Our Maths Appeal podcast is back for a second series!
In series 2 my co-host Bobby Seagull and I continue on our mission to make maths accessible to everyone but this time our focus for the podcast is maths problem solving. As maths teachers, we both know how difficult it can be to teach students problem solving skills because problem solving is a complex activity. When a problem is set, many things happen in the mind and body and in this series Bobby and I share our maths problem solving strategies and discuss our feelings about the maths problem because we want to show that maths is an emotional subject. We want to help improve the mathematical resilience in every child (and adult) so they have the confidence to give maths problems a go.
In every episode, as well as setting a maths problem, Bobby and I chat about topical maths issues like ‘exam anxiety and maths revision’ and ‘what is better, imperial or metric measure?’ and we were joined by special guest maths superstars Dr Tom Crawford (aka Tom Rocks Maths) and stand up comedian and best-selling maths author Matt Parker. Also, Bobby ends every episode with a great maths fact.
In this series we set and solve a variety of maths problems ranging from Key Stage 2 SATs Maths reasoning problems to GCSE maths problems. These problems are suitable for ages 7-16 years and adults.
It was so much fun recording this series and we hope you have fun listening to it and doing the maths problems. Please share your solutions on Twitter. It’s great to see the different ways people solve the problems. We can all learn from each other! #MathsIsForEveryone
Here is an overview of all the episodes in series 2 of Maths Appeal
Episode 1 – Bobby and I discuss maths exam revision tips and ways of coping with exam anxiety
Here’s the episode’s maths problem:
Episode 2 – Bobby and I offer practical advice for adults who are keen to become more maths confident and we chat about the brilliant organisation National Numeracy
Here’s the episode’s maths problem:
Episode 3 – Bobby and I discuss expert vs novice learners, the ‘curse of knowledge’ and the emotions surrounding maths
Here’s the episode’s maths problem:
Episode 4 – Bobby and I are joined by maths influencer Dr Tom Crawford (aka Tom Rocks Maths) to chat about maths modelling and he gives a great example of using maths in the real world
Here’s the episode’s maths problem:
Episode 5 – Bobby and I discuss representation of maths in film and the role that popular culture plays in making maths accessible – and maybe even cool – to wider audiences.
Here’s the episode’s maths problem:
Episode 6 – Bobby and I debate the pros and cons of going metric or imperial
Here’s the episode’s maths problem with Bobby and my written solution:
Episode 7 – Bobby and I discuss whether maths should be re-branded Numeracy or whether there’s room for both subjects!
Here’s the episode’s maths problem with Bobby and my written solution:
Episode 8 – Bobby and I are joined by stand-up comedian, best-selling maths author and former maths teacher Matt Parker to chat about his brilliant book Humble Pi and his live shows
Here’s the episode’s maths problem with Bobby and my written solution:
Do The Maths Thing 
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