Chalk & Talk

‌

Episodes

‌

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 about the importance of math, effective teaching methods, and debunking common myths about math and teaching. Chalk and Talk is a podcast for anyone interested in education, including educators, parents and students.

Episodes

Ep 12. California’s math controversy with Jelani Nelson Part II

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. Jel...

Jul 09, 2023•47 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 11. California’s math controversy with Jelani Nelson Part I

This is the first 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, much of the discussion surrounds the CMF’s promotion of data science and changes to math requirements in the University of California system. Anna Stokke and Jelani Nelson discuss what sort ...

Jul 08, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 10. Maximizing learning through explicit instruction with Zach Groshell

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, as she chats with Dr. Zach Groshell. He is an instructional coach and a passionate advocate for evidence-informed teaching. They discuss whether it’s possible to expand working memory, the characteristics of a successful explicit instruction lesson, effective approaches for delivering feedback and more. They also tackle a question sent in by a listener who asked whether teaching math through open-ended problems is effective. This episode will resonate with teach...

Jun 29, 2023•58 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 9. The tweet that roared with Tom Bennett

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Tom Bennett. He is a teacher, author and founder of the grass roots, non-profit organization ResearchED. Tom has a captivating sense of humour, making this a great listen. They discuss many things in this episode, such as education research, group work, cell phones in schools and evidence-informed teaching. But the conversation begins with the story of ResearchED, which has started an evidence revolution in education. It all started with one...

Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 8. Lessons from around the world with Lucy Crehan

In this episode math professor, Anna Stokke, interviews Lucy Crehan, who is a teacher and an author. In her book, Cleverlands, she presents her first-hand observations of the education systems in different countries. They discuss teacher qualifications in Finland and Singapore, teacher professional development in Japan and math lessons in Shanghai. They cover some commonalities in high-performing countries, such as the use of high-quality textbooks, and the role of practice and memorization in E...

Jun 01, 2023•53 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 7. How to excel in math and other tough subjects with Barbara Oakley

Join Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor whose work focusses on the relationship between neuroscience and social behaviour. She is an expert on learning tough subjects and has written several books for teachers and students that detail science-based techniques for learning. They cover learning techniques such as chunking and deliberate practice. They explore why being a slower learner may not necessarily be a drawback and consider whether it’s possible to c...

May 18, 2023•59 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 6. Math teaching tips with Barry Garelick and JR Wilson

In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by two experienced teachers, Barry Garelick and JR Wilson. They have recently published a book called Traditional Math: an effective strategy that teachers feel guilty using. Throughout the interview, Barry and JR share strategies and practical advice that they have used in their own classrooms with great success. They cover topics that will resonate with teachers, including how to get students excited about math, how to effectively use the “I do, we do, yo...

May 04, 2023•56 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 5. Critical issues in education with Matt Henderson

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Matt Henderson, an assistant superintendent of a school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, challenges with online teaching, and the pervasive use of cell phones and social media. They also discuss the implications of AI, particularly ChatGPT, on education. The conversation then turns to math teaching, as Matt shares his insights on the challenges facing math teachers and app...

Apr 20, 2023•58 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 4. Cognitive load theory with Greg Ashman

In this episode, math professor Anna Stokke sits down with Dr. Greg Ashman, an Australian teacher, writer and researcher with a wealth of knowledge on cognitive load theory. Dr. Ashman shares his journey into education writing and research, including some of the challenges he has faced along the way. He shares some pitfalls of education research studies and discusses what happened when he tried to track down the references for a claim that timed tests cause math anxiety. The conversation also in...

Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 3. The Science of Math with Amanda VanDerHeyden

Join math professor Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, a leading expert in using evidence-based methods to improve math instruction in schools. Dr. VanDerHeyden is a co-founder of The Science of Math, a group of experts advocating for evidence-based math instruction. Dr. VanDerHeyden shares the origins and goals of the Science of Math movement, as well as addressing common misconceptions. Do timed tests cause math anxiety? Do standard algorithms hinder understanding? Is expli...

Mar 25, 2023•59 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 2. Evidence-based teaching strategies with Paul Kirschner

Join math professor, Anna Stokke, in conversation with Dr. Paul Kirschner, a renowned educational psychology researcher and speaker. This episode will be of interest to anyone involved in teaching, whether they work with children or adults, or simply have an interest in education. Dr. Kirschner explains how we process information in our brains, and how this can be applied to improve teaching practices. He shares insights on effective teaching techniques such as spaced practice, scaffolding, the ...

Mar 11, 2023•52 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 1. Math and the Myth of Ability with John Mighton

In this episode, math professor Anna Stokke sits down with mathematician and best-selling author John Mighton to discuss his passion for teaching math and his founding of JUMP Math, a charity dedicated to helping children achieve their full potential in mathematics. Mighton shares his insights on the persistent myth that some people are not wired to be good at math and how this false belief has held back many students from realizing their full potential. They discuss the science of learning and ...

Feb 24, 2023•50 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast