tool to motivate their students to excel.

Bermuda College lecturer and former Warwick Secondary mathematics teacher Angela Samuels has recently received her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University and presented her dissertation to educators and the Department of Education.

"I have given it to the department and to the Council of Teachers of Mathematics so that it can be used in the classroom,'' Dr. Samuels said.

She said it was important for her work to get into the hands of teachers not only because they helped produce it but also to assist in the education of students.

Dr. Samuels added: "It's a way of giving back.

"My dissertation was inspired by my work at Warwick Sec.,'' she said. "It was field tested there and at Harrington Sound modified middle school.'' Dr. Samuels, a Jamaican who has taught in Bermuda for 17 years, has an undergraduate degree from the University of the West Indies and graduate degrees from University of Maryland and Columbia University.

"I designed, evaluated, and field tested the materials based on Bermudian culture,'' she said. "I actually developed 30 strategies for the dissertation but they were narrowed down to 25.'' Last week she gave a presentation of her findings to a meeting of nearly 50 members of the Council of Teachers of Mathematics, at CedarBridge Academy.

"I talked about the importance of having culturally relevant teaching and materials,'' Dr. Samuels explained.

She added that mathematics teachers should see themselves as "transformative intellectuals'' who get young people prepared for intellectual life and critical thinking.

"We tend to present it in an abstract way,'' she said. "But there is a link between the culture of the kids and how they see themselves producing in mathematics.'' Dr. Samuels added: "The students can't really see themselves within mathematics. It must be done in a truly historical perspective.'' Linking the history of mathematics -- the Pythagorean theorem is older than Pythagoras -- sidesteps the mainstream view of mathematics as elitist and exclusionary.

"We must make them want to be part of the club,'' Dr. Samuels added.

The dissertation is based on four questions regarding instructional materials; opinions of educators on the appropriateness of materials currently available; and do they adequately represent the different cultural groups in the Island.

Also researched was what are the reactions by students to multicultural resources and how can the resources be improved.

The Island's mathematics teachers -- from public and private schools -- met at their second annual SM2A or Sharing Motivational Mathematics Activities conference at CedarBridge.

CONFERENCE CON