The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Student News Site of Mililani High School

Trojan Times

The Cost of Paradise
Dannika Pila and Arie YamasakiFebruary 7, 2024
Left to right: Trumpets Rylan Akau-Morgan, Peyton Kahiapo and Skylar Hamasu stand in first position during the City of Lights Parade on Dec. 2.
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Gianna Brown and Arie YamasakiFebruary 7, 2024
Senior Marcus Morifuji faces off against senior Ava Mayfield in a game of chess. The Tabletop Gaming Club
hosted its first chess tournament on Nov. 30, any student was welcome to participate.
Checkmate! Tabletop Gaming Club Hosts Chess Tournament
Marcus Morifuji, Sports Editor • February 6, 2024

Face-to-face learning, AP Psychology explores psyche of elementary students

By Risa Askerooth
[email protected]
(Photo courtesy of AP Psychology teacher Judy Taparra) Social Studies teacher Caroline lee was able to visit her son during his visit, as it occurred during her preparation period.
(Photo courtesy of AP Psychology teacher Judy Taparra) Social Studies teacher Caroline lee was able to visit her son during his visit, as it occurred during her preparation period.

On Jan. 23, preschool, kindergarten and first grade students from Mililani Waena, Kipapa and Rainbow Schools delved into the high school learning environment through their annual visit to the AP Psychology classroom. Psychology students were able to interact with their younger peers and ask them a variety of questions in order to better understand human development at the preoperational stage, which lasts from two to seven years of age.

“It never crossed my mind how kids understood things until you actually observe it yourself. And it’s really cute to see how their imagination goes,” said AP Psychology student Junior Jaelyn Tanga.

The activities students participated in were centered around the concepts of cognitive development as presented by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. Some of the topics covered were egocentrism, animism and conservation; they involved activities such as pouring an equal amount of water into two cups of the same size and asking the elementary school student if they were equal and then redistributing the same amounts of water into two different-sized cups and asking again if they were still equal. “These kids in the preoperational stage, according to Piaget, would not know this and not understand this,” said AP Psychology teacher Judy Taparra. “Some of them will get it or others won’t or they’ll get some of the questions but not the others.”

After looking at the notes taken during the visit, psychology students made a mock report card for the student, issuing one of three grades: an A for above the level Piaget expected, a C for at the expected level or an N for below the expected level. “At the end, what happens after the visitation and then what happens is they take down all their notes and they have to write a report card. They’re going to be like a teacher. And then they have to give evidence,” said Taparra.

Some MHS teachers, such as Social Studies teacher Caroline Lee, Science teacher Michelle Herklotz-Dela Rosa and Spanish Language teacher Yeritza Padin had children that were part of the current or past visits and were able to visit them. “I felt like it was a privilege and honor that I had the opportunity. I know more parents, they have to work a nine to five job to pay the mortgage, to put food on the table,” said Lee. “I was just very fortunate that this was at my workplace during my prep period where I had the opportunity to come see my own child experience (Taparra’s) lesson.”

2000 was the year that Taparra launched the elementary school visits and over the course of its duration, its scope has expanded considerably. “It started off with my friend, she taught this preschool on campus and I just had like one or two classes and so they came to visit,” said Taparra. “(It) so happened that first year, on the AP exam, they asked a question on Piaget and all of them got it all right. It was just flying colors.”

The real-life applicability of lessons such as this is what makes the AP Psychology course interesting and engaging for students. “Just the fact that we get to do (it) hands-on, it’s helpful because I can see things other than words on the book and see how they actually apply to real life, because when you read the book it doesn’t make sense until you actually see it yourself,” said Tanga.

These lessons, which will continue into the foreseeable future, will no doubt be found valuable by students as they study for the AP Psychology exam in May.

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