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Nat Banting

@natbanting.bsky.social

Math Teacher & Math Ed Enthusiast (writing, speaking, tinkering); @FractionTalks; #MenuMath #OIFMath #UpscalePB creator; Public Address Guy; Goalie Dad. natbanting.com

1,006 Followers  |  320 Following  |  265 Posts  |  Joined: 28.09.2023  |  1.9287

Latest posts by natbanting.bsky.social on Bluesky

I donโ€™t need a home stream. ๐Ÿ˜‚

I get the game (and @desmos.com has to go get that bread), but itโ€™s not as friendly for teachers who want to supplement their class with the activities.

โ€œProgressโ€ get a big โ€œwomp wompโ€ from me.

12.01.2026 23:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The multiple landing pages are a wild choice, but managed to find it.

Students still being orphaned all over various landing pages.

12.01.2026 15:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Whatever this current interface is was not designed for teachers to supplement their student experience.

It wants all Amplify or nothing.

I miss the professionalism that Desmos enabled as a stand alone platform.

12.01.2026 15:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Also, kids just get lost in some Amplify dashboard with no option to enter code for activity.

Thereโ€™s probably a simple fix hereโ€ฆ

12.01.2026 15:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

So how do I find my dashboard of recent @desmos activities?

Students seem to be sent every which way now that Amplify has added a layer of administration.

12.01.2026 15:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

My fav part here is โ€œemphasisโ€ on theory.

The โ€œtestableโ€ crew also operate on theoretical assumptions of how teaching and learning existโ€”they just leave them buried.

Emphasizing the conditions of an experiment (and conclusion) feels important, no?

22.11.2025 16:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Has anyone built a math practice app where every answer is 6, 7, or 67 yet?

29.09.2025 13:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Visual Patterns ๐Ÿค Pattern Blocks
I am currently OBSESSED, in a (mostly) healthy way, with @fawnnguyen.substack.com visual patterns and @mathforlove.bsky.social pattern blocks for kids to learn and create patterns. Ah-may-zing. Also, I am in LOVE with Mary Vail's Thinking Desks, they are phenomenal!

19.09.2025 00:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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[New Post] Ontario Math Links - My favourite #math related links from this week:

ontariomath.blogspot.com/2025/09/math...

links & help from @mrcorleymath.bsky.social @mathsweek.scot @darrenmacey.bsky.social @natbanting.bsky.social @maria-naturalmath.bsky.social &more #MathChat #MTBoS #iTeachMath

14.09.2025 23:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

I think this is all sorted now!

(Thatโ€™s 5 hours of my Saturday I wonโ€™t get back ๐Ÿ˜‚)

14.09.2025 14:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yeahโ€ฆ

Something about hosting is screwy right now.

Sorry about that; trying to contact tech support isโ€ฆ tedius. ๐Ÿ™„

13.09.2025 23:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Play with your Problems I am a compulsive problem poser. When presented with a mathematical context, I have an incredible amount of difficulty leaving it alone. My teacher instinct is to push, prod, tinker, and/or alter iโ€ฆ

I wrote a new post yesterday:

natbanting.com/play-with-yo...

Itโ€™s about the benefits of teachers tinkering with the problems/prompts we offer students.

(And, tangentially, about the benefits of conference spaces where we are given license to do so)

#iteachmath

11.09.2025 12:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Play with your Problems I am a compulsive problem poser. When presented with a mathematical context, I have an incredible amount of difficulty leaving it alone. My teacher instinct is to push, prod, tinker, and/or alter iโ€ฆ

I wrote a new post yesterday:

natbanting.com/play-with-yo...

Itโ€™s about the benefits of teachers tinkering with the problems/prompts we offer students.

(And, tangentially, about the benefits of conference spaces where we are given license to do so)

#iteachmath

11.09.2025 12:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Ornje

??

31.08.2025 03:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ornje

Also accepted: Ornch

31.08.2025 03:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

โ€œOrangeโ€ is a 1-syllable word

(Massive family argument occurring)

31.08.2025 01:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Any old #bcedchat folks have a lead on a veteran math history teacher??

24.08.2025 18:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

BC has a grade 11 math history course!!

Have any BC math educators on here taught this course? If so, what was your experience?

24.08.2025 18:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Yup

Every influence is a sort of gambit.

And kids understand the structure of lessons and units. So eventually they will โ€œself-spoilโ€

For this reason, I believe that the most authentic thinking occurs at the onset of a unit of study.

12.08.2025 18:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

In general, we are worried that what students do *fits* the current unit of study so we spend time โ€œlistening forโ€ specific acts that fit instead of โ€œlistening withโ€ student thinking in more open spaces.

I get it. I do it. School math is packed and we need to get kids specific places.

12.08.2025 15:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Math class: โ€œHereโ€™s a task about a hallway of lockers that involves perfect squaresโ€

English class: โ€œHereโ€™s a book and, at the end, the hero diesโ€

These are identical experiences imho

I think math teachers feel an increased need to include more โ€œspoilersโ€ to justify openness in their classroom.

12.08.2025 15:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Itโ€™s true what they say. This is excellent.

And Iโ€™m going to quote the end to give you a taste:

โ€œBut personalized learning is the wrong ideal. โ€ฆ We shouldnโ€™t be going all-in on kids learning on their own. We should be trying to figure out how to make whole-group learning even better.โ€

11.08.2025 21:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

#artmath

11.08.2025 18:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

#unitchat

11.08.2025 18:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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This exhibit at the Tate Modern in London giving real โ€œHow Many?โ€ vibes.

@triangleman.bsky.social

11.08.2025 17:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Oh. I havenโ€™t.

Iโ€™ve seen people link to it, but Iโ€™ve never checked it out.

Something to consider tho!!

10.08.2025 06:07 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I donโ€™t know what โ€œSubstackโ€ is.

I have the blog alongside some other project files for folks (like #MenuMath and a some classroom resources from over the years)

Also a sort of running CV.

09.08.2025 18:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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RIP-BoS: A Tribute to the Math-Twitter Blog-O-Sphere When I was a first year teacher, the teachers in my province went on strike for two days. It was on the first of those two days that I signed up for Twitter in order to follow public opinion on theโ€ฆ

Re-sharing from Feb โ€˜24: @natbanting.bsky.social waxes poetic about the Math Twitter Blog-o-Sphere (RIP). Man, that was a heady scene. It felt like an open apprenticeship for those of us on the periphery. I love seeing so many good folks emerge from it. #mtbos

natbanting.com/rip-bos-a-tr...

08.08.2025 13:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Lots of the stagnancy isnโ€™t due to lack of ideas, itโ€™s a busy young family.

I never fathomed how much work raising littles is!! ๐Ÿ˜ด

08.08.2025 13:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Find Your (Math) People Teaching is hard. The day-to-day cycle of planning, presenting, orchestrating, testing, and reflecting is continuous, and thereโ€™s always the uncertainty of how the students will show up (or not) toโ€ฆ

Looking forward to reading!

Here's my latest, on the importance of our connections to each other (thank you for being in my group of math people!)

karendcampe.wordpress.com/2025/08/05/f...

08.08.2025 12:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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