Liane Tanigawa Aiea, HI | K-6, Science, 2008

Liane Tanigawa Portrait Photo

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Liane Tanigawa has taught in the Hawaii Department of Education since 1990. She has taught students in third through sixth grade, has a long history of leadership in curriculum development, and has served as a science trainer of trainers. Since 2005 Mrs. Tanigawa has been Mathematics/Science Coach at Pearl Ridge Elementary School. As the school's Science Curriculum Specialist, she facilitates its science committee meetings, identifies budgetary needs, and participates with other schools in the complex to build a seamless K-12 science curriculum. Mrs. Tanigawa is described as a go-to person for unit development and as someone who welcomes every opportunity to help a fellow teacher. Mrs. Tanigawa's students experience her love for science through imaginative hands-on activities. She created Pearl Ridge Elementary's robotics program, as part of which her students competed in the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition. She then expanded the program and incorporated robotics into the fifth grade science curriculum. Described as an exceptional teacher, Mrs. Tanigawa's passion for science is contagious. Her nurturing approach, centered on direct experience, generates excitement among students and encourages them to pursue their own interests, often engaging parents in the process. A lifelong learner, Mrs. Tanigawa received training in the use of Understanding by Design, a strategy in unit planning into which she incorporates the Hawaii State Content Standards. She prepared a unit on the geology of the Hawaiian Islands that was published on a Web site for all teachers to access. Mrs. Tanigawa has a B.S. in medical technology and a professional diploma in elementary education from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

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