Room to Grow - a Math Podcast

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis begin a season 5 series on the Mathematics Teaching Practices from NCTM’s Principles to Actions, celebrating it’s 10th anniversary. This month’s practice is “Facilitating Meaningful Mathematics Discourse.” Our hosts first identify what they mean by discourse and why it is important: that students are able to communicate their mathematical thinking in ways that others can clearly understand for the purpose of furthering their own mathematics learning. 

Next, Curtis and Joanie unpack how to get students talking in math class, a necessary condition for meaningful math discourse. Classroom culture is a key element to ensure that students feel safe and comfortable enough to share their mathematical thinking. Implied in this is that the teacher must hold themselves to precision of language as well, and should understand when to require precision from students and when to be more flexible with informal language.

Finally, their conversation suggests that effective math discourse is not improvisational, but rather something teachers can and should plan for, and use as a strategy for an equitable classroom.

Additional referenced content includes:

·       NCTM’s Principles to Actions

·       NCTM’s Taking Action series for grades K-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12

·       Strategies for facilitating math discourse in the classroom

·       Latrenda Knighten, NCTM President’s message on Let’s Give Students the Gift of Time

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on X and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis reflect on their personal and professional experiences of 2024 and what they learned. Reflect – conferences, books, podcast guests. Thinking differently about teaching and learning math. Hope you’ll take the time to reflect and capture your own learning.

Curtis and Joanie reference these episodes of Room to Grow which aired in 2024:

·       Teaching and Learning Math: Students’ Perspectives Part 1 (aired August 28, 2024) and Part 2 (aired September 17, 2024)

·       Routines for Supporting Student Thinking with Grace Kelemanik and Amy Lucenta (aired October 16, 2023)

·       Unleashing the Mathematical Brilliance of All Students with Rachel Lambert (aired April 10, 2023)

·       Balancing Instructional Modalities (aired March 12, 2024)

·       Asset-Based Teaching to Transform Math Class with Mike Steele and Joleigh Honey (aired October 15, 2024)

·       A Conversation with the National Teacher of the Year with Rebecka Peterson (aired February 13, 2024)

·       High School Mathematics Reimagined Revitalized and Relevant with Latrenda Knighten and Kevin Dykema (aired November 12, 2024) 

Additional referenced content includes:

·       The book Transform Your Math Class Using Asset-Based Teaching for Grades 6-12

·       The work of Liping Ma, including her book Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics 

·       Rachel Lambert’s research and resources at mathematizing4all.com 

·       Kevin Dykema’s President’s Message on Balancing Instructional Strategies in the Math Classroom

·       NCTM’s Reimagining High School Mathematics resources on the NCTM webpage

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing roomt

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis speak with leaders of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) about their recent publication, High School Mathematics Reimagined, Revitalized and Relevant.  Latrenda Knighten, NCTM President and Kevin Dykema, NCTM Past-President share a great overview of how rethinking how and what we teach in high school math can be improved so that more students leave high school prepared. This preparation involves not only knowing more mathematics, but believing in their capability as math learners and in their preparation for whatever path they have chosen for themselves after graduating.

The new “three Rs” of high school math build on NCTM’s previous high school publication, Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics: Initiating Critical Conversations from 2018, and give practical examples and suggestions to engage students in mathematical and statistical modeling, make connections across major concepts, and using mathematical and statistical processes as a frame for student thinking. 

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

o   You can find NCTM’s webpage dedicated to supporting the book HERE

o   NCTM’s webinar about the book was recorded and is available to all HERE

o   More information about the Launch Years Pathways work out of the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin can be found HERE

o   Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) reports can be found HERE

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis speak with Mike Steele and Joleigh Honey, authors of the recently released book transform your math class using asset-based teaching for grades 6-12. The book and the conversation explore what is meant by “asset-based,” and why shifting to more asset-based approaches supports a broader range of learners. 

Mike and Joleigh unpack ideas around asset-based language, including, the language of mathematics, the language students use to talk about math, and the language educators use to talk about students. They also explore classroom and instructional routines, many of which are already in common use in classrooms, and how to ensure these routines fall more on the asset side of the continuum than on the deficit side. Finally, the conversation shifts to the larger educational structures that could benefit from a more asset-focused lens.

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

·       Mike and Joleigh’s book, Tranform your math class using asset-based teaching for grades 6-12 can be found here

·       Learn more about Mike Steele here or here and about Joleigh Honey here or here

·       Mike and Joleigh both serve on the NCTM Board of Directors

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis continue their conversations with middle and high school students to gain their perspectives on learning math. Our hosts interviewed six students from grades 7-12 in three different sessions. Because all of these conversations were rich with great comments, this is the second of two episodes of Room to Grow devoted to these students’ perspectives; if you haven’t already listened to part 1, we encourage you to do so. 

Part 2 focuses on these students’ perceptions on asking questions in class and managing when they don’t understand, as well as their thoughts about homework. Once again, these students shared some really powerful ideas, and we hope they get you thinking!

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

·       Riya’s Ramblings podcast – find on your favorite podcast platform or HERE on Apple Podcasts

·       Not the article Joanie mentioned, but some other great ideas for teaching students how to study

• Teaching Students to Use Evidence-Based Study Strategies
• Five Ways to Teach Students the Skill of Active Studying
• Teaching Your Students How to Study
• Resources for thinking about homework
  • NCTM resources related to homework
  • Ideas for Assigning More Meaningful Math Homework

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis have conversations with middle and high school students to gain their perspectives on learning math. They interviewed six students from grades 7-12 in three different sessions. Because all of these conversations were rich with great comments, the next two episodes of Room to Grow will be devoted to these students’ perspectives. 

Part 1 focuses on what the students said their teachers do or don’t do in the classroom that supports their learning. We heard about the importance of being able to talk to others during class, to move around and actively engage students in the lesson, and understanding, supporting, and normalizing that students learn at different paces. Future episodes center on the conversations around homework and the importance of their teachers in forming their own mathematical identity and the culture of learning in the classroom. You may be surprised at how much you learn from these students.

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

• Riya’s Ramblings podcast – find on your favorite podcast platform or HERE on Apple Podcasts
• Resources for getting students talking in math class
• Blog post on developing math language routines
• Blog post with strategies for supporting mathematics discourse in your classroom
• Resources for getting students up and moving in class
• Blog post with ideas for beginning, middle and end of class
• Blog post with easy to implement ideas 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected] . Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, Joanie and Curtis continue their conversation from the Wisconsin Math Council’s annual conference. 

Wisconsin mathematics education leaders Mary Mooney and Lisa Hennessey share additional thoughts on the remaining pillars of their conference theme, A  C.A.L.L. to Action, embracing the roles of Community, Advocacy, Leadership, and Learning. Additionally, we hear some questions from the session audience. If you haven’t already, be sure to go back and listen to the first episode, then enjoy this month’s conversation.

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

•  Wisconsin Mathematics Council: https://www.wismath.org/ 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected]. Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, we join our hosts at the Wisconsin Math Council’s annual conference. Wisconsin mathematics education leaders Mary Mooney and Lisa Hennessey join Curtis and Joanie for a discussion focused on the conference theme, A  C.A.L.L. to Action, embracing the roles of Community, Advocacy, Leadership, and Learning. 

Due to the extended nature of this great conversation, this month’s episode features Community and Advocacy. Stay tuned for next month’s continuation of the conversation, focused on Leadership and Learning.

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

Wisconsin Mathematics Council: https://www.wismath.org/ 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected]. 

Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, our hosts discuss ways to support student sense-making in teaching and learning mathematics. Building out on the ideas shared in Episode 3 of Room to Grow, Curtis and Joanie dive more deeply into what it means for students to “make sense of mathematics.”

They discuss what it looks and sounds like when students are making sense, as opposed to just repeating back learned ideas, and consider which classroom structures and teacher moves might best support students’ sense-making.

They acknowledge that sense-making is not more or less important than learning mathematical skills and fluency, but that it is a part of deep learning and of a student’s ability to generalize their understanding. 

As Peter Liljedahl says in Building Thinking Classrooms, “The goal of building thinking classrooms is not to find engaging tasks for students to think about. The goal of thinking classrooms is to build engaged students that are willing to think about any task.” 

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

• The Standards for Mathematical Practice, now referenced in most states’ math standards and originally published by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Governor’s Association;
• Jo Boaler’s Math-ish book and website;
• Peter Liljedahl’s book and website Building Thinking Classrooms, and Robert Kaplinsky’s blog post about why you should read it. 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected]. Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy. 

In this episode of Room to Grow, our hosts look for the balance between instruction that is teacher-driven, traditional lecture-style, and inquiry-based, discovery-style lessons. They recognize the value of both types of teaching, understanding that there is a time in learning for both exploration and for direct and explicit teaching. 

The conversation offers explanation of what conditions may require different teaching strategies, based on the goals and content of the lesson as well as how students are responding to and progressing (or not) toward intended learning. 

The common theme between these approaches is student sense-making, and our hosts each share a personal example of taking opportunities to encourage sense-making in students.

We encourage you to explore the resources below, referenced in this episode:

• NCTM President Kevin Dykema’s President’s message that sparked this episode: https://www.nctm.org/News-and-Calendar/Messages-from-the-President/Archive/Kevin-Dykema/Balancing-Instructional-Strategies-in-the-Math-Classroom/ 
• TI’s Building Concepts lesson on structure in solving equations: https://education.ti.com/en/t3-professional-development/for-teachers-and-teams/online-learning/on-demand-webinars/2016/building-concepts-foundations-for-success-in-expressions-and-equations 
• A sample problem-based curriculum for middle school (NOT the one Curtis’ son uses!): https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/what_is_pbc.html 

Did you enjoy this episode of Room to Grow? Please leave a review and share the episode with others. Share your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future episode topics by emailing [email protected]. 

Be sure to connect with your hosts on Twitter and Instagram: @JoanieFun and @cbmathguy.