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 - September 11, 2024
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on September 11, 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 mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able! I'm Pam.
Kim 00:06
And I'm Kim.
Pam 00:07
And this is a MathStratChat episode where we chat about our math strategies. Every week, 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's thinking. We love it when you comment on each other's thinking.
Kim 00:21
Yeah. So, this Wednesday, we threw out the hundred and first MathStratChat episode! And it's actually not the hundred and first MathStratChat problem.
Pam 00:32
Yeah, we did those for a while before we started talking about them here. This… So, I guess this is the hundred and first MathStratChat episode of the podcast. Whoo!
Kim 00:41
That is so wild.
Pam 00:43
Yaaaay!
Kim 00:44
Amazing. Okay, so this week's problem was 249.1 minus 7.9. We're interested in how you would solve this problem, so go ahead and pause the podcast, give yourself time to think about it, and then come on back. The problem was 249 and 1/10 minus 7 and 9/10.
Pam 01:03
Alright, I got to go first this time.
Kim 01:05
Okie doke.
Pam 01:06
So, 240… Oh, my heavens. 200…wow…49.1 I just rewrote the number twice (249.1). Subtract 8 is 241.1. No. 242 point… No. Oh my gosh. 9 minus 8 is 1. 241.1. Kim, I think we've been at this too long today.
Kim 01:30
It's been a long day.
Pam 01:30
Okay, 241.1 but I subtracted a bit too much. I subtracted a tenth too much, so I got to add a tenth back on. And 241 and 1/10 plus another tenth is 241.2.
Kim 01:43
Alright.
Pam 01:45
Alright, what do you got?
Kim 01:45
I like it. I kind of want to ignore the 200. And I know that… You know, whatever. I'm going to focus on just a little bit of time. So, I'm going to think about 49.1 minus 7.9.
Pam 02:01
Okay.
Kim 02:02
And I'm going to shift those on a number line, kind of mentally up, to make it 51.2 minus 10. I shifted up 2.1, and so then I get 51.2 minus 10 is 41.2. And I got to remember that I was only messing with the smaller amounts and add the 200 back on. So, I also got 241.2
Pam 02:30
Very nice. Like it. I like it, like it.
Kim 02:33
Excellent. Alright. Well, we can't wait to hear what you do every single week when you join us in MathStratChat. Let us know how you think about the problem and comment on each other's strategies.
Pam 02:43
Ya’ll, we post the problems every week, around Wednesday at 7pm Central time. When you answer, tag me and use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. Thanks for being part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement and making math more and more figure-out-able!