Chaminade University of Honolulu

Education

Education: The Teachers of Tomorrow

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Seven Chaminade University staff and faculty last month joined over 700 members from across Micronesia for the three-day Micronesian Teacher Education Conference in Chuuk State, in the Federated States of Micronesia.

They helped train other teachers by presenting on a range of topics, including how to embed culturally responsive teaching into the classroom, engage exceptional students with effective strategies, teach vocabulary using word games and more.

Chaminade offers a distance-learning Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in Oceania in Chuuk State, so several of the conference attendees were Chaminade graduates who have become teachers in Micronesia.

“Engaging with our colleagues from different parts of the Pacific is a physical demonstration of our mission to develop partnerships with our Island neighbors,” says Katrina Roseler, Associate Professor in the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences who taught a session on adaptation and natural selection, and another on engineering for disaster. “We’re all in this together. I still have so much to learn and share with teachers all over the world.”

Chaminade Brings Lesson Into the Classroom for Teachers to Shine

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Melodie Tafao lives the saying “busy as a bee.”

She just earned her Master in Education (MEd) in Instructional Leadership from Chaminade University and also received the university’s prestigious “Outstanding Graduate” award. Her newly earned degree strengthens her role as a third grade teacher at St. Anthony School on Maui, where she’s been teaching for the past 11 years.

Educating her students while receiving her own education isn’t the only feat Tafao’s been tackling the past several years. She’s a wife to her husband, Mosi Tafao, and mother to Melia, 8, and Mosiah, 6. She also has a second career as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, currently serving as commander for the 305th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Honolulu.

“It was definitely a challenge juggling all of my obligations and commitments,” she says. “It took me five years to complete this degree, and I am very blessed to have a supportive husband, family and friends that were willing to help when I needed time to study or have sessions with my instructors on Maui.”

Chaminade made undertaking a graduate degree while continuing her careers and family commitments a reality for Tafao. Her education was made possible through the Gift of Marianist Education. She says that although she was initially reluctant to enroll in the program because her son was only one at the time, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“Chaminade University’s teaching program has helped me grow as a teacher,” she says. “The program and courses have taught me techniques, strategies and methods that help me to be an effective teacher. I’ve also learned some personal lessons throughout the program, like how to be more organized and prioritize and manage my time efficiently.”

Being based on Maui could have been a potential barrier to some seeking to further their education. But the program grouped other teachers from St. Anthony School into the same cohort. Together, the teachers learned big concepts in a small setting.

“One thing that stood out about the program was working with a small cohort of members from the same school community,” Tafao says. “Because of this closeness, I feel it made the program memorable and allowed me to gain a tremendous amount of insight while learning from instructors and fellow colleagues.”

Tafao says she really appreciated that the program allowed students to concurrently teach in their own classrooms, which made the assignments, discussions and research projects more practical.

“It wasn’t just another classroom environment where I read from education books and journals, had discussions and took exams,” she says. “It allowed me to apply what I learned, what was discussed and what I researched immediately with my students, my classroom and my school community.”

Tafao says she recommends this program to any teacher looking to strengthen their pedagogy.

“This type of cohort had a reasonable amount of online work and on-ground, face-to-face time with our instructors on Maui,” she says. “The courses were applicable in the classroom and taught me skills and techniques to be an effective teacher.”

Reflecting back on the entire experience, it was mostly positive. But as with life, there were obstacles and the hardest one was when her father passed away in May 2017 after battling cancer for three years. Tafao was taking her second to last course at the time and although it was difficult for her to stay focused while grieving his loss, she knew it’s what he would have wanted.

“I miss him dearly and wish he had been there to physically watch me receive this honor,” she says. “But I know he would have been proud.”

As Tafao continues teaching her students and serving in the military, she may not be done with her career goals yet.

“My most recent instructor, Dr. Hans Chun, mentioned a doctoral program,” Tafao said. “While I would like some time off, furthering my education and teaching skills through a state certification program and possibly a doctoral program may be in the future for me.”

The Master of Education program offers concentrations in Educational Leadership, which prepares candidates for administrative positions with an emphasis on K-12 schools; Instructional Leadership,which provides advanced knowledge of classroom practices for teachers and other educators not currently aspiring to become administrators; and Child Development, which offers advanced study of developmental theory, research and application.

Learning Never Stops

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Ken Kakesako’s professional life was a bit different years back when he was deputy director of Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture. Then, he spent his days at hearings and briefings advocating for agriculture issues. Now, the 36-year-old brings science alive to middle schoolers and is involved with after-school activities that enrich the educational experience.

When the desire to become a teacher hit Kakesako, Chaminade University made it easy for him to continue working while pursing his Master of Education. The program was appealing because he was able to continue to support his family by day and chip away at coursework in the evening.

In his first three years as a teacher at Stevenson Middle School, he’s been instilling his love of science in his students and founded the after-school wrestling club. He obtained a R.E.A.C.H. grant from the Lt. Governor’s office for $5,000 to fund wrestling and robotics and secured $30,000 for next year to go toward all clubs, including volleyball, ukulele and art.

MEd Ken KakesakoHe also worked with McKinley High School students to create ROOTS (Responsible Open-Minded Operations Through Science) at Stevenson and started a science Olympiad team. And if that wasn’t even to fill his plate, Kakesako also helped Chaminade with its accreditation process in by giving a student perspective as someone who had completed the program.

Colleagues and mentors were quick to recognize Kakesako’s enthusiasm and impact he has on his students. He was recently surprised during a weekly staff meeting with news that he was the recipient of the prestigious 2018 Milken Teacher of Promise Award. HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union sponsors the annual award, which recognizes teachers who excel early in their careers.

“It was a great surprise during the meeting,” he says. “I’m grateful to those that made it possible, I’ve had great teachers and mentors supporting me.”

Kakesako’s mentor and fellow science teacher, Julie Segawa, nominated him for the award and she has a history of mentoring teachers that stand out from the crowd. She mentored another Chaminade graduate, Ryan Kagami, who received the 2014 Milken Teacher of Promise Award.

When Kakesako reminisces about his time spent at Chaminade, mentorship sticks out in his mind. “The best part of my experience was the interaction with professors,” he says. “My mentor, Sheri Fitzgerald, helped me gain knowledge and insight while I was student-teaching.”

Path to finding his passion

Like many, Kakesako’s path to his where he stands today included many twists and turns. After graduating from ‘Iolani School, Kakesako left Hawaii and earned his bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University.

He then spent just over five years working in Japan. First, he taught English to middle school students and then he was a recruiter for an investment banking company. When it came time to start a family, Kakesako knew he wanted his children to grow up around family and share similar experiences he had growing up in the islands. So it was time to come home.

Back in Hawaii, he worked for the state. He was a legislative administrator and budget analyst for Senator Russell Kokubun and then became the DOA’s legislative coordinator and deputy director.

But returning to teaching kept tugging at him. And when he looked at his options, he choose Chaminade because of the program’s flexibility and emphasize on learning in and out of the classroom. Now, Kakesako uses lessons he learned at Chaminade – like taking concepts taught in class out in the world to make them relevant to students.

Ken Kakesako, MEd“I love it when my students make connections between things they’ve learned to their own lives,” he says. “We recently had a lesson about the super blood moon and many of them went home and shared the information with their parents and were super jazzed when they watched it. Their excitement gives me energy.”

Kakesako brings a myriad of skills to room 208 at Stevenson through the various hats he’s worn. He uses his past experiences in sales to “sell” his lessons to students, knowledge gained from working in government to secure funding for his classroom and after-school clubs and he uses strategies learned at Chaminade to make learning relevant and exciting to his students.

And in the end, it’s those lessons learned in his life that leave the biggest mark.

“I want my students to become educated citizens and exercise critical thinking,” he says. “I teach them to be deeper thinkers and that learning never stops. I’m preparing them for jobs that don’t even exist yet and hope that I am setting them up for a lifetime of learning.”

The Master of Education program offers concentrations in Educational Leadership, which prepares candidates for administrative positions with an emphasis on K-12 schools; Instructional Leadership,which provides advanced knowledge of classroom practices for teachers and other educators not currently aspiring to become administrators; and Child Development, which offers advanced study of developmental theory, research and application.

If Teaching is Your Passion, Save Time and Money with Our New 4+1 Program

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Over the past decade, there has been a consistent increase in the number of students enrolling in graduate programs. For some, it is a requirement in their job field. For others, it is the desire to earn more money, those with master’s degrees earn on average 23% more than those with bachelor’s degrees. Others are just looking for a way to stand out from the crowd. No matter the reason, making the decision to pursue an advanced degree means committing to more school and paying more tuition. It also means delaying entry into the workforce.

Imagine being able to complete both your bachelor’s and your master’s in only five years. Our new 4+1 Program does just that. This new program offers students the opportunity to obtain their bachelor’s and their Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in just five years. Meaning, students save on a year of tuition and can enter the job force sooner.

“Although many students desire to or consider pursuing an advanced degree, they are often put off by the idea of an extra two years of school. For many students the option may not even be financially feasible,” says Education Dean, Dr. Dale Fryxell. “However, thanks to accelerated programs, like our new 4+1 Program, more students are able to pursue advanced degrees.”

Normally, deciding to pursue your master’s means committing to an additional two years of school. Students will often decide to enter the job force before returning to school to obtain their M.A. or M.S. With an accelerated program, such as our New 4+1 Program, students are not only able to complete their education quicker and enter the workforce sooner; they are starting their careers better prepared than many of their colleagues.

“An advanced degree is an asset to any person entering the job force,” says President, Dr. Lynn Babington. “It’s a way to stand out amongst the rest.”

The 4+1 Program allows students to pursue their undergraduate degree in any field, as long as they minor in Education. Once a student completes their undergraduate studies with their education minor, they will be eligible to apply for the MAT graduate Program and, thanks to this accelerated program, graduate with their master’s after only one year.

Alumna Schiller’s Smart Yields Agricultural Tech Firm Competing for Vatican-Blessed Accelerator Initiative

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Chaminade University alumna Elizabeth “Lizzy” Schiller ’14 and her team from Smart Yields, a Honolulu-based agricultural technology firm, presented a sales pitch in Rome Dec. 4 as the last step in being considered for a Vatican-blessed accelerator initiative.

Smart Yields is one of nine companies participating in the Laudato Si’ Challenge, which locates, funds and mentors startup companies in keeping with an encyclical from Pope Francis to develop sustainable ways of solving the global climate crisis by 2030.

This includes reimagining food production systems to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and guarantee food security for all.

Schiller, who earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership, co-founded Smart Yields in 2015 and serves as chief operations officer. The company designed a mobile app that uses electronic sensors, real-time monitoring, data analytics and digital agronomy to improve the crop production of farmers and indoor growers.

Joining Schiller for the sales pitch to Vatican dignitaries, government officials and international business leaders was Smart Yields Chief Agricultural Officer Michael Rogers.

“We believe access to nutritious food is a basic human right,” Rogers said. “We are building a community that grows and learns together using technology to create a future with enough food for all to live peacefully in a healthy environment.”

Chaminade’s Division of Education offers a Master of Education Program with concentrations in Educational Leadership, Teacher Leader, Instructional Leadership, Child Development and Montessori Emphasis.

Dedication to Promoting Social Justice Led Alumna Kyna (Williams) Hogg ’10 to Education Profession

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Knowing that education promotes social justice, alumna Kyna (Williams) Hogg ’10 gravitated to the teaching profession and then to Chaminade University. Now she serves as principal of Gatewood Elementary in Seattle, Washington, a school where “we believe that changing the world is possible.”

“I always knew that I wanted to work with children,” said Hogg, who earned a Master of Education degree. “And as I learned more about the education system in the United States, I became more and more interested in thinking about how education intersects with social justice.”

Kyna Williams

This realization prompted Hogg to join Teach for America after receiving a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Before long, she “simply fell in love with working in education” by teaching sixth graders at Kamaile Academy, a charter school in Waianae.

Hogg said she was attracted to Chaminade’s Master of Education program because its flexible schedule allowed her to earn a degree while working full time at Kamaile.

“It was a terrific experience for me to be working as a teacher while, at the same time, I was learning how to be a better teacher through coursework and collaboration with other educators who were in similar situations as I was,” Hogg said.

“Not only did Chaminade help me build a variety of skillsets through participating in readings, coursework and collaboration,” she continued, “it also provided me a level of confidence in my work as an educator.”

Although Hogg had a busy schedule during her Chaminade days, she still found time to play the role of “Marian the Librarian” in a campus production of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.”

When reminiscing about her Division of Education professors, Hogg said she’s grateful for the strong relationship she built with Mary Pat Sjostrom.

“She truly cared about me as a learner,” Hogg said. “But more importantly, she cared about how my own students were doing. She offered resources and opportunities to learn and was always available to answer questions and to simply talk about challenges that were going on in my own classroom.

“After completing my master’s program, I knew I still had a lot to learn about education,” Hogg continued, “but felt like I had a foot in the door to ask more questions and to continue to learn more from the colleagues around me. Ultimately, it was my education at Chaminade that provided me the opportunity to begin to pursue educational leadership, my current field of work.”

Following this new career path, Hogg became assistant principal at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., where she facilitated teacher engagement programs, oversaw a teaching residency program, taught math and science and tutored literacy skills.

She later became an assistant principal at Green Dot Public Schools Washington State in Seattle/Tacoma, and then served as the founding assistant principal and eventually principal of Destiny Middle School in Tacoma.

When Hogg applied for the principal post at Gatewood, hiring committee members were impressed with her commitment to social justice and experience with school culture building. She was hired effective July 1, 2017.

Hogg said Gatewood is focused on developing student academic progress and social emotional growth “while at the same time fostering a love for learning.”

“Our families, students and staff are all aligned towards doing what is best for our students,” Hogg said, “which leads to a welcoming and warm environment for everyone.”

While carrying out her leadership duties, Hogg follows one of her lessons from Chaminade, which is to stay in a learning orientation, “no matter where you are in your own journey of learning about education.”

“There is always room to grow,” she said, “and it is important that you are vulnerable and reflective enough about your own practice that you continue to ask questions.”

Chaminade’s Division of Education offers a Master of Education program with concentrations in Educational Leadership, Teacher Leader, Instructional Leadership, Child Development and Montessori Emphasis.