HCTM Events

HCTM organizes multiple conferences and events throughout the academic year that provides professional learning opportunities for in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers. Join in on professional conversations and presentations about the teaching and learning of K–12 mathematics from knowledgeable, and experienced mathematics educators from around the state of Hawai‘i and the US!

We are especially looking for classroom teachers who are doing creative and innovative lessons and activities that increase student motivation and understanding to present at our conferences.

*If approved, out-of-State presenters must provide their own travel and lodging expenses for in-person conferences and should have preferably attended (or will attend) one of our past (or future) events so that they may have a better understanding of our values and conference styles and fit our organization's mission and vision. Priority will be given to local educators.

The Power of STEM:
Operations & Observations

SATURDAY, Sept. 27, 2025
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Chaminade University of Honolulu

Hawaiʻi Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Hawaiʻi Science Teaching Association presents
The Power of STEM: Operations & Observations Conference

We are excited to share a unique and fun opportunity with you. On Saturday, September 27, 2025, 8 AM-2 PM, the Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics (HCTM) and the Hawaii Science Teaching Association (HaSTA) are joining forces to host the very first joint Math and Science Conference at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

This hands-on, local STEM conference will bring educators together to explore fresh ideas, share best practices, and celebrate the joy of teaching and learning math and science. It is the perfect chance to connect with colleagues, spark new inspiration, and leave with practical strategies you can use right away in your classroom.

Register today through the QR code below or this link. As an added bonus, your registration also includes a complimentary HCTM membership.

This is the very first event of its kind in Hawai‘i, so you will not want to miss being part of it! Come learn, connect, and join the fun. Hope to see you there.

8:00 am Registration, Exhibitor Tables, Refreshments (Eiben Hall; Ching Conference Center - #12).
9:00 Event Announcements (Eiben Hall; Ching Conference Center - #12)
9:10 am Keynote Speaker (Eiben Hall; Ching Conference Center - #12)
10:00 - 10: 50 am Breakout Session #1 (Henry Hall Classrooms - #14)
11:00 - 11:50 am Breakout Session #2 (Henry Hall Classrooms - #14)
12:00-12:50 pm Lunch & Exhibitor Tables (Sullivan Sails & Ching Conference Center - P3 & #12)
1:00 - 1:50 pm Breakout Session #3 (Henry Hall Classrooms - #14)
2:00 pm Door Prizes and Conference Wrap-up (Eiben Hall; Ching Conference Center - #12)

CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY OF HONOLULU CAMPUS MAP (PDF)

Keynote speaker: Jackie Freitas (2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year)

Jackie is the 9th-12th grade Natural Resources teacher and the dedicated Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor at Leilehua High School in her hometown of Wahiawa, Hawaiʻi. With a Bachelor of Education from the University of Hawaiʻi at West Oahu and an Alternative Certification for Career and Technical Education from Leeward Community College, she has spent her entire 13-year career giving back to her alma mater. Driven by the motto, "more hands make light work," Jackie has developed and expanded the animal husbandry program to provide students with hands-on learning experiences. Her pedagogical approach is built on a dual foundation: a strong emphasis on Native Hawaiian agricultural land, practices, and indigenous plants, and a welcoming embrace of new technology. She introduces a variety of agricultural tech equipment into the curriculum, such as Zspace, smart farms, and off-the-grid Aeroponic Vertical Towers, teaching students to grow produce through coding and STEM research.

Learning Beyond the Four Walls

This keynote will explore the critical importance of moving education out of the traditional classroom and into the real world. We'll examine how hands-on labs in fields and with animals can replace traditional worksheets, allowing students to engage deeply with authentic problems like food security. This approach transforms students from passive learners into active problem- solvers. Ditch the desks and embrace the dirt. We'll showcase how students can learn about ecosystems and biology not from diagrams, but by working with animals and analyzing soil in real-world environments. This method fosters a deeper connection to the curriculum and helps them understand the complexities of the world around them.

Breakout Session #1

Room: 202 - Annette Rouleau

"Teacher Moves to Enhance Your Math and Science Classroom"

Recognizing that modeling how a STEM activity might unfold in the classroom is
the most effective approach, my session is geared towards hands-on, collaborative, discussion-based activities. I open with a collaborative task to get people in flow and talking with each other, and then use a whole-group debrief to highlight the targeted STEM concept and the teacher moves I incorporated into our session. Therefore, the majority of the participants’ time will be spent in small group activities that focus on Math and Science content and pedagogy.

Room: 227 - Dewey Gottlieb, Yannabah Weiss & Luca Preziati

"Every Graph Tells a Story"

The session will engage participants in learning activities that address content and skills in high school mathematics and science. Activities will focus on analyzing and interpreting graphs representing real world contexts that teachers could
implement in a math or science course.

Room: 207 - Scott Robinson

"Flapping Bird Project"

This session addresses the NGSS standard integrating science and mathematics. The standard is: 3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to include investigations that control variables and provide evidence to support explanations or design solutions. Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. Math skills include taking length and count measurements, calculating averages, and creating graphs with rubberband wind counts (independent variable, x-axis) and distance in flight (dependent variable, y-axis) to determine the impact of winding and flight distance. This will involve CCSS addressing upper elementary level–middle grades level Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Measurement and Data, and Line Plot Graphing.

Room: 223 - Leon Geschwind & Pua Kamaka

"From Classroom to Cruise: A Hands-On NOAA Mission for Teachers and Students"

This presentation directly aligns with the conference's interdisciplinary theme by showcasing how the NOAA Ocean Guardian School program intentionally integrates math and science into a single, project-based learning model. We will provide concrete examples of students applying mathematical skills—from data collection and analysis to tracking impact—to their scientific conservation projects. The session demonstrates how math is a vital tool for effective scientific inquiry and action.

Room: 225 - Ying-Tsu Loh

"Alginate Pearls: Integrating Math, Chemistry, and Biotechnology in Biomanufacturing"

This lesson integrates the math-science theme by requiring students to calculate ratios and concentrations for alginate solutions while simultaneously observing polymer chemistry reactions—demonstrating how math directly affects chemistry and biotechnology applications.

Breakout Session #2

Room: 202 - Stacie Kaichi-Imamura & Phyllis Nakama-Kawamoto

"Reasoning Rumble: Math Games for Critical Thinkers (Grades 3-5)"

Participants will engage in hands-on activities that encourage collaboration, creativity, and communication among peers. This is how we want all our STEM students to engage in Science and Mathematics.

Room: 207 - Brian Dunnicliffe

"Connecting the “M&S” in STEM: Ensuring Learning and Fun Collide"

In this session, attendees will learn how to students can make connections and develop a deeper understanding of the key concepts they are learning in math and science through hands-on activities (data collection, coding and more). Students engage in real world problem solving and are set in overarching themes rich with math and science core content. These activities also bridge what they are learning to careers in STEM and no previous experience is needed by the students or educators.

Room: 223 - Lori Shimoda

"Think Like a Scientist, Solve Like a Mathematician"

Science and math are deeply interconnected to help us understand the natural world. Science seeks to explain phenomena through observation and experimentation, math provides the language and tools to quantify, model and predict those phenomena.

Room: 227 - David Masunaga

"M.C. Escher: Art, Mathematics and Science"

Remarkably, the art M.C. Escher described in this session is a prime source of inspiration to find the synergy and interplay between mathematics and science. In fact, the reopening of the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City in 2026 will feature the world’s first exhibit of original Escher works in the context of mathematics and science, and the mounting of this exhibit will also be discussed.

Room: 225 - Jamie Lau

"Understanding the Effects of Pollution on the Microbial Composition of Anchialine Ponds in West Hawaii"

The Anchialine Ponds Project incorporates a lot of statistical analysis and data presentation into the curriculum, allowing students to see how understanding these math concepts can give a lot of advantage for students in any scientific field.

Breakout Session #3

Room: 202 - Patricia Ishihara & Shaun Kaanoi

"Power of Play: N^Sights Math Games"

Explore how purposeful play can transform your students’ command of number relationships, helping them build both
conceptual understanding and robust procedural skills. This session will give you a hands-on look at the N^Sights Math Games from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG). Explore how these games help
students in Grades 3-8 develop a deeper understanding of number sense and problem-solving. Leave with practical, classroom-ready activities you can implement immediately to create a more dynamic and effective learning environment.

Room: 207- Rob Nickerson

"Growing Mathematicians with Number Lines"

Mathematics and Science intertwine together as students share their thinking and ideas. One model for students to use in both disciplines are number lines. The number line allows for every number in the number system a 'home.' Mathematicians and scientists deepen their understanding through the use of connecting the models...number lines serve as a powerful model!

Room: 227- Joyce Haase

"Kōkua Molokaʻi: Strategies for ʻĀina-based Science for Gr. 5-8"

The place-based inquiry approach shared will highlight the integration of math, science, and culture.

Room: 223 - Lauren Van Heukelem

"The Hidden Majority: Quantifying Zooplankton Diversity and Abundance in Our Oceans"

This workshop will bring marine science into the classroom and integrate math principles through data analysis.

Room: 225 - Jessica Stoerger

"Science Saves!!! Teach Graphing and Data Analysis using Life Expectancy Data"

This resource-rich lesson blends disciplines to show that math is not just about numbers and science is not just about facts; together, they tell a compelling story of human progress.

Lunch @ the Sullivan Sails

Bentos on campus provide by Julie of @kanakaokazuya (all options $10):