Thank you very much for your thoughtful and thought-provoking comments. I sincerely appreciate your time and support. I just returned home after traveling to Los Angeles, Portland, and Baltimore to conduct research on ethnomathematics and present at the International Conference of Ethnomathematics.

My current research on “Bridging Policy and Practice with Ethnomathematics” is based on collaborative efforts between universities where I completed graduate studies, Harvard University and UCLA, as well as the University of Hawai‘i. As mentioned in the article, I am very grateful for the State of Hawai’i’s efforts to improve education through Mathematics Summits and salute the stakeholders involved. There is much we can accomplish by working together.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is the primary voice of mathematics education in the U.S., ensuring equitable learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development, and research. According to the NCTM Position Statement on “Equity in Mathematics Education” (January 2008), “A culture of equity depends on the joint efforts of all participants in the community of students, educators, families, and policymakers…High expectations, culturally relevant practices, ethnomathematics, and attitudes that are free of bias, and unprejudiced beliefs expand and maximize the potential for learning…All students should have access to and engage in challenging, rigorous, and meaningful mathematical experiences.”

Practices grounded in ethnomathematics empower students to build relationships with mathematics that are rooted in their own culture and history. Just as literacy has come to mean much more than reading and writing, mathematics must also be thought of as more than counting and calculating. Ethnomathematics encourages us to witness and attempt to understand how mathematics is adapted and used by people around the world.

Whether your journey is at the local, state, or national level, I hope we will continue to utilize tools such as ethnomathematics to catalyze positive change. When the inventions, experiences, and applications of mathematics of all students are realized and respected, they are given equal opportunity for access and achievement.

Aloha,
Linda Furuto

Aloha,

Rima

Author of The Sacred Power of Huna.

Terry

You do us proud to see such happy engaged students! You look pretty good too, an island girl professor!!!

Susan