This month's episode is a special recording of two LIVE debates at the OMCA 2024 Retreat. Listen as thoughtful math leaders discuss two topics and answer questions from the audience! The first topic is: We need to have common evaluations. The second debate topic is: Teachers spend too much time on direct instruction. Follow up with our debaters: Fo…

Let’s talk about textbooks! Some teachers are handed a textbook and are instructed to follow it. Others may have never had a textbook offered to them. If you are given a textbook, should you be following it? And how much? And if you don’t have one, should you start? Tune in as four thoughtful educators debate the resolution: Teachers should follow …

Welcome to Season 3! Listen in as Chris & Rob talk about the upcoming season! Listened to the episode? Now, it’s your turn to share! Go to our Twitter: @DebateMathPod to share your thoughts. Don’t forget to check out the video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel! Keep up with all the latest info by following @DebateMathPod or going to de…

We wanted to end the year by bringing together a few of our guests from past debates for a roundtable to reflect on the past debates and also engage in a discussion around the question: How do we bring joy to math class? With politics around education and teaching so often turning negative in the news, we wanted to talk more about joy with our gues…

If you know the Common Core, then you have probably seen the 8 Standards of Math Practice (or SMPs as we refer to them). Here at the DebateMath podcast, we are HUGE fans of SMP#3 - Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. But we wanted to take some time to highlight some of the other SMPs. So we reached out to educators aski…

Earlier this season we had a lovely debate on whether or not to Ditch Algebra 2. During that debate, our four guests tangentially expressed four very different viewpoints on Geometry. We thought it would be a great idea to get these guests back together to hear more of their thoughts on Geometry. Should we keep it? Is it important? We want to dig d…

Join us as we take a break from our usual format for a special Back to School episode! Here at the DebateMath podcast, we highly value discourse in math. On the podcast, we want to elevate the voices of teachers and students in our episodes, and we also want that for our classrooms. We want to encourage student discourse in math class. So for this …

Math class is so often associated with pencil and paper work–students working through steps of symbolic manipulation. But what role does or should technology have in math class? Our world is constantly changing, and how do we adapt to that? From calculators, to apps, to ChatGPT, the resources available keep growing. So how or what should we allow? …

Math exams are the typical culminating assessment at the end of the unit or the end of a semester, but what if we didn’t give exams? What if we instead spent that time on an alternative form of assessment. What would that look like? What are the options? In this episode, we have 3 awesome educators each sharing a different way to alternatively asse…

It’s final exam season! So we thought it would be a good time to get into a debate about tests. Should we continue using paper tests, or is it time to give tests on computers? Which way is easier? Which method is best for teaching and learning? Should we stick with paper or is it time to say: Let’s Get Digital! Tune in as four educators share their…

Let’s talk about pacing guides. What are they? Why do we have them? How much should we follow them? This topic has caused quite the stir in many schools among colleagues. Some educators believe pacing guides may not be effective, or even necessary! While others believe pacing guides are needed so we stay on track to cover all of our grade-level con…

Have you heard that there’s is a new AP math exam: AP PreCalc. Yes, the College Board is planning to offer an AP PreCalc exam, starting in the spring of 2024. So should you offer an AP PreCalculus course next school year? What is on the test? What’s more, the College Board has been involved in some controversial headlines lately. The politics of th…

Suppose some students do not do well on a test or a quiz. What’s the best way for students to improve and then show their improved understanding? They could correct their mistakes for credit or set a date for a retake. Which way do you want students to show mastery? Listen in as our teams discuss what they think is the best way forward in this mont…

Let’s talk about Algebra 2! What is it? Why is it important? And most importantly, should we continue to require it? Plenty of high school students struggle in what we call Algebra 2, and many ask the question “when are we ever going to use this?” Some schools and districts now offer alternative pathways for students in their high school math optio…

We’ve heard the question of the relevance of high school math come up in both our podcast and in many conversations with educators. Do our students need high school math? Is it important to their future careers? What topics should we really emphasize or focus on? In this episode, we speak with four young professionals who are not math educators and…

Chris and Rob take a moment to reflect on the first season of the DebateMath Podcast. Tune in to peek behind the curtain and learn how these debate episodes come together. Listened to the episode? Share your thoughts! Go to our Twitter: @DebateMathPod to share your thoughts. Keep up with all the latest info by following @DebateMathPod or going to d…

In the DebateMath Podcast season finale, we invited back a few of our guests from past debates for a roundtable discussion to engage in a discussion around the question: What is the purpose of math class? Resources Referenced in this Episode: Follow Zak on Twitter: @zakchamp, Website: www.zakchamp.com Follow Dr. Raj Shah on Twitter:@drrajshah, Webs…

A LIVE debate on Homework! We are so excited to share the recording of our first-ever live debate at the @PCTMpctm math conference. Listen in as two teams of two debate the resolution: Students Should Have Math Homework. This episode includes live voting and Q&A from the audience. Connect with People in this Episode: Follow Shelby on Twitter: @Stro…

Calculus is often seen as an important course for competitive college admissions. Some call Calculus the “gold standard.” Should students push to take Calculus? Do colleges want incoming students to have Calculus on their transcript? How might teachers guide students best? Listen in as we debate the hot topic of Calculus and College Admissions. Con…

Should elementary teachers be content specialists? In most high schools, we are used to teachers being content specialists–in math or history or art etc. Students have a different teacher for each subject. Elementary students typically have one teacher for all content. Teachers are responsible for all subjects at that grade level. Some have said th…

You may have heard it by a couple different names: I Do, We Do, You Do or the Gradual Release of Responsibility. Some are for it. Some are against it. We often see it debated about on social media and in person. So, we thought it would be a great topic for debate! Listen in as four passionate educators engage in a rich and fiery debate about whethe…

Quadratics: a staple of high school algebra. From factoring to the quadratic formula, quadratics can span multiple units. Some see quadratics as the building blocks of higher level math. Others ask why we teach it. So let’s talk about quadratics! What is good, bad, or ugly about quadratics? Why are the valued so highly? And most importantly: Should…

AP Stats–the final high school math course for some students. Is it a great course as it is? Or does it need some updating? Who would you recommend to take this course? In this episode, four veteran AP Stats teachers discuss the attributes of AP Stats that they appreciate or wish would change, as we tackle the question: Is AP Stats great? Resources…

What is the future of grading? Debate this episode’s resolution: Who Sets the Standards in Grading? In this episode, we have a philosophical discussion with two veteran math teachers, on alternatives to traditional grading. Carl Oliver and Nolan Fossum discuss the difference between learning and performance, how feedback can be more beneficial than…

Should students be asked to memorize in math class? We followed up with three of our guests from Episode 2 Dr. Mandi Tolen, Dr. Raj Shah, and Liesl McConchie, and asked them questions from our listeners! Resources Referenced in this Episode: Get Out of My House game from Michael Minas Follow Dr. Mandi Tolen on Twitter: @MandiTolenEDU. Websites: Mak…

Is a hotdog a sandwich? Does it matter what is inside? What if there is only one piece of bread? Is a hug a sandwich? Listen as our two father-daughter teams hope to sway you on the definition of a sandwich as they debate: Is a Hotdog a Sandwich? Resources Referenced in this Episode: Kyle and Jon created Make Math Moments Kyle and Jon host Making M…

Should students be allowed to use notes on a math test? Listen as two teams of students debate the pros and cons of using notes on tests. What is fair to have on a notecard? What types of assessments should have notes? Our guests hope to help you answer these questions as they debate this episode’s resolution: Let Them Use Notes! Listened to the ep…

Should students be asked to memorize in math class? Listen as two teams of two–with Dr. Mandi Tolen, Dr. Raj Shah, Liesl McConchie, and Geoff Krall–debate the purpose and reality of memorization. How much or what should you have your students memorize? Our guests hope to help you answer that question as they debate this episode’s resolution: Stop m…

Welcome to the Great Trapezoid Debate! Listen as Zak Champagne and Shelby Strong debate the definition of a trapezoid. Are you #TeamInclusive or #TeamExclusive? Our guests dive into the details of the geometric definitions of quadrilaterals and discuss the importance of spending time in the nuance. See our YouTube Channel for the video version of t…

Welcome to the #DebateMath Podcast! Before our first episodes air, we wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves and share the ideas behind this podcast. Tune in to hear all about our plans and goals. We have an exciting season ahead! Keep up with all the latest info by following @DebateMathPod or going to debatemath.com. Follow us @Rob_Baier &…