FRIDAY BLOG

Studying a foreign language can improve your ability to analyze and interpret information and help you succeed in many other subject areas. We start with the basics such as vocabulary, grammar and culture. As with many things you want to learn, starting out can feel slow and unrewarding. When I started teaching Spanish as a foreign language, vocabulary lists and flash cards were almost universal practices among language-learners; however, here at Saklan students are totally engaged in learning their vocabulary using interactive tools like Pear Deck-Flashcard Factory.

Peardeck is designed to transform the way students interact with vocabulary. When you play Flashcard Factory students pair up and work together to create dynamic and engaging flashcards. Students collaborate to illustrate and define terms, making learning vocab an active and social experience. Research tells us that the more social an activity, the faster learning takes place. I am always looking for better ways to have students interact with themselves and each other to enjoy learning the Spanish vocabulary. Using Peardeck technology takes language learning to the next level. I am very excited to be able to provide a way to enhance the learning experience and make it their own.

#SaklanWellRounded

About ten years ago, Miss Obenchain and Miss Parks created a seventh-grade field experience that would bring together both their subject areas: Humanities and Science. What better place to study adaptations of plants, animals, and people than on the island of Oahu! This trip allows our students to explore how many plants and animals have adapted to live on an island that was formed about five million years ago, which consisted of hardened lava. But over time, Polynesian settlers traveled there and brought life-sustaining plants and animals to the eight Hawaiian Islands. As transportation improved and man’s curiosity peaked, several groups of English and American settlers arrived to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, bountiful resources, and generous Native Hawaiians. Unfortunately, these settlers had a devastating effect on the land and people. After 1,000 years of relative peace among the Native Hawaiians, the Caucasian settlers brought smallpox, measles, and other contagious diseases. Additionally, these settlers saw the economic potential in the islands and bought land, created businesses, took over the government, commandeered Pearl Harbor for U.S. military use, spread Christianity, encouraged speaking English only, and many other monumental cultural changes. Because of these changes, there is a projection that there will be no Native Hawaiians left by the year 2040. This means that most Hawaiians are mixed with other races. Hawaii has truly become a cultural melting pot whether it wanted to be or not.

Another important topic that the seventh graders studied in preparation of their trip is the United States and Japan’s role in World War II. They looked at how Japan was changing in the 1930s and 1940s, and how these economic and government goals led them to take other countries’ resources. Then, they examined the attack on Pearl Harbor which happened on Dec. 7, 1941. The students looked at the reasons why Japan attacked the United States, the day’s events, and its aftermath. After their Hawaii trip this week, the seventh graders will be researching and learning about the atomic bomb dropping by the United States on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They will examine the events, as well as the short- and long-term consequences of these two choices. Although the seventh graders has spent this week on an island paradise, we want our Saklan students to understand, respect, and have compassion for the Hawaiian people and their environment.

#SaklanExperiential