Steve Hanks
Honoka’a High School
Hawaii

To: Jim Scott & Diane Anderson – Punahou School
From: Steve Hanks – Honoka’a High School
Re: Punahou-South Africa Math Project 2001
August 13, 2001

Dear Jim Scott and Diane Anderson,

Aloha from Big Island!

I just wanted to write a note to thank both of you, personally, and the larger Punahou School community for making it possible for me to be a part of the Punahou – South Africa Mathematics Project. While I was hesitant at first to make such a long commitment, it was one of those opportunities that happen once in a career. It was worth every second. On a personal level, I will never forget my memories of working with the teachers of Punahou School and South Africa. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime.

You can rest assured that we were very well looked after during our stay. Yunus Peer did an exceptional job of getting the local community involved in the project. There was participation from the public education officials, government officials, elected members of the local council, and of course, his family and friends, all working together to make the project a success. It wasn’t just magic that everything worked out as well as it did. I believe their work in preparation for the project was the critical factor in the success of the project.

Professionally, I learned many new things. Math teachers in South Africa face many of the same challenges teaching mathematics as we do here on Big Island. In my discussions with the teachers, I learned that, they too, struggle to motivate students to learn mathematics. Good mathematics teachers make learning mathematics relevant to learners. Good mathematics teachers are always searching for ways to relate the abstract mathematical concepts to the lives of teenagers. I was very impressed that 100 mathematics teachers in South Africa took time out of their holiday on the chance they might pick up a tip or two to help improve their teaching. I wonder how many of our teachers would turn up for a similar workshop put on by teachers from Africa?

This project was great opportunity for me to build confidence in my abilities as a teacher. As a member of the team I spoke to relatively large audiences, some of which included high ranking political and education leaders. I was able to perform under stressful situations when we had to adjust our plans to accomodate the participants. In preparation for this workshop I assembled a variety of activities from a number of resources and created a few of my own. I will be able to use these with my students and other teachers for years to come. At the same time, there were topics in mathematics that are emphasized in South Africa that we de-emphasize in Hawaii. For example, one topic I learned more about while preparing for this project was Circle Geometry.

Surprisingly, one of the areas I grew the most in was technology and how I can use it to improve instruction. This past school year I incorporated the computer program, Geometer’s Sketchpad, into my Geometry curriculum. With the advice of a few experienced teachers here at Honoka’a High School, I ordered a portable projector with some of our Title I funds. The projector arrived just in time for the trip. Used in conjuction with my laptop computer, I was able to learn how to make Powerpoint-style presentations and discovered new ways to use Geometer’s Sketchpad in my lessons. Using a digital camera I took more than 300 photographs on the trip. With the digital camera you don’t have to wait for development to see how your pictures turned out. I learned a lot about the camera and photography in general. I produced and presented at least six different slide shows to a variety of audiences. I plan to make another presentation on the opening day of school at Honoka’a. I didn’t realize what powerful tools these are for teaching and learning. Finally, this was my first email trip. During this trip I called home only once. The rest of the trip I communicated only through email.

There were many things I didn’t know about South Africa. The knowledge I gained about the country and the culture adds to my education and, in turn, the education of my colleagues and students. South Africa is a vast country with a diversity of landscapes and people. It is a nation that is still divided by race yet is in the process of rebuilding. It is both a modern country with a developed economy and cosmopolitan, urban communities, and a Third World, developing nation with many people without housing, water, and electricity. Exposure to these communities helps me appreciate what we have in Hawaii.

Building bridges between the races is the paramount task ahead for South Africans. My experiences this summer provided insights into the processes under which these bridges are developed. South Africa has many talented, highly motivated people of all ethnicities tirelessly working to rebuild their country. Doors were opened and relationships were created. The other team members and I have brain-stormed ways in which we can make connections between our two schools. For starters, Jim Clarke will be sharing with me his vast knowledge of AP Calculus. As you know, he has collected and developed materials for years and years. He has had remarkable success with his students passing the AP exam. We only have a few students that take the exam at Honoka`a. Unfortunately, because we are a small rural, school I never seem to have the time nor the energy to prepare a course that serves our students as it should. Jim will share his course syllabus, notes, tests and other materials for AP Calculus with me and my students via email and perhaps the internet. I am very excited about the possibilities and very thankful to Jim for his willingness to share.

Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have been able to participate. I hope these types of opportunities will continue for teachers in the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Sincerely,

Steve Hanks
Honoka’a High & Intermediate School