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 - July 15, 2026
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In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 15, 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
[00:00:00.980] - Pam
Hey, fellow math-ers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
[00:00:07.410] - Kim
And I'm Kim.
[00:00:08.370] - Pam
And this 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 thinking. Kim, do you know I'm getting a lot of followers from India and from Africa? Like all over Africa. It's kind of (unclear).
[00:00:25.300] - Kim
Interesting. Very cool. Maybe they like MathStratChat.
[00:00:28.590] - Pam
There you go.
[00:00:29.810] - Kim
So, this week our problem is...
[00:00:31.250] - Pam
Who wouldn't?
[00:00:31.760] - Kim
I mean, everybody does.
[00:00:32.720] - Pam
Sorry.
[00:00:33.280] - Kim
That's okay. Our problem is 20 times 12 times 5. Solve the problem. Come on back and hear how we're going to solve it. 20 times 12 times 5.
[00:00:41.550] - Pam
Ba dum dum. Okay, I'm going to go first.
[00:00:44.130] - Kim
Okay.
[00:00:44.790] - Pam
20 times 5, I'm lovin', is 100. 100 times 12 is 1,200. Bam.fabulous.
[00:00:51.720] - Pam
What else you got?
[00:00:52.860] - Kim
I'm going to go with 20 times 12.
[00:00:55.180] - Pam
Okay.
[00:00:56.060] - Kim
Which is 240.
[00:00:57.760] - Pam
Yeah.
[00:00:58.420] - Kim
And I'm going to call that times 5, but I know times 10 would be 2,400. So, times 5 would be 1,200.
[00:01:06.560] - Pam
Nice. Because 2,400 cut in half is 1,200.
[00:01:09.080] - Kim
Yeah.
[00:01:09.380] - Pam
I like it. I had to say that out loud for my brain to take it in.
[00:01:12.700] - Kim
Alright, every week we pose problems on MathStratChat. We can't wait to hear what you do. Join us and let us know how you think about the problems, and then comment on each other's strategies.
[00:01:22.580] - Pam
I'll post the problems on Wednesdays around 7:00 p.m. Central. When you answer, tag me and use the hashtag #mathstratchat. Then you can 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 because Math is Figure-Out-Able!