1. Problem Solving

2. Warning
Power points have been known to cause
Boredom
Coma
Even Death

3. Managing the Classroom for Problem Solving
About Teaching Mathematic
By Marilyn Burns

4. What is the teacher’s role?
Provide time for students to:
Grapple
Search
Evaluate
Focus on students’ thinking processes.

5. Students’ Attitudes Confidence to try Willingness to risk
Accept frustrations
Persevere
What can a teacher do to help students attitudes?

6. Teacher Modeling
Students need to see their teacher as a problem solver
Willing to plunge into new situations
Not always knowing the answer
No “Do as I say, not as I do.”

7. Teachers Need to Emphasize
Working on problems vs. getting the right answer
Errors are not mistakes but opportunities to learn
Classroom is a safe place
Persistence over speed

8. Students Need to Verify for Themselves
Real-life problems
Not always one correct answer
Close enough may be good enough
Giving the answer can stop thinking.

9. Students Need to Explain
Whether they are right or wrong
Describe methods and solutions with teacher and the class
Students should listen, question and learn from each other

10. Teaching Problem Solving Takes Time
Developing problem solving skills is not a lesson objective, but a long term goal.
Where do you find the time?

11. Math Problem Solving for Upper Elementary Students With Disabilities
Marjorie Montague
University of Miami
The Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8

12. Making Problem Solvers
Many students will have problems solving word problems.
Most textbooks are not very helpful.
Teaching problem solving is a challenge for many teachers who rely on textbooks.

13. Drawing a Picture
Most textbooks merely instruct students to draw a picture or make a diagram.
Students who have difficulty usually draw a picture without considering the relationship among the problem components
Effective visual representations, show the relationship among the problem parts.

14. Math = Fun?! Some 5th grade students have a math phobia.
What can we do about this?

15. Math Poems Algebra is cool, It likes to swim in the pool.
It took a nap,
Then ate a rat,
Algebra is a great tool.

16. Anna adores algebra
Algebra is great. We should celebrate
Algebra is really fum,
In addition there is a sum.
We did 14 problems,
I like to solve thems,
Another thing I love is gum.