Creating Problem Solvers in your classroom Now I Get It! Creating Problem Solvers in your classroom

Begin with the end in mind! What type of adult mathematicians do you want to help create?

Achievement = Engagement + Enrichment E + E Achievement = Engagement + Enrichment

Avoid little white math lies You “can’t” subtract a bigger number from a smaller number. (Please teach my bank account that!) You “can’t” divide a smaller number by a larger number. Rectangles and squares are different shapes.

THE BIG “D”

There Are Only Two Kinds Of Curriculum! 1. We build the curriculum and fit the student into it. 2. We assess the student’s abilities, interests, learning styles, and preferred modes of expression and build the curriculum around the student.

What Is This Thing Called Differentiation: A Quiz Yes No 1. Did every student do it? _____ __x__ 2. Should every student do it? _____ __x__ 3. Would every student want to do it? _____ __x__ 4. Could every student do it? _____ __x__ 5. Did the student do it willingly and zestfully? __x___ ____ 6. Did the student use authentic resources and methodology? __x__ _____ 7. Was it done for an audience other than (or in addition to) the teacher? __x__ _____

Curry/Samara Planning Matrix Matrix Examples

Simple Content Complex Content Basic Thinking Abstract Thinking Simple Content Complex Content

What in the world are we doing to these kids? Computation What in the world are we doing to these kids?

How long do you spend teaching place value and expanded form? Then what?

______________________ 146 + 26 ______________________

146=100 + 40 + 6 +26 = 20 + 6 ___________________________________________________________________________ 100 + 60 +12=172

__________________________ 25 -18 __________________________

__________________________ 25 = 20 + 5 -18 = 18 __________________________ 2 + 5

201= 200 + 1 46 = 40 +6 _________________________________________________________________________________________ 160 + 1- 6 OR 160 – 6 which is 154 + 1

Ask your students and your self… Does what you are doing make sense and can you apply it to real life?

Don’t underestimate your students! Start with a big situation and peel it back. It gives you something to reference. It engages the students lets them show what they know. Know they WANT to know the steps to find the “easy” way. (computation)

Locker Problem Here is the famous locker problem: Imagine you are at a school that has 100 lockers, all shut. Suppose the first student goes along the row and opens every locker. 2. The second student then goes along and shuts every other locker beginning with locker number 2. 3. The third student changes the state of every third locker beginning with locker number 3. (If the locker is open the student shuts it, and if the locker is closed the student opens it.) 4. The fourth student changes the state of every fourth locker beginning with number 4. Imagine that this continues until the 100 students have followed the pattern with the 100 lockers. At the end, which lockers will be open and which will be closed? Which lockers have been switched the most often? How many lockers, and which ones, were touched exactly five times?

Start with a situation…. You have a tent that is 8 feet by 10 feet. Each adult has a sleeping bag that is 3-feet by 6-feet. Melanie said that four adults would fit in the tent. Each adult needs 18 square feet of floor space. 18 + 18 + 18+18 = 72. The tent is 80 square feet, so there is room to spare. Same said that he tried and could not get four adults to fit in the Tent. Who is right? Explain.

I skimped a little on the foundation, but no one will ever know it!

We ARE the foundation! Don’t skimp!