I think relevancy is very important. If relevancy can be brought in, the students will buy in.
I too like to give the students âhome townâ issues. I present a scenario about a much needed stop light or road that needs fixed or some other issue and have them think about the most profitable/cost-effective way to accommodate as many people as possible. Making issues/ideas and concepts relevant is key is getting the students interested and involved. If they do not feel like they are stakeholders then they figure why bother - most of the time.
I feel like this course is heavily based on the idea of problem solving rather then the syntax that comes later. I usually give an explanation, saying that a problem is usually something you have the ability to solve if approaching it correctly and using appropriate tools, explaining that your brain is a major tool.
One of the activities I will do, (which I noticed was done by someone else in this forum) was to mix up the wires on a computer and see if the student will understand there is a problem and fix it. Then I will draw attention to this student who did this and turn into a discussion, having them break down their reasoning.
Hereâs my link for the Unit Final Project Lesson.
tps://docs.google.com/document/d/1hi4HNdU1wzt_Ij4cmrt1ujeKhxH0Ccbe73WY6asudrs/edit#heading=h.ubhh9cjg86ov
If you get to know your students over the course of a semester you will get to know what their real world problems are - anything from their difficulties in filling out the Common App, to which current event resonates with them, to who will watch their child while they are in school. We have to remember that our real world or a textbookâs real world may not be their real world.
Our schools theme is urban planning and design so I incorporate a lot of real world planning and design projects that have a daily impact on a students life.
My students are very young but bright, however many had issues with the problem solving aspect at first. Their real world problem to determine if the First Ladyâs âLetâs moveâ program is actually improving the health of our students. This directly impacts them, as they hate the changes that have been made to the lunch food and the vending machines.
Students have been brought up in a world full of technology. Luckily, technology constantly needs trouble shooting. Every student has had some experience with solving a problem on some type of computer. You could have students recall past technology issues theyâve had and discuss their process for solving the issue. You could highlight points where they followed and the problem solving process and areas where they didnât and discuss ways they could have solved the problem quicker and faster. After doing this, you might have a better idea of technology problems they havenât encountered that you could have them try to solve that would be fun and engaging.
What real world problems can you use to help your students relate to the problem solving process?
I actually can think of any that it canât be or hasnât been used in. A problem is a problem and when they are solved, generally the first three steps, in one form or another, have been applied. Generally it is the last step that can often be short circuited, especially when an agreeable solution has been arrived at.
My challenge to my students has been, when discussing this, what solvable problems that you have faced in the last month could not be solved using this approach.
That said, a few practical âproblemsâ would include:
- Making a work schedule that enables the student to get all their tasks done.
- Selecting courses that will prepare them for their chosen career field.
- etc.
I had my students figure out real world problems and decide how they would approach solving them using the steps.
I have students consider things that could be improved within the school and within the community. Topics have ranged from providing students time to decompress during the school day, to class sizes, to providing them more electives, to how to provide a community YMCA or pool.
Hi,
I think that all teachers, no matter what subject, can make problem solving situations relevant to student learning. I co- teach an environmental science class and one way in which I made issues relevant was talking about factors that directly affect my students. I had students test the air quality in our school and develop a plan to improve it. I also had students search for environmental issues in their own communities and we discussed them in class. Making the problem solving process relevant helps bring a class to life!
I am a business teacher so whatever lesson that I am teaching I always explain to my students why the lesson important and how they will use what is being taught. Examples include the importance of budgeting. Students are given a set of monthly expenses and a set salary and they have to create a monthly budget.
Any problems concerns finances is always a great reference point
When programming, designing banner ads and creating web sites, it is easy to create problem solving situations. Students are able to easily see the connection between writing code to solve a real-world problem. How to convert kilometers to miles, how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, how to calculate subtotals, tax and totals are just a few examples of activities students completed using Java just today! Today students in Animation & Web Design need to figure out how to create animated advertisements that load quickly and catch the users attention in a positive way. Problem solving resolution, transparency, editing and learning how to troubleshoot issues with the Flash timeline are created challenges that students tackled today.
I shared with the students a time when a missed flights caused me to have to rework my entire flight itinerary to get to my final destination.
When discussing long and short term investments the problem solving process allows us to identify companies that will provide growth. From time I find myself helping students make those real world connections and I feel this one that they enjoy the most.
Encouraging high school graduation rates, environmental awareness.
One real world problem solving I would like my students to engage and solve is homelessness among students. Students need to be made aware of this issue and brainstorm some solutions.
I like to use common problem solving issues for students at our school; such as getting a flat tire, car wonât start, or my homework is not done. Just to name a few.