Math conference called a big plus

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

When you ask mathematics teachers why they decided to get into the profession, the answers are usually similar, a one-time high school math teacher says.

"They say, 'I had a teacher of mathematics who paid specific attention to me and encouraged me to go in that direction,' " Glenda Lappan said.

This anecdote shows that the more encouragement given by math teachers, the more likely mathematics will flourish among students, said Lappan, who is now a professor of mathematics and president of the largest professional organization of mathematics teachers in the world.

"Kids have to be interested in mathematics all the way through school," Lappan said. "The whole system has to work."

This week, Hawaii is hosting about 800 math teachers from several Western states for a three-day regional conference at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.

Having such a conference here can be a much needed boost for math education in Hawaii, Lappan said.

"It will rejuvenate the teaching of mathematics in Hawaii," Lappan said. "It's like any other profession, you need a shot in the arm."

More than 200 workshops, panel discussions and mini-courses are aimed at improving the teaching of math at all grade levels and courses to become a teacher.

While national mathematics test scores are slowly climbing, mathematics education has other challenges to overcome including issues that Hawaii also shares.

Hawaii, like the rest of the nation, is experiencing a shortage of mathematics teachers.

But the problem will soon be exacerbated with an aging teaching population, Lappan said.

As a result, states are finding new ways to recruit and retain good math teachers, making mathematics teaching a more attractive occupation to get into.

Math education is also more about helping students see the real life applications of math so students no longer have to ask what are they going to do with it, Lappan said.

While national math scores are slowly improving, there are still pockets of areas where math education needs to be improved such as urban areas and in poor communities, Lappan said.

Lappan said those attending the conference will be exposed to the latest in educational software, text material and teaching techniques.

Conference participants also will get a chance to comment on the draft of the council's revision to its mathematics standards documents that have come out since 1989. The documents cover what students should learn, and what classroom practice and guidelines should be used to judge student performance.

"We're trying to portray what we've learned over the past decade. We're trying to make them more clearer, cleaner and more specific," Lappan said.

Lappan said that those who are interested can still attend the conference.