Maths Problem Solving Staff Meeting 10/5/22

Full Presentation

Key Points for Teachers - Using Problems in Maths

• Problem-solving activities can be completed individually and through group work
• Carefully choose tasks so they encourage collaboration (and not one person taking over)
• Ensure groups have support
• Provide a balance of the four task types (see below) 
• Provide a balance of proficiencies (adaptive reasoning, problem solving, procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, productive disposition)
• Provide a balance of the strands (statistics, geometry & measurement, number & algebra)

Four Types of Tasks 

• Exercise : Require a known fact / procedure, put into practice
• Application : A worded problem, with one or two steps, solution pathway is transparent. Often strategies/algorithms focused
• Open-Ended : Has several solutions with multiple solutions pathways. These have a low floor but high ceiling (all/most can access and answer it, but it also has huge scope for extended thinking). Includes extenders and enablers 
• Unfamiliar : Group worthy tasks, non-routine, multiple steps/strands....can be 5mins to longer projects lasting weeks

The Approach Students Take To Problem Solving

1. Decode : see and plan, formulate an approach - restate in own words, represent mathematically 
2. Decide : select & apply procedures, estimate, check, show (working) so others can understand
3. Defend : reflect on answer and decide if reasonable, explain strategy, justify, re-work if needed

Kōwhai Team Reflections 

We talked as a team and decided we provide lots of exercise and application problems, but would like to have more unfamiliar problems. We would especially like to generate unfamiliar problems that have the potential to extend for days, especially for our more able learners. We also talked about how to ensure problems are challenging and 'meaty' but still engaging enough to capture our target learners.