Monday Book Study: Chapter 2

Sorry I did not get this out on time as last week week started school and BOY was i exhausted!! :)

 Chapter 2 talks about planning for problem solving in the classroom. The steps to do this is: 1. find a good math problem. This really opened my eyes when reading this section and looking at some examples. You will want to keep these keys factors in mind when looking or creating problems:

 *Make it understandable
 *Make it interesting and motivating

 It goes on to demonstrate the Problem Solving Framework that should be used when working out problems which I think is the hardest for our students to understand and take the time in practicing....

 1. Understanding the Problem: RESTATE the problem in your own words & what INFORMATION is the problem asking for.
 2. Devise A Plan: what STRATEGIES am I going to use?
 3. Carry Out the Plan: Do it and CHECK each step as you move through the problem
 4. Look Back: does this make SENSE??

 Part 2 of the chapter talks about the Instructional Model of Launch, Explore & Summarize.

  Launch: Is more like your engaging of the students.
  Explore: This is where the students gather data, share ideas, look for patterns and choose strategies.
  Summarize: This part is the one that needs the most focus but for some reason we never give enough attention to. Students have discussions and share how they figured out the problem and the strategies used. Students can also revise or refine their work to better understand how to solve the problem.

 So what does problem solving look like in your classroom????