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

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

4. Achievement = Engagement + Enrichment
E + E
Achievement = Engagement + Enrichment

5. 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.

7. THE BIG “D”

8. 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.

9. 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__ _____

10. Curry/Samara Planning Matrix
Matrix Examples

11. Simple Content Complex Content
Basic Thinking Abstract Thinking
Simple Content
Complex Content

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

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

14. ______________________
146
+ 26
______________________

15. 146=
+26 =
___________________________________________________________________________
=172

16. __________________________25
-18
__________________________

17. __________________________
25 =
-18 = 18
__________________________
2 + 5

18. 201=
46 = 40 +6
_________________________________________________________________________________________ OR
160 – 6 which is

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

20. 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)

21. 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 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?

22. 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 = 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.

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

24. We ARE the foundation!
Don’t skimp!