Breakout Session #1

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Linguistic Diversity

Multilingualism and ASL

John Baranello, Loretta Finegan-Nelson, and Olivia Malcolm

Hawaii’s linguistic diversity extends beyond spoken language to include American Sign Language. Students can earn language credit toward graduation, however, many use ASL as their primary mode of communication. Our session focuses on the diversity among ASL users and the various ways Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals communicate within HIDOE. We include eye-opening statistics, comparisons of incidental learning, and examples of other communication options.

Understanding and Serving Hawai‘i’s English Learners

Meera Garud

Hawai‘i is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse states. This interactive session will introduce teachers to two new resources that help educators explore the linguistic diversity of Hawai'i’s public schools and examine academic outcomes for English Learners (ELs). Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of Hawai'i’s EL population and with next steps for sharing and acting on this knowledge.

Continuum of Language Development Programs

Coding Target Language Animation in Scratch!

Ngan-Ha Ta and Gabriel Yanagihara

In this workshop, participants will play with a coding program called Scratch to create characters that can speak to each other in the target language. Please bring a laptop with you.

Nāwahīokalani'ōpu'u: Providing Multilingualism for All in a Hawaiian Language Medium School

Dr. William H. Wilson

"...and the official language medium of education, be it English or Hawaiian." (BOARD POLICY 105-14 MULTILINGUALISM FOR EQUITABLE EDUCATION).

Canada and Finland, which have two official languages, produce high multilingualism in "minority official language medium schools" like Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu (Nāwahī). Similarly, at Nāwahī, in addition to Hawaiian or its "matrix language", all Nāwahī students study three world languages: Latin, Chinese or Japanese, and English. Older students also learn applied linguistics approaches comparing Standard English, Hawaiʻi Creole English and Hawaiian to strengthen metalinguistic cognitive skills. This powerpoint and video presentation will explain language study, worldview and outcomes at Nāwahī.

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching

Communicative Language Teaching and Teacher Leadership: Group 1

Jeenna Canche, Leslie Glikas, Tanya Harris, Edna Mayra Hickling, Mark Kanetsuna, and Kevin Sledge

Participants will learn from a group of World Languages teachers about their experiences participating in the World Languages Leadership Team. The teachers have designed and implemented projects that aim to strengthen language instruction through a communicative and proficiency-based language acquisition approach, as well as to advance personal leadership skills.

Aloha Aku, Aloha Mai: Creating a Culture-Based Centered World Language Classroom

Dr. ʻAlohilani Okamura

This presentation focuses on making meaning of Nā Hopena Aʻo in a World Language classroom, and how teacher education incorporates lessons and understandings of the host culture in developing relevant and responsive teaching practices.

Family and Community Engagement

Working with Micronesians in Hawai‘i

Josie Howard

This presentation will provide a better understanding of the islands, people, and cultures of Micronesia through unique perspectives, personal stories, and experiences from across the Micronesian region. This sharing will help build bridges and establish healthy working relationships between Micronesians in Hawai'i and the wider Hawai'i community and create increased understanding of Micronesia’s geography, environment, history, people, and cultures, awareness and understanding of Micronesian cultural values, social systems, and norms. Participants will learn about culturally sensitive strategies and approaches for working with Micronesians families, information on resources in the Micronesian community, and access to Micronesian resources to enhance services.

Movement Building and Collective Advocacy for Multilingualism

Panel: Dr. Amy Agbayani, Dr. Brook Chapman de Sousa, Dr. Patricia Halagao, Elizabeth Jimenez Salinas, and Dr. Dina Yoshimi

In the last 5 years, Hawai'i has made tremendous progress in multilingualism in education with the adoption and implementation of language policies: a revised Ka Papahana Kaiapuni (2014), Seal of Biliteracy, (2015) and Multilingualism for Equitable Education (2016). This panel of diverse stakeholders looks backwards to understand how we got here and forward to the future. We will engage with the audience on how we must capitalize on this momentum and our partnerships: How do we bring together Hawaii’s professional multilingual multicultural education organizations and community stakeholders to collectively advocate for our multilingual multicultural community in order to transform our educational system?

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