Math is Figure-Out-Able!

Tracking students and sorting them into 'higher'/'lower' tracks is a topic that we have really, really firm feelings about. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the unintended consequences of tracking students and offer some ideas to consider.Talking PointsWho does tracking benefit, who does it hurt?Distaste for the vocabulary used to describe tracks of kidsEveryone can do more real math than fake mathFrom our experience as a teacherFrom our experience as a parentFrom a student's perspectiveCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 27, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Happy holidays! Pam and Kim invite you to revisit Ep 87, it's super important! How do you navigate teaching math that is figure-out-able if your standards include the teaching of algorithms?Talking Points: All year long invest your time wisely helping kids learn to reason, increasing their sophistication of relationships and solving more difficult problems. Students can and will perform well on standardized tests if they have been thinking and reasoning, experiencing new situations all year. Students will approach a standardized test with confidence and less stress if they have been given opportunities to struggle productively all year and become good mathematicians.Introduce the algorithm as a study of why the algorithm works for the very end of the year. Introducing the algorithm too early in the year risks giving students the option to turn their brains off.Check out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 20, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Can integer subtraction feel intuitive without rote memory? In this episode Pam and Kim delve into a Problem String and explore integer subtraction relationships.Talking Points:Integer chips?Students reason about subtracting integersDistance versus removal Problem String subtracting integers in contextWhen context is less helpfulDon't go to rules, stay in reasoningSee Episodes 149 and150 for more about distance vs removal  See Ep 242 for more information on Integer MultiplicationCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 13, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Mimicking rules for integer operations does not help students become doers of Real Math, and frankly doesn't often stick in their long term memory. In this episode Pam and Kim walk through a Problem String that helps students develop an intuitive understanding of integer addition!Talking Points:Exploring the beach as a contextEquations and number lines in contextCarefully chosen numbers to avoid distracting cognitive load Subtraction symbol or adding a negative? Parentheses or not? Let students grapple, then support and help make sense of ambiguitySee Ep 242 for more information on Integer MultiplicationCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 6, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

How can we help students reason about integers? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss fun and natural ways to explore and understand both positive and negative integers.Talking Points:The Pen/Pencil argument continues5th graders can reason about integersGames do develp understanding of integersClothes line math with integersExploring four useful contexts for integersSee Ep 242 for more information on Integer MultiplicationCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 29, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!