Advertisement
noun as in difficulty; bad situation
Strongest matches
Strong matches
Weak matches
noun as in puzzle, question
“This is a federal mandate that is causing some real problems for schools across the country,” Kline told a CBS affiliate in July.
Christie has problems, and they begin with the fact that photos and videos and memes can haunt us.
The new claims present numerous big problems for Prince Andrew.
We face a lot of problems at this moment in our national and global history.
He said it was okay, that he had been busy too… busy fighting serious intestinal problems.
These problems will exercise all the ingenuity and strength that Lombard Street can muster.
Our nicely worked out system for supplying the troops has in a moment been tangled up into a hundred knotty problems.
Further, it may be doubted if the true conditions of the problem, or problems, involved have even yet been adequately realised.
Probably she had never heard of the grindstone, or the sheep, and could not work out the problems if she had.
Of all the great problems and precious interests which belong to me as a mortal or immortal being, science knows nothing.
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Powerful online learning at your pace
I remember preparing for an interview for my first teaching position in the 90’s. I was told that I would likely be asked to explain my approach to teaching problem-solving. I jumped on the Internet to research problem-solving and craft my response. What I found was that problem-solving in math basically meant teaching students to solve word problems. I ended up getting the job and, for a number of years, taught what I thought was problem-solving. What I’ve come to find out, however, is that while we certainly need to teach students strategies for solving word problems, problem-solving is so much more than solving word problems.
Think for a minute about a problem you’ve solved recently. I’ll give you a personal example. My current car lease ends next month, and I have to decide what to do. Usually, I just turn in my old car and lease another one. This year, however, is different. We are in the midst of an unprecedented shortage of new cars, driving new car prices way up. Not the best time to buy or lease a new car. At the same time, used car prices are surging and many used cars are selling at close to their original MSRP. Once again I jumped on the Internet to research the situation. I found out that I might be able to purchase my car at lease-end and turn around and sell it at a higher price! But that would leave me without a car. So, I have decided to purchase my car at lease-end and hold onto it until new car prices start to come back down. I should still get a trade-in value on my current car higher than what it will cost me to purchase it at lease-end. Of course, all this sounds great in theory and seems to be the right decision based on the data, but I won’t really know if I made the best decision until sometime next year.
This post contains affiliate links, which simply means that when you use my link and purchase a product, I receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you, and I only link to books and products that I personally use and recommend.
I think you’d agree that what I described was some heavy-duty problem-solving with pretty significant consequences. Yet not a word problem in sight. You see, true problem-solving is messy and goes way beyond solving word problems.
George Polya is often called the Father of Problem-Solving. In 1945, he outlined a 4-step process for solving problems in his ground-breaking book How to Solve It . You can see the four steps pictured below.
Now think about the process I went through while solving my car problem. Don’t you see the four steps in what I did?
The problem is that well-intentioned teachers have tried to turn the problem-solving process, which is inherently messy, into an algorithm—if you do these steps, then you can easily solve problems. This is why we see students boxing numbers, underlining questions, and looking for “key” words, all shortcuts that basically give students permission to not read and understand word problems.
So how do we teach students to become problem solvers? Well, it might sound simplistic, but we give them rich problems to solve and get out of the way. Again, with the best of intentions, teachers often provide too much support and students come to depend on it.
I recently facilitated a book study on the book Productive Math Struggle: A 6-Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance , by John J. SanGiovanni, Susie Katt, and Kevin J. Dykema. It is a fabulously useful and easy-to-read book, chock full of implementable ideas. In other words, it’s a book you will use and not just read. It’s no coincidence that the first three chapters all deal with creating a climate where productive struggle can thrive. Let’s face it, many math classrooms still run on the premise that math is about regurgitating a memorized procedure. Not much thinking involved. First, we as teachers need to embrace the idea of teaching through productive struggle. Then, we need to set students up for success as we introduce struggle into our lessons.
One way to increase productive struggle and thinking in our classroom is to flip the sequence of our instruction. Rather than the traditional direct teaching approach of I do, We do, and You do , we flip the process so students are given a problem to solve before direct instruction.
Here’s an example. Say students have been using a part/whole diagram to represent join/result unknown word problems . So they have been practicing identifying if each number in a word problem represents one of the parts or the whole and creating part/whole diagrams, such as this one. By looking at the diagram, you can probably construct the word problem they were solving, right?
Now you would like to introduce a new structure—join/change unknown. It’s a more complicated type of problem. Here’s an example of this type of problem.
Mariana had $20. Her grandmother gave her some money for her birthday. Now Mariana has $28. How much money did Mariana’s grandmother give her for her birthday?
I could proceed to teach this new structure with a scripted lesson: Boys and girls, you have been using a diagram to solve join/result unknown problems. Today, I’m going to show you how to use the diagram to solve a new structure—Join/change unknown. I would model a problem or two, we would work a couple together, and then they could practice more on their own. A typical I do, We do, You do lesson.
But instead, what if we read the new problem out loud together, and then I commented, Huh. This problem sounds a little different. Work with a partner to see if you can solve it using your part/whole diagram. In other words, the You do comes first! Would every pair of students be successful in solving the problem? Probably not. But after all students have the opportunity to struggle with it, think of the rich discussions we can have. It’s likely that at least some students will determine that it’s a new structure and then I can come along behind and put a name to it.
So I hope you will commit to thinking of problem-solving as something beyond just solving word problems and give students the opportunity to productively struggle in your classroom. I think you’ll see engagement soar!
If you want more information on addition/subtraction structures check out this post .
The holidays are upon us, and that can mean hectic times! Check out these tips for destressing the holidays and grab a holiday-themed freebie! Stocking Stuffer #1–Giving Back Idea Who…
I’m currently working with my Kinders and Firsties on subitizing. If you’re scratching your head about the word “subitizing”, you might not be alone. Consider this—how many fingers are displayed…
If you are looking for a fresh take on teaching fractions with lessons that help students overcome common misconceptions and develop deep understanding, you’ll definitely want to check out Beyond Pizzas…
“This practical guidebook provides everything needed for busy educators to bring math to life in their classrooms using the various workshop principles.” Kimberly A. Rimbey, PhD in the Foreword to…
Students should have flexible strategies for comparing fractions, and the strategies should be based on reasoning and fractions sense. In the first article of this series, we looked at comparing…
One of the big misconceptions when kiddos measure with a ruler is what is called tick counting. What that means is that instead of counting the units between the ticks…
Cy Fair does model drawing!! It works
Howdy, neighbor! Yes, model drawing is so powerful. I’m looking forward to next year when this whole group comes up knowing it!
I’ve been using model drawing with my first graders and it’s been powerful to see how they understand what’s happening in the problem, especially those tricky missing addend problems. This is the most confident I’ve felt with first graders and problems in a very long time!
I totally agree, Nilda! It really helps them to visualize the math that is happening in the story!
Looks like a great lesson!
Tara The Math Maniac
Thanks, Tara!
Hi Donna I am a math coach in Massachusetts and want institute bar models in all grade levels, K-5, for the 2017-2018 school year. Can you recommend a resource for me to use for research prior to professional development? Thanks Meg
A book that I have used and think is a great resource is Char Forsten’s book on model drawing .
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Related terms for problem solver - synonyms, antonyms and sentences with problem solver, similar meaning.
Proper usage in context.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Find 80 different ways to say PROBLEM-SOLVING, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
racking brains. figuring out. coming up with. conceiving of. conjuring up. dreaming up. figuring something out. finding an answer to. finding a solution to.
Another way to say Problem-solving? Synonyms for Problem-solving (other words and phrases for Problem-solving).
Another way to say Problem Solving? Synonyms for Problem Solving (other words and phrases for Problem Solving).
PROBLEM-SOLVING - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus
Another way to say Solve Problems? Synonyms for Solve Problems (other words and phrases for Solve Problems).
Find 69 different ways to say SOLVE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Problem-solve Synonyms. Relationships teach us how to ask for what we want, problem-solve concerns, and be a friend who can listen to someone else's opinions, especially if the opinion is different from your own. They must be able to multi-task, problem solve and thrive under pressure. We use our logic to reason, give trust and problem-solve ...
Synonyms for problem-solves include brainstorms, thinks, ponders, analyses, analyzes, discovers, plans, racks brains, figures out and comes up with. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!
6. Creative Problem-solving. An approach to finding unique solutions to problems by thinking outside of conventional solutions. Example: Designers often rely on creative problem-solving to overcome user experience challenges. 7. Conflict Resolution Skills. The ability to persuade, negotiate, and resolve disputes.
Synonyms for PROBLEM: challenge, matter, issue, question, case, trouble, dilemma, predicament; Antonyms of PROBLEM: solution, answer, silver bullet, magic bullet ...
Find 59 different ways to say PROBLEM, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
What Is 'Problem'? "Problem" refers to a situation, question, or matter that presents uncertainty, difficulty, or challenge.It implies the need for a solution or resolution to overcome a hindrance or obstacle. Examples. The team worked diligently to identify the root cause of the problem and devise a solution. His persistent efforts eventually led to the successful resolution of the ...
problem solving: 1 n the thought processes involved in solving a problem Types: show 14 types... hide 14 types... enquiry , inquiry , research a search for knowledge calculation , computation , figuring , reckoning problem solving that involves numbers or quantities nature study the study of animals and plants in the natural world (usually at ...
Solving Problems synonyms - 138 Words and Phrases for Solving Problems. address issues. problem solving. resolve issues. resolve problems. resolving issues. resolving problems. solution of problems. solve problems.
Synonyms for problem include hindrance, dilemma, issue, trouble, headache, obstacle, setback, adversity, pickle and predicament. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!
problem solver: 1 n a thinker who focuses on the problem as stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to achieve a solution Synonyms: convergent thinker , solver Type of: thinker someone who exercises the mind (usually in an effort to reach a decision)
The meaning of PROBLEM-SOLVING is the process or act of finding a solution to a problem. How to use problem-solving in a sentence.
ability to cope with problems. ability to resolve. ability to solve problems. abstract abilities. analytical mindset. analytical powers. communication skill. complex problem solving. conflict resolution skills.
Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead. Noun. One who solves problems. troubleshooter. engineer. fixer. expert. genius. whiz.
What is problem-solving? Problem-solving is both an ability and a process. As an ability, problem-solving can help resolve issues in different environments, such as home, school, abroad, and social situations. As a process, problem-solving involves a series of steps for finding solutions to questions or concerns that arise throughout life.
Find 59 different ways to say PROBLEMS, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
You see, true problem-solving is messy and goes way beyond solving word problems. George Polya is often called the Father of Problem-Solving. In 1945, he outlined a 4-step process for solving problems in his ground-breaking book How to Solve It . You can see the four steps pictured below. Now think about the process I went through while solving ...
Thesaurus for Problem solver. Related terms for problem solver - synonyms, antonyms and sentences with problem solver.
A word problem solver can significantly cut down the time it takes to solve math problems. With this, students can spend their time on other subjects or on a break as well.