MAT150 Developing Problem Solving Skills 10 October 2013

We reviewed problem solving using this video

Yi Yang (age 1.5 year) pretending to solve a maths problem

We solve a problem connected to polygons with area 5 square units and ended up observing a pattern.

We also solved a problem connected to packing 19 beans in bags of 2 or 3 beans as well as two other related problems - 10 bicycles and tricycles have 28 wheels and the possible values of 10 coins of two types - 5-cent and 20-cent coins.

We reviews the CAT to DOG problem by trying to do TOAD to FROG (how about STEPSISTER to CINDERELLA?)

We looked at various heuristics - some concrete, others pictorial and yet others abstract.

Five core competencies - visualization, number sense, looking for patterns, metacognition and communication.

If you are absent or missed the discussion please submit a solution to the problem with one main point that you can discuss based on the solving of the problem.

Reading to be done before November's sessions - Chapter 3 and complete on of the tasks by presenting it in the form of an A4 poster for sharing with colleagues. Submit this when you come back in November.

MAT150 Developing Problem-Solving Skills 9 October 2013

Introduction - Problem Solving and Singapore Curriculum

Experiencing and Discussing
Show two halves.

Polya Four-Stage Model was discussed.
1. Understand
2. Plan
3. Do
4. Look Back

Problem solving includes exploring, specialising and generalising. (Mason)

Problem solving include self checking.

We completed three other tasks to understand what is problem solving.

CAT to DOG
CAT > COT > DOT > DOG
In three steps, we changed CAT into DOG.
Only one letter can be changed each time.
Each word must be an English word.

John and Mary agreed to meet at 6 o'clock at a restaurant. John's watch is fast by 2 minutes. Mary's watch is slow by 5 minutes. John arrived at the restaurant, looked at his watch and said, " I am 5 minutes early." Mary did the same and said, "Oh no! I am 5 minutes late."

How long does one person have to wait for the other?

We also looked at Mrs Lim's happy problem (PSLE Preliminary Examination Problem from a school).

Mrs Lim usually spent $290 on several bottles of vitamins at Healthway Pharmacy. During a storewide discount of 20%, Mrs Lim found that she could buy 2 additional bottles of vitamins with the same amount of money.

Were you able to make the connection that the 20% discount is the cost of the two additional bottles?

If you are absent or missed the discussion please submit a solution to the problem with one main point that you can discuss based on the solving of the problem.

Reading to be done before November's sessions - Chapter 3 and complete on of the tasks by presenting it in the form of an A4 poster for sharing with colleagues. Submit this when you come back in November.

More photos on my Facebook.

EDU330 Elementary Mathematics Session 4 on 26/09/13

Do you see multiplication in this arrangement of lanterns for the Mid Autumn Festival in Chinatown in Singapore?

Problem 13  is based on a 'mind-reading' read. Choose two  digits A and B.
Make a 2-digit number AB and add the numbers A and B to get a sum.
Find the difference between AB and the sum.
If you know A you can figure out what the difference is.

In Problem 14 we explored ways to subtract 3 1/4 - 1/2

In Problem 15, the three little pigs shared 4 pizzas equally.

Problem 16 is to figure out the multiplication facts for 7 by the doubling method, the distributive property and the subtraction method.

Problem 17
Draw a polygon on geoboard paper. How many times is it as large as the square?
Jessica shares her solutions at her blog.

EDU330 Elementary Mathematics Session 3 on 25/09/13

We started to look at basic concepts in fractions. Problem 11 Share this equally among 4 persons. The class were challenged to find a way where the four equal parts are all different shapes. This is one solution.

Problem 12 is on sharing 3 fourths of a cake equally among three persons.

EDU330 Elementary Mathematics Session 2 on 24/09/13

EDU330 Art at KKU from Jimmy Keng

If you are absent on any day / part of the day, please make up by solving the problems discussed that day.

Problem 5
Based on As I Was Going to St Ives, show how many persons, cats and sacks there are in the rhyme.

Problem 6
This is for two players. Select any number less than 20. Take turns to subtract either 1 or 2. The winner is the player who gets to zero. Think about the strategy to win the game.

Problem 7
Think about different ways to calculate 5 + 7 + 6.

Shareefah shared a video on ten frames on her blog.

Problem 8 Jack & The Beanstalk (My Favourite Video!)
Share 51 golden eggs among three persons.
In how many of these ways do Jack get more than the other two persons (each person gets at least one egg)? What if they are shared equally among three persons?

EDU330 Elementary Mathematics Session 1 on 23/09/13

Notes from Session 1

EDU330 Session 1 MyNotes from Jimmy Keng

Sample Quiz Item is included.

If you are absent for any session, please solve the problems discussed in class and submit them together with your Final Assignment. Today's problems are well captured by Lydia.

Not at the Casino

More photographs at Facebook.

Problem 1 - Which letter is counted 99?
This is an example of a problem that has to be presented orally.

Problem 2 - Arrange the ten number cards.
This is an example of a problem that has to be acted out. There is a video on the card trick by Nur Shahirah.




Problem 3 - Textbook Problem
One machine shreds one truckload of paper in 4 hours. Another shreds one truckload of paper in 2 hours. How long does it take for both machines to shred one truckload of paper when they are working at the same time?

Problem 4 - Make a rectangle using tangram pieces.

Vygotsky in Action

EDU330 Elementary Mathematics BSc09 Welcome

The course starts this coming week.

Your blog links have been added. Otherwise please give me the blog addresses in class and I will add them.

I encourage you to read Eve Tham's entry - several points that she brought up will be discussed in tonight's session which focuses on what to teach and how to teach them in early years.