Problem Solving in Math Carol Panzer Southwest Plains Regional Service Center c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn966v5INaI

Resources Making Math Talks Matter by Humphreys and Parker Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler Mindsets: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck “The Perils and Promise of Praise” by Carol Dweck, ASCD Education Leadership, October 2007

Resources Tanglers by Sid Flisher Tanglers, Too!: 50 More Cooperative Problem-Solving Puzzles Paperback – January 1, 2003 by Paul Fleisher (Author)

Mathematical Practices Remember-- ALL Teach Mathematical Thinking Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Model with mathematics Use appropriate tools strategically. Attend to precision. Look for and make use of structure. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Problem Solving - The Four Step Method Find Out FIND OUT what the problem means and what question you must answer to solve it. Choose a Strategy Often find that there is more than one strategy that can be used. Solve it Work through the problem until you find the answer to the question, using the strategy you selected. Look Back Reread the problem and check the solution to see that it meets the conditions stated in the problem and that it answers the question. Check for reasonableness These are not linear—we may have to go back and forth---the myth in math is that we work through the steps one at a time IN ORDER!!! NOT true. Handy 5 –similar Think about science---we know that science and math are connected but do we help students see the connections? Scientists are problem posers and problem solvers. Science involves asking questions, investigating, sharing ideas and findings. There is peer review---testing over time. Think about a master’s thesis--- Students need to learn to ask I wonder what would happen if… But this process loops around---for each “solution” there are new problems!!

Let me introduce you to Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and science communicator. Since 1996, he has been the Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. http://tinyurl.com/zgbb32e

How does all of this connect? The brain can change Neuroplasticity Neurogenesis

REALLY!!!! Mistakes are the most important thing that happens in any classroom because they tell you where to focus that deliberate practice!

Teach Collaboration Think Pair Share Anchor Charts Pairs Check Numbered Heads Together

Anchor Chart What do you think? How would you start? What part don’t you understand? Which part is extra information (information you don’t need)? Which words are confusing? What does____mean to you? How did you find that? Where have you looked?

Anchor Chart:Problem Solving Strategies Compute or Simplify (C) Use a Formula (F) Make a Model or Diagram (M) Make a Table, Chart or List (T) Guess, Check and Revise (G) Consider a Simpler Case (S) Eliminate (E) Work Backwards (W) Look for Patterns (P) Brainstorm Discuss other models---show the math series of problem solving books

ASCD Educational Leadership: It’s a lot harder to fake an authentic question than it is to copy an answer from some internet site. No one is going to cure cancer by repeating some fact that the experts already know. It will be a researcher’s question that leads to a new discovery

A Time to Tell? Traditional order of learning math: Teachers show methods and students use them Discovery Method: Students figure out math strategies by exploration

Think about this… “The oversimplification of mathematics and the practice of methods through isolated simplified procedures is part of the reason we have widespread failure in the United States and the United Kingdom.”

What if we… Teach math as a subject of patterns and connections Teach creative and visual mathematics Encourage intuition and freedom of thought Value depth over speed

What about the HIGH Achievers? Why do they need to discuss their work? Does the work force only need people who can calculate quickly? Don’t we have machines for that?

We must work hard to break the myth of “effortless achievement”. Effortless achievement kills problem solving!

Paraphrase Passport: What are the main points made this morning?

Coding Osmo Google cardboard?? Create your own Code.org Minecraft Scratch.mit.edu Kodable (app) Breakout boxes

What is coding? Teaches kids to think in sequence and to break down problems It is patterning (see both Mathematical Practices and NGSS Science and Engineering Practices)