Here are a series of comments and reflections--a sort of stream-of consciousness report--on our labors up through January 30th:

“Ask students to describe their problem-solving process in writing…One challenge--or, better, ‘puzzle’--is strategizing how to cultivate the patience or mindfulness necessary to be able to describe processes...In math, Anne requires students to solve an interesting puzzle and write a paragraph explaining HOW they chose to solve it. The correct answer is not the focus of the lesson, the process is.

“Replace a potentially threatening term (or at least an imposing one) with a more playful term: use ‘puzzle’ rather than ‘problem’..."

“Be conscious of the various student attitudes toward process: some minds are open to process and some minds are hostile to it..."

“Students are awarded partial credit in most classes for showing their problem solving process as part of coming up with the correct solution...”

“Regarding tools for managing and organizing their thoughts, consider whether concept maps are more effective for some students than outlines..."

“Consider the effectiveness of posing puzzles/problems which require multiple days to solve, perhaps alternating between concentrated exertion and time for the mind to stew or settle or relax…"

“Students seeing the routes/paths other students took to get somewhere is helpful…”

“Recording our own process in a screen recording or otherwise to demonstrate how WE got somewhere…”

“Asking the right questions of the students is crucial to their level of involvement and eventual success in solving problems.”

“Students want to jump to the “how do you solve this” step before doing the groundwork of understanding the problem and organizing a solution method”

“I was thinking that long-term problem solving work might be a really cool way to spend advisory. If we could allow our advisees to come up with puzzles/problems and spend part of the year solving.”

“Opportunities to use problem solving in our classrooms: Eighth grade will be partnering with a school from Sweden soon. We can post a question that both groups can tackle and solve either as a group or with individuals. The question may be short or long term and can be tied into the Olympics topics that we will be using as our theme.”