His mohawk flopped side to side as he pointed rapidly at his scrawling mathematics work. My 6th grader was having a hard time explaining his thought process. “It’s like, I started with this idea, and tried this formula with these numbers, but then the math
Thinking is hard. Teaching students to think is really hard! Modern mathematics standards and curriculum often put an emphasis on mathematical problem solving—frequently described as what you do when you don’t immediately know what to do—which requires a great deal of student thinking. Teachers know that
When a popular lake in Arvada, Colorado, was closed to the public because of an algae bloom, a student asked his science teacher what could be done. His question was the catalyst for a deep dive into creative problem solving that engaged 200 sixth-graders, four
I am a questionologist. If you’ve never heard the term before that may be because I made it up. I needed a word to describe what I do: I study the art and science of questioning. My work focuses on why and how the simple act of asking questions can
“The evidence overall suggests that the status quo with respect to learning outcomes from high school mathematics is unacceptable (p.3).” - Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics (2018) “Today, it seems as if nearly everyone agrees that high school mathematics needs to change. For far too long
According to the World Economic Forum (2016), the top three skills required for work in 2020 are complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. The traditional model of schooling, where students take a passive role in their learning, does not encourage the engagement and rigor required
What is Project-Based Learning? Project-based learning (PBL) activities present an engaging question, task, or problem that students then explore through authentic, real-world experiences. The goal is to teach students academic content while they are working in small, collaborative teams. Many PBL activities can also be designed
There is a surfeit of blog posts devoted to the top (pick a number, any number) ways to engage modern students. Many offer tricks for teachers to engage today’s so-called “digitally savvy” students. Exhausted educators have tried all sorts of gimmicks in response to a
I challenge all teachers to try this daily: forget all you know as an expert of your content area. Yes, I am asking that, for a moment, pretend you cannot remember all you have learned as you followed your passion as a reader, writer, historian,
Making Sense of Problems and Persevering in Solving Them "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax— Of cabbages—and kings— And why the sea is boiling hot— And whether pigs have wings." One of my favorite books since I was very young has been