The Task Graveyard

Against the Norm, Intellectual Need, Making Math Accessible, Modeling, Planning, SMPs, Teacher Content, Teaching in a Context

It’s where my ideas go to die.  But like the mighty phoenix, I have one idea for a task that keeps rising from the ashes. It just won’t die. If Bruce Willis was a math task, I’ve seen his face. I can’t help it. I’m fascinated by them. The...

Building a Conference

Against the Norm

I’m currently serving on the 2017 Orlando Regional Program Committee and honored to work with some great folks. When we met over the summer there was one thing we knew right from the start, we want this conference to be different. In our attempt to be different...

Making Sense of Invert and Multiply

6-8, Against the Norm, Fractions, Making Sense Series, Math Progressions, Number Sense, Planning, Strategy Development

As elementary teachers, we rarely have the opportunity to explore division of a fraction by a fraction.  When we do, it’s normally accompanied with Keep-Change-Flip or the saying “Yours is not the reason why, just invert and multiply.” Both are...

The Multiplication Sundae and the Bad Taste of Incentives

Against the Norm

Earlier this week I received an email asking for incentive ideas for a school wide fact fluency focus: Hi Graham, I need some insight about math facts and incentive programs. I follow your site and have read Not Your Mom’s Flashcards:Conceptual Understanding of...

3-Act Tasks (#49, #50, #51)

Against the Norm

They come in waves. It’s both a blessing and a curse. Seems like everywhere I walk there’s a perplexing question I can’t just let go of. The bug of mathematization has hit my entire family. My wife is a teacher and for appreciation week she was given...

Becoming a Better Storyteller

Against the Norm

I recently had the amazing opportunity to be 1 of 6 speakers at ShadowCon16.  The whole premise of ShadowCon is awesome and full credit goes to Zak Champagne, Mike Flynn, and Dan Meyer for having the vision and bringing this all together. Conferences quickly become...