In this episode, Kyle welcomes Jason To, Math Coordinator for the Toronto District School Board. Together, they address the ongoing debate between inquiry-based learning and explicit instruction. Jason shares his journey into the world of cognitive science, exploring how concepts like cognitive load theory and collective working memory may actually help explain why the Building Thinking Classrooms framework is effective. They also discuss common misunderstandings from both "sides" of the debate, the practical plateaus teachers often face, and the critical need for teacher content knowledge. Tune in for a conversation that moves beyond pedagogical labels and focuses on what's truly important: making sure students are not only engaged, but are also learning.
Links:
Jason's Blog Post: Why Building Thinking Classrooms Works: Using Evidence from Cognitive Science Research to Explain the Effectiveness of the BTC Framework
Ontario's High-Impact Instructional Practices in Mathematics