Problem Solving Strategies : Crossing the River with Dogs and Other Mathematical Adventures

The NCTM Standards state that problem solving should be integrated throughout all courses and grade levels. However, many students naever encounter valuable strategies such as matrix logic or unit analysis. And in content-crowded math classes, few students get the concentrated practice or time necessary to fully develop their problem-solving skills. By taking a semester course in problem solving, students can master a multitude of strategies while developing confidence in their problem-solving abilities. Problem Solving Strategies teaches mathematical reasoning by emphasizing that any problem can be solved in many ways. By the end of the course, students will have learned 22 different problem-solving techniques, and many will come to see themselves as mathematically enabled. In future courses, those students will be the first to volunteer ideas -- not because they know all the answers but because they know how to tackle the problem. Each chapter covers a single strategy. Students are given time to focus and practice and then are encouraged to choose their own strategy or combination of strategies from among those previously learned, challenging them to find the best solution. They also write work portfolios, which form the basis for their assessment. Problem Solving Strategies encourages students to work together. Anxiety decreases as students discuss and share their ideas. Students give oral presentations, honing their communication skills and learning to present logically developed solutions -- skills for success in school and the workplace.