PROBLEM SOLVINGBY

Marjan Hong

Agenda•Introductions

•What is Problem Solving?

•Decisions, Decisions

•Functions Task

•How to evaluate progress in problem solving

Introductions

Video:

Education Today and Tomorrow

In the past 50 years the job market for students has changed dramatically. Students now compete for jobs

In their community In a neighboring city In an adjoining country In a country across the globe

How can we prepare students for the 21st century job market??

21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

SKILLS TO SUCCEED

Critical Thinker Responsible worker

Problem Solver

Multi-Lingual

Innovative ThinkerTeam Contributor

Curious Researcher

What is Problem Solving?

•Think about a “problem solving classroom.” What does it look like? What does it sound like? Write down as many words or phrases that come to mind.

•Discuss

•Share

Problems solving is:NOT a technique, NOT a gimmick, NOT terminal, NOT temporary, NOT a unit in the course of study.

(Mosston, 1968)

Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue (Reed, 2000).

Problem solving is a creative process that requires divergent and convergent thinking. (DeHaan, 2008, 2009)

Problem Solving IS Thinking like an Artist.

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do

•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations

•Making connections between different things and ideas

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas

•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things

•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives

•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure

•Arranging things in new and interesting ways

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways

•Working hard and at the edge of your potential

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways•Working hard and at the edge of your potential

•Persisting where others may give up

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways•Working hard and at the edge of your potential•Persisting where others may give up

•Concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways•Working hard and at the edge of your potential•Persisting where others may give up•Concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time

•Dreaming and fantasizing about things

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways•Working hard and at the edge of your potential•Persisting where others may give up•Concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time•Dreaming and fantasizing about things

•Using old ideas to create new ideas and ways of seeing things

Thinking like an Artist means:

•Looking at things more closely than most people do•Finding beauty in everyday things and situations•Making connections between different things and ideas•Going beyond ordinary ways of thinking or doing things•Looking at things in different ways in order to generate new perspectives•Taking risks and exposing yourself to possible failure•Arranging things in new and interesting ways•Working hard and at the edge of your potential•Persisting where others may give up•Concentrating your effort and attention for long periods of time•Dreaming and fantasizing about things•Using old ideas to create new ideas and ways of seeing things

•Doing something simply because it is interesting and personally challenging to do

(Roland 1996, 2001)

English

Able to analyze text and move from writing as a product to writing as a process

Science:

Engage in authentic inquiry and analyze and articulate observations.

Music:

Able to create democratic constructions of multiple cultures and multiple selves. (Allsup 2010 )

Social studies:

Able to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world (NCSS)

Mathematics:

Able to use deductive reasoning to adapt existing algorithms to situations and/or to create rules in a situation where an algorithm cannot be directly applied.

Health & PE:

Able to use divergent public health issues to illustrate a systematic problem solving process for use in addressing public health problems.

Foreign Language:

Able to use a wide variety of language learning strategies appropriately to improve language skills in a better way. Metacognitive strategies to improve organization of learning time, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation. Cognitive strategies to use previous knowledge to help solve new problems. Socioaffective strategies to ask native speakers to correct their pronunciation, or a classmate to work together on a particular language problem (Fedderholt, 1997)

Identify the Problem

Define the Problem

Form a strategy

Organize information

Allocate resources

Monitor progress

Evaluate the results

Problem Solving Cycle

Decisions, Decisions

Functions Task

Evaluating progress in problem solving

•Observe and Question

•Examine student journal entries on the problem solving process

•Use scoring rubrics

Table 4:Math Performance Task – Scoring RubricData Analysis

Name _____________________________  Date ___________

Score

Description

4Makes accurate estimations. Uses appropriate mathematical

operations with no mistakes. Draws logical conclusions supported by graph. Sound explanations of thinking.

3Makes good estimations. Uses appropriate mathematical operations with few mistakes. Draws logical conclusions

supported by graph. Good explanations of thinking.

2

Attempts estimations, although many inaccurate. Uses inappropriate mathematical operations, but with no mistakes.

Draws conclusions not supported by graph. Offers little explanation.

1Makes inaccurate estimations. Uses inappropriate mathematical

operations. Draws no conclusions related to graph. Offers no explanations of thinking.

0 No response/task not attempted.