Math is Figure-Out-Able!
Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what? Join them for ~15-30 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. See www.MathisFigureOutAble.com for more great resources!
Math is Figure-Out-Able!
#MathStratChat - May 3, 2023
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 3, 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!
Hey, fellow mathematicians! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam Harris.
Kim:And I'm Kim Montague.
Pam:And this episode is a MathStratChat episode. That's where every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and we chat about the strategies you use. People from all around the world show their thinking, and it's super fun.
Kim:Shoot!
Pam:Hey, Kim! It's your turn.
Kim:Oh, gosh. So, this Wednesday, our math problem was 25 times 32. And we're curious, how would you solve this problem? Go ahead and pause the podcast, solve it however you want. The problem is 25 times 32. Solve it, and then come on back to hear how we solve it.
Both Pam and Kim:Alright.
Pam:Kim?
Kim:Yes?
Pam:Yeah, do you want to flip a coin? Me or you. Who's first?
Kim:I'll let you go first.
Pam:Okay, I'm going to play around with a relationship that I think is super fun. So, I'm going to think about not 25 times 32, but I'm going to think about 0.25 times 32. Or another way of saying that is 1/4 of 32. And I know that 1/4 of 32 is 8. So, 0.25 times 32 is 8. So, then if I scale that up to get 25 times 32, I have to scale that times 100. Then, I'm going to scale 8 times 100, and that's 800. Bam!
Kim:Nice. It's funny that you say you were thinking about 0.25 times 32 because I did as well. I thought about quarters.
Pam:Oh, you would.
Kim:So, I didn't think of a fourth of. I thought about 32 quarters. Which would technically be 0.25. But 32 quarters. So (unclear).
Pam:And when you say"quarters". We have enough international listeners. You actually mean the coins.
Kim:The coin, mmhmm.
Pam:That is like $0.25 out of 100. Yeah.
Kim:Yep.
Pam:Cool.
Kim:Yep. So, 32 quarters would be... 4 quarters is $1. So, I have 8 times as many of those. So, I would have $8, which is 800 cents. So, 800.
Pam:Nice. Nice. We both got 800.
Kim:Yeah. That's always good when that happens.
Pam:That is ideal.
Kim:Oh, gosh. Alright, we can't wait to see your strategy. I wonder if it was like one of ours or something entirely different. Go ahead and represent your thinking, take a picture of your work or screenshot on your phone, and tell the world on social media. And while you're there, it's super cool when you comment on what other people did.
Pam:So, Kim, I was totally just thinking. Why didn't either of us double and half? Sorry. Or quadruple and quarter even? Like? Sorry. Okay, I know we're supposed to be ending the episode, but like if you quadrupled the 25 to 100 and quartered the 32 to 8. 100 times 8. (unclear) So, tag me on Twitter at @PWHarris. Or Instagram, Pam Harris_math. And on Facebook Pam Harris, author mathematics education. And also on Facebook, you can find it at Math is Figure-Out-Able. And use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out the MathStratChat problem that we post next Wednesday at around 7 PM Central Time, and pop back here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Let's keep spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able!