The Math Learning Center Blog

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 7 For quite a few adults, fractions were a stumbling block in their education that caused many to lose their footing and begin to doubt their ability to make sense of math. But this doesn’t have to be the case for our students! Today on the podcast, we’re talking with Dr. Susan Empson about big ideas in fractions and how we can make them more meaningful for our...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 6 One of the most important shifts in students’ thinking during their elementary years is also one of the least talked about. I’m talking about the shift from additive to multiplicative thinking. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I suspect you’re not alone. Today, we talk with Dr. Anderson Norton about this important but underappreciated shift. More...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 5 At their best, programs with titles such as “gifted and talented” seek to provide enrichment to a subset of learners. That said, these initiatives can have unintended consequences, sending messages about which students are (or are not) capable doers of mathematics. What if there was a way educators could offer problems that extend grade-level learning to each and...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 4 Teaching is a complex and challenging job. It’s also one where educators experience moments of deep joy and satisfaction. What might it look like to build a culture of joy in an elementary mathematics classroom? Michigan State professor Amy Parks has some ideas. Today on the podcast we explore ways educators can construct joyful experiences for their young...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 3 When we say students are engaged in a discussion or a task, what do we really mean? There are observable behaviors that we often code as engaged, but those are just the things we can see or hear. What does engagement really mean, particularly for students who may not verbally participate on a regular basis? More Episodes RESOURCES Supporting Elementary Mathematics...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 2 If there were a list of social skills we hope to foster in children, empathy is likely close to the top. Empathy matters. It helps us understand how others are feeling so we can respond appropriately, and it can help teachers understand the way their students are experiencing school. Today on a podcast, we talk with Dr. Kara Imm about a practice referred to as an...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 1 What if it were possible to capture all of the words teachers said or thought about students and put them in word clouds that hovered over each student throughout the day? What impact might the words in the cloud have on the student’s learning experience? This is the question that Beth Kobett and Karen Karp pose to start their book about strength-based teaching...

We are sad to share the news that our co-founder, Dr. Eugene Maier, passed away earlier this month after a long illness. Gene was a pioneer in developing visual methods for understanding math, and had an unshakeable belief in the ability of each person to find their inner mathematician. Over the span of his distinguished career as a professor, author, and thought leader, Gene had a profound impact...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 1 | EPISODE 20 Many elementary educators recognize that timed memorization activities have the potential to seriously derail a child’s identity as a doer of mathematics. But if we want to build fluency, what alternatives are there? Today on the podcast, we talk with Lori Bluemel, a curriculum consultant at The Math Learning Center, about a play-based alternative for building...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 1 | EPISODE 19 Participation is an important part of learning to make sense of mathematics. But ask yourself, what counts as participation? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Juanita Silva from Texas State University about an expanded definition of participation and what it might mean for how we engage with and value our students’ thinking. More Episodes RESOURCES Todos...