Problem solving is a buzzword among mathematics educators. Unfortunately, many of us are unsure how to go about teaching problem solving to our students. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have a new vision of mathematics education that includes all students becoming mathematical problem solvers. Using this web page, we will explore NCTM's vision, define what a problem is (and is not), discuss methods of teaching problem solving (both traditional and non-traditional), and finally, do some problem solving using some very unique lateral logic problems and puzzles. Hopefully, you will find this both fun and educational! Have a good time & start thinking "outside the lines."

Information on NCTM:

Definition is important here. What is a problem? Many of us have a common misconception that a problem is something that is given to us in math class. This is not necessarily true. A problem, for our purposes today, is defined as "anything you do not know how to solve." If you know how to solve it, it's not a problem, it's an exercise.

Many methods have been used in the past to teach problem solving skills. Many of these methods are moderately successful at best. Some of them may be familiar to you. For example, the "key word" method of solving problems. We tell students, "Any time you see the word 'left' it means you need to subtract" or "Any time you see 'all' it means you need to add." In addition, we've attempted to teach problem solving by putting problems in categories like "coin", "age", and "rate, time, & distance." NCTM and other organizations and reform efforts have determined that one of the best ways to teach problem solving is to have our students solve problems. Ingenious, isn't it?

Lateral Logic Sites: