THE VISION

    ALL PACIFIC CHILDREN WILL BE SCIENTIFICALLY AND MATHEMATICALLY LITERATE:

    KNOWLEDGEABLE,

    CAPABLE,

    AND

    CARING.


    When the vision is put into action .....

      students will be ...

      • literate in mathematics and science,
      • effective problem solvers in a changing world,
      • capable, competent, and caring.

      teachers will be ...

      • more confident in their knowledge,
      • models of our cultures,
      • positive motivators in the classroom,
      • supporters and caring linkers of students, families, and communities.

      teaching will become ...

      • more student centered,
      • more inquiry and task based,
      • a process of guiding students to build on their prior knowledge to develop understanding and capabilities.

      classrooms will be ...

      • true centers of learning,
      • adequately equipped,
      • inclusive of home and community




    VISION IN ACTION SCENARIO

    It's time for high school graduation in the year 2005. Throughout the Pacific, families have come together to celebrate a major milestone in the lives of their children. Leaders have gathered to honor the young people whose hard-earned knowledge and skills are the hope for the future of their islands. The leaders are also here to acknowledge the support the families have provided their children. Teachers are here, too, sharing the dreams of the young people whose lives they have touched. They have done their job well. Those graduating today are scientifically literate­knowledgeable, capable, and caring. The focus of so many hopes and dreams, these young men and women of each island are together nervously waiting to hear their names called, to receive recognition of their achievement, and to move forward into the future with confidence.

    Looking at these young people, we see real progress toward the visions and dreams that we share for them. At an outer island high school, there are Ygnasia and Jason. Their creativity can always be counted on and their dreams for the future include further study. Jason has been studying changes in the marine environment of the island. Observations that he and other students have collected over the past two years are now part of an international database being studied by scientists who are tracking global changes and their implications. Ygnasia has studied the complex relationship between culture and science. She has documented the scientific principles embedded in food preparation practices and has recorded descriptions of how certain plants contribute to health. She and Jason are proud of their culture; they honor its values and respect the scientific wisdom of practices that have developed after generations of careful observation. Their classmates look to them for suggestions and ideas.

    At another school, John is reflecting on how much he has changed the way he views science. He used to hold back in science class, waiting for other students to contribute to discussions and offer observations, always afraid that he would be called on and not be able to give the right answer to his teacher's questions. In the last few years, his teachers have encouraged him to follow his interests and to investigate questions that affect the life of his community. He has become a model of what it means to view science as inquiry. His work indicates a respect for the use of evidence and builds on logical reasoning, honesty, curiosity, openness and skepticism.

    Throughout our region, young people like Ygnasia, Jason, and John are ready to leave high school. They have been empowered with intellectual tools that will assist and guide them for the rest of their lives. They are examples of the reality of scientific literacy. They have deep knowledge of science, are skillful thinkers and doers, and their deep caring for the people and environment that make up their world are examples to the young ones coming up behind them. They do not distinguish between culture and science, but know, honor, and value the wisdom of science found within and across Pacific cultures. They are scientific thinkers; using scientific habits of mind to study the world around them and their relationship to it. They have a positive attitude toward science and are able to think critically, measure accurately, deal with quantitative and qualitative data, and are empathetic and open to other points of view.

    The graduates of 2005 are caring and responsible to themselves, their communities, and their environment. They seek connections between science and other aspects of their lives and are aware of some of the important ways science, mathematics, and technology depend on one another. They see the importance of communication to science and work hard to share their learning with others. They are able to organize scientific information in many ways.

    Their actions too, reflect scientific literacy. The young graduates of 2005 act upon their knowledge of the living environment, human society, the universe, energy, and much more that make up our interdependent world. As they look ahead, they are eager to continue growing and learning. They have confidence in their abilities, but are also aware that being scientifically literate includes constantly checking their knowledge and assumptions against new information. They are ready to work at home, in their family, or abroad­putting into use the knowledge, capabilities, and values that are now a part of their being.