Problem Solving A Teaching Strategy Dr Everett D

Problem Solving A Teaching Strategy Dr. Everett D. Mc. Coy

PROBLEM SOLVING: CHARACTERISTICS 1. Open ended There is No right answer

PROBLEM SOLVING: CHARACTERISTICS 1. Open ended There is No right answer 2. Ambiguous Statement must be clarified

PROBLEM SOLVING: CHARACTERISTICS 1. Open ended There is No right answer 2. Ambiguous Statement must be clarified 3. Broad scope Assumptions must be made

PROBLEM SOLVING: CHARACTERISTICS 1. 2. 3. 4. Open ended There is No right answer Ambiguous Statement must be clarified Broad scope Assumptions must be made Topical Has meaning to the student

PROBLEM SOLVING: CHARACTERISTICS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open ended There is No right answer Ambiguous Statement must be clarified Broad scope Assumptions must be made Topical Has meaning to the student Interdisciplinary Engaging across academic areas

PROBLEM SOLVING: STEPS OF RESEARCH 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open ended There is No right answer Ambiguous Statement must be clarified Broad scope Assumptions must be made Topical Has meaning to the student Interdisciplinary Engaging across academic areas

PROBLEM SOLVING: STUDENTS… • • • take responsibility for learning take action to solve problems resolve conflicts discuss alternatives focus on thinking

PROBLEM SOLVING HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR TOMATOES ARE WILTING IN THE YARD. OR MAYBE A LOW PRESSURE CELL IS NAPPING OVERHEAD, YOUR ARM ACHES FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING : WHAT IS IT? HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR DEFINITION: The ability to identify and solve. A LOW TOMATOES ARE WILTING IN THE YARD. OR MAYBE problems by applying PRESSURE CELL IS NAPPING OVERHEAD, YOUR ARM ACHES DESCRIPTION : A process; ongoing activity appropriate skillsansystematically. FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING where we use what we know to THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU discover what we don't. information F UNCTIONS: 1. Seeking WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY 2. YOUR Generating GALLONS HAVE HIT ROOF, new YARDknowledge , BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE 3. . Making decisions HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR TOMATOES ARE WILTING IN THE YARD. OR MAYBE A LOW PRESSURE CELL IS NAPPING OVERHEAD, YOUR ARM ACHES FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Understand the problem Describe anymust barriers Students understand the nature of a problem and its related goals. Identify appropriate alternatives • Frame problems in their own words Try a solution • Use drawings to look at a problem from Evaluate the results many different perspectives

PROBLEM SOLVING : Understand the problem HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR IS IT TOTAL OR JUST BY YARD THE HOUR ? TOMATOES ARE RAIN WILTING IN THE. OR MAYBE A LOW PRESSURE CELL NAPPING OVERHEAD , YOUR ARM IS IT AISSTANDARD OR LARGE BATH TUB ? ACHES FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING IS IT JUST RAIN OR A STORM? THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Understand the problem Describe any barriers is the problem? Identify. What appropriate alternatives • Identify constraints Try a solution Verbalize impediments Evaluate • the results

PROBLEM SOLVING : Describe any barriers HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR WHAT ARE ANDINVOLUME ? . OR MAYBE A LOW TOMATOES AREA WILTING THE YARD PRESSURE CELL OVERHEAD HOWISDONAPPING WE CHANGE UNITS? , YOUR ARM ACHES FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING HOW DO WE MEASURE RAIN? THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Understand the problem Describe any barriers Identify appropriate alternatives Available approaches include Try a solution • Visual Images • Work Backwards Evaluate the results • Guesstimate • Tables • Manipulatives • Patterns • Systematic Lists

PROBLEM SOLVING : Identify alternatives HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR HOW MUCH RAIN IS THERE ? YARD. OR MAYBE A LOW TOMATOES ARE WILTING IN THE PRESSURE CELL NAPPING OVERHEAD , YOUR HOWISMUCH WATER IS IN A BATH ? ARM ACHES FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING HOW LARGE IS A YARD? THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. • Keep Understand the accurate problemrecords thoughts, proceedings, procedures. Describe any barriers • Work through a strategy Identify appropriate alternatives doesn’t work, modify, gives bad data Try a solution • Monitor Evaluate the resultsthe steps • Come back later

PROBLEM SOLVING : Try a solution HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR 1” OF RAIN 1 SQ. FT. INISTHE ABOUT 1. GALLON. TOMATOES AREINWILTING YARD OR MAYBE A LOW PRESSURE CELL IS NAPPING OVERHEAD , YOUR. ARM ACHES 1 BATH HOLDS ABOUT 40 GALLONS FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING THE AVERAGE YARD IS NOW ¼ ACRE. THE BASEMENT FILL WITH WATER. EITHER WAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH RAIN IT IS—HOW MANY GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS Multiple opportunities to self-assess 1. Understand the problem skills and solutions 2. 3. 4. 5. Describe barriers 1. any risk-taking Identify 2. appropriate self-assurancealternatives 3. independence Try a solution Evaluate the results

PROBLEM SOLVING : Evaluate the results HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR TOMATOES ARE WILTING IN THE YARD. OR MAYBE A LOW DID I GET A NEGATIVE NUMBER OF BATHS ? PRESSURE CELL IS NAPPING OVERHEAD, YOUR ARM ACHES IS IT LESS THAN 1? FROM HOLDING AN UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE WATCHING MOREWITH THANWATER 1, 000? THE BASEMENT FILL. EITHER WAY, YOU OES THIS MAKE ? MANY WANT TO KNOW HOW DMUCH RAIN IT SENSE IS—HOW GALLONS HAVE HIT YOUR ROOF, YARD, BLOCK, OR TOWN. AND, OF COURSE. . . HOW MANY BATHS COULD YOU GET FROMA RAINSTORM?

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Understand the problem Describe any barriers Identify appropriate alternatives Try a solution Evaluate the results

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEP PROCESS RESEARCH 1. Understand the problem 1. Knowledge 2. Describe any barriers 2. Understanding 3. Identify appropriate alternatives 3. Analysis 4. Try a solution 4. Synthesis 5. Evaluate the results 5. Verification

PROBLEM SOLVING: FIVE STEPS OF RESEARCH 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Knowledge Understanding Analysis Synthesis Verification

PROBLEM SOLVING: EXAMPLES HOW MANY BATHS CAN YOU GET FROM A RAINSTORM? WHERE SHOULD I LIVE TO LIVE THE LONGEST? How do you teach a TAG student? What makes a “Wonder” Wonder-full? Should a current project be built?