Math is Figure-Out-Able!

How many people do you know that shy away from fractions? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss why teaching students to use step by step procedures to solve fraction problems actually leaves them not able to think about fractions at all.Talking Points:We love hearing your stories!What kind of reasoning do fractions engage?What happens when students learn to mimic steps rather than reason about fractions?What does reasoning about fractions look like?Are least common denominators really that important?See Episode 5, 67, 68 for more about Development of Mathematical ReasoningCheck 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 January 10, 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!

Minus-minus, plus-plus, or is integer subtraction actually figureoutable? In this episode Pam and Kim use a Problem String to build real understanding of integer subtraction.Talking Points:The importance of having multiple contextsSeeing the negative symbol as "opposite of"Using distanceUnderstanding takes time, but is so worth it!See Episodes 181-183 for more about Integer operations.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 January 3, 2024. 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!

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!