{"podcast":{"title":"Learning Unboxed","slug":"learning-unboxed-6599840","podcast_index_feed_id":6599840,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/b15a3743-d488-43eb-9baf-61dab7fbdae3","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/learning-unboxed","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2024/3/20/13/c596d1f0-0692-4373-9800-72e7bd044e8d__learning_unboxed_epart_design_3_copy_4_itunes.jpg","author":"Annalies Corbin & NOVA Media","episode_count":325,"summary":"We hear, frequently, that the global education system is broken, and as a result, we spend billions of dollar trying to fix it. But the K-12 system isn’t actually broken at all – it’s working exactly as it was designed, 100 years ago, and it’s obsolete. So in Learning Unboxed, we will have a conversation about teaching, learning, and the future of work; we will reimagine, rethink, and redesign our educational system.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/learning-unboxed-6599840"},"episode":{"title":"290. Building Math Confidence Through Strategy and Sensemaking with Mike Kenny","slug":"290-building-math-confidence-through-strategy-and-sensemaking-with-mike-kenny","published_at":"2025-11-10T11:00:19+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/learning-unboxed-6599840/290-building-math-confidence-through-strategy-and-sensemaking-with-mike-kenny","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/learning-unboxed-6599840","url":"http://pastfoundation.org","audio_url":"https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/4bbcba96-49e9-478f-b5c3-20a502d11cec/stream.mp3","summary":"What if we taught math facts through understanding instead of memorization? In this episode, we welcome Mike Kenny—Vermont fifth-grade math teacher and creator of MathFactLab —who shares how strategy-based practice grounded in number sense transforms fluency and confidence. Inspired by the Vermont Mathematics Initiative , Mike reframed \"flashcards\" into visual, model-rich experiences that help students construct new facts from previously mastered ones. We dive into how MathFactLab shifts classroom culture—helping students rediscover joy, confidence, and agency in math through reasoning rather than rote recall. Mike also shares how teachers can use progress tracking and conceptual tools to build genuine understanding and long-term success. This is a conversation about turning math from memorization into meaning. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org We unbox: Strategy-based fluency vs. rote memorization Using visual models to reduce cognitive load Constructing new fact knowledge from mastered facts Progress monitoring and impartial data collection Building student agency, confidence, and joy in math Resources: MathFactLab \"Fluency Without Fear\" by Jo Boaler (YouCubed)","meta_description":"What if we taught math facts through understanding instead of memorization? In this episode, we welcome Mike Kenny—Vermont fifth-grade math teacher and cr…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1655,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/learning-unboxed-6599840/episodes/290-building-math-confidence-through-strategy-and-sensemaking-with-mike-kenny/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/learning-unboxed-6599840/290-building-math-confidence-through-strategy-and-sensemaking-with-mike-kenny.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}