Math on the Rocks

Cole and Duane host a webinar the 3rd Thursday of every month in which we have a guest share their wisdom to all who log in to listen and participate. This time it was Dionne Aminata. She shares her TRUST framework that allows up to TRUST our students to do the math. Improving student outcomes begins with trust. Dionne took us on a deep dive into her TRUST Actions Framework, gaining actionable ways to trust each and every student w...

We talk about the featured speakers who are already lined up to speak at our symposium in March, 2026. The we announce our P2 Conferences which is a series of conferences throughout California specifically targeting preschool teachers through Grade 2. They are indeed MATH teachers…and they deserve their own math training.

Then Duane complains. Cole and Scott listen.

Duane shares that he is currently being treated for skin can...

Day 1 of our symposium is over. Game Night was a major success. To debrief the day and prepare for Day 2 of the symposium, Cole and Duane chat with Nigel and Brandon.These are two brilliant mathematicians who are passionate about creating learning environments where students explore mathematics and find joy.  Duane once again brings up Chapter 2 of the California Mathematics Framework.

RESOURCES…

✚  California Mathematics Framewo...

Nick was our guest for the March (2025) webinar. We are now releasing it as a podcast on our Math On the Rocks feed. In this session Nick leads us through…

• Designing mathematics experiences that place rigor at the center

• Making connections to the CA Mathematics Framework

• Considering the implications for our districts, schools, and classrooms 

Nick masterfully led us through several BIG IDEAS from many of the chapters of the Ca...

We talk about stuff the night before the symposium. We also talk about "magic" teaching that excites and engages teaching. This "magic" is not magic at all. It is a set of replicable and spreadable skills that ALL teachers can learn and apply in their classrooms to excite and energize students into becoming curious and brilliant mathematicians.

RESOURCES…

✚  Future conference dates:      https://www.cmcmath...

The California Math Council puts on three conferences a year…actually, two conferences and one symposium. They are three of the finest state/regional conferences in the nation.

• The CMC South conference is in November in Palm Springs

• The CMC North conference is in December in Asilomar

• The CMC Central conference is in March in Bakersfield

Well…Scott, Cole, and Duane just finished the symposium, so Scott and Duane get together to...

Cole and Duane went to Dallas to learn about curriculum-based professional learning from the fine folks at Learning Forward. We had a great time getting to know the Texas representatives. Arynn was willing to record an impromptu podcast, so we recorded a conversation outside near the hotel pool! We look forward to further conversations with Arynn!

RESOURCES…

✚  About Learning Forward:      https://learningforward.org/   

Pam joins our monthly webinar series to share her profound thoughts on using problem strings to help students develop strategies based on number relationships. She guides us through experiencing real math like the real mathematicians do. You will need to listen to the ENTIRE podcast to learn what Pam means by "seeing the shark" and "avoiding traps".

RESOURCES…

✚  About Pam Harris:      https://www.mathisfig...

While Cole was driving to Anaheim (again), the boys got together to chat some more about mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and why it is so important for teachers to have it. Who is responsible for supporting teachers in their development of MKT? When is it supposed to happen? We have more questions than answers in this episode.

RESOURCES…

✚  Register for our webinar with Pam Harris (February 20, 2025):      https://ww...

While Cole is away doing important stuff, Scott and Duane talk about high-quality instructional materials and the importance of mathematical knowledge for teaching. If high-quality instructional materials are like a great set of golf clubs, we now need to learn how to swing the club and hit the ball. HQIM without MKT is like golf clubs without any golf coaching.

RESOURCES…

✚  High-Quality Instructional Materials:     https://edus...

Albert was one of our guests during the live podcast recording Cole and Duane did during the 2024 CMC-South Conference in Palm Springs. Albert also has the dubious distinction of being one of our first REPEAT guests on Math on the Rocks; his first appearance was July, 2024. He celebrates this repeat performance with Two Truths and a Lie. Then we spend a ton of time talking about how to make math education better for our students. A...

Fawn was one of our guests during the live podcast recording Cole and Duane did during the 2024 CMC-South Conference in Palm Springs. Fawn is a deep thinker about teacher moves and procedures to increase student engagement in the math classroom. Her episode is full of simple, but deeply impactful, ideas for teachers.

What the heck does a title like that even mean? Casee Andree explains it all in this engaging webinar Cole recorded while Duane was out galavanting around. Casee is the Senior Math content Specialist at Carnegie Learning. In this episode Casee shares his thinking about that characteristics of high-quality instructional materials and how we might prepare for the Drivers of Investigation. 

Pam Seda joins us for another live recording from the California Math Council South Conference in Palm Spring in November 2024. Pam Seda is one of the authors of the phenomenal book called Choosing to See. It provides the ICUCARE framework for ensuring equity in math education. We might want equity in our classrooms, but perhaps we don't know how to achieve it. Moreover, we might not know how to recognize inequity. Pam drops to...

Phil Daro joins us for another episode that Cole and Duane recorded live at the California Math Council South Conference in Palm Spring in November 2024. Phil is one of the authors of the Common Core Mathematics Standards. He was Duane's boss and mentor 20 years ago at eh National Council on Education and the Economy and is one of the most thought-provoking mathematics educators in the nation. Enjoy this episode.

Steve Leinwand joins us to share his passionate belief that the traditional Algebra II curriculum (heck...all of high school math) often includes unnecessary repetition and outdated content, advocating for a more focused and relevant approach to the material that builds upon strong foundational algebra skills learned in earlier grades, emphasizing real-world applications and deeper conceptual understanding rather than rote memoriza...

Yolande Beckles was our guest for a live recording at the CMC South Conference in Palm Springs, November 2024. Her energy and passion are absolutely infectious!  In this episode she shares a vision of a "classroom that represents me". Amazing.

What a gift the Math on the Rocks community received! Deborah Crayton was referred to us from a friend of a friend of a friend. The math community really stepped up! Deborah knocked our socks off with her take on how to build community by inspiring curiosity. Of course, this doesn't happen without some deliberate moves on the part of the teacher. Deborah shares those moves! 

Cathy Williams was our guest for a live recording at the CMC South Conference in Palm Springs. She brings the heat regarding modernizing what good mathematics and mathematics instruction should look like. What should math class in the 21st century look like and how should we support teachers make the transition?