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 - January 1, 2025
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 1, 2025.
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 00:01
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 episode 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's reasoning.
Kim 00:20
Okay, so this Wednesday, our math problem was 132 minus 96. How would you solve this problem? Pause. Solve the problem any way you want. It is 132 minus 96.
Pam 00:34
I'm going to go first today (unclear).
Kim 00:35
Okay.
Pam 00:36
Okay, cool. I think 96 is really close to 132, so I'm just thinking about 96 to 100 is 4. And then 100 to 132 is 32. And that 4 plus that 32 is 36. My final answer.
Kim 00:52
Alright.
Pam 00:53
What are you thinking about?
Kim 00:56
What am I thinking about? I'm thinking about 132 minus 100. That's not what you said was. Wasn't what you said.
Pam 01:07
Nope.
Kim 01:07
Okay, I didn't think so. I heard you say something about 6, and I was like, "Wait a second." So, 132 minus 100 is 32. But that's too much, so plus 4 more is 36.
Pam 01:20
Very nice. One more that I just want to throw out there.
Kim 01:23
Yeah.
Pam 01:24
Could be... 132 is eleven 12s.
Kim 01:29
Mmhm.
Pam 01:29
96 is... is that eight 12s.
Kim 01:31
Mmhm.
Pam 01:33
Nine 12s? Eight 12s? Eight 12s. Eight 12s. So, I've got eleven 12s minus eight 12s is three 12s.
Kim 01:40
Mmm!
Pam 01:41
Yeah, three 12s. Which is 36. So, we can use a little multiplication if we see some factors popping.
Kim 01:48
Nice!
Pam 01:49
Kind of fun!
Kim 01:50
Yeah! I should have seen that on the 96.
Pam 01:52
Nah, it's all good.
Kim 01:53
Okay. Alright, well, we can't wait to see what you do each week. Join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you think about the problems. And comment on each other's strategies.
Pam 02:01
We love it when you comment on each other's strategies. Ya'll, we post the problems on Wednesday around 7:00 pm Central. 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. Math is Figure-Out-Able!