HSTA Institute: Come to learn about Janus, win iPads and other prizes
Teacher Institute Day is more important than ever this year, since anti-union forces are trying to weaken us with the Janus Case before the Supreme Court. Learn how the case could have an effect on the power of the union and what you can do to keep HSTA strong! Institute is the single largest professional development day on the school calendar, covering a variety of topics – for professional and personal growth – and featuring noteworthy keynote speakers. As a professional day, it is a work day and teacher attendance is expected. Voting for state and chapter officers and delegates to the HSTA Convention and NEA RA will take place in the morning. Teachers attending Institute on all islands will be eligible to win iPads and other teacher tools!
Here are the Institute dates across the state:
Oahu, Monday, Feb. 12 - Register for free bus service from Kaneohe, Kahuku, Mililani and Kapolei.
Kauai, Tuesday, Feb. 13
Molokai, Wednesday, Feb. 14
Maui/Lanai, Thursday, Feb. 15
Hawaii Island, Friday, Feb. 16
Read the HSTA Institute schedule for your chapter.
HSTA chapter leadership positions open!
Want to make a difference? Want to help steer the direction of your HSTA chapter? Looking for an opportunity to advocate for your students, school and the profession?
Be on the look-out for information from your faculty representative about elected positions open in your chapter. Also, check out the members-only side of the HSTA website for your chapter’s nomination packet at http://www.hsta.org/governance/elections >> Governance >>Elections for more information.
Nominations for chapter elections began Jan. 23 and will end Feb. 3.
Chapter elections timeline
Nomination Forms
HSTA legislative package unveiled
Proposals for a constitutional amendment to create a steady funding stream for public schools, limits on standardized testing and a teacher on the Board of Education are included in this year’s package of bills HSTA is advocating for at the state Legislature.
Above: In the seat of power! Chapter presidents and members of HSTA's Government Relations Committee spent Friday at the state Capitol, lobbying lawmakers.
Spring PD courses begin Feb. 24; Improve your skills and increase your salary
Signing up for HSTA PD courses is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Go pde3.k12.hi.us (PDE3) and add yourself to the wait-list for a specific section of a course
- Next, go to www.pd.hsta.org and make payment for that specific course section
- Lastly, once payment is received, HSTA will move you from the “Wait-List” to “Registered” on PDE3 and your enrollment will be confirmed via email
All Spring courses begin February 24, 2018. TL183083 Collaborative Problem Solving and Action Online | 290129This 3-PD credit online course is offered by the Hawaii State Teachers Association in partnership with the NEA Foundation. In this HSTA Teacher Leadership course focused on Domain 1 of the Teacher Leader Model Standards (Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning), participants will gain knowledge of effective collaborative problem solving strategies and take leadership in a school improvement group to ensure continuous improvement at all levels within the school. PD183084 Introduction to Culture-Based Education Online | 290134This online 3-PD Credit Course is designed to introduce participants to culture based education, its benefits and basic strategies, so to be able to incorporate it in future lesson planning and instruction. TL183078 Effective School-Community Collaboration Online | 290132This 3-PD credit online course is offered by the Hawaii State Teachers Association in partnership with the NEA Foundation. In this HSTA Teacher Leadership course focused on Domain 6 of the Teacher Leader Model Standards (Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community), participants will review the benefits of effective school-community collaboration and plan their own school-community event. By the end of the course, the teacher leader will understand the impact that families, cultures and communities have on student learning and look for ways to lead successful partnerships between all stakeholders. PD183075 The 21st Century Classroom Level 1 Online | 290407In this 3-PD credit online course, participants will receive foundational skills necessary to be effective teachers in 1:1 environment. Specifically, this course will be an introduction to: applications within G-Suite, formerly known as Google Apps for Education or GAFE. Participants will create their own lesson plans and projects utilizing G-Suite. This course is intended for those new to using Google, but is open to all levels. PD183080 Beyond the Exit Pass Online | 290124 This 3-PD credit online course is designed for teachers of all content areas in grade levels 3-12. Teachers will learn a variety of strategies to formatively assess student learning and respond to student needs quickly and effectively. The following three approaches to formative assessment are: academic discussion, checks for understanding, and targeted analysis of student work. TL183079 Global Education: Tools and Approaches for Teacher Leaders Online | 290133This 3-PD credit online course is offered by the Hawaii State Teachers Association in partnership with the NEA Foundation. In this HSTA Teacher Leadership course focused on Domain 4 (Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning) and Domain 7 (Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession), participants will work collaboratively with fellow colleagues to improve instructional practices and advocate for the teaching profession for policies that benefit student learning. PD183076 The 21st Century Classroom Level 2 | Section 290137This online 3-PD-Credit Course will provide teachers with technology tools to design a 21st century classroom. Teachers will learn how to use technology to open channels of communication with students and parents and increase collaboration among students, as well as build their creativity and critical thinking skills using 21st century classroom tools and apps such as: mail merge, autocrat and doctopus. Teachers will also learn about the importance of Internet safety and digital citizenship. During the course, participants will be immersed in a simulated 21st century classroom. Instructors will lead by example, and provide activities that incorporate technology seamlessly throughout the day.
Nominate a Hawaii teacher for the prestigious STACY award
Each year, each NEA affiliate nominates one outstanding educator for the NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence. These prestigious awards recognize, reward and promote excellence in both teaching and advocacy for the profession. They also honor public education and the dedicated members of the National Education Association. HSTA gives our state-level winner the STACY Award, in memory of the beloved late HSTA Deputy Executive Director Stacy Nishina, a former public school teacher from Kauai. Nominate a Hawaii teacher for an NEA Foundation Award by Feb. 26
Join HSTA Speakers Bureau and speak out for education; Training Wednesday, Feb. 28
Help bring the message of Schools Our Keiki Deserve to the Hawaii Legislature, Board of Education and our community! Join HSTA Speakers Bureau and get trained right away in crafting testimony, media outreach and community organizing. We have immediate openings for a one-day training session on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at HSTA's Oahu headquarters. Breakfast, lunch and neighbor island transportation provided, plus release time from school is available. Priority for spaces will be given to anyone who has NOT already participated in a session. Sign up by Saturday, Feb. 17, at: http://bit.ly/hstasbspring
Use DonorsChoose to fund classroom projects
Three Hawaii teachers have been selected in a national Teacher Ambassador Program to help teachers in the islands mount successful online fundraising campaigns for their schools. The aim: making sure students can have the best school year without teachers needing to foot the bill out of their own paycheck.
The goal of the pilot DonorsChoose.org National Teacher Ambassador Program is to help 4,000 new teachers across the nation create their very first project on DonorsChoose.org, getting the resources they need for their classroom without needing to pay out of pocket.
Interested in working alongside our Teacher Ambassadors to bring DonorsChoose.org to your state? Check out some of the resources our Teacher Ambassadors will be using to reach out to teachers at our ‘Helping another teacher use DonorsChoose.org’ pa ge .
Contact for DonorsChoose support: Elementary Oahu projects: Jenifer Evans hstahype.jevans@gmail.comElementary Neighbor Island projects: Nicole Danielle nicole.teachingwithstyle@gmail.comHigh School teacher projects: Kiana Uluave poeranik@gmail.com There is also a Facebook group specific to Hawaii DonorsChoose Teachers ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCHawaii/)
Free for HSTA/NEA student members: Annual HSTA Student Program Conference April 14
Please be sure your student teachers know about an amazing day of free workshops, panel discussions and networking April 14 at UH West Oahu from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Workshops include: the basics of the HSTA contract; how to pass the PRAXIS exam, moving from negative consequences to positive-based interventions in the classroom; Use DonorsChoose to fund your classroom needs without going broke! Three panel discussions feature administrators speaking about what kinds of teachers they are looking to hire, former student teachers giving classroom survival tips and new teachers providing guidance and advice for your first years as a teacher.
Parking is free and a light breakfast and lunch are included.
HSTA/NEA student members: Register for the free April 14 HSTA Student Program Conference here.
New UH online educational policy master's degree program
The Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaii has developed a new online master's degree program entitled, “Global Perspectives on Educational Policy and Practice.” This program is designed for educators, researchers, and analysts working in a range of school and organizational contexts and is intended to bring together professionals from the continental North America, Hawaii and Asia to explore the world of educational policy through a globalization lens. This unique master’s program will examine how globalization affects educational policy and practice in a multitude of ways from early childhood education through advanced graduate studies. The courses will focus on topical issues that are common to all educational systems and are appropriate for education professionals in diverse geographical locations. While most of the assignments and lectures can be accessed by students on their own time, weekly discussions will bring everyone together. Click here to read more about UH's Global Perspectives on Educational Policy and Practice online master's program.
UH offers world's first ethnomathematics program certificates for teachers
The first academic program in the world for ethnomathematics, an increasingly visible, highly interdisciplinary and hands-on subject, will be offered by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education beginning in summer 2018.
Ethnomathematics is real-world problem-solving that is relevant, contextualized and sustainable through the integration of indigenous wisdom and 21st century learning. Aligned with federal and state standards, the UH Mānoa ethnomathematics program will develop teachers as leaders to discover multiple approaches to teaching and learning mathematics through project-based and place-based experiences that connect classrooms and communities.
Students of the new one-year certificate program will explore culturally sustaining, place-based and project-based mathematics pedagogy and practices that improve student success rates, especially for underrepresented populations in mathematics. The online program is designed for local and global working education professionals and will be delivered in a cohort model. With additional coursework and requirements, the graduate certificate may be extended to a master’s degree.
The deadline to apply is March 15, 2018 (applications received after this date will be considered based on available space). For more information, including a program overview, funding opportunities and how to apply, please visit the enthnomathematics graduate certificate website.
Oahu teachers: Donate blood at Blaisdell during Institute
Free workshops on Hawaiian issues for teachers
Sign up now for a free upcoming spring workshop series aimed at better equipping teachers to teach about Hawaiian history, culture and politics. The Kupono series is organized by Halau Ku Mana, a public charter school on Oahu. The workshops will provide teachers more resources to teach about Hawaiian issues, historical and contemporary. While PD credit will not be given for these workshops, they will provide teachers important enrichment and historical perspectives that will help improve lessons in and out of the classroom. Email Hina Kaopua at hinakc@gmail.com with any questions and to RSVP. 
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