Math is Figure-Out-Able!
Episodes
Ep 158: Building Thinking Classrooms and Math Is FigureOutAble Pt 1
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We love it when students are thinking and reasoning, and it's important to know how best to build and experience sophisticated strategies. In thi...
#MathStratChat - June 21, 2023
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 21, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 157: Building Thinking Classrooms
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We want our students to be confident problem solvers who can think and reason through complex problems. In this episode, Pam and Kim highlight some of...
#MathStratChat - June 14, 2023
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 14, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 156: Start Here
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We've reached our third anniversary of the podcast! There's a lot that's been said, so we thought we'd highlight some of the quint...
#MathStratChat - June 7, 2023
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 7, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to...
Ep 155: Fraction Division Part 0
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can kids reason about fraction division? In this episode Pam and Kim explore the definition of fractions through a Problem String and show how you can...
#MathStratChat - May 31, 2023
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 31, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to...
Ep 154: Will Next Year's Teacher Hate Me?
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's exciting to watch our students gain confidence and mathematize with the best of them, but what about next year? In this episode Pam and Kim ...
#MathStratChat - May 24, 2023
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 24, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to...
Ep 153: Flexible Factoring
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How sophisticated is your multiplicative reasoning? In this episode Pam and Kim build Flexible Factoring and show how powerful understanding can be!Ta...
#MathStratChat - May 17, 2023
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 17, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to...
Ep 152: Changing Math Habits
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you naturally approach math problems? How do you wish you would naturally approach problems? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how we as te...
#MathStratChat - May 10, 2023
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 10, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to...
Ep 151: Subtraction Facts
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can we help students own subtraction facts? In this episode Pam and Kim describe some basic strategies and then walk us through facilitating two P...
#MathStratChat - May 3, 2023
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 3, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try to ...
Ep 150: Memorizing Subtraction Facts
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're digging deep into subtraction! In this episode Pam and Kim talk about what they mean by "memorizing" single digit subtraction fac...
#MathStratChat - April 26, 2023
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on April 26, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 149: Subtraction: The Operation That Will Surprise You
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's so much power to understanding subtraction that extends all the way to higher math. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss beginning steps t...
#MathStratChat - April 19, 2023
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on April 19, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 148: Not the Area Model
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Establishing a strong understanding of the area model also prepares students for more advanced topics all the way into college! In this episode, Pam a...
#MathStratChat - April 12, 2023
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on April 12, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 147: The Area Model to Build Reasoning
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The area model can do more than build Spatial Reasoning. It can help make sense of the major multiplication and division strategies! In this episode P...
#MathStratChat - April 5, 2023
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on April 5, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 146: (Mis)Understanding the Area Model
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The area model is a great tool to help students develop multiplicative and spatial reasoning, but let's get clear on some things. In this episode...
#MathStratChat - March 29, 2023
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 29, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 145: Transforming Teaching: Small Shifts, Big Impact
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of small shifts needed in math education, and they can have huge impacts. In this episode Pam and Kim talk about some of these shift...
#MathStratChat - March 22, 2023
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 22, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 144: Fraction Division Pt 3
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, simple fraction division is figure-out-able, but what about gnarly fractions? In this episode Pam and Kim uncover simple relationships that make...
#MathStratChat - March 15, 2023
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 15, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try ...
Ep 143: Fraction Division Pt 2
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fraction division does not have to be scary, and it certainly does not have to be memorized. In this episode Pam and Kim show how to reason through no...
#MathStratChat - March 8, 2023
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 8, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 142: Fraction Division Pt 1
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is fraction division figure-out-able? You bet! In this episode Pam and Kim tackle another listener submitted topic and reason through a fraction divis...
#MathStratChat - March 1, 2023
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on March 1, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 141: Questioning Questioning
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As teachers we want to help our students, and often we do that through questioning. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how maybe there isn't a p...
#MathStratChat - February 22, 2023
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 22, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 140: Cancel Simplifying
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever noticed how many different meanings there are for the word simplify? Even if you limit it to mathematical meanings, there's a lot. ...
#MathStratChat - February 15, 2023
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 15, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 139: Factor to Add and Subtract!?
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Valentines Day! We love math, and we love you, our listeners! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss a less familiar addition and subtraction strat...
#MathStratChat - February 8, 2023
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 8, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 138: To Include or Not: An Important Subtraction Pitfall
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever fall into the "off by one" trap? Do your students ever get confused about counting objects vs counting distance? In this episode...
#MathStratChat - February 1, 2023
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 1, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 137: ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence in Math Education
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The world is changing, and artificial intelligence is going to replace teachers! ...Or not. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how teaching Real Math...
#MathStratChat - January 25, 2023
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 25, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 136: How Helpful is Too Helpful?
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When do you offer students help and what kinds of help do you offer? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the balance of what kinds of help to give stu...
#MathStratChat - January 18, 2023
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 18, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you ...
Ep 135: The Challenge
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to change our perspectives so we can teach more and more Real Math? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how they can help YOU when y...
#MathStratChat - January 11, 2023
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 11, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 134: How Do You Know You're in a Mathematizing Classroom?
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have heard from both teachers and leaders that it's a struggle to know what to look for in a Math is Figure-out-able classsroom and how to eva...
#MathStratChat - January 4, 2023
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 4, 2023. Note: It’s more fun if you try...
Ep 133: The Ratio Table, Pt 5
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our wrap up episode on ratio tables. In this episode Pam and Kim answer some frequently asked questions and talk about how we can take ratio...
#MathStratChat - December 28, 2022
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 28, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 132: The Ratio Table Model Pt 4
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to talk equivalent ratios and fractions! In this episode Pam and Kim demonstrate how understanding equivalent ratios leads to powerful ...
#MathStratChat - December 21, 2022
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 21, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 131: The Ratio Table Model, Pt 3
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have we convinced you to love ratio tables as much as we do yet? In this episode Pam and Kim tackle another model building Problem String to show what...
#MathStratChat - December 14, 2022
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 14, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 130: The Ratio Table Model, Pt 2
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We can't get enough of ratio tables! In this episode Pam and Kim go through another division Problem String, highlighting how they model-represen...
#MathStratChat - December 7, 2022
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 7, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 129: The Ratio Table Model Pt 1
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why are ratio tables so amazing? In this episode Pam and Kim describe ratio tables and what makes it on the favorite mathematical models short list. T...
#MathStratChat - November 30, 2022
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 30, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 128: Do, Say, Represent
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do your students ever say things like, "I just know" or "I don't know"? What can we do with that? How can we help students ha...
#MathStratChat - November 23, 2022
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 23, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 127: The Over Strategy - Division
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're wrapping up our series on the Over strategy. In this episode Pam and Kim reason through a Problem String to develop the Over strategy for d...
#MathStratChat - November 16, 2022
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 16, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you t...
Ep 126: The Over Strategy - Multiplication
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are not over with the Over strategy! This week Pam and Kim dive into the Over strategy for multiplication.Talking Points:A new name for the Double ...
#MathStratChat - November 9, 2022
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 9, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 125: The Over Strategy - Subtraction
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We just love the Over strategy! In this episode Pam and Kim go through a Problem String to develop the relationships used to think about the Over stra...
#MathStratChat - November 2, 2022
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 2, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 124: The Over Strategy - Addition
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In case you haven't noticed, Kim has a favorite strategy. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss one of the most important strategies and how to use...
#MathStratChat - October 26, 2022
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 26, 2022Note: It’s more fun if you try t...
Ep 123: Anchor Charts
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can we help cement students' learning without memorizing steps? In this episode Pam and Kim share the power of anchor charts and how you can ...
#MathStratChat - October 19, 2022
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 19, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 122: How to Help Students Choose Which Operation in a Word Problem
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When dealing with word problems it can be tricky for students to decide which operation to use, so we need a way to help them memorize what to do in a...
#MathStratChat - October 12, 2022
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 12, 2022. Note: It’s more fun if you tr...
Ep 121: Is This a Major Strategy?
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we teach Real Math, students come up with all sorts of cool strategies! But which ones are the main strategies, and how do we make the distinctio...
Ep 120: Rounding
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What fun rhymes will best help your students learn to round? Just kidding! In this episode Pam and Kim describe their wholistic approach to rounding t...
Ep 119: Elapsed Time on a Number Line
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Finding elapsed time can be a tricky concept, but when combined with a number line, we can make it figureoutable! Join Pam and Kim as they discuss usi...
Ep 118: Time and Elapsed Time
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do your students struggle tracking time or reading an analog clock? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss three simple ways you can help your students i...
Ep 117: Math is Figureoutable, Even In High School
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people feel like when it comes to high school math, it's just not possible to think and reason through things anymore. Not true! In this...
Ep 116: Structuring Your Math Class Examples
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does teaching Real Math look like at your grade level? In the last episode Pam and Kim discussed the One Third/Two Thirds rule to structure math ...
Ep 115: Structuring Your Math Class
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A listener asked how would we structure our math class. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the approach they'd take to provide their students wi...
Ep 114: Moving Students Forward Pt 2
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The school year is starting! For this exciting time, Pam and Kim want to discuss what starting strategies can help you and your students to build thin...
Ep 113: Moving Students Forward Pt 1
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you make changes in your math classroom to help your students do more Real Math? In this episode Pam and Kim describe some first steps, and bi...
Ep 112: The Double Open Number Line Model
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We sure loved discussing the open number line model last week, but have you ever heard of the double open number line? In this episode Pam and Kim dis...
Ep 111: The Open Number Line Model
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The open number line is not just a powerful tool for computation, but it's an amazing model for developing all sorts of mathematical concepts! In...
Ep 110: Thinking Through Decimal Multiplication
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Multiplying decimals can be fun! In this episode Pam and Kim tackle several gnarly problems like 0.77 x 2.4, and have a blast doing it. Talking Point...
Ep 109: Multiplying By One Tenth
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Being able to scale comfortably is important for both whole and decimal numbers. And just as there are more sophisticated ways to handle scaling with ...
Ep 108: Beginning Decimal Multiplication
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can we help students make sense of decimal multiplication? In this episode Pam and Kim run through two beginning Problem Strings that will get stu...
Ep 107: All About Decimals
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've gotten a ton of questions about decimals. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss three different models and why they are great for questioning...
Ep 106: Multiplying by 10
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most students can scale up by ten as they begin to multiply larger numbers and that is a great starting place for students. In this episode Pam and Ki...
Ep 105: Let the Students Play
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Often people misunderstand what this game we call mathematics is and feel they aren't good enough to play. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss ho...
Ep 104: Things We Have Learned
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's our two year anniversary! We are so grateful you've spent this time with us. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss openly things they&apo...
Ep 103: Rich Tasks, Investigations, 3-Act Tasks, Pt 2
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are some examples of rich tasks that are designed to intrigue and engage students? In this episode Pam and Kim give some specific examples and de...
Ep 102: Rich Tasks, Investigations, 3-Act Tasks, Pt 1
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Let's talk rich tasks! On Twitter we enjoyed a great conversation about what makes a rich task rich. We thought we'd comment on some great s...
Ep 101: Strategies!
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What comes to mind when someone says the word "strategy"? There are at least four different meanings for the word "strategy" in ...
Ep 100: Celebrating Place Value
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We love that we've been able to make 100 episodes! We also love that 1 hundred is 10 tens, so let's talk place value! In this episode Pam an...
Ep 99: If Not Algorithms, Then What? Finale!
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the last 5 episodes we've laid out the most important strategies for students to be able to solve for all four operations. So what? In this ep...
Ep 98: If Not the Division Algorithm, Then What?
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Division is figure-out-able! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the four main strategies students need to develop to solve any division problem that&...
Ep 97: If Not the Multiplication Algorithm, Then What?
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the five major strategies for multiplication? In this episode Pam and Kim name and give examples of each of the five major multiplication str...
Ep 96: If Not the Subtraction Algorithm, Then What?
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for subtraction! In this episode Pam and Kim name and give examples of the four main subtraction strategies students need to own to sol...