Community
Voice of the Strongman - Hanalani Schools Blog
Lower School Presented at the Schools of the Future 2023 Conference!
Hanalani Schools proudly presented at the 2023 Schools of the Future (SOTF) Conference! SOTF is an opportunity for teachers and administrators, across Hawaii’s public, private, and charter schools to reflect upon how to better serve children. This annual conference is produced in partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Education, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the Hawaii Society for Technology in Education.
Our school has been attending the SOTF Conferences for over seven years and has sent groups of teachers if not all of our teachers to attend, learn, and collaborate.
At the 2023 SOTF Hanalani Schools’ Lower School division presented on two topics. Grade 3 students, Mrs. Melissa Lemon, Lower School Vice-Principal, and Mrs. Kristen Stoker, Grade 3 Teacher, presented on the Project-Based Learning (PBL) project entitled “A Whole Starry World.”
“True to its name, the Schools of the Future Conference focuses on current educational trends, and challenges all in attendance to be forward thinking in how we “do” school. Presenting at SOTF with one of our teachers and three of our students was both a privilege and an encouragement. It was a privilege to demonstrate Project-Based Learning (PBL) not only to other educators but also to our parents who were in attendance. Our audience was fully engaged and asked a lot of valuable questions. Most importantly, it was an encouragement to see our Hanalani students interact with the audience and be able to answer deeper questions about PBL from a unique student perspective.” Explained, Mrs. Lemon on why presenting at SOTF was such a valuable experience.
Mrs. Bonnie Lee, Lower School Principal, and Mrs. Janelle Phillips, Innovation Lab Teacher, presented “Developing Collaborative Problem Solvers and Innovative Thinkers” to fellow educators.
“Sharing our practices is always considered a privilege and blessing. First, it’s a privilege to have our work be selected to be a workshop at such a prestigious conference. Secondly, it’s a great blessing to share our practices in hopes of being helpful to other educators. For example, in our presentation on the Innovation Lab, not only did we share innovative teaching strategies but we also shared the journey of how we started our Innovation Lab. Through the presentation, Mrs. Phillips made a connection with an educator from another private school on Oahu who has a similar role. They’ll stay connected and continue to help each other develop their programs.” Explained Mrs. Lee on the importance of participating and presenting at SOTF.
We look forward to attending each year as it is a great way to reflect, learn, and share ways to better serve our Hanalani students and all students of Hawaii.
