Math is Figure-Out-Able!

Is fraction division figure-out-able? You bet! In this episode Pam and Kim tackle another listener submitted topic and reason through a fraction division Problem String. Talking Points: A sign of fake math An old wound for Pam and Kim A listener's question Two ways of thinking about division: partitively and quotitively A Problem String to develop division of fractions Why it helps to develop...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 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 Harris...

As teachers we want to help our students, and often we do that through questioning. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how maybe there isn't a perfect list of questions, but it's our pattern of questioning that matters. Talking Points We love hearing your suggestions Focusing on a list of questions vs a pattern of questioning Funneling pattern of questioning vs. Focusing pattern of ques...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 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...

Have you ever noticed how many different meanings there are for the word simplify? Even if you limit it to mathematical meanings, there's a lot. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how we can better communicate with students what we really want them to do when we say 'simplify.' Talking Points: Asking students to 'simplify' can often be a guessing game as to what we really...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 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...

Happy Valentines Day! We love math, and we love you, our listeners! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss a less familiar addition and subtraction strategy that they're coming to love more and more.  Talking Points:  A Problem String to build relationships in order to use common factors in addition and subtraction problems  Why is it not a main strategy?  Where and why teach it anyway?  Find ou...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 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...

Do you ever fall into the "off by one" trap? Do your students ever get confused about counting objects vs counting distance? In this episode Pam and Kim use a Problem String to help build intuition about everyday subtraction problems. Talking Points: Experience a Problem String to build relationships Fencepost Problems are all over the place Students can't just pluck numbers out of...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 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...

The world is changing, and artificial intelligence is going to replace teachers! ...Or not. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how teaching Real Math is more important now than ever, and we don't have to be afraid of those pesky robots. Talking Points: How Chat GPT is different from AI like Photomath A teacher's paradigm will influnce how much AI will change the way we teach math Will t...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 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...

When do you offer students help and what kinds of help do you offer? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the balance of what kinds of help to give students and also where to find just the right help as teachers. Talking Points: Encouragement alone isn't enough help Modeling thinking doesn't mean to take over the thinking Funneling vs focusing patterns of questioning Does your help create...

 In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 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.

What does it take to change our perspectives so we can teach more and more Real Math? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how they can help YOU when you join the You Can Change Math Class Challenge! Talking Points: What is the Challenge anyway? Is the math you do at home different from the math you do in school? (Thank you John SanGiovanni) What are the major perspectives and how can I learn more...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 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.

We have heard from both teachers and leaders that it's a struggle to know what to look for in a Math is Figure-out-able classsroom and how to evaluate it, and help each other better our teaching craft. In this episode Pam and Kim go through the NCTM Effective Teaching practices and discuss and suggest conversations about how those standards look in a Math is Figure-out-able classroom. Talking...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 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.

It's our wrap up episode on ratio tables. In this episode Pam and Kim answer some frequently asked questions and talk about how we can take ratio tables into higher math and beyond. Talking Points: Why teachers erase and when should students erase? Do, Say, Represent: how to help students represent what's going on in their heads  Ratio tables aren't a gimmick, they make thinking vis...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 28, 2022.  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.

It's time to talk equivalent ratios and fractions! In this episode Pam and Kim demonstrate how understanding equivalent ratios leads to powerful reasoning about fraction operation, without the need to memorize steps and rules or algorithms. Talking Points: Empowerment is about having choice Ratio tables aren't a strategy, they're a model/representation of the strategy or strategies...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 21, 2022.  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.

Have we convinced you to love ratio tables as much as we do yet? In this episode Pam and Kim tackle another model building Problem String to show what a powerful model a ratio table can be. Talking Points: A non-unit ratio Problem String Ratios must be equivalent in a ratio table Reasoning proportionally can be much cleaner than cross-multiply-and-divide Model building strings verses strategy buil...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 14, 2022.  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.

We can't get enough of ratio tables! In this episode Pam and Kim go through another division Problem String, highlighting how they model-represent their thinking on ratio tables. They invite listeners to grab a pen or pencil and practice representing their own thinking on a ratio table. Talking Points: Noticings from MathStratChat Does context matter? Does a ratio table have to be in sequenti...