It is an important decision to choose the right educational path for your child. There are many factors you should consider. Are I willing to work five days a week in a traditional school? Do I have the skills and knowledge to teach core subjects through a homeschool program or in a traditional school? Is there another way?
Hawaii Technology Academy (or HTA) is an accredited charter school that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade Reinvent Technology Partners in Hawaii. It has learning centers in Kahului and Pukalani. HTA may be an option to traditional homeschooling, or the Department of Education model.
HTA offers blended learning, which includes face-to-face classes as well as virtual instruction and independent learning. HTA offers students the opportunity to combine the benefits of traditional schools with hawaii technology academy supportive home learning. A few days per week, students meet with their teachers at a learning center for face-to–face classes. Students may also work remotely from home on the other days. They can attend synchronous virtual classes (real-time), or they may work alone on their assigned material. Students’ schedules will vary depending on their academic needs and grade level.
To ensure student success, certified teachers work in partnership with parents or guardians. This is called the learning coach. HTA teachers are experts in their respective fields. Blended education is different from homeschool. Parents and school teachers work together to create an accredited curriculum. Parents are learning coaches and help their children learn. A teacher provides support and resources. HTA’s blended learning model allows teachers to give students a personal learning experience. As a team, the learning coach, student and teacher work together.
HTA is proud of its core values of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. These core values are known as “The Five Cs”. The school’s vision statement also includes these core values: “A community hawaii technology academy that embraces the challenges of today as well as the opportunities of tomorrow.” HTA strives for students to be prepared for careers in the future.
The HTA experience includes field trips, team sports and social events. Students in grades K-12 can participate in clubs such as books, ukuleles, math team and robotics. They also have the chance to be part of student government and National Honor Society. The curriculum at HTA is aligned to Common Core State Standards and prepares students for college or careers. HTA students learn more than just content knowledge. They also develop time management and communication skills.
