‘Iolani School teacher Gabriel Yanagihara is combining popular technology with traditional studies, and he is changing the landscape of learning for his students. Required reading is no longer just that- in Minecraft classes, students recreate the physical layout of a book within the game, as well as build new communities, explore space, and join the Hokule’a on its Worldwide Voyage. Yanagihara recently attended a Minecraft convention in London where he was able to collaborate with the Microsoft Education team and the UH Habitat project. His work is allowing ‘Iolani to be recognized worldwide as a leader in education.

‘Iolani produced a video to highlight the groundbreaking work Yanagihara is doing for the school. Several students are able to demonstrate how the program works and are interviewed about the material they are learning.