Kaunakakai Elementary School haumāna (students) from Molokaʻi are gaining unique cultural and technological experiences thanks to their teacher, David “Kawika” Gonzales, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education alumnus and 2024 Maui District Teacher of the Year (Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lānaʻi–Molokaʻi Complex Area).
Gonzales is leading his students on an educational journey that blends Hawaiian culture with STEM learning. The group traveled to Oʻahu to participate in Education Week at the State Capitol on March 20, where they presented “The ʻUlu Maika Project.” The project explores the traditional Hawaiian game of ʻulu maika (rolling stone disks) through coding, 3D modeling, robotics and podcasting. The students also showcased a documentary they created about their research and experiences.
“My students’ work with ʻulu maika demonstrates that simple cultural concepts can connect to multiple STEM and computer science applications,” said Gonzales, who earned his MEd in learning design and technology (LTEC) and certificate in online learning and teaching from UH Mānoa. “I am incredibly grateful for the many things I learned in my LTEC program, which I have been able to use and build upon extensively.”
Blending tradition with technology
Following their Capitol visit, the students attended the annual STEM Conference at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, March 24–25, to present their project to educators, students and industry professionals. Gonzales also led a workshop on designing Hawaiian video games, demonstrating how cultural relevance can be integrated into computer science education. In addition to their presentations, the students took part in filming a short film about ʻulu maika with an award-winning director Matt Yamashita, further expanding their hands-on learning experiences.
“Working on this project helped me learn a lot about ʻulu maika and how it is connected to our culture,” said Nalei, one of Gonzales’ students. “I learned how to design ʻulu maika apps, ʻulu maika in Minecraft and 3D printed designs. We started small and made ʻulu maika a big project!”
Through hands-on experiences, Gonzales shows how blending Indigenous knowledge and technology empowers his students. He said that he is currently working on a project to develop ʻulu maika in virtual reality, and also hopes to collaborate with the community to expand the ʻulu maika project further.
“I’ve kept in touch with Kawika over the years and am constantly amazed at how tirelessly Kawika works on integrating culture, technology and STEM into his classrooms,” said Peter Leong, LTEC department chair and professor. “His students are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and highly motivated teacher in Kawika! We’re so proud of his accomplishments!”
