Rounding Up

Tutita Casa, Anna Strauss, Jenna Waggoner & Mhret Wondmagegne, Developing Student Agency: The Strategy Showcase ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 7

When students aren't sure how to approach a problem, many of them default to asking the teacher for help. This tendency is one of the central challenges of teaching: walking the fine line between offering support and inadvertently cultivating dependence.

In this episode, we're talking with a team of educators about a practice called the strategy showcase, designed to foster collaboration and help students engage with their peers' ideas.

Tutita Casa is an associate professor of...

Christy Pettis & Terry Wyberg, The Case for Choral Counting with Fractions ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 6

How can educators help students recognize similarities in the way whole numbers and fractions behave? And are there ways educators can build on students' understanding of whole numbers to support their understanding of fractions?

The answer from today's guests is an emphatic yes. Today we're talking with Terry Wyberg and Christy Pettis about the ways choral counting can support students' understanding of fractions.

Terry Wyberg is a senior lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University...

Ramsey Merritt, Improving Students' Turn & Talk Experience ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 5

Most educators know what a turn and talk is—but are your students excited to do them?

In this episode, we put turn and talks under a microscope. We'll talk with Ramsey Merritt from the Harvard Graduate School of Education about ways to revamp and better scaffold turn and talks to ensure your students are having productive mathematical discussions.

Ramsey Merritt is a lecturer in education at Brandeis University and the director of leadership development for Reading (MA) Public Schools. He has taught an...

Pam Harris, Exploring the Power & Purpose of Number Strings ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 4

I've struggled when I have a new strategy I want my students to consider and despite my best efforts, it just doesn't surface organically. While I didn't want to just tell my students what to do, I wasn't sure how to move forward. Then I discovered number strings.

Today, we're talking with Pam Harris about the ways number strings enable teachers to introduce new strategies while maintaining opportunities for students to discover important relationships.

Pam Harris, founder and CEO of Math...

Kim Montague, I Have, You Need: The Utility Player of Instructional Routines ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 3

In sports, a utility player is someone who can play multiple positions competently, providing flexibility and adaptability. From my perspective, the routine I have, you need may just be the utility player of classroom routines.

Today we're talking with Kim Montague about I have, you need and the ways it can be used to support everything from fact fluency to an understanding of algebraic properties.

Kim Montague is a podcast cohost and content lead at Math is Figure-out-able™. Sh...

Sue Looney, Same but Different: Encouraging Students to Think Flexibly ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 2

Sometimes students struggle in math because they fail to make connections. For too many students, every concept feels like its own entity without any connection to the larger network of mathematical ideas.

On the podcast today, we're talking with Dr. Sue Looney about the powerful same and different routine. We explore the ways that teachers can use this routine to help students identify connections and foster flexible reasoning.

Sue Looney holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialty...

Christopher Danielson, Which One Doesn't Belong? Routine: Fostering Flexible Reasoning ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 1

The idea of comparing items and looking for similarities and differences has been explored by many math educators. Christopher Danielson has taken this idea to new heights. Inspired by the Sesame Street song "One of These Things (Is Not Like the Others)," Christopher wrote the book Which One Doesn't Belong? In this episode, we'll ask Christopher about the routine of the same name and the features that make it such a powerful learning experience for students.

Christopher Danielson started teaching in 1994 in...

William Zahner, Understanding the Role of Language in Math Classrooms ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 17

How can educators understand the relationship between language and the mathematical concepts and skills students engage with in their classrooms?

And how might educators think about the mathematical demands and the language demands of tasks when planning their instruction?

In this episode, we discuss these questions with Bill Zahner, director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University.

Bill Zahner is a professor in the mathematics department at San Diego State...

Tisha Jones, Assessment as a Shared Journey: Cultivating Partnerships with Families & Caregivers ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 16

Families and caregivers play an essential role in students' success in school and in shaping their identities as learners. Therefore, establishing strong partnerships with families and caregivers is crucial for equitable teaching and learning. This episode is designed to help educators explore the importance of collaborating with families and caregivers and learn strategies for shifting to asset-based communication.

Tisha Jones is the senior manager of assessment at The Math Learning Center. Previously, Tisha taught math to elementary and middle school...

Ryan Flessner, What If I Don't Understand Their Thinking? ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 15

"What do I do if I don't understand my student's strategy?" This is a question teachers grapple with constantly, particularly when conferring with students during class. How educators respond in moments like these can have a profound impact on students' learning and their mathematical identities.

In this episode, we talk with Ryan Flessner from Butler University about what educators can say or do when faced with this situation.

Ryan Flessner is a professor of teacher education in the College of Education...

Dr. Cathery Yeh, Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 14

What meaning does the term neurodiverse convey and how might it impact a student's learning experience?

And how can educators think about the work of designing environments and experiences that support neurodiverse students learning mathematics?

In this episode, we discuss these questions with Dr. Cathery Yeh, a professor in STEM education from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Cathery Yeh is an assistant professor in STEM education and a core faculty member in the Center for Asian...

Assessment in the Early Years Guest: Shelly Scheafer

Mike (00:09.127) Welcome to the podcast Shelley. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Shelly (00:12.956) Thank you, Mike, for having me.

Mike (00:16.078) So I'd like to start with this question. What makes the work of assessing younger children, particularly students in grades K through two, different from assessing students in upper elementary grades or even beyond?

Shelly (00:30.3) There's a lot to that question, Mike. I think there's some obvious things. So effective assessment of our youngest learners is different...

Dr. Victoria Jacobs, Examining the Meaning and Purpose of our Questions ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 12

Mike (00:03): The questions educators ask their students matter. They can have a profound impact on students' thinking and the shape of their mathematical identities. Today we're examining different types of questions, their purpose and the meaning students make of them. Joining us for this conversation is Dr. Vicki Jacobs from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Welcome to the podcast, Vicki. I'm really excited to talk with you today.

Vicki (00:33): Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Dr. Karisma Morton, Understanding and Supporting Math Identity ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 11

In this episode, we will explore the connection between identity and mathematics learning. We'll examine the factors that may have shaped our own identities and those of our students. We'll also discuss ways to practice affirming students' identities in mathematics instruction.

Dr. Karisma Morton is an assistant professor of mathematics education at the University of North Texas. Her research explores elementary preservice teachers' ability to teach mathematics in equitable ways, particularly through the development of their critical racial consciousness. Findings from her research have...

Sue Kim and Myuriel Von Aspen, Building Productive Partnerships ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 10

In this episode, we examine the practice of building productive student partnerships. We'll talk about ways educators can cultivate joyful and productive partnerships and the role the educator plays once students are engaged with their partner.

Sue Kim is an advocate for children's thinking and providing them a voice in learning mathematics. She received her teaching credential and master of education from Biola University in Southern California. She has been an educator for 15 years and has taught and coached across TK–5th grade cl...

Dr. Kasi Allen, Breaking the Cycle of Math Trauma ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 9

If you are an educator, you've likely heard people say things like "I'm a math person." While this may make you cringe, if you dig a bit deeper, many people can identify specific experiences that convinced them that this was true. In fact, some of you might secretly wonder if you are a math person as well. Today we're talking with Dr. Kasi Allen about math trauma: what it is and how educators can take steps to address it.

Kasi Allen serves as...

Dr. Rebecca Ambrose, Helping Our Students Build a Meaningful Understanding of Geometry ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 8

As a field, mathematics education has come a long way over the past few years in describing the ways students come to understand number, quantity, place value, and even fractions. But when it comes to geometry, particularly concepts involving shape, it's often less clear how student thinking develops. Today, we're talking with Dr. Rebecca Ambrose about ways we can help our students build a meaningful understanding of geometry.

Rebecca Ambrose researches how children solve mathematics problems and works with teachers...

Dr. James Brickwedde, How You Say It Matters: Teacher Language Choices That Support Number Sense ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 7

Carry the 1. Add a 0. Cross multiply.

All of these are phrases that educators heard when they were growing up. This language is so ingrained that many educators use it without even thinking. But what's the long-term impact of language like this on the development of our students' number sense? Today, we're talking with Dr. James Brickwedde about the impact of language and the ways educators can use it to cultivate their students' number sense.

James...

Summer Pettigrew and Megan Williams, Building Asset-Focused Professional Learning Communities ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 5

Professional learning communities have been around for a long time, in many different iterations. But what does it look like to schedule and structure professional learning communities that help educators understand and respond to their students' thinking in meaningful ways? Today we're talking with Summer Pettigrew and Megan Williams from the Charleston County Public Schools about building asset-focused professional learning communities.

Summer Pettigrew serves as an instructional coach at Springfield Elementary School in Charleston, South Carolina.

Megan Williams serves as...

Drs. Jody Guarino and Chepina Rumsey, Nurturing Mathematical Curiosity: Supporting Mathematical Argumentation in the Early Grades ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 6

Argumentation, justification, conjecture. All of these are practices we hope to cultivate, but they may not be practices we associate with kindergartners, first-, or second graders. What would it look like to encourage these practices with our youngest learners? Today, we'll talk about this question with Jody Guarino and Chepina Rumsey, authors of the book Nurturing Math Curiosity with Learners in Grades K–2.

Chepina Rumsey, PhD, is an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of...

Beth Hulbert, Making Sense of Unitizing: The Theme That Runs Through Elementary Mathematics ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 4

During their elementary years, students grapple with many topics that involve relationships between different units. In fact, unitizing serves as a foundation for much of the mathematics students encounter during their elementary years. Today, we're talking with Beth Hulbert from the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) about the ways educators can encourage unitizing in their classrooms.

Beth Hulbert is an independent consultant focused on mathematics curriculum, instruction, and assessment at the K–8 level. She has been involved in all aspects of...

Drs. Zandra De Arajuo and Amber Candela, Choice as a Foundation for Student Engagement ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 3

As educators, we know offering students choice has a big impact on their engagement, identity, and sense of autonomy. That said, it's not always clear how to design choice into activities, especially when using curriculum materials. Today, we're talking with Drs. Zandra De Araujo and Amber Candela about some of the ways educators can design choice into their students' learning experiences.

Zandra de Araujo serves as the mathematics principal at the Lastinger Center for Learning. Her research examines...

Dr. Corey Drake, Principles for Responsive Curriculum Use ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 2

When it comes to curriculum, educators are often told to implement with fidelity. But what does fidelity mean, and where does that leave educators who want to be responsive to the students in their classrooms? Today we're talking with Dr. Corey Drake about principles for responsive curriculum use that invite educators to respond to the students in their classrooms while still implementing curriculum with integrity.

Corey Drake is the senior director for professional learning at The Math Learning Center. She began her career in...

Dr. Peter Liljedahl, Grouping Practices That Promote Efficacy & Knowledge Transfer ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 1

We know from research that student collaboration can have a powerful impact on learning. That said, how we group students for collaboration matters — a lot. Today we're talking with Dr. Peter Liljedahl, author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics , about how educators can form productive, collaborative groups in their classrooms.

Peter Liljedahl is a professor of mathematics education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12: 14 Teaching Practices for...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 18

Earlier this season, we released an episode focused on the complex and interconnected set of concepts that students engage with when they learn to count. In this follow-up episode, we're going to examine a powerful routine called counting collections. We'll be talking with Danielle Robinson and Dr. Melissa Hedges from Milwaukee Public Schools about counting collections and the impact this routine can have on students.

Department of Research in Early Mathematics Education (DREME)

Teacher Education by Design

Choral Counting & Counting Collections: Transforming the PreK- 5 Math Classroom

...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 17

Spatial reasoning can be a nebulous concept that is hard for many educators to define. In this episode, we're talking about spatial reasoning with Dr. Robyn Pinilla from the University of Texas at El Paso. We'll examine the connections between spatial reasoning and other mathematical concepts and explore different ways that educators can cultivate this type of reasoning with their students.

Learning Trajectories

Taking Shape

Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years

Mike Wallus: Spatial reasoning can be a nebulous concept, and it's often hard for...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 16

In this episode, we are talking with Drs. Amber Candela and Melissa Boston about powerful but practical strategies for supporting student talk in the elementary math classroom.

Discourse Actions to Promote Student Access

Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching to Inform Instructional Quality

5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions, 2nd edition

Mike Wallus: One of the goals I had in mind when we first began recording Rounding Up was to bring to life the best practices that we aspire to in math education and to...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 15

Contextualized story problems are an important tool that educators use to bring mathematics to life for their students. That said, navigating the meaning and language found in story problems is a challenge for many students. Today we're talking with Aina Appova and Julia Hagge from The Ohio State University about strategies to help students engage with and make sense of story problems.

Schema-Mediated Vocabulary in Math Word Problems

Mike Wallus: Story problems are an important tool that educators use to bring mathematics to life for their students. That said...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 14

Many resources for supporting multilingual learners are included with curriculum materials. What's too often missing, though, is clear guidance for how to use them. In this episode, we're going to talk with Dr. Erin Turner about three resources that are often recommended for supporting multilingual learners. We'll unpack the purpose for each resource and offer a vision for how to put them to good use with your students.

Erin Turner is an assistant professor in the department of Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies at The University of Arizona. She obtained a bachelor...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 13

What would happen if teachers consistently invited students to think of their ideas in math class as a rough draft? What impact might this have on students' participation, their learning experience, and their math identity? Those are the questions we'll explore today with Dr. Mandy Jansen, the author of "Rough Draft Math," on this episode of Rounding Up.

Dr. Amanda Jansen is a professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. She is a mathematics educator who conducts research on students' engagement in mathematics classrooms and teachers' learning...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 12

Counting is a process that involves a complex and interconnected set of concepts and skills. This means that for most children, the path to counting proficiency is not linear. Today we are talking with Dr. Kim Hartweg from Western Illinois University about the big ideas and skills that are a part of counting and ways educators can support their students on this important part of their math journey.

Professor Kim Hartweg teaches mathematics education at Western Illinois University.

NCTM Classroom Conversations

Mike Wallus: Counting is...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 11

Over the past two years, we've done several episodes on supporting multilingual learners in math classrooms. In this episode, we're going back to the topic of support for multilingual learners to talk about translanguaging, an asset-focused approach that invites students to bring their full language repertoire into the classroom. We'll talk about what translanguaging looks like and how all teachers can integrate the practice into their classrooms.

Tatyana Kleyn is a professor in the Bilingual Education and TESOL programs and founding faculty advisor to the Dream Team at The City College...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 10

If you ask an educator to share some of the most important ideas in elementary mathematics, most would include place value on that list. But what does it mean to understand place value, really? And what types of language, practices, and tools support students as they build their understanding? On this week's podcast, we discuss these questions and more with Dr. Eric Sisofo from the University of Delaware.

Dr. Eric Sisofo is an assistant professor specializing in mathematics education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. He earned...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 9

What are the habits of mind that educators can adopt to be more responsive to our students' thinking? And how can we turn these habits of mind into practical steps that we can take on a regular basis? Dr. Kim Morrow-Leong has some thoughts on this topic. Today, Kim joins the podcast, and we'll talk with her about three mental shifts that can profoundly impact educators' instructional and assessment practices.

Kim Morrow-Leong is an experienced mathematics education specialist and consultant with a demonstrated history of working productively with teachers in the...

ROUNDING UP: SEASON 2 | EPISODE 8

There's something magical about getting lost in a great story. Whether you're reading a book, watching a movie or listening to a friend, stories impart meaning and capture our imagination. Dr. John Staley thinks a lot about stories. On this episode of Rounding Up, we'll talk with John about the ways he thinks that the concept of story can impact our approach to the content we teach and the practices we engage in to support our students.

Dr. John Staley is currently in his 27th year with Baltimore County Public Schools...

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 students.

Susan B. Empson is a professor in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum and the Richard Miller endowed chair of mathematics education...

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.

Anderson Norton's research is driven by a desire to understand how humans have access to knowledge as powerful and reliable as mathematics. Throughout his career, building upon Jean Piaget's genetic epistemology, he has learned...

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 every student. Today, we'll explore the concept of horizontal enrichment with Tisha Jones, MLC's senior manager of assessment.

Tisha Jones is the senior manager of assessment at The Math Learning Center and a...

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 mathematics learners.

Amy Noelle Parks is interested in young children's mathematical experiences, both in and out of schools. She is particularly concerned with representing the experiences of children from marginalized groups in the...

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?

Supporting Elementary Mathematics Teachers

Routines for Reasoning

The silent and the vocal: Participation and learning in whole-class discussion

Mike Wallus: When we say students are engaged in a discussion or...