Math on the Rocks

The recent Science of Reading movement has caused dozens of states to update their instructional practices with reading. Many states have gone so far as to legislate science of reading instruction. Duane is concerned that well-meaning politicians and school leaders will attempt to over-generalize the direct instruction that is an essential component to teaching young readers and apply it to mathematics. This episode is the start of an ongoing series of conversations about direct instruction in mathematics. 

RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  Explicit Direct Instruction

     https://keystoliteracy.com/blog/what-is-direct-systematic-and-explicit-instruction/   

✚  5 Components of Equitable and Engaging Teaching for All (from the California Math Framework)

      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcGU4WCQgiGkoMfdQSir1Hh3VkfolHvj/view?usp=sharing   

✚  SB 1067 - Math Diagnostic Assessment

       https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1067 

✚  5 Strands of math proficiency (Adding It Up)

         https://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Advocacy/Advocacy_Toolkit/Mathematical_Proficiency_Five_Strands.pdf 

✚  Duane’s blog posts about ambitious instruction

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1393yIcuKFyVyEC9si_cAVaHJ8BuhpNE9gMRdfV_f8ts/edit?usp=sharing    

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Mike Flynn invites us to rethink accessibility in mathematics by shifting the focus from fixing students to redesigning the learning environment. Drawing on Universal Design for Learning and his own experience as both an educator and parent, Mike shows how small instructional changes can dramatically change how students experience math.

In this episode, Mike shares practical “micro moves” teachers can use with the curriculum they already have, including adding visuals, slowly revealing information, temporarily removing formal mathematics, offering multiple input choices, approximating quantities, and allowing students to represent their thinking in different ways.

You’ll also experience what it feels like to encounter a math task without full access and see how thoughtful teacher moves can open the door without lowering the rigor. Mike reminds us that accessibility and challenge are not opposites, and that sometimes a small change in how we launch or structure a task can completely change who gets to see themselves as a capable mathematician.

Resources

• Slides: bit.ly/MikeFlynnSlides

• Friends of Flynn: https://flynneducation.com/resources/

• Email [email protected]

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Joanie Funderburk challenges us to think about who is doing the mathematical thinking in our classrooms. Even when we believe students should make sense of mathematics for themselves, our instinct to help can sometimes lead us to take over the very thinking we want students to do.

In this episode, Joanie shares three practical ways to shift the cognitive lift to students: start with a quick win that gives every learner an entry point, get students talking so they can practice being mathematical thinkers, and choose cognitively demanding tasks while protecting that demand throughout the lesson.

You’ll hear classroom-ready ideas for opening routines, mathematical discourse, sentence frames, productive struggle, and responding when students get stuck without rescuing them. Joanie reminds us that every student deserves an opportunity to be heard doing mathematics and, ultimately, mathematics worth thinking about.

Resources

• Resources for follow up

• Session feedback

• Email: [email protected]

  
  

  Register for our conferences:

  ✚  Check out our conferences here:

        https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

  Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

       https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

  As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

       https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

  SUBSCRIBE!

  ✚  YouTube (video & audio):

       https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

  ✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

       https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

  ✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

       https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089

  
  

Heather Price invites us to look beyond what students learn in mathematics and consider how they experience the classroom. Drawing from research conducted in California middle schools, she explains how students’ feelings about math can shape their engagement, confidence, and achievement.

In this episode, Heather explores four interconnected conditions that help students thrive: positive relationships, a sense of belonging, growth-oriented mindsets, and high-quality instruction. You’ll hear concrete examples of teachers creating emotionally safe classrooms, recognizing students’ mathematical competence, normalizing mistakes, and providing meaningful opportunities for collaboration.

Heather also discusses the difference between social belonging and mathematics belonging, the value of specific and genuine praise, and why strong relationships cannot be separated from rigorous instruction. This conversation offers practical guidance for teachers, coaches, and leaders working to create classrooms where every student can feel like a capable mathematician.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Heather Price

• Heather Price at the Learning Policy Institute

• Cultivating Math Mindsets: Full Report

• Math for Every Student: Research Brief

• Positive Conditions for Mathematics Learning: Full Report

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Ashley Powell invites us to rethink what it means to teach mathematics through problem solving. Rather than treating problem solving as something students do after they have learned a set of procedures, Ashley frames it as a powerful way students build understanding in the first place.

In this episode, Ashley shares practical ways to get started with problem-based instruction, including how to adapt simple tasks, create multiple entry points, and focus on the mathematics students are actually making sense of. She highlights three key features of strong tasks: the math must be problematic, the task must be accessible, and students must be asked to justify and explain their thinking.

You’ll hear classroom-ready ideas like broken-key tasks, cluster problems, proportional reasoning contexts, and prompts that help students move beyond “number plucking” toward reasoning. Ashley also reminds us to “be less helpful,” listen carefully to student thinking, and tell the right things at the right time. This conversation is a practical and encouraging starting point for teachers, coaches, and leaders who want to make problem solving central to how students experience mathematics.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Ashley Powell

Ashley on LinkedIn

Teaching Mathematics through Problem Solving K-8, Expanded Edition

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Keith steps up and joins Duane to continue our ongoing conversation about the importance of high-quality instructional materials. Sure…a school district might adopt a curriculum through a consensus-based decision-making process, but is that curriculum aligned to the framework? How would you know without having read the 1000-page framework? Also…even if your adopted curriculum is aligned to the framework, does the curriculum align with your district's ability (and willingness) to provide the tremendous amount of ongoing support teachers will need to properly implement it? Give this episode a listen.

RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  Pedagogy of Poverty

     https://kappanonline.org/the-pedagogy-of-poverty-versus-good-teaching/  

✚  CMC resources for high-quality instructional materials

      https://www.cmcmath.org/resources  

✚  California Mathematics Framework

      https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/   

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Kevin Dykema invites us to rethink productive struggle as more than a math education buzzword. Instead of rescuing students with steps and answers, he shows how teachers can create the conditions for students to reason, grapple, and make sense of mathematics.

In this episode, Kevin shares practical ways to make struggle productive, including building positive math identity, creating a supportive classroom community, planning better tasks, anticipating student thinking, and asking questions that rescue thinking instead of answers.

You’ll hear classroom-ready examples involving mental math, integers, fractions, exponents, quadratics, and task design. Kevin also reminds us that reflection matters, both for students and teachers, because struggle becomes powerful when learners can see how far their thinking has come.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Kevin Dykema

[email protected]

Find Kevin on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Nolan Fossum invites us into the learner’s seat by experiencing math in an unfamiliar way. Using a “cartoon base-10” system, he creates moments of productive struggle that mirror what many students feel when they don’t yet have fluency.

In this episode, Nolan explores how counting, deriving, and reasoning through models like ten frames, number lines, and base-10 blocks can build deep understanding. Rather than relying on memorized facts, he highlights how students can develop flexible strategies by connecting ideas and using what they know.

You’ll hear how this experience shifts perspective on student struggle, the importance of manipulatives, and why slowing down to build conceptual understanding matters. Nolan also connects this work to mathematical practices, student engagement, and the role of challenge in learning. If you’ve ever wondered what it truly feels like to not “just know” the math, this episode offers a powerful reminder and practical insights for supporting all learners.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Nolan Fossum

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/nolan-fossum-1688851b5

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Scott and Duane get together to chat about math, but Duane gets grumpy and jumps up on his soap box to complain about schools using too much EdTech throughout the day. We know students go home and endlessly scroll on their phones, so schools should be very picky and choosy about whether to add to the screen time at school. Also, the EdTech we use at school should augment the teacher rather than replace the teacher. Give this episode a listen and leave a comment.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✚  Parents push for reduced screen time a year after Los Angeles Unified bans cellphones

     https://edsource.org/2026/reducing-screen-time-lausd/755025 

✚  Adults Lose Skills to AI. Children Never Build Them.

   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-algorithmic-mind/202603/adults-lose-skills-to-ai-children-never-build-them 

✚  The first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

    https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/laptops-tablets-schools-gen-z-less-cognitively-capable-parents-first-time-cellphone-bans-standardized-test-scores/  

✚  Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath testifies to US Senate about EdTech damaging our children

     https://www.commerce.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/doc/Horvath_Written%20Testimony.pdf  

Check out the CMC conferences coming up:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

In this episode, Mark Alcorn (educator, coach, and founder of the Sum of It All podcast) invites us to rethink something deceptively simple: goals in math classrooms. Rather than treating goals as compliance-driven statements or posted objectives, Mark challenges us to see them as powerful drivers of student thinking, engagement, and agency.

Mark explores how, even when we don’t name goals explicitly, they still exist and shape classroom experiences. He unpacks common barriers (“bad warm-up bands”) that keep goals from being meaningful, including performance-focused language, overly broad standards, and goals written only for teachers. 

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Mark Alcorn

[email protected]

Instagram: mark4math

Linkedin.com/in/mark4math

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly Inspiring Math Minds webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089