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A1 I think many teachers (including myself) have good intentions and want to incorporate more challenge and promote out of the box thinking but core skills in numeracy and literacy still command more attention. I find STEAM activities are a great way to engage pupils. #ukedchat
Looking forward to this chat tonight. I often wonder how much students are encouraged to solve problems in schools as there is a huge level of reluctance, in a number of Ss, to try (and risk failure) when they come to FE #ukedchat
A1 We do thinking activities first thing each morning. I appreciate a child who thinks 'out of the box' during those activities and when carrying out investigations. At times such as formal testing, thinking out of the box may not be useful in terms of gaining marks. #UKEdChat
A1 Quite the opposite when it comes to maverick ideas from both pupils and stuff in my experience. Often seen attitude of "We'll let you think and do so far, but within OUR limited boundaries." So much potential wasted.☹️ #UKEdChathttps://t.co/VYEfHr2kIH
A2 Teaching programming for the past two years has shown me how much of an appetite our students have for real practical problem solving - I don't let them ask me about errors until they've tried to fix it, spoken to peers, looked on the internet and through past work. #ukedchat
A2 In science and maths there are clear opportunities for teaching problem solving skills and also encouraging chn to try and solve a problem. Regular science investigations where chn are asked to think of a way we could find out something works really well. #UKEdChat
A1 I try to promote thinking outside of the box with my children particularly with problem solving. I think it's important for views to be different and children should be encouraged to identify a range of solutions to a problem. #ukedchat#blueskythinking
There seems to me to be a clear corelation between Ss who get a 4 in maths (and higher) and those that don't, and their willingness/ability to approach a problem. I think many Ss overlook, or aren't signposted to, the importance of mathematical thinking for day to day #ukedchat
A2 We've recently changed the way we run our afternoons in order to actively promote problem solving. We introduce a problem and the children investigate and research in order to solve it. The learning is predominantly led by the children and their ideas. #ukedchat
A2: STEAM is a good way to integrate the problem solving skills in schools. I try to start lessons sometimes with problems from everyday life #ukedchat
A3 1 thing I do is to have a challenge, usually in numeracy, for pupils to try at any point. At end of the lesson they sit at my desk & explain their thinking - class also have their input. Bit of pupil voice/leading own learning.But time sometimes prevents my plans☹️ #ukedchat
#ukedchat A3. In English, problem-solving takes the form of interpretation and figuring out bias/perspectives/subtext. While probkem solving is less visible, it still has a big role in teaching English.
#UKEdChat Q4
Beyond posing the challenge to pupils, what is the role of an educator during a practical problem solving activity?
Please use the hashtag & A4...
It's huge for me, but I teach within an engineering environment. It takes some time to get students to start feeling confident enough to try and solve a problem though, often for fear of making a mistake when trying to establish themselves in a new group #ukedchat
A3. In my lessons it’s mainly around how we navigate vocabulary that we don’t understand. Solving the problem of how to understand a text or a question when there is unfamiliar vocabulary #ukedchat
@ukedchat A1 I do lots of thinking outside of the box but not sure if it's the nature of RS as a subject and having to use thinking skills a lot #ukedchat
A3 Pupil problem solving is massive in my role as a teacher. The children need opportunities to work things out for themselves, identify or predict problems, mistakes, areas for improvement and so on. Children will learn more from doing than telling. #ukedchat
Something we are beginning to look at this year in terms of all areas of the curriculum. Looking at where the opportunities are to provide problem solving opportunities in multiple subjects. Anyone already done this?
A4 Cajoling those who are struggling - often just in the form of being a sounding board. Let them explain their thoughts and hearing it aloud often points them towards whether they are right or wrong. #ukedchat
A2 yes! Just did escape room task this week and worked really well. In the past I have organised and run enrichment weeks on the same style and its amazing to see pupils work in that way...happy to share examples! #ukedchat
I completely agree. Our afternoons are predominantly STEM now and this allows endless opportunities for problem solving as well as hitting skills across the curriculum. #ukedchat
A2 During the school day, students are responding to closed questions where thinking can be quite minimal and there is only one possible correct answer. I try opportunities to think outside the box with regular student-centred, open-ended, classroom discussions. #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat Q4 again
Beyond posing the challenge to pupils, what is the role of an educator during a practical problem solving activity?
Please use the hashtag & A4...
Problem solving challenges are provided within every Mathematics lesson @StAndrewsWorcs. Children are challenged to reason, explain and prove given statements (including models in which mistakes need to be identified and addressed) using CPA approaches! #ukedchat
A4 I think its always important for an educator to support the process and guide where necessary, although the joy of problem solving sometimes isn't always the solving, it's the journey and mistakes along the way. #ukedchat
A3: in Politics we give them a real life scenario and 3 solutions. They have to explore which solution and why. None of the proferred solutions really fix the problem but it helps them better understand political decision making, laws etc. #ukedchat
A4. I think sometimes their role is to play Devil’s Advocate to encourage students to think about all sides of the problem and to prompt some good discussion around the problem #ukedchat
A4 in a word: facilitate. To me that encompasses modelling, motivating and questioning pupils. If it’s a STEAM based task, I like to show off my own creation that didn’t quite work as a way of embracing failure & encouraging kids to give it a go/beat me #ukedchat
A4 - well it's NOT to jump in and give them the answer. I was guilty of this loads when I first started teaching; I wasn't allowing them to have a bit of a struggle. NQTs often 'rescue' Ss too early, and I was certainly a culprit of that #ukedchat
A4. I think sometimes their role is to play Devil’s Advocate to encourage students to think about all sides of the problem and to prompt some good discussion around the problem #ukedchat
A4: at FE really just a mediator. We usually have ground rules in place from the start of the year and so students are free to explore, try, discuss, debate and in a safe supportive environment. Occasionally throw in additional questions/queries if they are stymied #ukedchat
A5 I actively encourage children to identify problems they encounter outside of school and use this as a lesson stimulus. Aside from this, the news often provides a wealth of real world problems that the children are always keen to discuss and solve. #ukedchat
A5: In AS Politics we do this often. We've even brought in the Outreach team from the Welsh National assembly to debate key issues and the students feedback has gone forward and been enshrined in law! #ukedchat
A5: In biology we involve a lot of real world and real life problems (health, nature, ecology) in our lessons and try to find solutions in different ways #ukedchat
@ukedchat A1 oh and pinned to my twitter are videos to watch that could be used for problem solving...100 clips and questions free to all from pixar, TED, adverts...loads of good starting points...will retweet 😊 totally free to all #ukedchat
A6 I think it's important for teachers to have a good knowledge of how things work, or at least try out a session before hand in order to support where necessary, although often, allowing the children to just "have a go" provides the most interesting outcomes. #ukedchat
A6: not necessarily but we do need to know how to utilise it effectively rather than simply for the sake if it. Problem solving needs to be purposeful for good take aways for students and to develop worthwhile skills and something they will want to revisit. #ukedchat
Planning well for a class is all about solving a problem, and being able to break down information to make it accessible to all, to the lower attainers and to build it up for the highest attainers #ukedchat I think the best way is through constantly practicing
A6: Above all, teachers need to be excited about the problems they are posing & interested in problem solving as a pedagogical approach. Having good subject knowledge is also essential #UKEdChat
@ukedchat A4 step away, be quiet, let them fail! That is true problem solving. A guy from philosophy 4 children once said he laid down so primary children couldnt see him to ask questions. The gaps and the failure is the learning 😊 #ukedchat
A4 Offer encouragement, agree that learning is difficult, give praise for resilience and share different approaches to the activity so chn learn from each other. #UKEdChat
A6 I think you need to be a good problem solver to be a teacher anyway tbh, so many quick decisions throughout a day; I don't think you need to know how to solve the particular problem your Ss are working on though. Sometimes it's better when you discover with them #ukedchat
A5: Context is key. Problems need to be based in a meaningful, realistic, real-life context where possible. It’s no good having Bob buying 367 melons at the supermarket... #UKEdChat
A5 For science we introduce a problem that will engage the chn so they are motivated to find a solution. One that worked very well was the chn had to decide which material would be best for insulating frozen dinosaur blood! #UKEdChat
Use the 'pause'. It can sometimes be so hard when there's silence and no action but also understand how to question further in a way that encourages them to think without telling them what to do or how to do #ukedchat
#UKEdChat Q5 Absolutely through STEM education! By posing questions to our pupils based on real world problems (for example, how can we filter dirty water to make it clean?) and then giving them the freedom to explore and create solutions, applying their learning in the process.
A4: Questioning is key: open questions which provoke deeper thinking in pupils. Equally as important is the development of teamwork skills amongst pupils. It’s no good being a genius problem solver if you can’t work with others #UKEdChat
A7 I'd like to think staff and children of schools are given a voice to identify problems and work together to develop a mutually beneficial solution, however I know all too often this isn't the case. #ukedchat
Creating films in the classroom is just a smashing way to celebrate and advertise your school to the world. Why wouldn't you want to tell everyone how great you are? #edtech#edtechchat#PrimaryFilm#UKedchat#ATU#LitFilmFest
A6 Like all learning we need to know the skills to be a proficient problem solver and model those. The only way to learn these skills is to engage in real problem solving. #UKEdChat
A4 Our role is to take a step back and let pupils explore for themselves and, indeed, make mistakes! We also need to be there as educators to help develop crucial problem solving skills such as perseverance and teamwork. #UKEdChat
A7 Some problems are identified by staff or chn. Our school council work with each class to solve them. It means chn have a real say and they know they are making a difference. #UKEdChat
A8 Yesterday we did a French/resilience lesson where pupils had to use what they knew about general small talk and punctuation to help decode a challenging passage of French. They loved the challenge and we used the new vocab to make comic strips before acting them out #ukedchat
A8: As starter activities I love Dingbats.If I know my class will be arriving in dribs and dragbs I have some on the board for students to try and work out before everyone has arrived and we can begin the session. Simple brain warm up a to out them in that frame if mind #ukedchat
Q8 Slightly biased but I love a good STEM activity. For example, egg parachutes, newspaper towers, marshmallow and spaghetti structures, balloon powered cars or tin foil cargo boats. #UKEdChat
#ukedchat A6
By having a go and having a go again. Allow children hear different points of view too: there's more than one way to answer a problem! I'd like to ask 'If 200 is the answer, what is the question?' type starters!
A8 For maths I like the nRich resources. One big triangle on there is trickier than it looks, Magic V can be extended. I like the way chn can change the problem by asking themselves 'what if...?' #UKEdChat
A8: As starter activities I love Dingbats.If I know my class will be arriving in dribs and drabs I have some on the board for students to try and work out before everyone has arrived and we can begin the session. Simple brain warm ups to put them in that frame of mind #ukedchat
A6 #ukedchat yes!!! Problems can be so varied... from how to solve a pastoral issue, to how to teach a topic to a student who's not hetting it. You learn by doing, asking advice, watching others
