A comprehensive
math program revolves around skills, concepts, and problem solving across
the strands. Problem solving is an essential component, for this is where
application occurs. As schools around the country strive to raise standards,
state assessments now reflect an interest in understanding not only whether
students can accurately solve problems but also how they arrived at their
solutions. This focus on performance gives teachers more insight into
what a student knows and can do. Furthermore, by better understanding
their own strategies and approaches students gain more confidence and
power to approach and solve problems.
Here are some areas we typically address in a workshop
on Problem Solving and Assessment:
| Defining problem solving |
| Selecting and developing
good problem solving tasks |
| Understanding and using
rubrics to assess student work |
| Creating a climate conducive
to problem solving and assessment - in the classroom and across
the school |
| Incorporating problem
solving into your day - time management, grouping, using tasks for
different purposes, goal setting |
|
