Mathsational

  Are you looking for innovative ways to get your students talking, thinking, and collaborating more effectively in your math classes? Look no further! Engaging students in rich discussions is key to deepening their understanding and making learning truly stick. I've gathered some discussion strategies that can transform your classroom into a hub of mathematical exploration. These approaches are designed to encourage participation, critical thinking, and peer learning. Let's dive into some strategies you can implement right away: 1. Which One Doesn't Belong? This versatile strategy serves as a fantastic icebreaker and a critical thinking exercise. Present four images, numbers, or expressions, and ask students to identify which one doesn't belong and, more importantly, why . There are no wrong answers, only justifications! This encourages all students to participate and articulate their reasoning.  Check out this website to get you started: WODB by Talking Math with Kids...

  As a high school math teacher, I’ve lost track of how many times students follow a procedure perfectly one day and then forget it the next. They can imitate steps, plug in numbers into formulas, and produce answers, but when faced with a new type of problem, they hesitate. This disconnect isn’t because they’re “bad at math.” It’s because too often, math instruction relies on memorization rather than genuine thinking.  The Problem with Mimicking In too many classrooms, students depend solely on recall, using the same strategy for all problems regardless of its appropriateness. While memorization has its role, it shouldn't be the final goal. Without deeper engagement, students miss out on the flexible and creative aspects of mathematics that help them solve real-world problems and face new challenges with confidence. Three Levels of Questioning The solution? If we want students to genuinely understand and remember mathematical concepts, we must be deliberate about the types of...

Last week, the math education world lost a true light, my #MTBoS #iTeachMath #TMC friend and fellow statistics teacher, Shelli. Many of you may know her from her blog, Teaching Statistics , where she generously shared lessons, reflections, resources, and encouragement for over a decade. If you’ve ever taught AP Statistics, led a data talk, or explored a new classroom activity with excitement, chances are, Shelli had a hand in inspiring that work. Shelli was more than a brilliant teacher; she was a mentor, a collaborator, and a quiet force who pushed others to grow. She helped me become a more creative and confident statistics teacher. Through her blog, her tweets, and countless conversations, Shelli constantly reminded me of the value of thinking deeply, reflecting often, and staying curious. Some of my favorite memories with Shelli came from the virtual spaces she helped build, the book clubs, the math teacher meet-ups, and the blogging challenges. These gatherings were more than just...

Over the years, Mathsational has been my space to share the creative math teaching strategies, games, and tech tools that bring my high school classroom to life. Whether it was a new twist on a card game for algebra review or reflections on using screencasting as formative assessment, this blog has been a place for me to connect, grow, and hopefully inspire others. Lately, though, my role in education has been evolving. I’ve found myself increasingly passionate about educational technology, not just in math, but across all subject areas and grade levels. I’ve been working with educators to integrate digital tools that foster critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration K–12. And I’ve been thinking… it might be time for a fresh space to share those experiences more intentionally. So here’s what’s next: 🌟 I’m starting a new blog focused on K–12 educational technology integration across all content areas. It will be a place to explore best practices, spotlight tools, reflect on ...

In my last post I shared how I hope to use screencasting on a regular basis (maybe weekly) for formal assessment. I think I can be successful with this since it will become a routine where students improve as the year progresses. And screencasting builds all sorts of skills in addition to just content. There are technology skills of course, but there is also a speaking and writing component as well as planning.  However, I think I’d most like to include more authentic assessments and projects. These make great online assessments because the solutions are not Googleable and every student will come up with a different solution.  I’m lucky that I typically teach content that lends itself well to this type of assignment.  I teach statistics and consumer math. For statistics, I can ask learners to create visual data displays and run inference tests by choosing a random sample from a larger provided data set.  Statistics problems are great because you can do so much with j...