Matt Felton-Koestler, professor of math ed in dept of teacher ed at Ohio University. I'm not sure how many memories I have of word problems, but I like talking about them now! #octmchat
Jodie Bailey. Math coach @HilliardSchools & President Elect of @ohioctm I remember word problems were always at the end of the chapter - after you'd practiced the calculations in isolation for page after page....after page. #octmchat
A1 If word problems are done well (be honest, it is unlikely that anyone needs 67 cantelopes) they give a context or connection for the mathematics to link #octmchat
A1- word problem offer a context. Young people do not need to know formal symbolic math like division to do division. As long as there is a context. It allows for conceptualizing operations. Your k students can share equally. #octmchat
A1: Well written word problems bring in real world experiences. They force critical thinking and proof that the math is truly being understood. #octmchat
I asked recently why someone in a word problem would use 50 cents to pay for an 18 cent pack of gum. Did they specifically have a half dollar? If you don't specify the coin, wouldn't they use a quarter? How many people carry around half dollars? #octmchat
I think some word problems are Fantastic now, but only if sufficient time is given to students to make sense of them. I do not think all word problems are good. Some are little more than contrived contexts for skills, like a supped up exercise. I’m not a fan of those.#octmchat
A1 word problems allow students to connect a story to the numbers. Usually the Ss can remember strategies, etc. just by relating it to the context. #octmchat
Great example! Also, too bad because a little twist of saying "if you have 50 cents, how much will you have left?" would have made it more reasonable. #octmchat
A1 Word problems invite students' to make connections to the context as well as math in the problem. It helps students make sense of their solutions. #octmchat
A2: I think it is best when the students' authentic questions about the world can be connected to mathematics. This is when the teacher needs to know their content standards to know what pieces to emphasize in the exploration. #octmchat
A2 A scenario that a student may actually encounter in their everyday life. A potential career application. An engaging topic of interest (sports, music, science, etc.) I like to use my students’ names in mine. #octmchat
A2 A real-world context - something that truly makes sense for the student in their time frame...Is it a word problem or a problem with words, hmm? #octmchat
A1: if practice word problems are presented in the right way, they are good practice for real-life situations. They can give examples of how the math they are learning can actually be used. #octmchat
A2: When your Ss can relate personally to a problem then they are more willing to commit to it and persevere until they find an answer. That's when the problem becomes real world for them! #octmchat
A2: What a tough question. For me, when thinking about *word problems* the context should be real-enough (realish) that kids can imagine it, act it out, etc. But it doesn't have to be 100% realistic. Eventually, "real" could include abstract mathematical objects #octmchat
A2 it means an authentic situation. Not words for the sake of words. In fact some really good, real context 3-act tasks are mostly word less. #octmchat
A2: I think real-world context has to be real to the Ss world. They won't relate to a farmer planting 40 acres of wheat when they've never been outside the city I also like the idea of Ss making their own real world problems. We can learn so much.#octmchat
A2 I find difficulty with the phrase "word problem" to be equated with real word problems. Authentic problems can be expressed in forms other than words and often such problems are very contrived. #octmchat
Real world problems are a way to make a connection, to peak curiousity, and to engage students. We must always keep in mind the "world" is relative to the student. #octmchat
This is where I think it's nice to distinguish between (a) super-fake word problems (@joboaler might say pseudocontexts), (b) what I would call "realish" contexts, and (c) authentic contexts that often involve math modeling #octmchat
For some in mathematics education real-world include "realistic" This may fit the world of the child but be fanciful for the point of exploring a mathematical idea. Check this out. https://t.co/NSDcYWuiUj#octmchat
A3 couple ways. Kids can focus on the story and representing it with abstract math symbols. That won’t simply start trying to chase an answer too. #octmchat
A3: Sounds like the start of a modeling problem to me! Have kids pose the problems and constraints! Let them research and discover the numbers for themselves. #octmchat
A3 Love the numberless word problems! For my students who unfortunately believed that they were "not good" at math - I think numberless word problems are a game changer. #octmchat
I was never a fan of word problems as a student because I could usually figure them out, but i struggled to the “proper algorithm” or “formula”. I love letting students show different strategies rather than being stuck with a particular way. #octmchat
A3 numberless word problems prevent the “number pluckers” from doing math before they think. It encourages Ss to look at the relationships and context in a problem before they just throw operations at it... #octmchat
A3: Numberless word problems force one to focus on the relationships within the problem rather than choosing numbers to "plug & chug". Wish I had experienced these as a student! #octmchat
"4 kids equally share 6 pizzas. How much pizza do they get?" It's not *real*, there's no pizza or kids, and if there were you wouldn't give an answer like 1 and 2/4 ... you'd say how many slices they would get. But kids can imagine it and use it to think about fractions #octmchat
A3: Agree with @BaileyJodie - I see numberless problems as encouraging kids to slow down and think about quantities and how they are related before computing #octmchat
A3 I experimented this week with allowing my students to choose the numbers they wanted to use in this world problem (to go along with their study of Merry Go Round by Langston Hughes) They loved it! #octmchat
A4: If word problems means children inventing strategies (and not "applications at the end of the chapter") then children have to reason about quantities to decide how to problem solve. They transition from "12 apples" to "12 blocks" to just 12. #octmchat
A4: Word problems help with abstract reasoning.. when they must think about the context of the problem, especially if they model or draw the problem. #octmchat
A4: I love @FeltonKoestler way of thinking about how Ss move from concrete to iconic to abstract for SMP 2. I can't think of a better way to say it! #octmchat#octmconnects
A4: If word problems means children inventing strategies (and not "applications at the end of the chapter") then children have to reason about quantities to decide how to problem solve. They transition from "12 apples" to "12 blocks" to just 12. #octmchat
