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 18, 2026
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In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on February 18, 2026.
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 our podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam Harris.
Kim 0:07
And I'm Kim Montague.
Pam 0:08
And this is a MathStratChat episode because we're going to chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I'll 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 0:19
Okay, so this Wednesday, the math problem was 2 to the what power is 64? How would you solve this problem? Pause, solve the problem however we'd like, and then come on back to hear how we're going to solve the problem.
Pam 0:32
Bam. Alright, you choose.
Kim 0:34
You can go.
Pam 0:36
Okay, so I could think about 64 as 32 times 2.
Kim 0:44
Mmhm.
Pam 0:44
You know what? I'm actually going to think about it as 16 times 4 because I know that 16 is 2^4. I've just done that enough
Kim 0:52
Mmhm.
Pam 0:52
I thought... I was thinking do I know 32 is... No, I'll have to think about 16.
Kim 1:07
Yeah.
Pam 1:07
So, 2^4 times 2^2 is 2^6.
Kim 1:07
Cool.
Pam 1:08
So, 6.
Kim 1:08
It's funny. I wouldn't have thought about whatever you just said.
Pam 1:08
16.
Kim 1:08
Yeah, I immediately went to 8 times 8.
Pam 1:08
Okay.
Kim 1:08
So, same sort of thing. So, 2^3 plus 2^3 is 2^6.
Pam 1:08
2^3 times 2^3.
Kim 1:08
Yeah. Oh.
Pam 1:08
You said plus. It's okay.
Kim 1:09
I'm sorry.
Pam 1:12
I think you were probably adding the exponents.
Kim 1:17
Yeah, I was.
Pam 1:23
Alright, nice. Y'all, we can't wait to hear how you think about the problems. Join us on MathStratChat, and let us know how you are thinking about them. We can't wait to see what you do. Comment on each other strategies. I just totally mangled that, but it's okay.
Kim 1:34
It's okay. Pam, post the problems on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central. When you answer, tag her and use the hashtag MathStratChat.
Pam 1:42
Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. Y'all, thanks for being part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement. Math is Figure-Out-Able!