isisHawaii’s project – Ipu Waiwai – Storing the Wealth of Learning (IPU) – is alive and well at Makaha Elementary School! IPU (a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education Native Hawaiian Education Program) provided training and resources for public school teachers (grades 4-6) in the Nanakuli/Wai‘anae district to better engage students and increase academic achievement through standards aligned culture- and project-based instruction.

Special education teachers, Gregg Nakamura, and Eugene Pascual (Makaha Elementary), used iPads, iPods and mobile applications provided by IPU to engage students (inclusion class) in learning about Hawaiian land divisions (ahupua‘a) and why the ancient Hawaiians were so successful in managing their resources without modern technology. Other participating IPU teachers: Spencer Harris (Makaha ES), Josette Germano (Nanaikapono ES), Lisa Barton and Amanda Weyrick (Waianae ES).

To juxtapose 21st century learning with gaining a deeper understanding about the ancient Hawaiian wisdom, students used iPad applications to design “virtual ahupua‘a” models, create video clips, design brochures and play games to reinforce the science and environmental concepts that still apply today.

The students also built physical ahupua‘a models and were able to showcase their projects at the year-end Makaha Farm Open House. By sharing their projects with the visiting public, students were able to practice their communication skills and understanding by articulating what they had learned.

Another culminating event was a field trip to the Waikalua Loko Fishpond in Kaneohe. This activity represented the first trip out of the valley for some of the children. Students learned about its living history and could compare their models to an actual fishpond. They, in turn, gave back to the community and helped preservation efforts by removing invasive plants and seaweed.

IPU provided a successful learning experience for both mainstream and special needs students. Both teachers and students were empowered by their newfound technology skills. IPU also impacted student engagement, classroom behavior and increased student confidence. Kudos to all the participating teachers, supportive administrators and community partners for making this project such a success!

]]> http://www.isishawaii.org/2013/05/ipu-waiwai-at-makaha-elementary/feed/ 0 http://www.isishawaii.org/2013/05/6th-annual-hawaii-robofest-regional/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://www.isishawaii.org/2013/05/6th-annual-hawaii-robofest-regional/#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 18:46:04 +0000 isisHawaii http://www.isishawaii.org/?p=516

Hawai‘i Robofest celebrated its 6th annual Regional Qualifier on Saturday, April 27th, at the beautiful University of Hawaii West O‘ahu campus. Over 230 students (48 teams) participated, including 4 new schools from West O‘ahu (Nanakuli, Wai‘anae) and Kalihi.

Tournament results are, as follows:

SRCC Game Category (Jr Division – 17 entries):

• 1st place: 783-1 Team 1 (Highlands IS)
• 2nd place: 1598-2 Pueo Technotics 2 (Mililani Ike ES)
• 3rd place: 1833-2 Cyber Pueoz 2 (Webling ES)
• Judges’ Award: 1747-1 Robo-Warriors 1 (Wai‘anae ES)

Exhibition Category (Sr Division – 2 entries):

• 1st place: 783-4 Robotic Arm (Highlands IS)

Exhibition Category (Jr Division – 31 entries, 25 competitive):

• 1st place: 1825-3 STEM Warriors Time Travelers (Kalihi-Kai ES)
• 2nd place: 1834-1 Amazing Learners (Waikele ES)
• 3rd place: 1648-1 PEACHES (Pearl City Highlands ES)
• 4th place: 1741-1 PALbots (Wai‘anae ES)
• 5th place: 1833-1 Cyber Pueoz 1 (Webling ES)
• 6th place: 1825-2 Future Bots (Kalihi-Kai ES)
• 7th place: 1821-3 HP (August Ahrens ES)
• 8th place: 1825-1 Team Infinity (Kalihi-Kai ES)

Special thanks to all our generous sponsors for making it all possible: The Kobayashi Group, DataHouse and Capital One Foundation.

Also, “Mahalo!” to our Community Partners for their support: UH West O‘ahu, Senator Michelle Kidani, Highlands Intermediate School and the UHM College of Engineering.

Last but not least, Hawai‘i Robofest thanks all of the hundreds of volunteers, coaches, students and parents for making this year’s program a success! See you next year!

Photo (above) Courtesy of Darlene Oshiro

isisHawaii’s second outdoor science lab was just completed at Nanakuli Intermediate School. The Ipu Waiwai Kula – ‘AE “Aquaponics in Education” project (funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education Native Hawaiian Education Program) provides the resources and specialists for Wai‘anae and Nanakuli Intermediate Schools to develop multidisciplinary culture-based lesson plans to engage youth in 21st century learning activities. The project vehicle — aquaponics; a hybrid sustainable agricultural system that nurtures produce and fish in a recirculating environment. In addition to rigorous core academic opportunities, aquaponics provides a strong framework to teach concepts in economics, food independence and entrepreneurial activities.

On Wednesday, December 5th, 2012, isisHawaii celebrated a special milestone — 10 years in Hawaii! The event was attended by community partners, educators, administrators, students and many others who shared the decade-long journey with us.

A big “MAHALO!” to Silver Sponsor CH2M Hill, Bronze Sponsors 3D Academy and Crystal Mills and to all attendees for making isisHawaii’s 10th anniversary event such a success! Thank you for your kind wishes and generous contributions that will go a long way in helping isisHawaii continue providing 21st century learning experiences for students in Hawaii!

Mahalo to isisHawaii project showcase partners: Hyperspective Studios (REPower, STEM Hawaii), 3D Academy (Virtual Sea Perch), Archinoetics LLC (IPU mobile app), Dwayne Abuel (Hawaii Robofest), UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (Aquaponics in the Classroom) and Highlands Intermediate School (Bucketponics).

Special thanks to Jamie Omori and her staff at ING Cafe for providing us with exceptional service and a fabulous venue. Thanks to Kapono Ciotti and his world beat band, Jamarek, for their incredible talents and uplifting spirit!

Kapono Ciotti and Jamarek

Our first outdoor science lab at Wai‘anae Intermediate School is finished! On Saturday, Nov 17, 2012,  Hapa Farms facilitated an installation and maintenance workshop for teachers from Wai‘anae and Nanakuli Intermediate Schools to prepare for the launch of their “Aquaponics in Education” projects next semester.

The workshop began with a solemn ceremony by Kahu “Uncle” Bruce Keaulani to ask permission of the elements and spirits to be there and to thank them for their protection and blessing. After that, it was a full day of hard work for the teachers and helpers as they learned about how aquaponics systems work by building it themselves. They were also introduced to the importance of food safety and pest management which will be reinforced once the system is ready for farming.

Special thanks to facilitators, Reyn Horner and Sean Moura of Hapa Farms, for their expertise and patience. Additional thanks and extreme gratitude to Debra Yamakawa, isisHawaii’s Hawai‘i State Department of Education Leeward District liaison. Without Deb’s oversight of the construction process and coordination with both schools during the build, none of this would have been possible. Mahalo to all! Onward to aquaponics!

The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) hosted its 43rd annual conference, “Maintaining Traditions in a Digital Era,” in Oklahoma City this year (Oct 18-21, 2012). Among the indigenous groups represented were American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. isisHawaii was proud to be included in this national indigenous education forum, sharing findings from the “Ipu Waiwai – Storing the Wealth of Learning” project currently being implemented in the Nanakuli/Wai‘anae public school district. Featured aspects of the project were the significant investment made in assessing needs from key stakeholders and participating schools, the intracurricular model developed and the inclusion of evaluators during the design process.

Presenting for isisHawaii were VerlieAnn Malina-Wright, EdD (Cultural/Education Specialist), Kapono Ciotti, MA (Professional Development/Curriculum Developer/Cultural Specialist), Crystal Mills, PhD (Evaluator) and Lynn Fujioka (Project Manager, Ipu Waiwai). (Presentation slides and handouts available upon request.)

On Saturday, October 13th, 2012, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR), in collaboration with isisHawaii, hosted its first “Aquaponics in the Classroom” Conference.

Dr. Clyde Tamaru (conference organizer) welcomed attendees followed by an opening address by Dean Maria Gallo (CTAHR).

The featured activity was an interactive session facilitated by Design Thinking Hawaii members and coaches, Inovi Technologies and isisHawaii. The purpose of this activity was to bring industry, community, higher ed, K-12 educators/administrators, parents and students together to brainstorm ideas on ways to strengthen the science pipeline. What resulted was an action-packed, fun-filled morning with lots of valuable ideas, new partnerships, revelations and ‘aha’ moments.

Following the lunch break, presentations by K-12 schools, industry members and researchers filled the rest of the afternoon. Plans for an annual event are currently being discussed.

Aquaponics — an emerging technology that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics — has the potential to stimulate economic growth and diversity in Hawaii. A high demand for aquaculture/aquaponic products necessitates the collaboration between UH scientists and researchers, farmers and other key community stakeholders.

Concurrently, K-12 educators have embraced aquaponic technologies as an effective, engaging  holistic approach to education. Aquaponics provides a relevant, rigorous opportunity for K-12 students to explore science, math and other subjects while building essential 21st century skills — particularly in environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Please join this statewide initiative to help strengthen the Aquaponics in the Classroom network. Register at http://ctahr_k-12aquaponics.eventbrite.com (Adults $20; Students FREE; Windward Community College Hale Akoakoa. Agenda on registration site.)

Since 2000, the Robofest has grown rapidly with teams from all over the United States, England, Canada, China, France, South Korea, Mexico and Singapore. In 2012, Hawai‘i hosted the largest Robofest regional worldwide!

The 6^th Annual Hawai‘i Robofest Preview will be held on Saturday, October 20^th, 2012 (9-11a, Highlands Intermediate School), and will provide a program overview, timeline, expectations and registration information. This year’s local (Hawai‘i only) exhibition theme will also be unveiled.

2013 Theme: “Interweaving Robotics Through The Generations”

Who can attend: Veterans, Rookies and the Curious — Educators, administrators, coaches, parents (Adults and Team Captains only.)

Time: (Sign-in: 8:30 AM) 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM HST

Location: Highlands Intermediate School, Library (1460 Hoolaulea Street, Pearl City) Parking in LOWER LOT ONLY

Currently in Hawaii, there are approximately 1,800 students statewide that will be participating in this year’s HFLL program and competition. In the month of November, district tournaments will be held on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island. 48 qualifying teams will advance to the State Championship Tournament in December (12/1/12) at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. Anticipated attendance this year is 3,000.

REQUEST: As a representative of the HFLL Planning Committee, isisHawaii is requesting your kokua to volunteer for the 2012 Championship Tournament (Saturday, December 1st, 2012; Neal Blaisdell Arena).

There are many technical positions needed (e.g., game referees, robot design judges, project judges) that do require some knowledge and experience in technology, programming, engineering, science and/or robotics. There are also non-technical positions needed (e.g., project interview asst., pit crew, crowd control, hospitality, etc.) which only require your positive attitude and willingness to serve.

re: Corporate Volunteer Groups: Companies or organizations recruiting 10 or more volunteers will have their logos imprinted on the Championship tee, promotional material, the event program and will be listed on the website. HFLL will also hang your corporate banner in the Arena on event day. Companies with 5-10 volunteers will have their logos included on the program and website. Companies with less than 5 will have volunteers listed as individuals on the program.

All volunteers are provided with t-shirts and lunches. Judges and referee volunteers will receive special 2012 FLL collared shirts.

If you are interested in supporting this exciting opportunity for our next generation of young engineers and technologists, please email isisHawaii with your name, contact phone number, company and referral (if any). We will send you a list of volunteer position descriptions and their shifts. (Volunteer signups will close on 10/22/12.)

Mahalo for your time and consideration!