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 - February 28, 2024
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 28, 2024.
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!
Pam 00:00
Hey, fellow mathematicians! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam Harris.
Kim 00:06
And I'm Kim Montague.
Pam 00:08
And this is a MathStratChat episode, where we chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on social media and people from around the world chat about the strategies they use and comment on each other thinking.
Kim 00:20
Okay, last Wednesday, our problem was 63 subtract 49. How would you solve this problem? Pause, solve it however you want, and then come on back to hear how we solve it. The problem is 63 minus 49. Alright, Kim. I want to go first.
Pam 00:37
Okay, go.
Kim 00:38
Forty-nine screams 50 to me. And you know I like the Over. So, I'm going to go 63 minus 50, which is 13. But I subtracted too much by 1. So, I'm going to add 1 back. So, 63 minus 49 is 14. Super cool.
Pam 00:56
I am going to play around with factoring.
Kim 00:59
Okay.
Pam 01:00
Because like you said 49 screams 50, 49 to me scream 7s.
Kim 01:05
Yep.
Pam 01:05
So, 63 is nine 7s, subtract 49 is seven 7s. So, nine 7s, subtract seven 7s, leaves me with two 7s, which is also 14. I got to tell you. When you were doing the Over, and you were thinking about subtracting 50?
Kim 01:19
Mmhm.
Pam 01:20
When you said you subtracted too much. You're going to add 1. And I can hear you were getting to 14. What I thought to myself was, "Good because it needs to be a multiple of 7."
Kim 01:29
Oh, yeah.
Pam 01:30
Yeah, that was kind of a... Because I knew I was headed for multiples of 7. Nice.
Kim 01:33
Very cool.
Both Pam and Kim 01:34
Alright.
Kim 01:35
So, we can't wait to see your math strategy. Maybe it was like one of ours. Represent your thinking, take a picture, and tell the world on social media. And while you're there, check out what other people did. Comment on their thinking.
Pam 01:46
Yeah, and tag me when you're there and use the hashtag MathStratChat. And make sure you check out the next MathStratChat problem that we'll post on Wednesdays around 7pm Central Time, and then come 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! Thank you for spreading the word that Math is Figure-Out-Able!