By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
KAPOLEI — "Open" is a word you hear frequently at Kapolei High School. Open classrooms, open buildings, open to the community. Even the project-based learning method of teaching used at Hawai‘i’s newest high school is said to open young minds.
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| Ernest Fernandez, left, and John Dela-Rana study in a small group at Kapolei High School, where students learn in "villages" and "neighborhoods." A second neighborhood building, for the sophomore class, was just completed.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser |
"Project-based schools have been around, but this is an attempt to have every student involved," principal Al Nagasako said. "We incorporate problem-solving and critical thinking in every course. That is what project-based learning really does. It gives students an opportunity to participate in real stuff they have to solve. It forces them to use their research skills to collect data and solve problems."
The concept of project-based learning is to begin by teaching general ideas of a subject in large open classes, then break the class down into smaller working groups, culminating with individual projects to complete a course.
The process can be used with subjects as varied as math and woodshop. If successful at Kapolei — the only public school in Hawai‘i to use the concept with its entire student body — it could spread to other public schools.
Nagasako said the goal is to create great thinkers and problem solvers sought by colleges and employers.
Some seven months after the school opened and began using what was a new concept for all, students, faculty and administrators say, while everyone is adjusting to a program beginning to show results, there is still more work to be done.
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In July, the first group of 385 freshmen walked through the doors of their new two-story "neighborhood," a building devoted to the first class. A new grade level and neighborhood building will be added each year until there is a complete freshman-to-senior range of students.
With high ceilings and light pouring in through open windows above a grand staircase, the atmosphere is more like a small private college than a public school.
At the far ends on both floors are the "family pods," or open study areas where larger classes are held. Nearby, each student also has an individual pod with a desk and locker all his own. Some decorate their area with photos of surfers or pop stars.
Each pod of 10 students has access to a computer hooked up to a central server. More computers will be added over spring break. Students can work on any computer in the building and access their work or do research.
Student Rachel Cruz, who dances hula and plays on the volleyball team, has seen her grades go up under the new learning system. She said individual attention while working on projects has helped her.
"The teachers are there to make sure you do your work and will explain something to you as many times as needed until you get it," Cruz said.
Critical thinking encouraged
In a combined social studies and science class last week, about 50 students sat in groups of four to six while listening to science teacher Delta Westcot lecture on water.
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| Students of Kapolei High School walk around the commons area of Neighborhood G. It is used as a gathering area and sometimes as an open classroom.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Watching from the rear of the class, social studies teacher Bryan Yamashita said combining the classes and seeing how subjects fit together encourages critical thinking.
"The science looks at the chemical and biological aspects of water, while the social science looks at ethical and economic issues," Yamashita said.
After the lecture, the students break into small groups to work on projects.
Nagasako said the small groups are important because they teach students to work together.
"In any job situation, whenever there is a problem like a blackout, you don’t call one guy alone to fix the problem, you call the entire team out," Nagasako said. "They are learning to work as a team."
Nagasako said the school is developing three academies in which all students will participate: business/engineering and technology, arts and humanities, and heath and environmental sciences.
"When a youngster can make choices and is involved in planning their own future, there are better results," Nagasako said.
Student body president Ferelei Zampaga admits she was worried about the open classroom environment before school opened last fall.
"At first, I thought it was going to be distracting, but it is not," said Zampaga, whose elective courses are Japanese and alto saxophone. "There are no walls and the sound can travel, but you can still concentrate on your teacher."
Vice principal Debra Hatada acknowledges that the independent learning style has been difficult for some students to adjust to.
"We do have our share of students not making it academically," she said. "But we find there is this core group of students surpassing what we expected."
It is too early for any definitive results from the teaching concept. But during the second quarter, 39 students — roughly 10 percent of the class — were listed on the honor roll with a grade average of 3.5 (roughly a B-plus) or above. No statewide totals are kept on honor roll numbers, according to the state Department of Education, but at nearby Campbell High School, 72 of the 569 freshmen were named to the honor roll, 12.6 percent of the class.
"We still have got to prove ourselves," Nagasako said. "We got some problems, but so far the kids have been excellent."
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