Jul 18, 2012 ... Talk, Draw, Write. Problem Solved! ... on the branch now? ... Speak, Write, Reflect
, Revise describes the 4-step process for competent problem.
Talk, Draw, Write. Problem Solved!
[email protected] www.robynsilbey.com There are 3 birds on a tree branch. Then 2 birds fly over to the same branch. How many birds are on the branch now?
Rani earned $128 mowing lawns and $73 babysitting. How much money did Rani earn?
Jin had $67 in his pocket after he bought a radio controlled car. He went to the store with $142. How much did Jin spend on the car?
Marc is 69 ½ inches tall. Carrie is 62 ¾ inches tall. How much taller is Marc than Carrie?
There are 9 puffy stickers. There are 3 times as many plain stickers as puffy stickers. How many plain stickers are there?
Four children share the cost of a gift equally. The gift costs $28. How much does each child pay?
Rosa has 336 shells. She keeps 72 of the shells for herself. Rosa shares the remaining evenly shells among 6 friends. How many shells does each friend receive?
A soccer ball and six golf balls weigh a total of 1 kilogram. Each golf ball weighs 70 grams. What is the weight of the soccer ball? (Hint: 1 kg = 1,000 g)
Sara buys a printer for $120. She buys a computer for 4 times as much as the printer. What is the cost of the entire purchase? How much more does the computer cost than the printer?
David had $40. He spent 1/5 of the money on a storybook and 3/10 on a calculator. How much did he spend?
Liz put 2/5 of her money in the bank and spent 1/2 of the remainder. If she had $30 left, how much money did Liz have at first?
Madeline made 300 cupcakes. She sold ¾ of them and gave 1/3 of the remainder to her neighbor. How many cupcakes did she have left?
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CAMT 07.18.12
www.robynsilbey.com
Talk, Draw, Write. Problem Solved!
[email protected] www.robynsilbey.com
Speak, Write, Reflect, Revise describes the 4-step process for competent problem
solving. The approach requires the teacher to facilitate the learning, which empowers students to help themselves and each other. In addition to improved test scores, students learn to articulate their ideas and strategies clearly using appropriate vocabulary. Students help each other in a risk-free environment as they learn independence, interdependence, self-reliance, and resourcefulness.
The Process
Problems should be constructed so that the solution can be obtained using a variety of pathways, both sophisticated and simple. The process must involve and engage every student in the class. Below is a summary of the Speak, Write, Reflect, Revise process: A problem is presented to the class. Students think independently first, then verbally exchange solution strategies (not the solutions themselves) in partners and small groups. Following the small group conversations, the entire class reconvenes to discuss and compare solution strategies. Embedded in discussions are appropriate math vocabulary and proper sentence structure. Students solve the problem independently. Using a rubric as a guide, students write a paragraph describing their solution strategies and justifying their answers. One or two volunteers, selected by the teacher for the quality of their response(s), read their first drafts orally with the class. The teacher carefully chooses volunteers whose papers need only minor edits in order to be an outstanding, full-credit response. Using the rubric as a guide, classmates score the responses. Through a class discussion, students work together to upgrade the responses to full-credit anchor papers. This third discussion about the original problem solidifies conceptual understanding for the majority of students. All students reflect on the discussions and anchor papers as they write a second draft.
Teacher Reflection
Students’ work is complete, but the reflection process is just beginning for the teacher. Once teachers read students’ papers, she reflects on students’ responses. She asks herself: Did my students understand the problem? What solution strategies were used? What does that tell me about students’ conceptual understanding? What terminology did students use? What terms did they neglect to use? Did the explanatory paragraph clearly articulate the process and rationale for the solution? The answers to these questions inform and drive the teacher’s instruction for the coming days and weeks.
[email protected]
CAMT 07.18.12
www.robynsilbey.com
