Chalk & Talk

In Episode 26, math professor Anna Stokke is joined by David Morkunas, who is an Australian teacher and numeracy learning specialist.  Their conversation focusses on practical applications of cognitive load theory and explicit instruction for teaching math.  They discuss David’s role in overseeing a primary math program.  He shares strategies for incorporating cognitive science principles into dai...

In this episode, math professor Anna Stokke is joined by education policy expert, Dr. Tom Loveless.  They discuss the National Math Advisory Panel and some of the recommendations in from its final report.  They talk about the influential 1989 NCTM standards and their global impact on math education as well as the history of the math wars. Tom discusses some of his concerns about the California Mat...

In Episode 24, Anna Stokke interviews Dr. Dylan Wiliam, who is an education researcher renowned for his expertise on formative assessment.  They begin by discussing PISA scores and the need to improve math proficiency. They then focus on Dylan's two primary recommendations for raising student achievement – a knowledge-rich curriculum and investing in enhancing teacher effectiveness.  They also dis...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, for a discussion with Dr. Ben Solomon in the final episode of the first season of Chalk & Talk.  Ben is a psychology professor and a researcher in math assessment and intervention, known for his expertise in research methodology. One of the goals of this episode is to provide teachers, parents, and the wider public with tools for critically evaluating claims i...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with author and educator Dr. Carl Hendrick.  They begin by discussing research on growth mindset. Then, they discuss whether motivation is a precursor to academic success or if, in fact, success is more likely to lead to motivation. They talk about whether engagement is a valid measure of learning and whether it's possible to teach generic skills l...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, as she interviews Dr. Daniel Ansari, who is a Canada Research Chair in developmental cognitive neuroscience.  They discuss the importance of early numeracy skills and his research on symbolic representations. They talk about similarities and differences between math and reading. They also debunk the misconception of gender differences in math. Responding to a ques...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, for a discussion about reading and math with Dr. Matthew Burns.  He is well-known for his research in reading instruction, including research on the effectiveness of the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System.  He has also published research on math interventions.  He gives a brief history of reading instruction and explains how ideas about how to teach...

Join Anna Stokke in conversation with Dr. Adrian Mims.  He is the co-founder and CEO of the Calculus Project, which is a non-profit organization that aims to increase the number of Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and low-income students taking calculus, starting with support in middle school. They discuss why he started The Calculus Project, the various components of the program, and its overall impac...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Daisy Christodoulou.  Daisy is a teacher, an author and the Director of Education at No More Marking. They begin by discussing the myth that facts prevent understanding and the importance of content knowledge, with a side discussion on why it is important to memorize math facts.  They discuss why basic knowledge cannot just be outsourced to co...

In Episode 17, Anna Stokke sits down with Dr. Robin Codding to talk about timed tests and math anxiety.   Robin is a psychology professor who researches math interventions, assessment tools and math anxiety. She is  one of the founding members of the group The Science of Math.   In this episode, Anna asks Robin to shed some light on claims that timed tests cause math anxiety. They discuss the rela...

In Episode 16, Anna Stokke talks to cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Daniel Willingham. Dan shares some of the strategies in his latest book, "Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy." They begin by addressing the learning styles myth. They discuss what constitutes retrieval practice in a math context and why retrieval practice is more effective than...

Join Anna Stokke in discussion with Dr. Brian Conrad, who is a math professor and director of undergraduate studies in math at Stanford. They discuss some modern-day applications of math, and he gives some advice for parents who wonder what type of math their kids should learn to be ready for a four-year college degree in STEM or other quantitative fields.  Listeners will receive an update on what...

Join Anna Stokke in discussion with Dr. Dan Rosen, who is a teacher and school leader.  They explore the impact of stress on learning.  They talk about the biology of stress, the difference between anxiety and stress, and common factors that trigger stress for students in the classroom. They also discuss misconceptions about stress.  For example, stress may actually enhance learning at certain sta...

In Episode 13, Anna Stokke discusses teaching with Patrice Bain, who is a co-author of the book Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning.  Patrice was one of the first K-12 teachers to partner with cognitive scientists so that research could be conducted in a classroom setting.  This episode is all about using research-based power tools to transform teaching.  They discuss retrieval prac...

This is the second episode of a two-part series featuring Dr. Jelani Nelson.  He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley.  Dr. Nelson, and other STEM leaders, have publicly raised concerns about the proposed California Math Framework (CMF).    In this episode, Anna Stokke and Jelani Nelson discuss whether students should have the option of acc...

This is the first episode of a two-part series featuring Dr. Jelani Nelson.  He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley.  Dr. Nelson, and other STEM leaders, have publicly raised concerns about the proposed California Math Framework (CMF).   In this episode, much of the discussion surrounds the CMF’s promotion of data science and changes to ma...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, as she chats with Dr. Zach Groshell.  He is an instructional coach and a passionate advocate for evidence-informed teaching.  They discuss whether it’s possible to expand working memory, the characteristics of a successful explicit instruction lesson, effective approaches for delivering feedback and more.  They also tackle a question sent in by a listener who aske...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Tom Bennett.  He is a teacher, author and founder of the grass roots, non-profit organization ResearchED.  Tom has a captivating sense of humour, making this a great listen.  They discuss many things in this episode, such as education research, group work, cell phones in schools and evidence-informed teaching.  But the conversation begins with...

In this episode math professor, Anna Stokke, interviews Lucy Crehan, who is a teacher and an author.  In her book, Cleverlands, she presents her first-hand observations of the education systems in different countries. They discuss teacher qualifications in Finland and Singapore, teacher professional development in Japan and math lessons in Shanghai. They cover some commonalities in high-performing...

Join Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor whose work focusses on the relationship between neuroscience and social behaviour.  She is an expert on learning tough subjects and has written several books for teachers and students that detail science-based techniques for learning.  They cover learning techniques such as chunking and deliberate practice.  They explo...

In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by two experienced teachers, Barry Garelick and JR Wilson. They have recently published a book called Traditional Math: an effective strategy that teachers feel guilty using. Throughout the interview, Barry and JR share strategies and practical advice that they have used in their own classrooms with great success. They cover topics that will resonate with tea...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Matt Henderson, an assistant superintendent of a school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, challenges with online teaching, and the pervasive use of cell phones and social media. They also discuss the implications of AI, particularly ChatGPT, on education.  The conversation th...

In this episode, math professor Anna Stokke sits down with Dr. Greg Ashman, an Australian teacher, writer and researcher with a wealth of knowledge on cognitive load theory.  Dr. Ashman shares his journey into education writing and research, including some of the challenges he has faced along the way.  He shares some pitfalls of education research studies and discusses what happened when he tried...

Join math professor Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, a leading expert in using evidence-based methods to improve math instruction in schools.  Dr. VanDerHeyden is a co-founder of The Science of Math, a group of experts advocating for evidence-based math instruction.  Dr. VanDerHeyden shares the origins and goals of the Science of Math movement, as well as addressing common mi...

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Dr. Paul Kirschner, a renowned  educational psychology researcher and speaker.  This episode will be of interest to anyone involved in teaching, whether they work with children or adults, or simply have an interest in education. Dr. Kirschner explains how we process information in our brains, and how this can be applied to improve teaching pra...