Math is Figure-Out-Able!

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 22, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Ha...

What does it mean when we say 'fake math' or 'less sophisticated'? Pam and Kim discuss how learning Real Math is empowering and opens a whole new world of understanding. Talking Points: Are squared numbers an important thing to own? The Matrix It takes experience to understand perspectives Martians Doing 'fake math' or using a 'less sophisticated' way of thi...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 15, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Ha...

We can be our own kids' best teachers, even when it comes to gnarly division problems. In this episode Pam and Kim relay their experiences exploring decimal division with their own kids.  Talking Points: A tool for holding your thinking - a ratio table It's not about how much you can hold in your head Help them start with what they know Problem Strings are not about answering just the la...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 8, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Har...

Recorded live from NCTM! Pam and Kim discuss some of their experiences and takeaways from the 2023 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. Talking Points: Travel stories As kids grow, teachers grow as well Know your content know your kids to choose Problem Strings for your students Tools that focus on answer getting stifle students reasoning Using a neutral response to keep student...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 1, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Har...

Place value is so much more than labeling digits. In this episode Pam and Kim dive into place value and common teaching practices that are necessary, but not enough. Talking Points: A fascination with the macabre Typical place value labeling and additional things you can think about to develop place value Precise questioning yields deeper place value thinking What are Exploding Dots? More about ou...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 25, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Har...

Division is figure-out-able! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the most sophisticated strategy for division and precursors that students can begin developing in the fourth grade! Talking Points: An Equivalent Ratios Problem String Precursor relationships Scaling up or Scaling down What makes Equivalent Ratios the most sophisticated strategy for division 4th grade can begin to reason about divisi...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 18, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Har...

Our students can learn to approach math problems like mathematicians! In this episode Pam and Kim look at one of the most sophisticated multiplication strategies that many mathematicians use.   Talking Points: Creating an equivalent problem by Doubling and Halving. What makes a problem reasonable to solve without a calculator? Double/Halve; Triple/Find a Third; Quadruple/Find a fourth What makes D...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 11, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Har...

Some subtraction strategies can only get you so far, but with a little more sophistication complex problems become really nice to think and reason about! In this episode Pam and Kim build and discuss the Constant Difference strategy for subtraction and use it to solve a really gnarly problem. Talking Points: Equivalence strategies are more sophisticated Hallmarks of sophisticated stategies Modelin...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 4, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harr...

What makes a strategy sophisticated? In this episode Pam and Kim build the most sophisticated strategy and talk about how and why to develop it with students. Talking Points: What are the most sophisticated strategies? Strategies that require more simultaneity require more time to develop Simultaneous versus sequential Representing Give and Take We need more than one strategy

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 27, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam H...

Kids learn best with support from their parents, and helping with math has never been easier! In this episode, Pam and Kim are excited to share some tips about how to encourage your children as they grow in mathematical thinking and reasoning. Talking Points: Wait a little longer  Resist the urge to tell the right answer Ask questions to cement the thinking Counting on and back from numbers other...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 20, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam H...

This one's for all you, parents! How can you support your children in becoming mathematicians?  In this episode Pam and Kim go over their favorite ways to explore math at home in fun game-like activities. Talking Points: Speak about math positively Wondering Doubling and Halving Using 10s to find 9s and using 10s to find 5s I Have, You Need Get the free download: https://www.mathisfigureoutab...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 13, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam H...

Can you reason about what it means for a point to be within a given quadrant? Can your students? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss weather and geography to develop understanding of the quadrants in the cartesian coordinate system. Talking Points: Understanding points relative to their quadrants and the y = x line Kim's connection to Alaska What makes Australia so unique Graphing inequalitie...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 6, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Ha...

Let's do some guessing! In this episode Pam and Kim develop some functional reasoning by analyzing the relationships between their guesses and reality. Talking Points: Pam's guesses using her pop culture knowledge How would you know if you are a good guesser? Graphing guesses and actual age as an ordered pair Using the data to discuss the meaning of y=x  The parent function for building...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on August 30, 2023.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harr...