DebateMath Podcast

Graham Fletcher, a math specialist from Atlanta and co-author of Building Fact Fluency, dives into the heated debate of memorization versus understanding in math education. He shares his personal journey of struggling with math to becoming an inspiring educator. The discussion emphasizes the importance of meaningful learning and problem-solving strategies over rote memorization. Graham advocates for engaging methods that foster true fluency, encouraging educators to innovate and make math more enjoyable for students.

Text us your thoughts!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 GatekeeperYou can follow Just Equations on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and Instagram.You can read more on the Just Equations website (justequations.org).Pam mentioned the movie Counted Out (countedoutfilm.com).Read more about the Just Equations report on Math and College AdmissionsExplore Pam’s blog on rigor 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Text us your thoughts!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.social‬Or on Twitter: @KauDan721You can see Dan’s website at: scmath.orgListened 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Text us your thoughts!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 SkillsYou 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? 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Text us your thoughts!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 of Identity in K-8 MathematicsYou can find Rolanda Baldwin on LinkedIn, as well as on X: @RoKnowsMath Follow Brian Dean on LinkedIn.Find out more about Unbound Ed: unbounded.orgListened 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Text us your thoughts!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 guests today to share their thoughts on the question:Should we teach a curriculum with fidelity? Follow Adrianne Burns on BlueSky: @aburnsy.bsky.socialFollow Phonisha Hawkins on BlueSky/X: @phonisha.bsky.social and on LinkedIn. Follow Bobson Wong on BlueSky/X/Instagram: @bobsonwong.com and on LinkedIn. 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Courtney Flessner, the Director of Keep Indiana Learning and host of the Math and Other Things podcast, joins her husband Ryan Flessner, a Professor of Education, for a lively debate on aligning reading and math teaching methods. They explore complexities in teaching math versus reading, discuss the importance of vocabulary, and critique the role of memorization versus conceptual understanding. The couple emphasizes the potential benefits of integrating both subjects for better student engagement, advocating for innovative educational practices.

Pam Harris is an educator and founder of Math is Figureoutable, while Vanessa Vakharia is the founder of The Math Guru and author aiming to change math culture. They dive into the controversial role of algorithms in math education, weighing their benefits against potential hindrances to understanding. Personal anecdotes highlight the anxiety some students face, and innovative teaching methods emerge as key solutions. Together, they advocate for a balanced approach, promoting confidence and curiosity in tackling mathematics.

Text us your thoughts!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:  Should We Narrow the Grade Bands? Gabriel mentioned the O’Mellan research article.You can contact Gabriel via email: gmatney@bgsu.eduFollow Jodie on LinkedIn: Jodie BaileyListened 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!

Text us your thoughts!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_mathCheck out Melissa’s Blog: Dean of Math BlogFollow Liesl McConchie on Twitter (and Bluesky): @LieslMcconchieCheck out Liesl’s Website: lieslmcconchie.comFollow Shelby Strong on Bluesky and other Platforms: @SneffleupagusCheck out Shelby’s Website: strongermath.com Follow Crystal Watson on Twitter and other Platforms: @_CrystalMWatsonCheck out Crystal’s Website: crystalmwatson.comFollow Bobson Wong on Twitter and other Platforms: @bobsonwongCheck out Bobson’s website: bobsonwong.comListened 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 up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier & @cluzniak. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!