Re: Setting up problems

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

With all due respect, this method only encourages memorization rather
than thinking.  It may seem like a good way to start, but having started
it will be difficult to get them to do anything else.  On the other hand
if your really believe that your students cannot understand, then this
may be a good approach.

joe

On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, Robert Patton wrote:

> I have my students read through the problem and list the given info and
> what is to be found. Then I have them look at the related equations
> based of the info from the problem. They should be able to find the
> equation that ties the given info to what is to be found. Then they
> should be able to do the math from then on.
>
> RW Patton
> dover High School
> Dover, DE
>
> Tim O'Donnell wrote:
>
> > > Is there some way to teach students how to read a word
> > > problem and then set it up so that they can then apply the
> > > math to it?  I don't remember how I learned this, but I (and
> > > all my colleagues) seem to be rather good at this.
> >
> > If someone has the magic formula I haven't found it. I too
> > can set up problems, but I don't really remember where I
> > learned it. I probably just did what the teacher showed
> > me to do and didn't look for the shortcut and over the
> > years I have just developed the ability.
> >
> > Tim O'Donnell
> > Celina High School
> > odonnt@celina.k12.oh.us

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               574-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556