Problem Solving Process
5:00 - 9:00 June 23, 2008

Introductions and Overview - Problem solving and writing to learn math

 

Let's do math

Counting Chicken Wings [Enhanced Teacher Packet]

Birthday Trip [Expected Solution and Scoring Guide]

 

Discuss different approaches and strategic insights

Our goals and approach:

• Build a problem solving strategies repertoire
• Writing to learn and writing to communicate
• The point is not to quickly get it over and done but to think, reflect, revise and master
• Learn to identify what you know and what you don't know
• Identify the specific pieces holding you up
1. Separate what makes it challenging (e.g. not good with fractions) from what you have to figure out (understanding the situation - seeing how to approach it)
2. Change the challenging parts (simpler numbers, etc.) so that you can focus for now on the strategy
3. Set up practice situations to master what is challenging

 

Focusing on student thinking:

"I wonder" diagnosis. Asking questions.

Develop a task/intervention that would get you more information and move the student ahead

 

Problem of the Week (PoW) environment

 

Supplemental Section structure

Orienting the students

Facilitating a session

Submitting and grading.

Planning sessions: reviewing prior sessions, coordinating with the math course instructors

How do you want to use and communicate with the Math Forum staff?

 

Resources

Problem of the Week Library
        http://mathforum.org/library/problems/

Problem of the Week Teacher Documents
        http://mathforum.org/pow/teacher/

DLC Summer 2008 Wiki
        http://mathforum.org/wiki/MathForum?DlcSummer2008

Games for Math and Social Skills
        http://mathforum.org/alejandre/cooperate.html

 

Contact Us

Steve and Suzanne