There are many parallels between Western knowledge and Hawaiian mana’o. One very prominent example of this parallel is between photosynthesis/cellular respiration and the Kumulipo. In the Kumulipo, the first kalo plant is brought to life from the mating of Wākea, the sky god, and Papa, the earth goddess. This is similar to photosynthesis because life comes from a combination of the things of the sky and earth. The process of photosynthesis is a multiple step process. In the process of photosynthesis, according to Patino lectures and the Biology textbook, there are light reactions and the Calvin cycle. During the light reaction, the Sun rises from the East and emits visible light. The roots of the plant then absorb H2O.  Hydrolysis occurs, and finally O2 is released. Chlorophyll or other photosynthetic pigments in leaves absorbs light energy. ATP and NADPH are made. Then the Calvin cycle begins.  CO2 binds to RuBP, which is a 5-carbon molecule. After this binding (carbon fixation), an unstable 6-carbon molecule is created. This 6-carbon molecule is too unstable, so it is split into two 3-carbon molecules called PGA. The two PGA molecules are then rearranged to make one 3-carbon molecule called PGAL. The plant can then convert PGAL into food that it can eat, thus sustaining life. The sun and rain needed for photosynthesis comes from the sky, and everything else needed for photosynthesis comes from the earth. The combination of the sky and earth create life; this is a concept that is strong in the Kumulipo. This shows the correlation between Western knowledge, such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and Hawaiian manaʻo, such as the Kumulipo.

In order to understand what the Kumulipo is about, here's the full text of the creation story: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/lku/index.htm

Photo Credit: Sky. N.d. Photograph. Wikipedia: Sky. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky>.

There has been exponential growth in my CER blog writings. When I initially started writing my blog posts in CER format, my blogs were typically very brief and general. In the beginning, my posts consisted of a claim and an explanation. However, as the weeks progressed, my blogs started to get more elaborate with allusions to previous knowledge I knew personally, things I learned in class, things I learned from my Biology textbook, and even outside resources (internet and other books not provided for class). This is to the fulfillment of the WEO standard, “Nānā i ke kumu”, or utilizing various sources. By achieving this standard, I am not only meeting a standard; I am also becoming a more crediable writer because I have more varied information. Even though I don’t have the exact scores for my blogs (since my Engrade doesn’t work…), my cumulative scores on KS Connect have increased every week. (I started from Week 1 with a 28 and currently have a 79 in Week 6.) I attribute this grade raise to writing better, more efficient CER writings because that is something we do quite frequently in class, while it be for tests, quizzes, class activities, or blogs. In improving my CER format writing, I have been investing in someway to convey my thoughts to others effectively. This fulfills the WEO standard, “Kū i ke ao”, or being involved with others. While CER format improved my writing, it also had a larger impact on me; it helped me socially convey my thoughts in a logical and simple matter, making it less likely that misconceptions and misinterpretations will arise.

            My academic grade has been steadily rising this quarter. If we refer to the chart (picture above), you will see that the line is at a steep incline with one exception of a plateau. Other than improving my CER writing, I think my grade raise also is attributed to the fact that I apply metacognitive skills inside and outside of my Biology class. For example, I reflect upon my performance. Reflection is a huge part of metacognition. Whenever I do a test, I think about my score and consider questions such as the following: “What factors attributed to my score?”, “Did I put adequate study time in for this?”, and “In what ways can I improve my studying habits, so that I can improve my comprehension of the material?” Another example of how I use metacognition is that I use various techniques to aid my comprehension of things. The graph (above) shows how I used a visual aid to understand the growth of my academic graph over a course of time. Concept maps, webs, and outlines are all visual techniques I use to not only remember the information, but to understand and reflect upon what I’m learning, so I can apply what I learn in class to things in my everyday, applicable life.

            My grade reflects my understanding of both standards 3 and 6. Patino makes an effort to incorporate many different types of assessments into his curriculum, so that the grade gives a primarily accurate representative of my understanding. For example, Patino looks for ways to help us communicate the information we learn in ways that are successful to us individually. I am a writer and oral kind of person, meaning I communicate best through writing essays and speaking to others through discussions. Patino allows me to talk to or write for him rather than take a multiple-choice test because he knows that my grade will be more accurate if I am able to communicate through the way that I best communicate in. If I was subjugated to take solely multiple-choice tests, I would NOT be confident in saying that my grade is pretty solid in being able to represent my understanding of the content we are learning in class. However, due to Patino’s flexibility and understanding, I am able to share the information I know in ways that are best for me.  

This article refutes what we have learned in Biology class. In this article, it talks about how the Y sex chromosome of males is a “lean, mean, highly evolved machine for producing the fittest males possible”. The article also mentions that the Y sex chromosome is very much uniform to one another. However, based on what I learned in Biology class, I highly disagree with that statement that Y chromosomes are capable of producing the fittest males possible when they are genetically uniform. In Biology class, we learned about the consequences of genetic uniformity and genetic diversity. Pulling from some resources (the Biology textbook, lectures in class, and even the man himself, Mr. Patino), I learned that there are more beneficial aspects to genetic diversity than there is to genetic uniformity. When there is genetic uniformity, the likelihood of developing deformities and illnesses skyrockets. Genetic diversity, however, decreases the likelihood of deformities in organisms because the organisms are able to genetically adapt to become stronger, more durable organisms. The way kalo farmers breed kalo is a fine example of the effects of genetic uniformity versus of effects of genetic diversity. Kalo that is bred through cutting the huli of a previous kalo (asexual reproduction) is more susceptible to diseases because the new plant is simply a copy of the old plant. The new plant was not able to genetically adapt to fight illnesses. However, when kalo is bred sexually (seed meets sperm of plant), the new kalo is not a clone of any previous plant and will be able to adapt and change in order to survive the harsh brutality of natural selection. To pull it all back in, how could this article support the fact that the Y chromosome is capable of producing the fittest males possible when the chromosome is uniform? Based on what I learned in Biology class, this article has simply contradicted itself.  

Additionally, the article also presents a possible explanation of why the Y sex chromosome of males are being overpowered by the X sex chromosome of females (2% males; 5% females). The article presented the suggestion that maybe the male chromosome is, for a lack of a better word, inferior to the female Y chromosome because back in the times of polygamous relations, there was normally one male supplying his DNA to several women, therefore there were less places that the Y sex chromosome came from, thus supporting genetic uniformity. Based on what I learned in Biology class, this proposal makes sense because going back to the kalo module, if you take from one kalo (one source) and continually just keep using the same kalo (genetics) over and over again, the offspring of the kalo will just continue to become weaker and more susceptible to diseases that will eventually wipe the kalo (genetics) out. However, the article said that this proposal was proven wrong. To sum it all up, based on the mana’o I’ve learned in Biology class, the article has contradicts itself (and refutes the knowledge provided in Biology) by saying the Y chromosome is hardy and effective, while at the same time, saying that the Y chromosome is uniform.

To foster extended learning, go to this link to learn what genetic diversity is exactly:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-genetic-diversity.htm

Photo Credit: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/WhoAmI/FindOutMore/Yourgenes/Wheredidyourgenescomefrom/Boyorgirl/Theendofmen.aspx

Students believe that grading nonacademic factors, such as homework and personal demeanor, derives a more accurate assessment of what students are capable of. According to one of my kumu, up to this point in students’ lives, they have been force-fed information, and most times, students don’t have a strong desire to learn the information because they’ve been forced to learn this information. Yet students don’t care because they get good grades, regardless of what their attitude towards learning is. The grade is all that matters to them, but this thinking is skewed because what matters, in actuality, is possessing a drive for learning. A system that has tests as the sole factor in determining a student’s grade is encouraging such behavior. To do well on tests, all you have to do is memorize facts. However, if Mr. Patino graded us on other factors, such as homework, participation, and attitude, I believe that students would no longer just be force-fed information; they would have to be involved in their learning process and actually care about it. Another important fact to include is that tests grades are very temperamental. According to the article at http://healthyschools.cefpi.org/temperature.html, external factors that are out of the students control (such as room temperature, noise level around the testing student, and time of day) have a very profound impact on students’ test grades. So why, I ask, would someone as intelligent as Mr. Patino want to base something as important as a student’s grade solely on something as fickle as test grades? Attitude, participation, and doing homework are all factors that the students definitely can control. If Mr. Patino wants to assess what has been learned and mastered by the student, then he should include other “nonacademic” factors into grading because those are all important factors in all students’ learning processes. 

Fact is different from belief and truth. According to dictionary.com, fact is "a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known be true", while truth is "the true or actual state of a matter." Belief is "confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof". You can see that all these definitions are intertwined but are not the same thing.  From my own personal knowledge that I've gain through talking to my elders, I've come to believe that fact is something that everyone accepts as true. A belief, in my mind, is a fact to  certain people. And truth is facts that sometimes have been warped, normally for the worst, by other people's beliefs. So basically, facts are the groundwork, the foundation of everything, a symbol of everything that is right. Truth is built upon the facts based on each person; facts become personalized and applicable to that one person. Lastly, beliefs are what people form based on what they perceive as true and factual. In the Hawaiian language, fact is mea kūʻiʻo, which has a literal meaning of "true thing". Belief is mana'o. Mana'o also means personal knowledge or thoughts. The fact that belief and fact are two completely different words in the Hawaiian language shows that belief and fact are definitely not the same thing. 

P.S. If you don't get the pun on the title, you seriously need to educate yourself and go watch the Wizard of Oz.
(Here! I'll help you out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NecK4MwOfeI&safe=active)

Being able to grow your own food is extremely important. If you look at it with a financial standpoint, Hawaiʻi would save so much money if we just grew our own food. We would be able to spend money on fixing other things such as our educational situations and preserving ancient, cultural sites (heiau). According to the movie "Seeds of Hope", a very prominent problem with Hawaiʻi right now is that we are so dependent on the mainland to supply us with food. In the movie, we see that large mainland companies are dominating the food industry in Hawaiʻi and forcing most of the local companies of Hawaiʻi to foreclose their farms. According to the article "HAWAII'S AGRICULTURE FACING THE FUTURE", 90% of Hawaiʻiʻs food is imported. Hawaiʻi would be so messed up if the food ships from the mainland stopped coming. Additionally, culturally, being able to grow your food was just something expected of you. If you didnʻt grow your own food and you were lazy, you die. Thatʻs the natural way of things. If you didnʻt work hard, you didnʻt eat. I know personally that when I was younger, if I didnʻt help prepare the food or help in some way around the house, I didnʻt eat. Everyone needs to get their hands a little dirty (figuratively and literally) to contribute. I remember that my Hawaiian teacher always told us the phrase "ʻImi ʻike, not gimme ʻike". ʻImi means to seek, and ʻike is knowledge. What my teacher was trying to teach my class was that we, especially as Hawaiians, canʻt just sit back and fade into the background. We need to stand on our own foundation and mālama our culture, preserve our culture. Growing food and being able to sustain ourselves was a huge aspect of our kupunaʻs lives and in my eyes, a skill we need to foster and bring back into our lives.

To learn more about the pros to eating locally, go to this site: http://www.oneisland.org/hawaii/green-resources/support-local-agriculture/

Photo Credit: Kalo. N.d. Photograph. Good Life in Hawaii. Lesile Lang, 3 Aug. 2008. Web. 31 Oct. 2012.                                                             <http://leslielang.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/hawaiian-style-eating-poi/>.