Category: problem based learning
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Thought experiment: combine Algebra 1 and Physical Education
(Part of the reason I started this blog is so I’d have a place to play around with ideas, no matter how non-field-tested they may be. Consider this one of my many half-baked ideas that I haven’t fully thought through.) One of the hallmarks of a New Tech Network school – the network of schools…
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Equalizing practice and assessment
I’ve made it a habit to retweet this once a month or so from Jenn (@DataDiva) who I look up to as a leader in the field of teacher- and student-friendly assessment. . @emergentmath “Assessment is at its best when it is ongoing and most difficult to distinguish from the teaching that is occurring.” —…
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When to scaffold, if at all
It’s been a while since I’ve revisited the Taxonomy of Problems I threw together a while back, but I think it’ll be helpful to spend some time there when considering the following Most-Wanted question around Problem-Based Learning: At what point after allowing the students to work on a problem do I scaffold the content knowledge?…
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A Problem Based Learning Starter Kit
You’ve seen the tasks. You’ve read the research. You’re basically bought in. But how do you begin? More importantly, how do you introduce students to inquiry driven learning? Or maybe you’re not convinced. Perhaps you maintain that the teacher is the primary knowledge constructor. Perhaps you’ve been burned in the past by inquiry driven instruction.…
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A non-linear approach to curriculum mapping
I often hear teachers and parents talk about how math skills build on each other in a way that other subjects do not: you have to know how to add before you can subtract, you have to know how to multiply before you use exponents. This is certainly true to an extent, however, I’m wondering…
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Kicking things off: How do I start the facilitation of a problem?
So you’ve decided to undertake inquiry-based learning. That’s great. I’m really glad you see the inherent value in having students swim through a challenging problem on their own a bit before the teacher jumps in with instruction. I’m also glad you’ve been creative at creating new mathematical tasks with cool entry videos, perplexing pictures, and…
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Taxonomy of Problems (Part 2): Ways and what to assess
In my last post, I tossed out a loose taxonomy to name four different types of problems: Content Learning Problems Exploratory Problems Conceptual Understanding Problems Assessment Problems I felt it necessary for myself. Up until now, I’d been labeling all problem equally: they’re problems! They’re tasks that are supposed to get students to learn stuff!…
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Developing a Taxonomy of Problems: Not all problems are implemented equally
Why would we design all problems and facilitation in a similar way without having the type of problem identified? It’s possible I’ve been a bit too broad-brush when describing Problem Based Learning (PrBL) in terms of task design and facilitation. I’m beginning to wonder if we need a taxonomy of problems. After all, every problem…
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“Isn’t Problem Based Learning easier than Project Based Learning?” and 10 other myths about PrBL. (“Real or not real”)
About a year ago, I started advocating and pushing towards a Problem Based approach in mathematics, as opposed to a solely Project Based approach, which many/most of my peers currently employ. But before we go any further, let’s better parse the differences between Project- (PBL) and Problem-Based Learning (PrBL). I realize that different people define and…
emergent math 