On the edge of urban Honolulu, Kalihi is home to diverse cultural groups struggling to cope with poverty and colonization. This is the story of their journey to reclaim their rich cultural roots in a world that often sees them as troublesome statistics. Dawn Mahi reports that "Kalihi," the Hawaiian word for "the edge," is what…

Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities) program recruits individuals who are dedicated to helping students succeed, who themselves are from minority groups underrepresented in the University of Hawaii's College of Education, and who can study full time. The article explains the philosophy behind and process of student…

Describes "acting," a process of group resistance to teachers among low-income Hawaiian children that occurs at the beginning of the school year. Relates this process to the children's peer group norms and discusses ways in which classrooms can be adapted to the peer culture of Hawaiian children. (SKC)

An educator within Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities) program discusses student evaluation, reflecting upon his own teaching and assessment practices and examining culture and multiple learning styles. Because traditional assessment is not always appropriate, teachers must be willing to be creative, involving students…

The article relates one teacher educator's experiences teaching a course in language development to college students in Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teaching of Minorities) program. The teacher learned about building on background knowledge, starting with students' experiences, and providing opportunities for dialogs with students. (SM)

The purpose of this paper is to outline theory and methods associated with a research strategy for identifying elements of cultural congruence or incogruence in classroom speech events. The hypothesis of "sociolinguistic interference" proposed by D. Hymes is discussed and studies of language education of Hawaiians and other minorities…

Presents the results of observation and interview studies of sibling caretaking and peer assistance in Native Hawaiian contexts, and compares these activities in natal and school activity settings. Classrooms should be accommodated to selected features of natal culture activity settings. (Author/BJV)

Elementary principal from Hau'ula, Hawaii, explains how her diverse students require teachers who understand their unique needs, noting how she hires graduates of Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teaching of Minorities) program because their awareness of cultural differences and cultural compatibility is effective for Hau'ula's low…

Discusses two approaches to minority education--the cultural difference and the secondary discontinuity--and presents a hybrid theory that emphasizes the role of compliance. The article then describes an experiment based on these theories and conducted by the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program (KEEP) with native Hawaiian children and with…

The reading problems unique to Hawaiian children are related to the diverse ethnic culture composition of the State. A contributing factor is the discrepancy between percentages of ethnic groups and their representations in the ranks of students and teachers. Data indicate an underrepresentation of Filipino and Hawaiian students and an…

Describes PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities), a Hawaiian education program that believes education is most effective when children are taught through a process that is compatible with their home culture. In their coursework, students develop cultural sensitivity and appreciation, analyze relevant cultural features, and create…

Seven graduates of Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teaching of Minorities) program, all of whom currently teach in or work for schools, reflect on how the PETOM experience affected their teaching. All seven report that PETOM was important because it created a strong philosophy of teaching and learning. (SM)

Discusses changes being made in Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities) program, highlighting graduate support and networking, total immersion of students in the program, partnerships between faculty and field experience teachers, and educational technology. The article examines how PETOM faculty members are maintaining…

Describes features that make the Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities (PETOM) program unique among Hawaii's teacher education programs. Designed to prepare educators to teach children of culturally diverse backgrounds, the PETOM program includes a committed staff, modeling of effective teaching strategies (including collaboration), and…

An elementary teacher who completed her preservice fieldwork with Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teaching of Minorities) program discusses the experimental process she uses to teach students to read and to love reading. By presenting her diary, the article highlights her whole-language approach to teaching a love of reading. (SM)