Ms.Darlene Chang :Kapolei High School teacher
Our beginning level students were tasked to make a product that encouraged them to use the language they learned in an academic year, but it had to tell a story or inform the reader about something.
Our students wanted to promote reading in a fun way to younger students or to students interested in starting to learn either Japanese or English.
They started with a topic idea, wrote and revised with paper and pen after getting feedback from their teacher and from Japanese native students from Hawaii Tokai International College. Then they typed their story and made revisions on the computer. After that, one of our graduates taught them how to use a graphic program to create or add their hand drawn illustrations to and put their illustrations and story together. They once again had to do many revisions before it was print ready. Then the students had to read their story to their class and were encouraged to read it to a youngster, too.
They then gifted their books which were a compilation of stories to the middle and elementary schools in our community. They also gave them to people they were much obliged to such as Mr. Maekawa and many others. The printing of the books was possible thanks to the Campbell Kapolei Complex CLSD Grant contributors.
The students were exhausted, but when they saw their book completed, they were very happy.