I think I will create problem scenarios in class in order for them to solve.
Mary, I do the same thing and I find this works extremely well.
Lisa,
I use a format much like this and it gets the students really involved and thinking for themselves. I am sure your students really appreciate how you make English come alive for them and they get to use what they are learning on a regular basis.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Wayne,
Good strategy to follow because you are serving as a problem solving consultant and not just an answer giver. This is how students develop their own critical thinking skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jasen,
I think you are right about the trophy society. The problem with that is when a student has been taught that everyone is a winner and that they all get trophies they don't learn how to develop their skills in a way that will set them apart. When they start their job search they don't know what to do when they have to compete with 30 other people for their job. They need to know that they have worked hard to acquire the knowledge and skills they have and how those assets can be projected into a job interview and a job. That is and should be their goal.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I will split my class into groups of four. Each group will be given a problem/prompt and they will have 20 minutes to collaborate and take a stance on the topic and provide at least three main ideas that support and lend credibility to the stance the group has taken. After 20 minutes, each group then has a chance to present what he or she came up with. After the group presents, I open up the question to the class for a discussion on how anyone would have answered the question differently or if he or she would have used different logic, evidence, or reasoning.
V/r,
Lisa McGoldrick
English Instructor
I definitely agree with this, I often pass out highlighters to my students solely for reference points only. When we are in lab and students have questions,I will have them refer to the notes that they have either highlighted or wrote down. I never give a straight answer to a question because I want them to give thought to the question at hand. So I refer them to a particular page so that they may find an answer and then we discuss the question after the student feels that they have found the answer.
I do this with my students too. I try to teach them not to be afraid of failing. For me Failing at times is just part of the process. You are not always going to be successful the first try. I think their fear of failing comes from the everybody wins a trophy society they grow up in. I tell them that in the real world there is only one way to not to fail....never try anything
Andrew,
Good strategy and one that will yield valuable results in their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By first helping them work through similiar problems so they can develop a patern of thinking.
Wayne,
Like your style. You are slowly moving your students from being passive problem solvers in class to active problem solvers as they prepare to leave school. They need to understand that you won't be there when they leave school and they will need to make decisions and solve problems in their work place. They need to be visionary in their collecting of information about a problem and then selecting a solution.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have a couple techniques I use to get answers from students. When students answer is “I don’t know†I answer with “If you did know the answer, what would it be?†You may have to do this more than once but eventually you’ll get an answer. The other thing we often hear is “I don’t know what to doâ€. My response to that is “What would you do if I wasn’t here?†I try to always get answers from student rather than answer for them.
Seth,
Yes, they are. The more they are practiced and used the more they integrated into the long term memory banks of the students for use when needed. So a distribution of these activities to help the students gain the discipline needed to be problem solvers will get them much closer to being problem solvers in their careers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Problem solving activities are great for classroom exercises and examples. But if the instructor's goal is to support the development of problem solving skills, the instructor needs to implement exercises and activities throughout the course that direct the students to use and develop these problem solving skills. Problem solving skills are developed though repeat opportunities to problem solve.
Victoria,
Good approach because you are showing them that a positive approach helps them to have a foundation from which to build toward a solution. A negative approach keeps them locked in a position where solutions are going to be hard to identify and strive for.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Generally they start with a negative comment or thought. I start with them changing into a positive way, then always tell them do your best, otherway is to start with brainstorms, questions to lead them to possible solutions.
Carlos,
Like the cause and effect approach because it gets students thinking on both sides of a problem or issue. This greatly expands their knowledge of how to deal with such issues in the future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I ask my student questions in regard to cause and effect in order to have them use that knowledge to solve the problem so their dishes taste and look better.
Dhipinder,
The more relevancy and application you can illustrate to your students the better. Sounds like you have a very good strategy going in this area via your use of English mechanics. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I constantly apply problems in English mechanics, problems in literature to real world situations. By asking them to step inside the problem and go beyond the context of the situation, I am able to create a connection between what they are learning and what they are DOING on a daily basis.
