Teaching That "Counts"

Data science isn't just for math teachers. In this episode, Marisa Tualla and Christel Bruno join me to talk about bringing data science and statistics into K-12 classrooms, and why every educator, whatever their math background, has a role to play. They share what they've learned supporting teachers across Arizona: how inquiry-based approaches draw students in, how data can connect learning across subjects, and how collaboration among teachers builds the capacity to make it all stick. If you've ever wondered where data literacy fits in your classroom, this conversation is a great place to start.

Key takeaways

• Data science is for all educators, not just math teachers
• Inquiry-based learning boosts student engagement
• Data can connect learning across subjects
• Building teacher capacity through collaboration is essential

Chapters

• 00:00 The Importance of Data Science in Education
• 05:51 Shifting Perspectives on Math and Data
• 12:03 Integrating Data Science Across Subjects
• 17:55 Fostering Inquiry and Student Engagement
• 21:43 Integrating Mathematics and Data Literacy
• 24:24 Collaborative Approaches to Data Science
• 27:14 Engaging Teachers in Data Science
• 31:37 Sustaining Teacher Support and Growth
• 34:24 Celebrating Progress and Resources
• 38:11 Connecting with Educators and Resources

Join me as I welcome the amazing Sunil Singh for this episode of Teaching That "Counts"! Our discussion then delves into the power of storytelling in mathematics, highlighting its importance in engaging students and conveying mathematical concepts. We explore the intersection of culture and history in mathematics, emphasizing the significance of cultural and historical context in teaching mathematics. We talk about the role of history in mathematics, focusing on the impact of math history on student curiosity and understanding. Our conversation also addresses equity and inclusivity in mathematics, emphasizing the importance of cultural responsiveness and inclusivity in math education. Finally, the spiritual and universal nature of mathematics is explored, highlighting the transcendent and unifying nature of mathematics. The conversation delves into the spiritual and transformative nature of mathematics, highlighting its potential to inspire and engage students on a deeper level. We round out our conversation on the importance of empowering marginalized students and creating inclusive math education experiences and discuss the connection between music and mathematics!

Takeaways

• Importance of Storytelling in Mathematics
• Mathematics Transcends All Boundaries Mathematics and spirituality are interconnected
• The purpose of mathematics should be elevated to inspire and engage students

Chapters

• 00:00 The Spiritual and Universal Nature of Mathematics
• 29:07 The Spiritual Journey of Mathematics
• 35:33 Empowering Marginalized Students
• 36:30 The Global Math Summit
• 43:35 The Connection Between Music and Mathematics
• 48:08 Teaching Mathematics with Equity and Inclusivity

On this episode of Teaching That Counts, join me as I welcome Jazlyn Martinez, a pre-service teacher, who shares her experience of working in an inquiry-based math classroom and reflects on her journey as a student teacher. She discusses her background, challenges, and takeaways from the experience, as well as her future plans in education.

Takeaways

• Pre-service teacher experience
• Challenges of inquiry-based teaching

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Jazlyn Martinez
• 02:06 Choosing to Teach Math
• 03:35 Challenges of Teaching Math
• 04:15 Reflections on the Semester
• 17:33 Inquiry-Based Approach to Teaching Math
• 24:01 Future Plans and Reflections

Abel kicks off Season Four of Teaching That Counts, sharing his positive math mindset and excitement for the upcoming season. Join me as I reflect on my year that started as a district secondary math instructional coach and then shifted to inquiry-based instruction. I discusses my return to the classroom, the challenges of classroom management, and the use of digital curriculum. I conclude with my plans for educational consulting, book writing, and upcoming presentations.

Takeaways

• Positive math mindset
• Shift to inquiry-based instruction
• Challenges of classroom management
• Future plans for educational consulting and book writing

Chapters

• 00:00 Season Four Kickoff
• 18:00 Classroom Experience
• 36:49 Professional Growth and Future Plans

Why is student-to-student discourse so important in mathematics teaching? How do we change math tasks to give students more opportunities to be problem-solvers? Join me this month as I welcome my guest, Ki Karou to the podcast. Ki is currently the Senior Director of Product and Content for MIND Education, an institute dedicated to increasing engagement and excitement in math education using research-based approaches. We discuss these questions and even talk about integrating ed tech into the math classroom to boost student discourse and engagement!

What is problem-based learning? How can a problem-based curriculum positively impact students' experiences in mathematics? These are some questions that we explore in this episode as I welcome April Mouton to the podcast this month. April is the Interim Vice President of Product Development at Illustrative Mathematics. We discuss why problem-based learning is essential for keeping students engaged in math and how shifting from memorization to problem-solving leads to deeper understanding and better outcomes. This is definitely a conversation you don't want to miss if you have been thinking about moving to a student centered approach, working with Building Thinking Classrooms, or your district is using a problem-based curriculum, like Illustrative Mathematics!

What lies ahead in math education years down the road? What can we be doing to prepare our students in mathematics for a future that is unknown? What systems need to be in place for us to create spaces for all to learn mathematics and create a "liberatory math future"? These are some of the fascinating questions that I get to discuss with the phenomenal SL Rao!

If you are not familiar with SL...well, you should be! SL Rao is a strategist who co-creates new futures in education, health and climate through design inspired system transformation. They bring a system-oriented, equity-centered approach to their work and to how they build, nurture, and grow teams and organizations. They are curious, and driven by the need to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

Join me and SL for this amazing conversation about the future of math education!

Have you been told to use your curriculum to "fidelity"? What does that mean and how can we start to move from using a curricula with fidelity to using it with "integrity"? This is the topic that we discuss in this episode. I am joined by one of the Stanislaus County Office of Education's math special projects coordinators, Christina Rubalcava. We also talk about the work around Building Thinking Classrooms that has been done throughout the county and the rollout of the new CA Mathematics Framework. This is a great conversation that I hope you will enjoy!

How can we think in an "ish" way? The phenomenal, Jo Boaler joins the podcast to have this conversation. Jo Boaler is the founder of YouCubed.org and the author of Mathematical Mindsets and Math-ish. She has devoted her entire career in education to supporting teachers in moving towards equitable and effective teaching environments. Jo and I discuss Math-ish, teaching fractions, data science and new CA Framework...something that I am looking forward to implementing!

This is definitely a conversation you don't want to miss!

How do we foster positive math identities for all of our students? Join this conversation with Rolanda Baldwin, the Vice President of Unbound Ed's Math and Science Projects as we seek to answer that question. We discuss "GLEAM", an acronym that can help teachers as an everyday guide to bringing all kids into the mathematics. We also spend some time talking about supports for our multilingual learners and rethinking "intervention" to help students and at the same time support positive math identities. Another great episode with another great guest!