The right questions for the “wrong” answers, starring Dan Meyer, Ph.D.
Meet Our Guest(s):
Dan Meyer, Ph.D.
Dan Meyer, Ph.D., taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and served as the former Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explored the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan is currently the Vice President of User Growth at Amplify. He’s worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 states and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.
Meet our host, Ana Torres.
Ana has been an educator for 30 years, working in both the K–8 and higher education sectors. She served as an administrator and instructor at various public and private colleges and universities and as a bilingual and dual language teacher, dual language math and reading interventionist, dual language instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal in K–8 schools. Ana is currently the Senior Biliteracy and Multilingual Product Specialist at Amplify, and delivers literacy and biliteracy presentations across the nation. Ana’s passion and advocacy for biliteracy and support for all students from all walks of life has led her to educate leaders, teachers, and parents about the positive impact of bilingualism and biliteracy in our world.
Meet our Classroom Insider, Eric Cross.
Eric Cross is a middle school science teacher who hopes to someday be a lifelong educator, like the guests on Beyond My Years! In each episode, Eric connects with host Ana Torres to discuss her guests’ best insights gleaned from their long and rewarding careers in the classroom. Then, Eric talks about bringing some of their wisdom into his current classroom and busy life.
Quotes
“Education is the kind of job that I love, because I think I'll always feel, to some degree, like an amateur, like a learner in the work.”
“Create spaces where every kid could come in and say, ‘Whatever I offer here, if it's personal and earnest, it's gonna be well received and valuable.'”
“I was never seen as a student who was good at math. So I made it a point to be that math teacher that actually embraced a community of, “‘Hey, let's, you know, let's look at all the possibilities of how we can get to that answer.'”
“The posters are one thing, but the pedagogies are another.”
“What I'm always thinking about is how to make math more like the humanities, how to allow students to be right in personal ways and wrong in smart ways.”
“Kids like and learn from teachers who like and learn from them. ”
“As human beings, sometimes we can get binary with things like tech or analog. But in reality, it's a tool. If I use the proper tool for the right job, I can be much more precise and accurate and detailed and creative.”