I can't believe 6 weeks at my first attachment school have already passed. Our time in Singapore seems to be moving faster each week. I have been looking at the materials for a problem solving course this school offers for their Sec 1 Express students. It focuses on a series of non-routine problems that require students to apply Polya's four step approach to problem solving and the various heurtistics they learn in primary school. Many students have shared with me in the focus group interviews that they really enjoy the class days they get to work in the problem solving course. They expressed that they feel a higher level of challenge and therefore a higher level of success when they work through the problem solving course problems. Although problem solving skills should be integrated into all math classrooms, it is interesting to consider offer a separate course to students that explicitly teaches approaches to problem solving using non-routine, multiple entry point problems. I was able to observe this class in action today. Secondary 1 students were presented with this problem:
You are given two jugs, one holds 5 litres of water when full and the other holds 3 litres of water when full. There are no markings on either jug and the cross-section of each jug is not uniform. Show how to measure out exactly 4 litres of water from a fountain.
Students began to work on the problem right away and with more excitement than I had seen them approach problems in their genereal math class. It was great to see so many of them using the heuristics they had learned (draw a diagram, act it out, guess-and-check, use equations/algebra)--and using objects they had on hand to represent the two "jugs":
The teacher had four student groups show their work on the board and then the class discussed the methods and approaches as a group as the student pairs presented their strategy for the problem.
Seeing the level of engagement and genuine excitement the students showed while solving the jug problem, makes me quite interested in this course. I am going to try and find out more information about it, as I think it could greatly influence the final product for my Fulbright inquiry project. I can't believe 6 weeks at my first attachment school have passed. I've loved working with the math department teachers and students and will miss this school (but not the commute)! I got the math staff a little treat as a "thank you" for being so welcoming and helpful during my time here.
I'm sure going to miss Kah Ping! She is a senior teacher here that has really made me feel at home. I taught some lessons and co-taught some classes with her over the weeks.
To finish out the week, we also FaceTimed with Majorie and Lucy and it was the best! I can't believe how big and mobile and talkative Lucy is getting <3
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