203 Real isn't Relevant: What Really Matters when Teaching Math
Let’s chat—send me a text! We hear it all the time: Make math real-world. But real-world doesn’t automatically mean relevant. In this episode, I’m sharing how one of my favorite cell phone projects slowly lost its relevance—and what it taught me about choosing contexts that actually matter to the students sitting in front of us. We’ll talk about: The difference between real-world and relevant mathMy Spheres of Relevance: self, community, culture + the larger worldHow timeliness can create rel...
RSS Feed We hear it all the time: Make math real-world.
But real-world doesn’t automatically mean relevant.
In this episode, I’m sharing how one of my favorite cell phone projects slowly lost its relevance—and what it taught me about choosing contexts that actually matter to the students sitting in front of us.
We’ll talk about:
- The difference between real-world and relevant math
- My Spheres of Relevance: self, community, culture + the larger world
- How timeliness can create relevance
- Why relevant doesn’t have to mean entertaining
- Using real data to build mathematical literacy
Plus, I’m sharing how election data can give students a timely reason to use statistics to analyze the information they’re already encountering outside of school.
This week’s reflection: Where does the math you’re teaching exist in the real world—and why might it matter to your students?
This podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Better Today. Better Tomorrow. And the Podcasts to Help You Get There.
Connect with Kristen:
- Follow on Instagram @moorethanjustx
- Join the Facebook Community: The Modern Math Teachers Movement
More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast
Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.
Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!
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