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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 - November 5, 2025
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 5, 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
Pam 0:00
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
Kim 0:06
And I'm Kim.
Pam 0:07
And this episode is a MathStratChat episode because 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 thinking.
Kim 0:20
Okay, so this Wednesday, the problem was 15 times 36. How would you like to solve this problem? Pause the podcast. Solve it however you like. The problem is 15 times
Kim 0:32
36.
Pam 0:33
Alright, you go first.
Pam 0:36
Pretty please.
Kim 0:36
Okay, alright. I'm going to go with 10 times 36 is 360. And then I still have 5 times 36, which is going to be half as much as a 360.
Pam 0:50
Okay.
Kim 0:51
So, that is 180. So, then I have to add 360 and 180. And that is 540.
Pam 0:59
Nice.
Pam 1:01
So, I would call that a Five is Half of Ten strategy.
Kim 1:03
Mmhm.
Pam 1:03
And that's a brilliant use of it to get to 15. Cool.
Kim 1:08
Mmhm.
Pam 1:08
A version of that strategy is to do 1.5 times 36.
Kim 1:15
Mmhm.
Pam 1:15
So, one 36 is 36. And half of 36 is 18. So, I'm going to add 36 and 18 to get 54.
Kim 1:23
Mmhm.
Pam 1:23
But 1.5 times 36, I need to scale that up times 10 to get to 15 times 36. So, I scale the 54 times 10 to get to the 540.
Kim 1:33
Nice. I like it.
Pam 1:35
Cool. Alright.
Pam 1:39
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.
Kim 1:47
It's ridiculous. Pam posts the problems on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central. When you answer, tag her and use the hashtag MathStratChat.
Pam 1:56
Then
Pam 1:56
join us here 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!