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What Is The Making Math Moments That Matter Podcast?
In a nutshell, we want The Making Math Moments That Matter Podcast to be a resource that all educators who teach mathematics can turn to in order to learn from others in the mathematics education space. Each episode typically involves Jon and I conversing about ideas in math teaching and learning, Math Mentoring Moments with teachers who join us on the show for a coaching call, and interviews with influencers in the mathematics education space.
We would love to explore your story in mathematics education, the challenges you may have experienced along the way, and the current projects you are currently working on to raise awareness of all the great things happening with our Math Moment Maker Community of listeners.
If you want to get more of a feel for the style of the show, you can listen to previous episodes right from this webpage or, take them with you by listening in on all common podcast platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.
Interview Structure
Each interview is intended to be a free-flowing conversation.
However, early in the call we like to help listeners get a better sense of your story. This will include these three questions early on in the conversation:
- Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your math teaching story/journey?
- What inspired you to become a math educator / researcher / involved in mathematics education?
- When you think back to your own education experience, what memorable math moment has stuck with you?
Framing how you might respond to each of those three (3) questions ahead of time can be helpful for making things flow into the next section of the chat.
We then typically send you some high-level questions related to your specific work ahead of time. The conversation will dictate which pre-planned questions we discuss in the interview as well as any new questions that might arise.
Share Your Current Work
Consider your work and what might provide value for the Math Moment Maker Community:
- Are you currently promoting a book?
- Releasing a new podcast?
- Publishing a new research paper?
- Launching a new project or tool?
- Something else?
Be ready to share details with our audience (i.e.: website url, social media handle(s), etc.) to ensure they know where they can learn more about you and your work.
If interested, we would be happy to run a contest for a copy of your new book, resource, tool, etc.
Just let us know!
Interview Logistical Details
To ensure you have what you need to connect with us for an interview, we’ve created a list of the most important details:
- The interview will be audio only conducted via a web based tool called Zencastr via a link we would send in a follow-up email.
- The total time commitment would be approximately one hour.
- Secure yourself a microphone that connects to your computer. You don’t need to buy one at all if you have earbuds with a microphone attached. (For example I use the pair of earbuds that came with my iPhone). Note that sometimes bluetooth headsets can cause problems with delay, sound quality, etc. We’d recommend getting “wired in” if you can.
- Try to avoid using a tablet or Chromebook for this call. Our recording software isn’t a big fan of them and does much better with a desktop or laptop as the audio is recorded locally in your own computer web browser.
- Ensure that at the time of the call you are connected to high speed internet and using an updated web browser like Google Chrome or Firefox. Sadly, Internet Explorer and Safari don’t play well with our recording software.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if any of this is unclear or if you have additional questions about compatible technology.
We’d love to help!
NEXT STEPS…
Are you interested in joining us for an interview?
Contact us and we’ll send on our booking calendar to reserve you a date and time that works best for you!
Listen To Our Recent Episodes:
Episode #280: Designing Effective Math Professional Development in 4 Stages
Each and every year, district and school mathematics leadership teams spend countless hours crafting lofty goals and monitoring plans, but struggle to state measurable improvement in effective teacher practice and student gains.
If you’ve ever wondered:
– How can I create a pd action plan that teachers view as useful and not “just adding to their plates”?
– We feel like we have many of the necessary pieces, but we aren’t clear on how to put them together to form an effective math program.
– How can I structure my PD so that I reach more teachers on a limited budget?
– How can I get my educators to “buy-in” to using research based teaching methods routinely?
– How can I get my teachers to become lifelong learners and take more ownership in their professional development?
Then this is the episode for you!
In this episode you’ll learn the 4-stage process to craft pd action plans that bring alignment to fractured organizations, highlights bright spots to spread effective math teaching practices more quickly, and inspires more teachers to become lifelong learners.
Episode #279: Beyond Fairy Dust: A Math Consultant’s Journey to Making Impactful Change
Ever felt like you’re just “sprinkling fairy dust” in your educational role without making a real impact?
This Math Mentoring is for every educator leader, math coach, or math coordinator grappling with the challenge of supporting teachers making meaningful changes in their teaching methods. It delves into the real-world struggles and victories of a math consultant navigating the complexities of influencing educational practices across multiple districts.
Episode #278: How To Give Effective Feedback In Elementary Mathematics Classrooms – A Math Mentoring Moment
When you shift your teaching practices from “I do, we do, you” to a problem based approach that engages students to think first you will often be led to question how you give feedback to students.
In this episode we speak with Diane Hamilton, an elementary classroom teacher from Toronto Ontario.
Diane has been implementing the 14 strategies from Peter Liljedahl’s book Building Thinking Classrooms and is here to dig into how to give effective feedback to her students instead of grades.
Stick around and you’ll:
Discover innovative self-assessment techniques that empower students to take charge of their learning in mathematics, turning passive learners into active participants.
Learn how to develop and communicate effective success criteria, a crucial step in providing feedback that genuinely enhances student understanding and performance.
Gain insights into structuring self-assessment and growth-focused activities into your weekly routine, ensuring consistent student progress and deeper comprehension of mathematical concepts.
This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we chat with a teacher like you who is working through some problems of practice and together we brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Episode #277: Banishing Boredom: How #MathPlay Breathes Life into Dull Math Classes
Ever wondered how to transform math class into every student’s favorite subject? Join us in this episode as we dive into the world of #MathPlay with Libo Valencia, a passionate high school math teacher from New York and author who believes in shaping the future of mathematics through engaging and playful teaching strategies.
Explore the transformative power of Math Play with Libo Valencia, where we unravel how this approach can instill a lasting love for mathematics in every student. Discover why math class should be a highlight for everyone, and learn practical ways to infuse elements of Math Play in both elementary and high school classrooms.
Your journey to creating a math class that students love starts here – hit play and ignite the joy of mathematics in your classroom!
Episode #276: How Can I Battle My Insecurities When Teaching Through Tasks & Problem Based Math Lessons – A Math Mentoring Moment
How can you transform your middle school classroom with problem-based lessons while overcoming personal insecurities and teaching doubts?
In this mentoring moment episode we speak with Joanne Ward, a middle school teacher from Taipei Taiwan who is tackling a common challenge faced by educators: the uncertainty and lack of confidence in implementing problem-based lessons.
Stick around and you’ll learn practical strategies to boost confidence in teaching with problem-based lessons.
You’ll also learn a comprehensive understanding of the “real flipped classroom” concept, enabling structured and effective problem-based learning that captivates and educates your students.
This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we chat with a teacher like you who is working through some problems of practice and together we brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Episode #275: How To Align Your Math Classroom Teaching Practices With Your Philosophy – A Math Mentoring Moment
Have you ever wondered how to ensure your teaching actions align seamlessly with your educational philosophies? How close is your practice with your preach?
In this episode we speak with Felicia Favela, a veteran 8th grade pre-algebra teacher from Phoenix Arizona who knows that in the realm of education, consistency between what we say and what we do is pivotal but still wonders how closely she’s aligned.
Stick around and you’ll hear us uncover the root cause of why Felicia feels that she’s not aligned with her philosophies, how to identify when students are primed to progress to new challenges, maximizing their learning potential, and learn to harness the power of problem-based lessons as a tool for formative assessment, enhancing your ability to cater to individual student needs.
This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we chat with a teacher like you who is working through some problems of practice and together we brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Episode #274: Where should we focus our district’s math PD goals for the rest of this year? Next year?
Are you struggling to turn your ambitious math educational goals into tangible results in your classroom or district? Have you been asking: Where should I focus the efforts of my district math pd plan for the remainder of this year and following years?
This episode of “Making Math Moments That Matter” is crucial for educators and district leaders of mathematics who are seeking practical strategies to elevate the impact of their teaching and planning. By focusing on goal setting and planning in mathematics education, it addresses the common challenge of aligning educational objectives with measurable outcomes, ensuring that your teaching methods lead to significant, positive changes in student learning and engagement.
Episode #273: Navigating the Blend: Unifying Grades in Standards-Based Grading – A Math Mentoring Moment
Explore the often unspoken struggles that even seasoned math teachers encounter when grappling with concepts in middle and high school grades. Gain insights into the power of anecdotal assessments for both understanding students and refining your own assessment practices. Discover practical approaches to implementing standards-based grading without getting lost in individual grades, and unravel the true purpose behind assigning grades. In this Mentoring Moment episode we bring back Nicholas Rhodes to continue exploring his pebbles in Standards Based Grading.
This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we chat with a teacher like you who is working through some problems of practice and together we brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Episode #272: How To Consolidate & Close Your Building Thinking Classroom Lesson [Part 2]
As educators of mathematics around the world embrace the ideas shared in Building Thinking Classrooms, more and more students are being positioned to think collaboratively during math class instead of simply mimicking steps, rules, and procedures.
While this shift in mathematics teaching practice is a massive leap in the right direction, our work does not stop once students solve the thinking task at hand.
Rather, the real work for the facilitator now begins.
Join Peter Liljedahl, Jon Orr, and Kyle Pearce from the opening session of the 2023 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit as they discuss one of the most important, yet often overlooked parts of an effective problem based mathematics lesson: the closing.
This is part 2 of the hour-long Keynote session from this past year’s Virtual Summit in November.
Episode #271: The Crucial Role of Educational Leadership in Math – An Interview with Rob Baier
Curious about the transformative power of leadership in mathematics education? Ever felt the challenge of aligning your strategic plan when it seems like you’re constantly putting out fires? Join us in this episode where we unravel the critical importance of seeking support in leadership roles and dive into a conversation with Rob Baier, Executive Director of Mathematics and STEM at Pittsburgh Public Schools.
If you’re an educator navigating the complexities of coaching, consulting, or directing, this episode is your guide. Rob Baier, co-host of the Debate Math Podcast, shares insights on staying aligned to your strategic plan amidst chaos, the significance of andragogy in leading mathematics educators, and the key to optimizing coaching and professional learning models.
Gain a profound understanding of why seeking appropriate support is crucial for educators stepping into leadership roles.
Discover the transformative potential of andragogy in leading mathematics educators, offering a fresh perspective for educational leaders.
Uncover actionable insights on reviewing coaching models, ensuring they optimally serve educators, and staying aligned with district vision and strategic plans.
Ready to elevate your leadership game in mathematics education? Click now to listen and lead with newfound passion and impact. Don’t miss this chance to reshape your approach and empower both educators and students in your district!
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JOIN THE COMMUNITY
KYLE PEARCE & JON ORR
