Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear!

Cheery Friday Greetings from Barb Oakley! 

Something Big Is Coming: Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear!

We’ve been quietly building something we think you’ll love: Making Math Click: Understand Math without Fear, our brand-new MOOC designed to help learners truly understand—and maybe even enjoy—math. Together with Canadian mathematician John Mighton (cofounder of JUMP Math), Barb will help will give you insights that can help you know how to learn—or teach–the foundations of math.  If you’ve ever seen a student’s eyes glaze over at the mention of fractions, fear not. This course brings together the best insights from neuroscience and teaching to make those “aha!” moments a lot more common.

Expect engaging visuals, concrete strategies, and yes—even a little math fun. The course launches on July 31st.   You can sign up here. Come join us as we help math finally click!

What AI and Your Brain Secretly Have in Common (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)

Last week I had the chance to speak at the AI Sandbox in Nelson, New Zealand—a grassroots group doing some remarkable things to help everyday folks explore AI. But the real treat wasn’t just talking about transformers or neurons (though yes, we went there). It was seeing the light bulbs go off as we explored how deeply intertwined neuroscience and AI really are—and why that matters for learning today.

Here’s the short version: our brains and AI models both rely on building and strengthening networks. And just like students can’t truly learn without forming solid links in long-term memory, AI can’t do much without a well-trained web of connections either. The parallels are fascinating—and practical.

If you’re curious, you can watch the full talk here. We covered everything from the surprising role of memory in critical thinking to what AI can (and can’t) teach us about how we learn.

And here’s a related update I’m especially grateful to share: “The Memory Paradox,” our new chapter on why knowledge stored in your own brain still matters—even in the age of ChatGPT, has now been downloaded over 10,000 times on SSRN alone. That’s a huge number for a working paper. It suggests that this question—how memory and intelligence connect in an AI-saturated world—is resonating with a lot of thoughtful readers. (You can still read it here if you missed it: The Memory Paradox).

Back to Nelson: the AI Sandbox itself is what I’d call a macroscope—a community-powered lens that lets us zoom out and really see the bigger picture in education, AI, and beyond. It’s a brilliant model of how grassroots learning can ignite national conversations.

Of course, none of this would have happened without the New Zealand Initiative. They’re the ones who brought me to New Zealand as an educational change agent to speak all around the country for six months. Their commitment to evidence-based policy and real educational impact is something truly special.

Two Talks in Dunedin—Yes, It’s Worth the Trip!
If you’re anywhere near Dunedin—or even if you’re much farther afield—it’s absolutely worth it. One survey respondent from one of my recent international talks wrote, “It was worth flying 16 hours just to come to this talk alone.” 

• Plenary at the Math Association of New Zealand’s biennial conference — held just once every two years, this gathering runs July 1–3, 2025 in Ōtepoti (Dunedin) at St Hilda’s Collegiate School. On July 1, I’ll be sharing classroom-proven scaffolding strategies for the ever-challenging topic of division—because yes, it can be a favorite topic when we teach it right! We’ll also be diving even deeper into the idea of paradigm cartels,  how they can subvert progress in education, and how YOU can make a difference. Register here. 
• Logan Park High School event — open to both parents and teachers, this talk happens on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Logan Park High School in North Dunedin. We’ll explore effective learning and teaching methods—covering memory, motivation, habit—and why some strategies stick (while others sink). Register here.

So come for the ideas, stay for the scenery—Dunedin is stunning this time of year. Whether you’re an educator or a family member, I hope to see you there!

That’s all for now. Have a happy month in learning!

Barb Oakley

• Uncommon Sense Teaching—the book and Coursera Specialization!
• Mindshift—the book and MOOC
• Learn Like a Pro—the book and MOOC
• The LHTL recommended text, A Mind for Numbers
• For kids and parents: Learning How to Learn—the book and MOOC. Pro tip—watch the videos and read the book together with your child. Learning how to learn at an early age will change their life!