Education

Chalk & Talk

Everyone wants to see children and young adults succeed in math, but it can be difficult to sort myths from facts in education. Join math professor, Anna Stokke, for conversations with leading educators and researchers about the importance of math, effective teaching methods, and debunking common myths about math and teaching. Chalk & Talk is a podcast for anyone interested in education, including educators, parents, and students.

Latest Episodes:

Ep 21. The right to learn math with Daniel Ansari Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, as she interviews Dr. Daniel Ansari, who is a Canada Research Chair in developmental cognitive neuroscience. They discuss the importance of early numeracy skills and his research on symbolic representations. They talk about similarities and differences between math and reading. They also debunk the misconception of gender differences in math.

Responding to a question from a teacher, Daniel discusses the role of manipulatives in teaching math. He also discusses dyscalculia and provides some tips for helping students who struggle with math. They close the episode by discussing some common neuromyths. Among other things, Daniel stresses the fundamental right of every child to learn math.

The resource page for this episode includes studies mentioned in the episode and resources for helping children who struggle with math.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-21-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-21-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – Proliferate

Blue Dot Sessions – Balti, Hedgeliner, Cornicob, Coulis Coulis, Lissa

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

Ep 20. Reading and math: parallels and pitfalls with Matthew Burns Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, for a discussion about reading and math with Dr. Matthew Burns. He is well-known for his research in reading instruction, including research on the effectiveness of the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System. He has also published research on math interventions. He gives a brief history of reading instruction and explains how ideas about how to teach reading became pervasive despite lacking scientific evidence. They then move on to discuss parallels with math instruction, which is the focus of the episode.

A noticeable shift is happening in reading, with educators and policymakers now recognizing the importance of phonics and other principles from the science of reading. Math has not received the same level of attention as reading, despite being extremely important. Anna asks Matt to discuss what turned things around for reading and to offer suggestions for how we might create a similar shift for math.

The resource page for this episode includes studies mentioned in the episode and resources for helping children develop automaticity with math facts.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-20-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-20-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – Lakeside Path

Blue Dot Sessions – General Inamorata, The Gran Dias, Tarte Tatin, Thannoid

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

Ep 19. The Calculus Project with Adrian Mims Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Join Anna Stokke in conversation with Dr. Adrian Mims. He is the co-founder and CEO of the Calculus Project, which is a non-profit organization that aims to increase the number of Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and low-income students taking calculus, starting with support in middle school.

They discuss why he started The Calculus Project, the various components of the program, and its overall impact. They talk about what he calls “the quiet crisis,” in reference to declining math scores, and why it’s important to turn that around. They discuss the importance of offering math acceleration options for middle school students. They talk about the consequence of students finding themselves in a position where they must take remedial math in university. Moreover, Dr. Mims shares some valuable advice for policy makers on how to improve math outcomes for students who have historically been underrepresented in math. This episode will be of interest to teachers, school administrators, parents, policy makers and anyone with an interest in improving math outcomes.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-19-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-19-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – No squirell commotion, Proliferate

Blue Dot Sessions – Partly Sage, Cornicob, Gaena, Thannoid

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

Ep 18. Education myth-busting with Daisy Christodoulou Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Daisy Christodoulou. Daisy is a teacher, an author and the Director of Education at No More Marking. They begin by discussing the myth that facts prevent understanding and the importance of content knowledge, with a side discussion on why it is important to memorize math facts. They discuss why basic knowledge cannot just be outsourced to computers. They talk about some common myths about exams and whether exams help students learn. Anna asks Daisy for her thoughts on a practice called ungrading. They talk about how to acquire knowledge and myths surrounding so-called 21st century skills. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in education!

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-18-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-18-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – Squirrel Commotion, Prolifereate

Blue Dot Sessions: Tarte Tatin, Cases to Rest, No Squirrel Commotion, Partly Sage

OY Studio – Light Comedy

Website: www.annastokke.com

X: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social

Ep 17. Do timed tests cause math anxiety? with Robin Codding Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 17, Anna Stokke sits down with Dr. Robin Codding to talk about timed tests and math anxiety. Robin is a psychology professor who researches math interventions, assessment tools and math anxiety. She is one of the founding members of the group The Science of Math.

In this episode, Anna asks Robin to shed some light on claims that timed tests cause math anxiety. They discuss the relationship between math achievement and math anxiety, whether it's important to include timed practice in math class, how much practice is needed to become fluent with math skills, at what stage students should be engaging in timed practice, causes of math anxiety, and best ways to mitigate it.

They talk about the relationship between conceptual and procedural understanding and whether productive struggle is a reasonable instructional technique. Robin also shares strategies for identifying instructional methods that are philosophy-based, rather than evidence-based. This episode is an essential resource for clearing up misconceptions about timed tests and math anxiety.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-17-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-17-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear - Kitten

Blue Dot Sessions – Ivory pillow, Delmendra, Ivory Pillow, Partly Sage, Coulis Coulis

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Ep 16. Applying cognitive science to education with Daniel Willingham Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 16, Anna Stokke talks to cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Daniel Willingham. Dan shares some of the strategies in his latest book, "Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy."

They begin by addressing the learning styles myth. They discuss what constitutes retrieval practice in a math context and why retrieval practice is more effective than simply reading. They talk about how to help students recognize and solve variations in math problems, how to get students to use notes effectively, and distractions that hinder learning, such as cell phones and multitasking. He also offers some advice for when students face setbacks. Some of the discussion is geared towards high school or post-secondary students and their instructors, but the conversation will be useful and interesting for anyone who teaches or is interested in human learning.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-16-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-16-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear - Kitten

Blue Dot Sessions – Tarte Tatin, Coulis Coulis, Balti, Are We Loose Yet, Gaena

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Ep 15. Modern relevance in the math curriculum with Brian Conrad Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

Join Anna Stokke in discussion with Dr. Brian Conrad, who is a math professor and director of undergraduate studies in math at Stanford. They discuss some modern-day applications of math, and he gives some advice for parents who wonder what type of math their kids should learn to be ready for a four-year college degree in STEM or other quantitative fields.

Listeners will receive an update on what happened with the California Math Framework since the two episodes featuring Jelani Nelson (Episodes 11 & 12). As well, Brian Conrad shares examples of the many false or misleading citations he found permeating a 1000-page draft copy of the CMF. The discussion of those findings illustrates how citation misrepresentation can lead to misunderstandings about math and data science among the general public.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, teachers, policy makers and anyone with an interest in math or education.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-15-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-15-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Blue Dot Sessions – Tarte Tatin, Callison, Ivory Pillow, Coulis Coulis, Cases to Rest, Delmendra, Delicates

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Ep 14. Stress and learning with Dan Rosen Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

Join Anna Stokke in discussion with Dr. Dan Rosen, who is a teacher and school leader. They explore the impact of stress on learning. They talk about the biology of stress, the difference between anxiety and stress, and common factors that trigger stress for students in the classroom.

They also discuss misconceptions about stress. For example, stress may actually enhance learning at certain stages of the learning process. They discuss the claim that timed tests cause math anxiety and talk about practical strategies for minimizing the impact of stress in high-stakes assessments, like exams. This episode will benefit educators of all levels, from K-12 to post-secondary, regardless of the subject they teach, be it math or another field. Parents will also find it useful.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-14-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-14-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Blue Dot Sessions – Thannoid, Little Poder, Cases to Rest, Coulis Coulis

29811401 – Mysterious Illusion

OYStudio – Light Comedy

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke

Threads: @rastokke37

Ep 13. Powerful teaching with Patrice Bain Jul 28, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 13, Anna Stokke discusses teaching with Patrice Bain, who is a co-author of the book Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning. Patrice was one of the first K-12 teachers to partner with cognitive scientists so that research could be conducted in a classroom setting. This episode is all about using research-based power tools to transform teaching. They discuss retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving and metacognition. Along the way, they give practical teaching tips, with a special focus on math. The strategies discussed apply to teaching any field and to both K-12 and post-secondary. In addition to a familiarity with research-based teaching strategies, Patrice brings a wealth of practical teaching experience to the conversation. This episode is a must listen for anyone who is interested in evidence-informed teaching!

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-13-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-13-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – Proliferate, Kitten

Blue Dot Sessions – Partly Sage, Cases to Rest, No Squirrel Commotion

Purple Planet – Bright Ideas

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke

Ep 12. California’s math controversy with Jelani Nelson Part II Jul 09, 2023

Show notes

This is the second episode of a two-part series featuring Dr. Jelani Nelson. He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley. Dr. Nelson, and other STEM leaders, have publicly raised concerns about the proposed California Math Framework (CMF).

In this episode, Anna Stokke and Jelani Nelson discuss whether students should have the option of accelerating in math in middle school. First, Jelani describes how he founded the non-profit AddisCoder. Jelani shares his thoughts on acceleration and discusses the impact of acceleration reforms in San Francisco. They also discuss the makeup of the CMF writing team, citation misrepresentation in the CMF, among other topics.

For better or worse, California tends to lead the way when it comes to changes in education, so this episode is an important listen!

The next episode of Chalk & Talk will be published on July 28.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-12-transcript

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-11-12-resources

MUSIC

Intro and Outro: Coma Media – Catch it

Podington Bear – Sunset Strolle, Kitten, Lake Victoria, Coulis Coulis

Blue Dot Sessions – Tall Harvey

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke