Math and Other Things

Keep Indiana Learning
  • 5.0 (6)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join us as we explore math - and other things with educators and educational thought leaders. In my 28+ years of teaching, I've learned A LOT about teaching, leading, and learning! In an interesting turn of events, I have found a true love in math education, and I'm excited to share what I know - but more importantly what other educators and leaders know about math...and other things!

  1. A New Era of Math and Other Things with Ryan Flessner

    3D AGO

    A New Era of Math and Other Things with Ryan Flessner

    Welcome back! I haven’t recorded since October of 2024 for a variety of reasons including but not limited to moving into the position of Director at Keep Indiana Learning, being fully immersed in work in schools and my own learning, continuing to battle getting my PhD completed,  and facilitating two teenagers in their final years of high school. It’s all been very busy, but I don’t have a single thing to complain about. Over the summer, I was immersed in my own professional learning, working with new school districts, planning some research projects, and having many conversations with school and district leaders about the math teaching they see and hear. There are just so many questions about what we should be doing in math class; so, I’m working on creating a math resource page on our KINL website and am bringing back the podcast to try to provide answers to the many questions I see, create some clarity around many misconceptions I hear about the teaching and learning of mathematics, and bust some myths. All in doing so, I want educators to feel inspired to go out and do the good work all our students need us to be doing. I asked my favorite thinking partner and colleague, Ryan Flessner to help kick off this new era of Math and Other Things, so hopefully you’ll learn a thing or two and enjoy!

    34 min
  2. Top 10 Math (and Other Things) in 2023 with Ryan Flessner

    12/21/2023

    Top 10 Math (and Other Things) in 2023 with Ryan Flessner

    In this episode Ryan Flessner and I recap our favorite math (and other things) moments of 2023. We talk about people who inspired us, products that inspired us, and it was a lovely time to sit and reflect about our year and realize how incredibly grateful we are to do the work we do and continue to learn side by side with so many different educators. It was a really good year. Tons of math and tons of other things in this jam packed episode! Special thank you to all those listed below who contributed to our incredible year! @KristenMAcosta @gfletchy @drnickimath @lynseymathed @TracyZager @ZanerBloser @JLMillerIC @MakeMathMoments @Mr.Orr_geek @MathletePearce @4ryandent @CFLM_math @rickwormeli2 @fawnpnguyen @TammyMcMorrow @pgliljedahl @SteveWyborney @PiBaker18 @KnappMelinda @MandyMathEd @SueO’ConnellMath @JBayWilliams @MagmaMath  @MagmaMathLeslie @CELLuindy @EducateIN @ButlerCOE @LauraandKarina @bscribb @mccainm @CloverParkSD @MathEdLeaders @NCTM @IndianaCTM @pwharris

    46 min
  3. Connecting What We Learn As Instructional Leaders to Our Schools

    12/06/2023

    Connecting What We Learn As Instructional Leaders to Our Schools

    In this episode, I interview Laura Tomas, an instructional coach from south Florida who I originally met at the Building Thinking Classrooms Conference in June 2023. Laura was one of the facilitators and a volunteer at the conference.  She’s been in education for 32 years and simply embraces all she can about the teaching and learning of mathematics and talks to anyone she can to learn more. Her podcast, Learning Through Math  is a favorite of mine to listen to. She and her co-host, Karina, interview guests and host a virtual book club. Even after 32 years, Laura realizes she still has so much to learn and jumps at the opportunity to do so. This episode is a little bit more about the other things in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She tells me three things that stood out to her from the NCTM and NCSM conferences in Washington D.C. this fall, and we talk about how we,  as instructional leaders, better understand our roles as coaches and consultants and how we transfer what we learn at conferences to the schools and classrooms for which we are serving. Laura does an awesome job at summarizing her three standout sessions and thinking hard about three specific takeaways from those sessions. We talk about how we are both still learning (or should I say re-learning) math, the importance of developing math identity of ourselves and our students, the fact it is ok to change your answer, the fact we can relate all things math to Ted Lasso, Friends, and Seinfeld, and so much more. Ted Lasso dart scene @_CrystalMWatson @LBrookePowers @MakeMathMoments @JohnSanGiovanni @mathcoachrivera @JBayWilliams @joboaler @SkipFennell

    46 min
  4. Recapping the Start of NCSM with Brendan Scribner

    10/30/2023

    Recapping the Start of NCSM with Brendan Scribner

    Show Notes: Live in Washington D.C. where I’m so lucky to have Brendan Scribner joining me for a recap of the first 1.25 days of NCSM 2023.  NCSM stands for National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and you can find everything about them at https://www.mathedleadership.org/. This is an organization that is committed to understanding the role of math leaders, finding ways to connect those who guide teachers through the teaching of mathematics, and this conference is one that I try really hard not to ever miss. This is Brendan’s first NCSM, and he has a lot of thoughtful insight for someone who has just begun providing professional development for teachers, and I enjoyed hearing his take and reflecting on my takeaways, as one who has been working with teachers, coaches, and administrators for several years, while listening to him.  The math in this episode is limited - really we tried to reason why NCTM does not offer lunch options but NCSM does and that has to be because of size. But let’s face it, we are talking about math all the time. Tiles in the bathroom in the shape of a cool parallelogram? We’re talking about it! The other things are thinking about how we are preparing coaches beyond training in formal coaching models (e.g. Jim Knight), what it means to humanize mathematics and teachers of mathematics, planning meaningful professional development, thinking about how we can connect how kids learn and what kids need to be successful to how teachers learn and what teachers need to be successful, and so much more! @bscribb @dh11235 @lynseymathed @ryanflessner  @mccainm @MandyMathEd @LieslMcconchie

    29 min
  5. NCTM Reflections About Two-Thirds-ish of the Way Through with Brendan Scribner, Melisa McCain, and Ryan Flessner

    10/28/2023

    NCTM Reflections About Two-Thirds-ish of the Way Through with Brendan Scribner, Melisa McCain, and Ryan Flessner

    Live in Washington D.C. where I’m so lucky to have Brendan Scribner, Melisa McCain, and Ryan Flessner joining me to talk about what we are learning, what’s standing out, what we’re thinking about, and all the things math and the teaching and learning of math. We talk about all the people who are inspiring us, do some very rough draft math, and have a lot of laughs.  The math in this episode is figuring out how long we’ve been at NCTM (hence the title). This is classic rough draft math that includes complex fractions, number lines, unitizing and all the things. The other things are thinking about who the instructional leaders are, what exactly is research, the role of a math specialist, positioning yourself as a learner EVEN when you are the presenter, and so much more! Enjoy! @mccain  @bscribb @MandyMathEd @TimBrzezinski @SteveWyborney @pgliljedahl @themathguru @maththerapy @PiBaker18 @KnappMelinda @Jeffharker314 @mathgeek76 @jennalaib @kassiaowedekind @JLMillerIC @SkipFennell

    33 min
  6. Reporting from NCTM 2023 In Washington D.C.

    10/27/2023

    Reporting from NCTM 2023 In Washington D.C.

    In this episode, my partner in life and work, Ryan Flessner and I recap some of our highlights of NCTM 2023 so far. We don’t talk about actual math a lot (although there has been a LOT of conversation about math!) We did, however, talk about lots of other things that are important and impact the teaching and learning of mathematics in our schools. Thoughts that come up: Appreciating the time to be together and collaborate with others that you don’t work with on a regular basis and the power of having a mix of people in the room from whom you can learn. How you get to hear from someone that has a big name or big social media presence, but in the audience, you hear about how that connects to the work that’s actually happening in schools. How fun Game Night was to be a part of this year. The fact there are so many great resources out there backed by decades of research, and it’s important to know what they are and how they can help you. What it means to Create, Inspire, and Execute. It’s important to find your people and learn and grow with them. @iteachthewhy @AnnEliseRecord @MandyMathEd @drnickimath @SueOConnellMath @cjdrake9505 @ZanerBloser  @dave_chwalik @Wipebook @MagmaMath @MagmaMathLeslie @mccain  @bscribb  @TimBrzezinski @dave_chwalik @JamilaDugan

    27 min
  7. Live from Franklin Community High School with Peter Liljedahl

    10/24/2023

    Live from Franklin Community High School with Peter Liljedahl

    In this episode, we are recording live from the Franklin Community High School Performing Arts Center with Peter Liljedahl. We recorded at the end of the first day of the first ever Building Thinking Classrooms Conference, and we had a great time. Peter told some great stories, was very insightful about how children learn, and provides some unique perspective of how to encourage teachers to try new things in their classrooms - and SO MUCH MORE! The math in this episode includes talking about multiplying and dividing (we did lots of that at the beginning), the non-benefits of asking students to write numerals over and over again, and why timed-tests and “partner grading” maybe aren’t the best moves in math class. The other things is how we reach our English Language Learners, finding your person to learn alongside with,  how we reach those who might be reluctant to try new things, and so much more.

    59 min
  8. On Building Your Own Bridge to Become the Best Teacher You Can Be with Tammy McMorrow

    06/25/2023

    On Building Your Own Bridge to Become the Best Teacher You Can Be with Tammy McMorrow

    In this episode, I get to talk to Tammy McMorrow who  lives in Boise, Idaho and has been teaching first grade for 29 years.  She’s a self-described mimicker - and was so good at following rules and doing exactly what she was told to do, she was valedictorian of her class. In this interview she does an incredible job at speaking vulnerably, sharing her learning process, and how she finally found what she was looking for to become the math teacher she wanted to be. In doing so, she has helped thousands of others as she started the Building Thinking Classrooms Facebook group for K-2 which now has over 7,500 members. I’m one of them, and she does an awesome job moderating and collaborating with this group. The math in this episode is the beauty of geometry and shapes the fact there are MANY different ways to solve problems and when people do so, that’s actually a really good thing! The other things in this episode are the power of being vulnerable; being creative in trying new things; understanding that as a teacher, everything doesn’t always have to be perfect; why the process of learning math is just as important as the math itself, and so much more. Books and articles discussed in this episode: Rigelman, N. R. (2007). Fostering mathematical thinking and problem solving: The teacher’s role. Teaching Children Mathematics, 13(6), 308–314. https://doi.org/10.5951/TCM.13.6.0308 Math is Figureoutable - Pam Harris The 5 Practices in Practice Intentional Talk Productive Math Struggle Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics

    51 min
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About

Join us as we explore math - and other things with educators and educational thought leaders. In my 28+ years of teaching, I've learned A LOT about teaching, leading, and learning! In an interesting turn of events, I have found a true love in math education, and I'm excited to share what I know - but more importantly what other educators and leaders know about math...and other things!

Information

  • Creator
    Keep Indiana Learning
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Keep Indiana Learning
  • Show Website
    Math and Other Things

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