Math is Figure-Out-Able with Pam Harris
Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what?Join them for ~15 minutes every Tuesday as they cast their vision for mathematics education and give actionable items to help teachers teach math that is Figure-Out-Able.
Episodes
How can you make changes in your math classroom to help your students do more Real Math? In this episode Pam and Kim describe some first steps, and bigger steps, you can take to transform your math class.
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We sure loved discussing the open number line model last week, but have you ever heard of the double open number line? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how the double open number line can be used to develop Proportional Reasoning and to think and reason about rates.
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The open number line is not just a powerful tool for computation, but it's an amazing model for developing all sorts of mathematical concepts! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how to help students develop the open number line in a natural and meaningful way.
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What is an open number line vs a closed number line?
Are number lines, closed or open, discrete models and why does it matter?
Why shift to a measurement mod...
Multiplying decimals can be fun! In this episode Pam and Kim tackle several gnarly problems like 0.77 x 2.4, and have a blast doing it.
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Being able to scale comfortably is important for both whole and decimal numbers. And just as there are more sophisticated ways to handle scaling with whole numbers, we can also be more sophisticated scaling decimals! In this episode Pam and Kim describe how we can help students become comfortable with decimal multiplication using their understanding of whole number multiplication and then scaling.
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How can we help students make sense of decimal multiplication? In this episode Pam and Kim run through two beginning Problem Strings that will get students feeling comfortable and understanding the world of multiplying decimals.
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We've gotten a ton of questions about decimals. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss three different models and why they are great for questioning and building relationships, but may or may not be good for computation.
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Most students can scale up by ten as they begin to multiply larger numbers and that is a great starting place for students. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss a more sophisticated way of scaling numbers in multiplication problems.
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Often people misunderstand what this game we call mathematics is and feel they aren't good enough to play. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how students need the opportunity to experience and play in the real game of mathematics.
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It's our two year anniversary! We are so grateful you've spent this time with us. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss openly things they've learned and how they've grown during their journey as math teacher educators.
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What are some examples of rich tasks that are designed to intrigue and engage students? In this episode Pam and Kim give some specific examples and describe why they are so rich.
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See Ep 47: Fractions as Fair Sharing where w...
Let's talk rich tasks! On Twitter we enjoyed a great conversation about what makes a rich task rich. We thought we'd comment on some great suggestions from Professor Tad Watanabe, inspired from his mentor Dr. Grayson Weatley.
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What comes to mind when someone says the word "strategy"? There are at least four different meanings for the word "strategy" in mathematics teaching. In this episode Pam and Kim parse out the different meanings and discuss how those meanings shape the outcomes of our teaching.
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We love that we've been able to make 100 episodes! We also love that 1 hundred is 10 tens, so let's talk place value! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss why students struggle with place value, and suggest some of their favorite place value activities.
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In the last 5 episodes we've laid out the most important strategies for students to be able to solve for all four operations. So what? In this episode Pam and Kim solve a gnarly problem to demonstrate how mathematizing can empower you and your students, and open up to the world of Real Math.
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Division is figure-out-able! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the four main strategies students need to develop to solve any division problem that's reasonable to solve without a calculator.
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What are the five major strategies for multiplication? In this episode Pam and Kim name and give examples of each of the five major multiplication strategies. If students own these strategies they should be able to solve any multiplication problem that is reasonable to solve without a calculator. They will be able to solve it as efficiently as a traditional algorithm and most of the time more efficiently than the traditional algori...
It's time for subtraction! In this episode Pam and Kim name and give examples of the four main subtraction strategies students need to own to solve any subtraction problem that is reasonable to solve without a calculator.
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Get the download! www.mathisfigureoutable.com/big
What are the major strategies students need to know to solve any addition problem that is reasonable to solve without a calculator? In this episode Pam and Kim list them out, give examples, and some insights into how they choose which strategy to use for any given problem.
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We want students to be real problem solvers, and we know that means much more than helping them get correct answers. But we never want to put students in a position where they are disadvantaged because they don't know the traditional algorithms. We actually want them to have a much deeper and richer understanding of mathematical relationships. In this episode Pam and Kim begin a series exploring the major strategies for each op...
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