If you check out http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kyschun/ you'll see the headline: "Kelvin Chun - Technology Teacher, Magician, Balloonologist, and Kite Enthusiast." One would get the impression that this Nuuanu Elementary School teacher lives in a world of flight and fantasy. He does, and he invites his students to explore it with him as a way of teaching them no-nonsense mathematics and science, and preparing them for a high technology future.

It is this deft mixture of fun and learning, plus some deeply held convictions about the role of education that have won him some very prestigious teaching awards. The most recent is his selection to the 1000 USA Today All Teacher First Team, an award honoring 24 teachers from around the country as "representatives of outstanding teaching in our nation's schools." For Chun, who is the first Hawaii teacher to win this three-year-old competition, this award follows on the heels of being named the Honolulu District Teacher of the Year in 2000, and before that, a 1999 Disney American Teacher Award Honoree. The Disney award was given to 39 out of 75,000 nominees. The award, appropriately enough, recognizes "teachers who turn ordinary classrooms into magical places and inspire the joy of learning in their students."

Employing magic in the classroom is not just a gimmick for Chun. "I use magic to demonstrate principles of geometry and symmetry, and the kids get it," said Chun. The fact that it's fun is an added bonus, because what kid doesn't love magic. However, the intent behind the excitement is dead serious.

Multimedia Literacy is Key to Future

"As a teacher, I firmly believe that the future lies in multimedia literacy," he said in his acceptance speech at the USA Today awards ceremony. "This new literacy dominates our lives today and will dominate the careers of tomorrow. My mission is to stimulate my students' learning experiences using this technology and to prepare them for the next century."

The next century will be a time of accelerated change, where people must be risk-takers, and be able to adjust to different environments and conditions. This is central to Chun's teaching philosophy, which is captured in a quote by futurist Alvin Toffler who wrote the groundbreaking book, The Third Wave: " The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

"Our students must be problem solvers and lifelong learners," explained Chun. "They must be willing to take risks and make adjustments in skills and knowledge to be successful."

Chun believes technology will be the tool that gives everyone equal opportunity and access. "In the past, computers were for the privileged and well to do," said Chun. "Today, it is becoming more accessible to more people. Technology is no longer something to be studied for its own sake, but a tool to be used to support learning more efficiently."

Already, kids at Nuuanu Elementary are using technology as an integrated part of learning. "Currently, at Nu`uanu Elementary School, every child is continually engaged in learning about the latest technologies," Chun said. "They create their own personalized

electronic portfolios, and this hands-on exposure to technology promotes creativity and self-exploration. These portfolios also become an intersection of BOTH instruction, AND assessment." Chun believes these are important skills that will serve the students well throughout their lives.

Magic is also an important skill to Chun, who won first place in the 2000 Pacific Coast Association of Magicians stage contest.