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 14, 2025
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 14, 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 00:00
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to this podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
Kim 00:07
And I'm Kim.
Pam 00:08
And this is a MathStratChat episode because we're chatting 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 thinking.
Kim 00:20
Okay, so this Wednesday our problem was 16 times seven-eighths. How would you like to solve this problem? Pause the podcast. Solve it however way you want, and then come on back and listen to 16 times seven-eighths.
Pam 00:32
Dun dun dun.
Kim 00:34
Alright, I'm going to go first this time.
Pam 00:35
Alright.
Kim 00:37
I'm going to use an Over strategy with fractions, so I'm going to say 16 times 1 would be 16.
Pam 00:44
Mmhm.
Kim 00:46
But then I have too much, so I'm going to go back an eighth of 16, which is 2. So, then 16 minus 2 is 14.
Pam 00:57
Bam. I like it.
Kim 00:59
Favorite! (unclear) and Over.
Pam 01:01
Alright, I think I'm going to find 16 times seven-eighths by finding 16 times 1/8, and then scaling that times 7. So, 1/8 of 16 is 2. And I have to scale that times 7, and 2 times 7 is 14.
Kim 01:19
Nice.
Pam 01:20
I was also kind of wondering if I would Double and Halve, but I don't know that 87.5... Is that right? 87.5? Yeah. I don't know that 87.5 is going to double very nicely. 16 will certainly halve nicely, right?
Kim 01:37
Yeah.
Pam 01:38
I could Double and Halve because 16 will halve all the way down to 2. So, I'm for sure can do that. Um... Yeah, not going to though.
Kim 01:49
about the... You said it was 87.5. So, it's got me thinking about the missing 12.5%. I'm thinking
Pam 01:59
I mean, it's kind of what you did, right? You found the missing 1/8.
Kim 02:02
Mmhm.
Pam 02:04
Yeah. Oh, are you like going to Double and Halve the missing 12.5?
Kim 02:08
Mmhm.
Pam 02:10
How does that help? How does Doubling and Halving the missing help?
Kim 02:13
I want to think about that.
Pam 02:15
Oh. Well, I'll let you.
Kim 02:16
Yeah. Okay, so we can't wait to see what you all do every week. Please join us on MathStratChat and let us know how you think about the problems and comment on each other's strategies.
Pam 02:26
Yeah, we post the problems on Wednesday around 7:00 pm Central. When you answer, tag me and use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then, join us to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Math is Figure-Out-Able!