experiencethelanguageofAncientHawaii.Thisalsorequiresmetocognizantofways

toincorporateHawaiiancultureintothelessonsandfindingandusingmaterialsthathave

thecorrectspellinginNativeHawaiian.

*WhatmightyoudotoperpetuateleloHawaiiforyourNativeHawaiian
learners?
HavinglessonplansthatincorporateNativeHawaiianculturewillbeoneofthe

bestwaystoperpetuatethelanguageofHawaii.Thiswillallowthestudentsto

consistentlyusethelanguageintheirdailylivesandallowthemtoconnectwiththe

language.Bygivingthestudentstheopportunitytoexperiencethelanguageinaplace

thattheytypicallywouldnotencounteritwouldonlyhelptoperpetuatethelanguage.

MostofthestudentsprobablywouldnotthinkaboutusingtheHawaiianlanguageina

mathclassbutwithfun,innovativelessonplansthestudentswillbedoingtheworkof

incorporatingthelanguageintotheirdailylivesandenjoydoingit.

Conclusion
*Howmighttheknowledge,skills,andexperiencesyouhadthissemestertransfer
andtranslatetootherlearnersinyourclassroom,regardlessofrace?
All students on this island have a connection the Hawaii and

should be required to learn about the people who lived there. This year

has been an eye-opener for me in ways of incorporating different

cultures into the material that I am covering. I have always struggled

with trying to combine math and cultures different then ours because I

always thought of math as a universal language. I now realize that

math is universal but the way it is used and taught is not. I have to try

and bridge that gap and now see ways that I can incorporate culture

into the studies that not only benefits the students with their

connections to the culture but also in math. I truly believe that if this

lesson plan that I created was used with enough trials and experiences

it could help my students learn the unit circle, maybe more then if they

were traditionally taught. All races and cultures have benefits for the

students in their learning. It is up to the teachers to take the time and

effort to collaborate with the people who know that culture to come up

with lesson plans that help the students. I see that these collaborations

are worthwhile and are important for every student regardless if they

are from that culture or not. This semester also went to prove that

there is a dominant culture, Western European, in the way that the

lessons are taught especially in math. This culture is not bad but it is

also not the best for every student. If a teacher wants to be truly

beneficial to all students in this increasingly more diverse and

interconnected world they have to make the effort to incorporate all

cultures of the students.