Plenary Panel discussions

Panel 1: What does it mean to do mathematics?
Chair: Aarnout Brombacher Aarnout Brombacher is the former Head of Mathematics at Westerford High School; a Past President of AMESA; has chaired a Ministerial Task Team (2004/5) and Panel (2009) - both concerned with the implementation of NCS Mathematics and was a member of the working group that developed the Mathematics Subject Statement (GET). He currently leads an organisation that is involved in teacher training and materials development in early Numeracy (R to 3); Mathematics (4 to 12) and Mathematical Literacy (10 to 12 and NC(V)). Click here to go to his homepage.

Cally Kühne (HDE (JP/FP), BA, MPhil in Education) is an education specialist based at the University of Cape Town's Schools Development Unit. Her development and research interests are mainly in early numeracy and classroom practice. She works with teachers through school based projects in rural and township schools and has been involved in the development of numeracy and literacy materials for learners and teachers.

Manare Setati is a mathematics teacher. He has taught mathematics at both primary and high school for over 8 years. For the bulk of his career he has been involved in providing classroom based support to teachers of mathematics as a field workers for MCPT, Count and The Ukuqonda Institute. His particular interest is in helping children experience mathematics as a meaningful sense-making activity.

Panel 2: Mathematics is a human activity!
		Chair: Alwyn Olivier Alwyn Olivier is senior lecturer in Mathematics Education and Director of the Research Unit for Mathematics Education at the University of Stellenbosch (RUMEUS), where he is involved with mathematics teacher education of pre-service and in-service teachers, with a special interest in teaching and learning through problem solving, and teaching and learning with technology. In the late nineties he was Director of the influential MALATI (Mathematics Learning and Teaching) project. He is currently coordinating the AMESA-DST Educator Support Project (ESP) with its goal of increasing enrolment in tertiary mathematical sciences. Alwyn is an honorary member of AMESA. Click here to go to his homepage.

Sandra van Niekerk holds a masters degree in education and currently manages an Outreach Programme for Mathematics at Uplands College in White River, Mpumalanga. She is also a practising Mathematical Literacy teacher at the College. She has conducted numerous workshops and actively engage her learners on problem solving practices to promote a view of mathematics as a human activity.

Adnaan Ederies is the HOD in Mathematics at South Peninsula High School in Diep River, Cape Town. He teaches grade 10-12 Mathematics and/or Mathematical Literacy. He was the recipient of the Western Cape Aggrey Klaaste Maths, Science and Technology Educator of the Year award in 2006. He is also a departmental leader teacher and has presented Mathematics workshops to FET teachers. He is a senior marker for Mathematics Paper 1. He has written a reporting program which was distributed freely to schools to assist in the administration of their examinations.

Lekhotla Mokoena is currently the Head of Department in Mathematics at Thotaguata Secondary School in Welkom in the Free State. He has been teaching grade 12 Mathematics for the past 14 years. He visited Austria and Switzerland in 1990, and in 2003 he was in the USA (Washington DC) for three months to learn about how they teach mathematics at high school. He is actively involved in the community, e.g. he is helping the primary educators of neighbouring schools to understand mathematics better so that they can improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Roshini Ramnarayan holds a B.Sc degree and JSED and FDE diplomas. She has been teaching mathematics for 27 years and has been Head of Department in Mathematics at Queensburgh Girls’ High in Durban for 9 years. She is currently promoting mathematics at her school through UIA Epoch and Optima trust sponsorship worth about half million rand. Roshini is passionate about mathematics and sport.