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 contexts
• Seeing the negative symbol as "opposite of"
• Using distance
• Understanding takes time, but is so worth it!

See Episodes 181-183 for more about Integer operations.
See Ep 242 for more information on Integer Multiplication

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Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Linkedin: 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: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Want 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 Points

• Who does tracking benefit, who does it hurt?
• Distaste for the vocabulary used to describe tracks of kids
• Everyone can do more real math than fake math
• From our experience as a teacher
• From our experience as a parent
• From a student's perspective

Check out our social media
Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Linkedin: 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: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Want 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 media
Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Linkedin: 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: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Want 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 integers
• Distance versus removal 
• Problem String subtracting integers in context
• When context is less helpful
• Don't go to rules, stay in reasoning

See Episodes 149 and150 for more about distance vs removal  
See Ep 242 for more information on Integer Multiplication

Check out our social media
Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Linkedin: 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: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Want 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 context
• Equations and number lines in context
• Carefully 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 ambiguity

See Ep 242 for more information on Integer Multiplication

Check out our social media
Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Linkedin: 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: @PWHarris

Instagram: Pam Harris_math

Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education

Want more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!