Listen Now

It's time for another Problem String! In this episode Pam and Kim develop one of their favorite multiplication strategies, it's so slick! In doing so they talk more about the importance of letting students discover and develop relationships, as opposed to teaching strategies step by step.Talking PointsWhat makes a good Problem String?How do we help kids learn the appropriate uses of alternative strategies?What to avoid when facilitating Problem StringsTweet at us your favorite name for this strategy! 

In this episode Pam and Kim want to help you develop a cool multiplication strategy. Which multiplication strategy? We aren't going to tell you until the end of the episode : -). We believe in developing strategies as natural outcomes, and then giving it a name. How do we do it? With Problem Strings! Listen in as Pam and Kim go through a Problem String to develop this super handy multiplication strategy.Talking points:Are alternative strategies worth learning?What does it mean to do mental math?How to make mental math accessible for everyone.What is a Problem String?The _____ strategy

Don't you just love taking a break to play with numbers? In this week's episode, Pam and Kim share some of the ways that they engage with kids outside of school to get them mathematizing. Parents, ever wondered what can you do for just ten minutes to help your kids build relationships? This episode is perfect for you. Together we can all learn to make math fun!Talking points:Math over the holidaysFinger FlashingWhich One Doesn't BelongAdding 10, 9, 99, 999 to anythingHow listening and engaging with students  informs assessment Additional resources: https://talkingmathwithkids.com, https://mathbeforebed.com

In this episode Pam and Kim dive deep into their favorite model for multiplication, division and solving proportions: ratio tables! They'll discuss how ratio tables can be a powerful tool to help students develop reasoning from elementary to high school.Talking Points:What are ratio tables?How to, and not to, use ratio tables in the classroomUsing ratio tables to organize dataUsing ratio tables to model thinkingUsing ratio tables for computationExample multiplication and division problemsUse this PDF to follow along with Pam and Kim's thinking!

This week Pam and Kim wrap up their discussion on the Perspectives that Impact Math Pedagogy. Understanding the X, Y, and Z perspectives not only helps us understand one another better, but empowers us to choose to take on the real mathematics perspective. Listen in as Pam and Kim discuss the need for mathematics to be experienced, and the power in developing mathematical reasoning.Talking Points:How do each of the perspectives benefit from real math?All people can do more real math than fake mathWhat pitfalls do each of the perspectives have to avoid when teaching real math?Take the XYZ quiz here! mathisfigureoutable.com/XYZFind this episode's transcript HERE.

We've made it to our last (and maybe favorite) perspective that impacts pedagogy. The Y perspective describes those who struggle with fake math because they deeply desire to know "why". Pam and Kim describe people in their lives who grew up with the Y perspective and discuss their great value to the mathematics community.Talking PointsWhat describes the Y perspective?How adults with the Y perspective feel about mathematicsWhy teaching real math is so important Take the XYZ quiz here! mathisfigureoutable.com/XYZ

This episode is all about the Z perspective. Listen in to hear about the perspective that Pam estimates effects the majority of math educators, it was Pam's perspective too! Pam and Kim parse out the characteristics of the Z perspective and the huge impact it has on teaching today. Talking PointsPam forgot how to subtractWhat is the Z perspective?How do Z-perspective students think?Pam's first experience with Math ClubHow can understanding the Z perspective empower teachers?Take the new XYZ Quiz!

Continuing in the Perspectives Impacting Pedagogy Series, Pam and Kim discuss the X perspective. Did you play with numbers as a kid? Did math make natural sense to you, regardless of how your teacher taught it? You might relate to the X perspective. Listen in to learn how the X perspective influences teachers and students in mathematics.  Talking PointsWhat is the X perspective?Why X-perspective teachers teach with algorithmsThe 'math-gene' mythHow X-perspective teachers can choose to teach real mathTake the new XYZ Quiz!Read the transcript for this episode at podcast.mathisfigureoutable.com

This episode is part one to a new five part series! Pam and Kim introduce the three main perspectives impacting pedagogy. Understanding these perspectives helps teachers analyze their own teaching have productive conversations regarding math education. Talking Points:The three perspectives impacting pedagogyWhy math teachers can often talk past each otherTake the new xyz QUIZ!Find this episodes transcript HERE

How can we help students feel comfortable with the commutative property? In this episode Pam and Kim go through some addition and multiplication problems to demonstrate how they think and reason using the the commutative property. Talking PointsThe commutative property in countingThe commutative property in additionUsing the commutative property for percentagesFind the transcript HERE

Kim relates a great math experience she had with her son Luke. Luke found a way to mess around with place value in addition that Pam went most of her life not knowing! Listen in as Pam and Kim discuss the importance of learning to manipulate place value as students develop into mathematicians.Talking Points:Introducing the swapping strategyWhat problems fit nicely with the swapping strategy?Place labeling vs. Place valueSend us (@pwharris) your slick swapping strategy solutions to gnarly looking problems! Transcript: http://podcast.mathisfigureoutable.com/1062400/6371821-ep-22-the-swapping-strategy

Pam and Kim are back at it with percents. They discuss the 3 types of percent problems and how they solve them using relations, not with algorithms.  Are percents truly figure-out-able? You bet! Grab a pen and paper for this one as we solve some percent problems!Talking PointsThe three types of percent problemsThe disadvantages of teaching procedural methods to answer percent problemsMath is fun when it's figure-out-able!

Pam and Kim are back at it showing that percents too are figure-out-able. In this episode they solve some percentage problems and share their strategies. Listen in as they go through a percentage problem string!

Pam and Kim explore what it means to be flexible with fractions, decimals, and percents. They discuss how we can become more flexible as we deal with rational numbers, and how we can be judicious problem solvers. Talking PointsWhy kids of today are more familiar with percentagesWhy flexibility mattersHow to become more flexible using different representations of rational numbers

You might want your magnifying glass for this one, cause this episode we're getting a little nitpicky. Pam and Kim discuss common nomenclature/math-slang that can take the reasoning out of mathematics. They offer useful alternatives and illustrate the importance of clear mathematical languageTalking Points:How to add Butt-CheeksWhy students try 'canceling' everythingWhy reducing 6/8ths to 3/4s might give me more pie...?How one got over x.

Math is figure-out-able, but surely there are some parts that are only memorizable, right? In this episode Pam and Kim parse out the difference between social knowledge and logical knowledge. They'll analyze how knowing the difference can affect the types of questions you ask and the role of wait time in teaching.Talking Points:What is the difference between social and logical knowledge?What are examples of social knowledge in lower and higher math?How should we teach social knowledge?How should we teach logical knowledge?

This week's episode is for all you parents and teachers of young children. Pam and Kim discuss ways to make counting figure-out-able! How can we help kids make sense of our number system and master the meaning behind the words we give to numbers? No matter what grade you teach, you're sure to learn something this episode.Talking Points:How different languages name numbersHow to support young learners to make sense of teens and multi-digit numbersGive kids multiple representations of single-digits numbers.Pam being creepy at grocery storesFind the transcript here: http://podcast.mathisfigureoutable.com/1062400/5723239-ep-16-the-language-of-counting

Have you ever tried teaching your students the steps to approaching word problems, but your students still struggled? Pam and Kim discuss a better way to help kids tackle math problems. They explain why if you want the best for your students, the acronyms and problem annotation methods of the past simply won't cut it. Help your students live the problem solving process, and not just memorize it. Talking PointsThe dangers of teaching "Problem Solving Methods"How to engage students in mathematics so that problem solving is a natural outcomeHow to run students through numberless word problemsResources: Brain Bushart's Numberless Word Problems

Pam and Kim have some fun this episode as they read out a submission from Aaron Houston about his mathy dad. They talk about the kinds of things parents can do with their kids to have fun mathematizing! Talking PointsI Have, You NeedKids Menus vs Adult Menusthe Guess my Number gameHow do you think about finding Prime Numbers?Math can be fun!

There are so many aspects to teaching, and it gets more complex when we want to discuss teaching math. Pam and Kim define the 5 layers for mathematics teaching. What do math teachers, who want to help their students mathematize, need to focus on? Talking PointsBuilding your own mathKnow the major strategies and models for your contentModeling Student ThinkingTeacher MovesSequencing TasksResources: Journey