Welcome to ED277

Aloha kākou! My name is Kaleʻa (Jaydene) Silva and Iʻll be your instructor for this term . Prior to teaching in the teacher education program at Leeward, I taught Hawaiian language and performing arts at ʻIlima Intermediate school.  Many of my former students from ʻIlima are now my current students at Leeward.  At ʻIlima most of my students called me Kumu Kaleʻa (kumu - means teacher in Hawaiian).  You are more than welcome to call me Kumu Kaleʻa, Ms. Silva, Professor Silva, Dr. Silva...I prefer not to be called Jaydene though...just a personal choice.  

My grandparents Charles Kaʻinea Wahinehoʻokae and Gladys You Oi Chung were from Honokohau, Maui and Kohala, Hawaiʻi. My parents are Jimmy and Gwen Silva of Kalihi, Oʻahu. I was born, raised and still reside in ʻEwa. After graduating from high school, I attended Leeward Community College and earned my AA degree then earned a BA in Hawaiian Studies from UH Mānoa. I attended Chaminade University where I earned a Master of Education degree and in 2014 graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies.  I am very proud to say that I am a first generation college graduate in my family and an alumni of Leeward!  I am happy to start this journey with you!

My teaching background ranges from serving as a kākoʻo at a Hawaiian Immersion preschool, Pūnana Leo ʻO Waiʻanae, teaching 8th graders in both performing arts and Hawaiian studies at ʻIlima Intermediate School in ʻEwa Beach, to mentoring beginning teachers in the Campbell and Kapolei Complex Area schools. Iʻve also taught both undergraduate and graduate level courses at Chaminade University and have been teaching here at Leeward Community College since spring 2010. My current role as a Professor at Leeward Community Collegeʻs Teacher Education Program is to support and nurture all of our students and to help them attain their goals toward becoming effective and engaging teachers.

My lifework and passion centers on our Hawaiʻi keiki and one of my primary goals is to fill our Hawaiʻi public school classrooms with local homegrown teachers and those who are committed to their community and passionate about their roles as teachers. I look forward to this semester as we grow and learn from each other.

Since this is an online course, I donʻt get to meet with you.  But if you have any questions or concerns at all, feel free to email me.  I check my email quite frequently throughout the day.  I am also available to meet via phone, zoom or Facetime...just email me and we can set up an appointment.  You will work at building a great foundation of respect and trust with each other through our interactions in forum quizzes and the "talk story" lounge in the Forum tab.

If you have questions, feel free to email anytime.  I will respond to emails within 24 - 48 hours.  Grading starts on the Monday after due dates, so you should expect your work returned to you within 7 days after Monday each week.  If you submit early, thatʻs excellent, however be aware that I start grading on Mondays.

Since this is an accelerated 5 week course, be prepared to commit a minimum of 9 hours a week to this course.  You will have multiple assignments and forums each week and there is very little room and time for revisions and late work.