Math is Figure-Out-Able with Pam Harris

By Pam Harris

Education

What's Math is Figure-Out-Able with Pam Harris about?

Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what?Join them for ~15 minutes every Tuesday as they cast their vision for mathematics education and give actionable items to help teachers teach math that is Figure-Out-Able.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Ep 66: Shout out to leaders!

09.21.2021

Math conferences are powerful ways to improve your teaching. But it's also really easy to go to a conference and accidently miss all the good sessions. In this episode Pam talks about powerful leaders in the math education community that ...

Math is Figure-Out-Able with Pam Harris episodes:

09.21.2021 Ep 66: Shout out to leaders! Math conferences are powerful ways to improve your teaching. But it's also really easy to go to a conference and accidently miss all the good sessions. In this episode Pam talks about powerful leaders in the math education community that ...
09.14.2021 Ep 65: Creating Shared Experiences How can we best grow as teachers? Together of course! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the power of teachers honing their craft together. Leaders and coaches will find this episode particularly helpful. Talking PointsWhere do useful shared experiences ...
09.07.2021 Ep 64: Fun with Division There is so much to division! To show that, Pam and Kim go through a quick Problem String that builds a less known, but super powerful, division strategy. Talking Points:The importance of hydrationUsing equivalent ratios to solve gnarly division problems ...
08.31.2021 Ep 63: Counting is more than A, B, C Counting strategies can often go overlooked. It isn't easy learning to count in a way that prepares students for additive reasoning. Think we're wrong? Just wait till you listen to this episode! Pam and Kim discuss how to help young ...
08.24.2021 Ep 62: Models that aren't our fav Rapid fire time! In this episode Pam and Kim show how three popular models - hundreds charts, base ten blocks, and algebra tiles - while powerful for developing reasoning, can even be harmful when taught as tools for computation. Talking ...
08.17.2021 Ep 61: Ten Frames Continuing their series on modeling, Pam and Kim discuss the advantages and pitfalls of Ten Frames. They emphasize the power of models that can become tools for reasoning, and use Ten Frames as an example of how teachers can focus ...
08.10.2021 Ep 60: Number Bonds and Tape Diagrams Let's keep talking about modeling! A lot of you may be familiar with Number Bonds and Tape Diagrams and be wondering about how they fit in with our modeling framework. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss these types of ...
08.03.2021 Ep 59: Why not manipulatives? Are manipulatives sometimes overhyped? When are they useful, and when can they actually get in the way of the mathematics? What role do they play in our discussion about the modeling framework? Pam and Kim discuss these tricky questions, and ...
07.27.2021 Ep 58: Introducing the Modeling Framework It's time to talk about one of our fundamental methodologies for facilitating real math! In this episode Pam and Kim detail their modeling framework that teaches students to learn to model their own thinking, and then to use models as ...
07.20.2021 Ep 57: For Parents. How can I help my kid? If my experiences as a student are different than my child's experience at school, how can I help them succeed? In this episode for parents, we provide two clear ways they can support their child to be the best math ...
07.13.2021 Ep 56: For parents. Why does "new math" look different? Hey parents! Thank you so much for listening to part two of our series for parents. It can be really frustrating to not understand what it is your kid is doing on their homework. What is up with all of ...
07.06.2021 Ep 55: For Parents. Why all the "new math"? This episode is for all the parents out there who are invested in helping their children! It can be frustrating to see how math class looks different than it did when we were students. Why is it different anyways? Why ...
06.29.2021 Ep 54: Q&A Part 2, Data Analytics and Advice for First Year Teachers We love answering your questions! In this episode Pam and Kim answer a question submitted from Rachel Adler. Pam shares her experiences familiarizing her students with data representations, and then Pam and Kim discuss their best advice for first year ...
06.22.2021 Ep 53: Q&A Part 1, Do Strategies Change Over Time? We loved getting all of your questions! Because there's so many questions, Pam and Kim will have to spend the next couple episodes answering them. In this episode they discuss a question about the relevancy of money strategies, and whether ...
06.15.2021 Ep 52: One Year Anniversary Highlight Reel We are so grateful to be celebrating our one year anniversary of the podcast! It's been wonderful to hear all the feedback you've given us as you transform your classrooms. Here's to another year of mathematizing! Highlights:Ep 2: Pam's stance ...
06.08.2021 Ep 51: Fractions, a Clock Model Pt 2 We've had so much fun talking about fractions! In this episode Pam and Kim do another Problem String to demonstrate the effectiveness of a clock model. Talking Points:What denominators work well for a clock model?Problems that work with both money ...
06.01.2021 Ep 50: Fractions, A Clock Model How important is fractional equivalence? Important enough for another model! These models are fantastic for helping students develop a natural understanding of equivalent fractions. Listen in as Kim and Pam discuss how to use a clock model for denominators uncommon ...
05.25.2021 Ep 49: Fractions, A Money Model Pt 2 In this episode Pam and Kim finish up their money Problem String from the last episode. But first, Pam wanted to reflect a little on how she was less than helpful when Kim was struggling to think about nickels. We ...
05.18.2021 Ep 48: Fractions, A Money Model It's time to talk about everyone's two favorite things: fractions and money! Fraction equivalence is a super important concept in mathematics, and it is best developed naturally in familiar circumstances. In this episode Pam and Kim use coin denominations to ...
05.11.2021 Ep 47: Fractions as Fair Sharing Let's keep talking fractions! In this episode Pam and Kim discuss an extremely effective rich task from Cathy Fosnot to help students reason about fractions within the context of sharing fairly. Listen in to learn about the outcomes teachers should ...
05.04.2021 Ep 46: Fractions for Young Learners How young is too young to learn fractions? Younger than you think! In this episode Pam and Kim describe simple ways we can help young students develop fractional understanding. Pay attention to how natural it can be for young learners ...
04.27.2021 Ep 45: 5 Interpretations of Rational Numbers Time to get into fractions! There is so much to learn about teaching fractions and in this episode we wanted to lay some important ground work. All too often we limit students to just one or two of the important ...
04.20.2021 Ep 44: Is it about personality? Though some people think Kim and Pam's voices are hard to tell apart, teaching real math has nothing to do with a particular personality type or style. We believe in seeing the humanity in students and empowering them with mathematical ...
04.13.2021 Ep 43: Standardized Tests If there's one things teachers like talking about, it's standardized tests, and Pam and Kim are no exception! In this episode Pam asks Kim about her experience with standardized tests, and how teaching real math helped Kim's students to succeed. ...
04.06.2021 Ep 42: Homework Pt 3 In this final episode in our series on homework, Pam and Kim discuss what types of homework teachers should send out, as well as some important pitfalls to avoid. Talking Points:Pen and paper homeworkGames as homeworkUsing homework as a teaching ...
03.30.2021 Ep 41: Homework Part 2 It's part two of our series on homework! Last time we heard Kim's perspective on when and what kinds of homework to give, but now it's Pam's turn. As a teacher for both high school and university classes, Pam gives ...
03.23.2021 Ep 40: Homework Pt 1 Welcome to our first off the cuff episode! Pam and Kim have no notes this time and are happy to tackle the topic of homework. Turns out, they have enough to say that this will be part one of a ...
03.16.2021 Ep 39: Everybody learns, everybody grows In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the secret to helping every student succeed. It's one of their guiding principles, and they can't believe they're only just now sharing it! Talking PointsThe problem with the traditional approach of teaching to ...
03.09.2021 Ep 38: Multiplication Facts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Pt 5 We made it to our final episode in our multiplication facts series! In this episode Pam and Kim share their secret to helping kids narrow in on facts they struggle with. This final episode exemplifies why we believe that through ...
03.02.2021 Ep 37: Multiplication Facts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Pt 4 It's time for what you've all been waiting for. GAMES! Sure we don't want kids memorizing songs or rhymes to learn their facts, but in this episode Pam and Kim bring the fun into multiplication. What games are out there ...
02.23.2021 Ep 36: Multiplication Facts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Pt 3 Last episode Pam and Kim discussed how not to teach multiplication facts. So how should we teach them? This episode we look at multiplication facts through the lens of mathematizing! Talking PointsThe order that we teach content mattersThe order we ...
02.16.2021 Ep 35: Multiplication Facts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Pt 2 What are some great techniques to teach multiplication facts? What are the pitfalls to avoid? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss ways teachers may inadvertently 1) overemphasize speed, 2) introduce shame into their classrooms, and 3) focus on learning ...
02.09.2021 Ep 34: Multiplication Facts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Pt 1 In this episode Pam and Kim begin the first of another series: Multiplication Facts! What role can mathematizing and real math play in helping kids master their multiplication facts? Listen in as Pam and Kim outline the differences between 'knowing' ...
02.02.2021 Ep 33: Problem Strings vs Problem Talks In the last two episodes, Pam and Kim did some really cool Problem Strings, but what do they think about Number Talks? Listen in as Pam explains how Number Talks and Problem Strings can go hand in hand for powerful ...
01.26.2021 Ep 32: Another Cool Multiplication Strategy It's time for another Problem String! In this episode Pam and Kim develop one of their favorite multiplication strategies, it's so slick! In doing so they talk more about the importance of letting students discover and develop relationships, as opposed ...
01.19.2021 Ep: 31: A Cool Multiplication Strategy In this episode Pam and Kim want to help you develop a cool multiplication strategy. Which multiplication strategy? We aren't going to tell you until the end of the episode : -). We believe in developing strategies as natural outcomes, ...
01.12.2021 Ep 30: Ten Minute Math Don't you just love taking a break to play with numbers? In this week's episode, Pam and Kim share some of the ways that they engage with kids outside of school to get them mathematizing. Parents, ever wondered what can ...
01.05.2021 Ep 29: Ratio Tables! In this episode Pam and Kim dive deep into their favorite model for multiplication, division and solving proportions: ratio tables! They'll discuss how ratio tables can be a powerful tool to help students develop reasoning from elementary to high school. ...
12.29.2020 Ep 28: Real Mathematics Perspective This week Pam and Kim wrap up their discussion on the Perspectives that Impact Math Pedagogy. Understanding the X, Y, and Z perspectives not only helps us understand one another better, but empowers us to choose to take on the ...
12.22.2020 Ep 27: The Y Perspective We've made it to our last (and maybe favorite) perspective that impacts pedagogy. The Y perspective describes those who struggle with fake math because they deeply desire to know "why". Pam and Kim describe people in their lives who grew ...
12.15.2020 Ep 26: The Z Perspective This episode is all about the Z perspective. Listen in to hear about the perspective that Pam estimates effects the majority of math educators, it was Pam's perspective too! Pam and Kim parse out the characteristics of the Z perspective ...
12.08.2020 Ep 25: The X Perspective Continuing in the Perspectives Impacting Pedagogy Series, Pam and Kim discuss the X perspective. Did you play with numbers as a kid? Did math make natural sense to you, regardless of how your teacher taught it? You might relate to ...
12.01.2020 Ep 24: Perspectives Impacting Pedagogy This episode is part one to a new five part series! Pam and Kim introduce the three main perspectives impacting pedagogy. Understanding these perspectives helps teachers analyze their own teaching have productive conversations regarding math education. Talking Points:The three perspectives ...
11.24.2020 Ep 23: The Commutative Property How can we help students feel comfortable with the commutative property? In this episode Pam and Kim go through some addition and multiplication problems to demonstrate how they think and reason using the the commutative property. Talking PointsThe commutative property ...
11.17.2020 Ep 22: The Swapping Strategy Kim relates a great math experience she had with her son Luke. Luke found a way to mess around with place value in addition that Pam went most of her life not knowing! Listen in as Pam and Kim discuss ...
11.10.2020 Ep 21: Playing with Percents 2 Pam and Kim are back at it with percents. They discuss the 3 types of percent problems and how they solve them using relations, not with algorithms. Are percents truly figure-out-able? You bet! Grab a pen and paper for this ...
11.03.2020 Ep 20: Playing with Percents Pam and Kim are back at it showing that percents too are figure-out-able. In this episode they solve some percentage problems and share their strategies. Listen in as they go through a percentage problem string!
10.27.2020 Ep 19: Fractions, Decimals, Percents Pam and Kim explore what it means to be flexible with fractions, decimals, and percents. They discuss how we can become more flexible as we deal with rational numbers, and how we can be judicious problem solvers. Talking PointsWhy kids ...
10.20.2020 Ep 18: This, not That You might want your magnifying glass for this one, cause this episode we're getting a little nitpicky. Pam and Kim discuss common nomenclature/math-slang that can take the reasoning out of mathematics. They offer useful alternatives and illustrate the importance of ...
10.13.2020 Ep 17: Social vs Logical Knowledge Math is figure-out-able, but surely there are some parts that are only memorizable, right? In this episode Pam and Kim parse out the difference between social knowledge and logical knowledge. They'll analyze how knowing the difference can affect the types ...

Older episodes