Helping Students Become Problem Solvers

1.                         How can I get my students to ask questions about the research they are conducting?

  Think Sheets are a good way to get students to answer questions about the research they are conducting.  The KWL chart is a simple technique that has the student write down everything they know about the area they are researching, followed by a section to write out everything they want to know or questions they have, and the last area is where they write down everything they learned.  Also Think Sheets are a good way to develop active learning skills and make students into independent learners (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 128).

2.                         How can I teach my students to solve problems?

                    Find problems for the students to solve in the lesson plan and have them create a planning Think Sheet that will help them identify and plan to solve the problem.  Try setting up the problem in advance and also in a way that will interest the students.  Use problems that are relevant to their knowledge base, for example:  elementary students might enjoy problems involving puppies or flowers, whereas middle school and high school students might find such problems to be boring and would prefer problems involving music and movies.  The student should be naturally curious about the solution and want to find it if the problem is interesting to them (Morrison-Lowther, pg. 138).

3.                         I’ve never used an inquiry-based approach, much less computers—so how is a teacher supposed to do both of these at one time?

                    Use the NTeQ model to plan out a lesson plan with an inquiry-based approach, analyze the different steps within the plan to determine where a computer might be a useful aid in learning the lesson.  As with everything new, it takes time to adjust and become comfortable with change.  Also, never be afraid to ask other teachers for help, collaboration is a great way to learn new skills.  Teachers can tweak lesson plans several times as they use them to improve them and it will get easier and easier with each use.  I believe a good teacher is one that is a student as well, always trying to learn new ways of doing things.

Resources:

Morrison, G. R., ), G. R. M., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom, skills for the 21st century. (Fourth ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

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