I do not want to make it sound like all of my students do this, there are some who do figure concepts out on their own and they are the students who end up doing will on the Test and Quizzes.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Making Students Think for Themselves.....Ummm
I just read Mark Pinkerton's last post and I totally agree with him. If students come up with idea's and conclusions on their own they are much more likely to remember them and be able to explain those concepts or defitions to someone else. I have been trying this concept more and more in my Algebra classes, the only problem is my students do not want to figure things out on their own, they just want me to tell them what do to (are mine the only ones like this?). If I give them a word problem they come straight to me and say "I don't get it", lately I have been giving them a worksheet where the answers are listed and if done correctly the answers will spell an answer to a riddle. Do my students use this information in order to try to figure out how to work out the problem......NO. They anwer the riddle, which in turn gives them the answer to the problems, and then claim they are finished. Keep in mind that they do not get any credit for doing this, they must show work to get credit.
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I hear ya sister !!!! It is hard. I get discouraged and don't do it for a period of time and then I go back to it. I think sometimes you have to let them struggle with it longer than you think. Eventually they will start working on the problems. I try to encourage them to actually do something by requiring that multiple partners put their approach/solution on the board. This keeps some of them from doing nothing. I also sometimes know that a few aren't going to do the problems, but they are same ones who don't do the other things we do in class. So I tell myself that I am doing it for the students who are participating and I am always suprised at what some of my students can do. I had a girl solve a system of equations with 3 unknown using substitution in an extended Algebra 1 class after one day of instruction. We took notes one day and then I gave them 4 different situations that required solving by systems and the last one was the CHICKEN problem and she was able to get it with out any additional help.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the extra time, its almost like they have to be trained. They need to be put in those situations often or they forget the thinking skills necessary to solve a problem. By no means do I have my classes perfect. In fact I haven't been doing as much as should since Christmas. However, everything word problem or activity you do makes them a better mathematician, person, and student. I am convinced of this.
This rings true in elementary school too! My students tend to read a story problem and automatically add the numbers together. Heaven forbid they actually attempt some other operation! I think that problem solving is being stressed more and more in elementary school so maybe in a few years they will come to you a little more prepared to think. (Maybe.)
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