Problem-solving as part of math class

[AspieAlly613]

Problem-solving made up a significant portion of my math classes when I was in elementary school.  Quite often, the instructor would give our class a math problem, having never explained the procedure for how to solve anything quite like it, and the class was expected to discuss how to approach it.

 

To what extent was this a part of your math class when you were a kid?

[AspieAlly613]

Some examples of problems I remember:

 

• The Josephus problem (grade 1)
• Measure exactly 4 liters with an unmarked 3 liter container and an unmarked 5 liter container (grade 1)
• The Von Neumann fly/bicycle problem (grade 3)
• Coming up with a never-lose strategy for tic-tac-toe (grade 4)
• The tower of Hanoi puzzle (grade 5) 

[Ceebs]

Never or almost never, to the best of my recollection. It's been a long time. 

[Guest]

Never. My teachers taught to the standardized tests, which means problem-solving and critical thinking were not part of the curriculum. In private school, the only problem-solving described here was done in science class, especially for one specific assignment I remember (in 8th grade physical science, we had to build a Rube Goldberg machine).

[AspieAlly613]

Just now, RoseGoesToYale said:

Never. My teachers taught to the standardized tests, which means problem-solving and critical thinking were not part of the curriculum. In private school, the only problem-solving described here was done in science class, especially for one specific assignment I remember (in 8th grade physical science, we had to build a Rube Goldberg machine).

BTW, since you're in Florida, do you have a preference for BEST vs. Common Core?

[Guest]

Just now, AspieAlly613 said:

BTW, since you're in Florida, do you have a preference for BEST vs. Common Core?

Both are extremely fucked up. The entire US education system, never mind Florida, would need a complete overhaul.

[AspieAlly613]

19 minutes ago, RoseGoesToYale said:

Both are extremely fucked up. The entire US education system, never mind Florida, would need a complete overhaul.

Yeah, that was my thought, too.  I'll probably be TikTokking about that later.

[seasoning_packet_65]

mmmm math

[seasoning_packet_65]

I don't remember much from my school math classes bc I didn't pay attention as much

Since 3rd grade I've always gotten what I've needed from Khan Academy and it helped me jump ahead.  Whenever I would get to the material in math class, it was a piece of cake (pun absolutely intended, I know it's bad I'm not sorry tho)

[Sally]

Since I am old, I have succeeded in forgetting math classes, but I do remember that I was very unhappy in them because of my teachers' tendencies to do no explanation whatsoever.  We were given homework after no explanation, and I brought mine back the next day, handed it to the person behind me for checking (we had to do that), and was constantly embarassed because it was always wrong.  Luckily, I've never needed anything but basic arithmetic in my life, mainly because I've always dealt only with words.  

[ICantThinkOfAUsernameToo]

I have a terrible memory so I could be wrong but i think we were always given the premise of how to solve a problem. There was some cases  were there was a little twist and we had to think outside of the box(I remember my grade 12 teacher used to do this quiet often)

[TheSmolFoxWeeb]

Typically everything is pretty well explained. Hopefully that doesn’t change once i start high school next year

[Skycaptain]

All the time

[iff]

@AspieAlly613

 

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