DebateMath Podcast
Bringing together educators with opposing viewpoints to have a discussion and explore the arguments
Episodes
Today we’re diving into one of the most talked-about—and often misunderstood—topics in math education: memorization vs from-memory thinking. At first glance, they might sound like the same thing. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a growing divide among educators, researchers, and even students.
Should we be drilling multiplication tables and formulas until they’re automatic? Or should we be building understandi...
Mathematics has often been considered a gateway to opportunity—but some people argue that, too often, it acts instead as a gatekeeper. But why is that? Is it really a barrier for our students’ future successes? And how much of a problem is this? In this episode, we dive deep into this discussion with Pamela Burdman from Just Equations. She will debate our Hot Seat resolution: Math is a Gatekeeper
Do you ever find yourself happy with the lessons you are creating, only to have students forget everything a month later? Perhaps we need to slow down more? Or spiral? It’s the constant question in our teacher minds: How do we help students really learn this stuff? As our guest today will argue: We Need to Be Mindful in the Way We Sequence Learning Math!
Follow Dan on BlueSky: @danielk.bsky.social
Or on ...
Discourse routines are a big part of many classrooms (and debates). However, what role does listening play and is there a way to teach it? Our “Hot Seat” guest today is here arguing for the statement: Schools Should Teach Listening Skills
- You can find out more about The Listening Path.
- You can contact Christine Miles on her website.
- And check out her book: What is It Costing You Not to Listen?
It’s time for another round of Summer Hot Seats!
You may have heard talk about math anxiety and helping students to build confidence in math skills. But our guests today want to focus on the idea of math identity. What is it? And how do we foster it? So for this Hot Seat debate, we have two educators here to share why they think:
Teachers MUST cultivate a positive math identity.
- Brian mentioned the book: The Impact o...
Let’s talk about curriculum resources! Whether you are using a textbook that you chose or your district chose for you, many of you have been asked to use the resource with fidelity. But what exactly is fidelity, and is it a problem to create our own lessons? How much should teachers be expected to use what is included in a curriculum resource? Well that sounds like a great question for debate! So we have a panel of 3 ...
Is teaching math the same as teaching reading? Have you ever attended a PD or read about a strategy that works for teaching both reading and were asked to use it in math as well? There are times when these two pedagogies can overlap…but should they? Today, we have a very special “family” episode for you. We are going to hear a husband and wife debate it out on this very topic, answering the question:
Should We Be Comp...
Math is full of algorithms. These are generalized procedures or sets of rules to be followed in solving problems of a given type. From the standard algorithms for subtraction and long division in elementary school all the way to the distance formula and the quadratic formula in high school, algorithms are a part of the mathematics curriculum. However, some may ask: should we be teaching students these methods, or shou...
How narrow should we make the grade bands for teacher certification? When teachers get their certification in a state, it is usually for a specific subject and/or grade band. For instance, a teacher may get a certification in K-8 Elementary Teaching or 7-12 Math Instruction. These bands vary by state and change over time. So what is the ideal set of grade bands? Listen in as our debaters take on the resolution: Shoul...
As we’ve done in the past, we wanted to end the year by bringing together a few of our guests from past debates for a roundtable to reflect on the past debates and also engage in a discussion around a central question. This year’s question is:
How do we help students feel that they belong in math class?
- Follow Melissa Dean on Twitter & Instagram: @Dean_of_math
- Check out Melissa’s Blog: Dean of Math Blog
- Follow Li...
At the time of this recording, we are in an election year and political ads are everywhere. As we get closer to November 2024, it is harder and harder to avoid. Now, while you may not think of math as a course that intersects with political topics, teachers may find it coming up in many ways. So for this episode we gathered a panel of educators to give us advice on this, addressing the question: Should politics be avo...
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, or NCTM, is the world's largest mathematics education organization. While many math teachers are members of this organization and may attend its national conference, others do not. Maybe you are someone who has wondered whether or not to join?
We wanted to explore this idea more in our latest debate: Is an NCTM membership worthwhile?
For our final “Hot Seat” of 2024, we wanted to lean into the topic of data science. It’s starting to become a course offered in high schools, but some may wonder if it is a rigorous pathway for students. Is Calculus still the most rigorous course for high school students? We want to hear from our guests from DataScience4Everyone, asking them:
Is Data Science as rigorous as any other advanced math course?
Do you know what Problem-Based Lessons are? And more importantly, do you think they are important? For this Hot Seat, we hear from educators Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr on why they think: Problem Based Lessons are Essential.
- Follow the Make Math Moments Podcast
- Check out Problem-Based Lessons on: makemathmoments.com
- Take the report at makemathmoments.com/report
- Follow Kyle on Twitter: @MathletePearce
- Follow Jon on Twitter:...
For this next Hot Seat debate, we talk about the complicated decision to leave education. With many teachers leaving or considering leaving the profession, we brought on two former educators–Laila Nur & Justin Aion–to debate the question: Is it OK to quit teaching?
- Follow Laila on Twitter: @mslailanur or check out her website: www.mslailanur.com
- Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinAion
Welcome to our very first Hot Seat debate! In this debate we hear from Sunil Singh and explore his idea that: Math is Dead!
- Follow Sunil on Twitter: @Mathgarden
- Check out Sunil’s Website: www.mathsings.com
Listened to the episode? Now, it’s your turn to share! Go to our BlueSky: @DebateMath to share your thoughts.
Don’t forget to check out the video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel!
Keep u...
You may have heard news of schools and districts that are switching to a 4 day school week. There are claims of improved teacher retention or reduced costs. However, this is a highly debated topic. So we invited four guests to share their thoughts on the debate: Let's Switch to a 4-Day School Week!
Resources Referenced in this Episode
- Follow Jodie on Twitter or LinkedIn: @BaileyJodie
- Follow Shelby on Twitter or...
Have you heard of the Science of Math? It is a movement in the math education world, which aims to use research to inform best practices. However, there has been some push back to this movement. Critics question what and how research was quoted and used. This controversy sounded like a topic for the Debate Math Podcast. Come hear out both sides!
Resources Referenced in this Episode
This month's episode is a special recording of two LIVE debates at the OMCA 2024 Retreat. Listen as thoughtful math leaders discuss two topics and answer questions from the audience!
The first topic is:
We need to have common evaluations.
The second debate topic is:
Teachers spend too much time on direct instruction.
Follow up with our debaters:
Follow Angela Schaefer o...
Let’s talk about textbooks! Some teachers are handed a textbook and are instructed to follow it. Others may have never had a textbook offered to them. If you are given a textbook, should you be following it? And how much? And if you don’t have one, should you start? Tune in as four thoughtful educators debate the resolution: Teachers should follow the textbook.
Resources Referenced in this Episode
- The book Pi of Lif...
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