Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children, which is a center for "increasing the
educational enrichment opportunities for Native Hawaiian Children" (Gibson and Puniwai, 2006, p.
288). Native Hawaiians view all children as gifted (Gibson, et al, p. 288). Three key elements
represent the Hawaiian children's educational experience: "the sense of self, ohana (family), and
Native Hawaiian perspective (culture)" (Gibson, et al, p. 288). Gibson's and Puniwai's (2006)
archetype proposed integration of Hawaiian Traditional Knowledge (H.T.K.) with Earth system
science exposing "students to geospatial technologies" using a "global positioning system (G.P.S.)"
and "a geographic information system (G.I.S.)" (Gibson, et al, p. 289). Discussion related to
Gibson's and Puniwai's project ensues, which reviews pertinent strategies supporting the
technological integration with H.T.K., potential challenges, how the curriculum and technological
standards were integrated and complimented each other, and observations by Gibson and Puniwai,
which summarize the effectiveness of implementing the curriculum with new technologies.
Curriculum Content
The proposed curriculum consists of
Earth system science, traditional (indigenous) knowledge, and geospatial
technologies. Indigenous knowledge is the curriculum that Gibson and Puniwai
(2006) suggest could "create a pathway to attract more indigenous peoples
(in the Pacific Rim) into the geosciences" (Gibson, et al, p. 289). Twelve
students between the ages of 13 and 15 of Hawaiian ancestry were initially
trained on hand-held G.P.S. devices to map and locate specific geographic
points at the University of Hawaii (Gibson, et al, p. 289), and included
discovery of various ecological and geological formations on the campus. The
students and teachers then visited the Keaukaha Lake's shoreline for the
course's marine component to map different animal and plant habitats. The
teachers arranged for a Native Hawaiian shoreline caretaker (kahu) to join the group to enrich the
students with H.T.K., which included cultural information, and Native Hawaiian
science details about the "tidal flux, wave action, ocean currents, living
organisms, and geology" (Gibson, et al, p. 290). The students used
"her verbal map as a guide", and explored the habitat's "tidal
pools, splash zone, fish ponds, and mixed rocky/sandy beaches" (Gibson, et
al, p. 290). Gibson and Puniwai then explained "geological formations,
composition of sand, coral reef formation, tidal influence and many other
topics" (Gibson, et al, p. 290) to the students mixing native Hawaiian
knowledge with science.
The terrestrial part of the curriculum
included "field-based, service learning" at the Hakalau Forest
National Wildlife Refuge. Cultural content for this curriculum portion included
teaching the students an 'oli komo
(chant), which calls upon ancestors "to watch over and grant blessings,
knowledge, and good judgment" (Gibson and Puniwai, 2006, p. 290).
Additionally, the teachers shared information about how the students' ancestors
used the forest's resources, and how geoscience topics (hydrology, erosion, and
runoff) related to those resources and culture (Gibson, et al, p. 290). G.P.S.
devices were employed and students recorded data located on existing plant
labels. The data was later input by the students on computers to create a
"shapefile of the plant locations" (Gibson, et al, p. 291), and
provided to the United States Forestry personnel, who updated their records.
Outcomes and assessments were conducted at class-end.
Strategies
Supporting Technological Integration
Those living in the Pacific Rim are
"among the most vulnerable to climate change" (Gibson and Puniwai,
2006, p. 287). Two potential geoscience threats exist for those living in the
Pacific Rim: low-lying populated islands experiencing a small sea level rise
and complete inundation, and the fresh water supply in the nearby populated
areas not flooded, which becomes compromised by infiltrating sea water (Gibson,
et al, 2006). Consequently, a keen desire emerged by natives in the Pacific Rim
to more fully understand and monitor environmental changes, and reduce the
impact of weather-related risks for the living (Gibson and Puniwai, 2006). Assimilating traditional environmental
knowledge of Pacific Rim natives with modern- day geoscience technology
effectively delivers a "culturally appropriate" teaching and learning
model (Gibson, et al, p. 287). Designing a teaching and learning model infused
with tradition, culture, and area history together with modern-day geoscience
technologies should promote heightened interest in minorities of the Pacific
Rim who seldom enter "geoscience-related professions" (Gibson, et al,
p. 287).
Potential
Challenges
Numerous challenges exist for integrating
N.H.K. with geoscience. For example, people questioning credibility related to
its purpose might ask, "Why change what has worked well for
generations?" Difficulties between English and Hawaiian languages pose
problems between the native students and the teachers. Another challenge
includes training students on expensive new technological devices, which may be
financially unfeasible. Traditional (indigenous) knowledge depends upon a
"qualitative understanding of the whole Earth, to Western Science, which
commonly requires quantitative data on parts of the Earth system (Gibson and
Puniwai, 2006, p. 288). Many Native Hawaiians perceive "that their
traditional knowledge is contradictory to Western science" (Gibson, et al,
p. 289). Completely diverse philosophies would struggle for supremacy rather
than equivocal complimentary positions.
Armstrong, Henson, and Savage (2009)
wrote that "Existing practices are preserved not only by technologies that
allow no alternatives but also by tradition" (Armstrong, et al, p. 288).
Static traditions and technologies disallow progress or potentially improved
learner outcomes. "New technologies provide opportunities, but not
mandates, for change" (Armstrong, et al, p. 289). Although some Hawaiians
are willing to endorse new technology in collaboration with their native skills
because native skills do not fully protect them from harm from the climactic
changes, and technology can improve the number of saved lives by providing
earlier bad weather warnings, willingness does not preclude successful
implementation. The "technology usage gap is closing between Whites and
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders" (Armstrong, et al, p. 303), and the
closure of this digital divide (Armstrong, et al, p. 302) will be expensive.
Finally, students must be willing to learn. If students are not willing,
teachers need to convince students to be willing to learn. However, conflicts
between tradition and science may be difficult to surmount.
Curriculum
and Technological Standards' Integration and Complimentary Aspects
Teaching geoscience and infusing
typical "community-based activities, cultural knowledge, and a
'place-based' approach" (Gibson and Puniwai, 2006, p. 289) significantly
narrowed the gap between teaching Western Science and embracing Hawaiian's
traditional knowledge. The melding of "traditional qualitative knowledge
and cultural perspectives with quantitative (Western) Earth system
science" (Gibson, et al, p. 289) was successful. Four elements improving
the students' learning comfort levels included: (1) building upon a
"student's interest and ability", (2) "helping and promoting the
student's sense of self as related to their perspective of family, culture, and
community", (3) integrating "Native Hawaiian culture and values into
the education and learning process", and (4) "focusing on the
influence of family" (Gibson, et al, p. 289).
A trial class was conducted for testing
assimilation of the Native H.T.K. with general geoscience information, and
global positioning and mapping devices, which most students adapted to easily.
Puniwai (Gibson, et al, p. 289), in addition to teaching geoscience, was a
helper who "was responsible for integrating Hawaiian culture into the
course" (Gibson, et al, p. 289). "Fostering inquiry about Earth
system processes that Native Hawaiian children observe daily can create that
critical link between science and traditional knowledge" (Gibson, et al, p.
290). Gibson and Puniwai (2006) successfully created that critical link.
Educators'
Methods for Observing Effective Implementation
of
Curriculum and Technology
Gibson and Puniwai (2006) assessed the
effectiveness of their two-week course by measuring how the students rated
three questions, which mirrored the class' objectives: how well the students felt
that their abilities improved, "did they learn 'things' Hawaiian?"
(Gibson and Puniwai, 2006, p. 292), and whether they felt "good about the
class overall" (Gibson, et al, p. 292). In addition, the teachers observed
student presentations about what they learned, which included technical data
and maps, and reviewed students' comments reflecting very successful learning.
An increase in the students' technical ability of the G.P.S. device and
PowerPoint software was demonstrated, and an end-of-course survey revealed a
"modest to successful (learning) impact" (Gibson, et al, p. 292),
which was enhanced due to the students' proficiency in Hawaiian and English
languages. Eighty percent of the students responded between "good"
and "excellent" about the course overall, and since no student
remarked negatively about the course, the teachers interpreted the students'
appraisals to mean that they "had taken some measure of learning and new
knowledge with them" (Gibson, et al, p. 293).
Conclusion
This evaluation of a pilot geoscience course
created and conducted by Gibson and Puniwai(2006) describes the curriculum
content for a group of Hawaiian students who are deeply engrained in
traditional island folklore. Additionally presented were the strategies
supporting the course's technological integration with H.T.K., the potential
challenges for course implementation, and the integration and complimentary
natures between the curriculum and geoscience technology. The effectiveness achieved
when implementing the curriculum with geoscience technology concludes the
evaluation.
References:
Armstrong, D., Henson, K., and Savage, T. (2009). Teaching
today, an introduction to education,
8th Ed. Pearson, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Gibson, B., and Puniwai, N. (2006). Developing an archetype
for integrating native Hawaiian traditional
knowledge with earth system science education. Journal of Geoscience Education,
54(3). Proquest Education Journals.
