<p>Narrow, rigid math has “turned students off for generations,” says renowned researcher and Stanford mathematics professor Jo Boaler. </p> <p>Yet teachers often don’t have much choice when it comes to math curriculum—what’s mandated by a school or district is what they need to teach. </p> <p>That’s where *rich tasks* can be transformative, Boaler argues, because they invite the type of reasoning and problem-solving that get kids digging in and taking risks. </p> <p>In this episode of School of Practice, we’ll chat with Boaler—who’s spent decades studying math teaching—about how to choose, adapt, and improve math tasks; the power of reasoning and visualizing math questions; and the impact of tiny tweaks, like asking students: “Can you prove it to me visually?”</p> <p>Related resources: </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/how-to-teach-deep-mathematical-thinking">Learn more about this episode</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-rich-math-tasks">5 Ways to Encourage Deep Mathematical Thinking</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/are-we-teaching-math-kids-need/">Are We Teaching the Math Kids Need?</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/rough-draft-thinking-can-make-math-class-more-inclusive/">Rough Draft Thinking Can Make Math Class More Inclusive</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-decreased-practice-time-plays-into-historic-math-declines/">Should More Time Be Spent Learning Math Facts?</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-ways-to-balance-joy-with-rigor-in-math-class">7 Ways to Balance Joy With Rigor in Math Class</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/if-youre-not-failing-youre-not-learning/">If You’re Not Failing, You’re Not Learning</a></li> <li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cogs.12107?prg140729=1e06e38d-6887-4400-933e-52bde22632ec">Research: Productive Failure in Learning Math (2014)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-to-build-a-healthy-math-identity">How to Build a Healthy Math Identity (video)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-unproductive-ways-learn-math-basics-and-what-do-instead/">6 Unproductive Ways to Learn Math Basics—and What to Do Instead</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mathish.org/">Math-ish</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/resources/moving-from-maths-anxiety/">YouCubed: Moving from Maths Anxiety (video)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/resources/math-ish-in-the-classroom/">YouCubed: Math-ish in the Classroom</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/resources/jo-teaching-visual-dot-card-number-talk/">YouCubed: Jo Teaching a Visual Dot Card Number Talk</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/evidence/fluency-without-fear/">YouCubed: Fluency without Fear</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youcubed.org/resources/prioritizingteachers/">YouCubed: Wise Investments, Big Returns: Prioritizing Teachers for Districtwide Mathematics Success</a></li> </ul>