Note for Absentees

Students who are absent for any session or significant part of the session (more than an hour) need to complete make-up work and submit these with your Final Assignment. Indicate clearly on your Final Assignment that you are submitting the make-up work to earn credits for the hours you missed from the course. Letters and other documents to support your absebce must be submitted to Wendy (if not already submitted to the professor).

For Monday, the work should include the Solutions to the two problems as well as a summary of the definition of a problem, Polya's problem-solving model, and five examples of problem solving heuristics.

For Tuesday, the work should include the solutions to the problems. Make short notes about the important of affective factors in successful problem solving. Make a list of strengths and difficulties children face when solving the tangram problems - based on the Conservation Time held this evening.

For Wednesday, we had two groups that chat about assessment - what amazes them when they observe the kids and what the observation say about the child. Please find out the main points of this discusssion and make a summary. Your other task is to make notes on (1) the format of lesson-study style lesson plan and (2) explain why things float.

For Thursday and Friday, the make-up task is to solve the problems done in class.
For Saturday, the make-up is to complete an alternate test and taks based on Conversation Time.

You are also expected to complete tasks (short notes) based on the Conversation Time topics that you missed. You can do this by discussing it with a friend who was present, to read up relevant sections from the book, and to base it on your own experience.

Thursday: (1) Give five examples of tasks you expect K2 children to be able to solve? Use different subject areas. (2) Share two surprising things that you saw during the tangram task.

Friday: (1) Creativity & Brilliance in Problem Solving (2)A parent complained that you are wasting time doing the tamghram puxzzle in class. Write an e-mail to justify why you did the task in class. (3)Difficulties Students Have with Problem Solving.

Saturday: (1) Is problem solving taught or caught? Are some people just born to be good at this? (2) What Help Teacher Can Give Children During Problem Solving?