I am convinced that problem solving is one of the most important life skills we can communicate to our students. It is n't tested -- at least not directly -- and there are no TEKS for it -- at least specifically. Yet, it is included in almost every standard when we consider critical thinking; what we are really talking about is problem solving.
When I asked my students today to brainstorm steps in a simple problem-solving process, it became clear very quickly that when they thought "problem solving" they thought about problems on a test or worksheet. We discussed expanding that idea to include meeting ordinary challenges head-on and looking for ways to meet them.
The problem, I told them, is that on any given day they will face a wide variety of challenges that require careful use of their limited resources to face them.
Then, I gave them a problem to solve. Using limited resources, they were to construct a free-standing structure within the time limit given (20 minutes). The tallest structure wins. Their resources were 25 grams of spaghetti noodles (uncooked, of course) and 5 grams of miniature marshmallows. The results were funny, amazing, sad, and even just plan unfortunate. But everyone tried.
Afterwards, asked to evaluate what they learned about themselves, many admitted they tried to work too hard on their own, not relying on their two teammates. Although allowed to do so, many did not consult the Web to gain insight into how others might have solved this problem.
"We could learn a lot from other people," one student said.
You think? Couldn't we all, indeed.
Harrison McCoy
AVID Coordinator
When I asked my students today to brainstorm steps in a simple problem-solving process, it became clear very quickly that when they thought "problem solving" they thought about problems on a test or worksheet. We discussed expanding that idea to include meeting ordinary challenges head-on and looking for ways to meet them.
The problem, I told them, is that on any given day they will face a wide variety of challenges that require careful use of their limited resources to face them.
Then, I gave them a problem to solve. Using limited resources, they were to construct a free-standing structure within the time limit given (20 minutes). The tallest structure wins. Their resources were 25 grams of spaghetti noodles (uncooked, of course) and 5 grams of miniature marshmallows. The results were funny, amazing, sad, and even just plan unfortunate. But everyone tried.
Afterwards, asked to evaluate what they learned about themselves, many admitted they tried to work too hard on their own, not relying on their two teammates. Although allowed to do so, many did not consult the Web to gain insight into how others might have solved this problem.
"We could learn a lot from other people," one student said.
You think? Couldn't we all, indeed.
Harrison McCoy
AVID Coordinator