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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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!!

7. 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.

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

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

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

12. 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?

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.”

17. 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

18. 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?

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

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

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

22. 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)