Teachers in training at Chaminade welcomed students from the Hawai’i School for the Deaf and the Blind to campus recently for a shared learning experience where everyone walked away with a greater appreciation of just how fun—and hands-on—math can be.
The middle and high school students were guests in ED323—Elementary Math Methods II, taught by Associate Professor Travis Mukina, Ph.D. During the lesson, Chaminade Education majors paired up with HSDB students to go through key math concepts.
Mukina said the opportunity is designed to spark curiosity and joy in learning.
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The HSDB students get a chance to visit a college campus and puzzle through mathematical problems. The Chaminade students, all preparing for their student teaching practicum experiences, learn valuable skills they’ll one day use in their own classrooms.
Mukina said ED323 focuses on “how to teach mathematics to all types of learners.”
The visit March 13 kicked off with a mental math warm-up exercise and then HSDB students jumped into an activity on measurement concepts.
“This was a great experience to practice communicating and being patient with others as they explained mathematical thinking,” Mukina said. “I teach mathematics using non-traditional methods, so it allows them to work through mathematical situations in a way that makes sense to them.”
It was the third time Mukina has invited HSDB students to his class.
Aubriana De Francia ’26 said that working with the HSDB students was a rewarding challenge as she sought to communicate effectively. “Even without spoken words, I was still able to connect with the students and have fun together,” she said.
De Francia added the experience “broadened my understanding of instruction by showing me the importance of using multiple teaching methods.
“In my future classroom, I want to ensure that every student has equal access to learning by incorporating different ways to communicate and engage with material.”
Mukina said he hopes his ED323 students walked away from the experience with a new appreciation for the importance of teaching in new ways.
“Most teachers teach math as all formulas and memorization, which is the absolute worst way to teach the subject,” he said.
“In all of my math courses, I spend a majority of time trying to change my students’ beliefs about how mathematics is best taught and best learned. My math classes promote conceptual understanding rather than procedural understanding.”