Back to NCTM San Diego: Problem Solving

This is the summary of a presentation given at the 74th Annual NCTM Meeting, 25-28 April 1996, San Diego, CA.

Developing good problem solving in students requires both experience and a good collection of problems involving a variety of mathematics, contexts and powerful problem solving strategies. While strategies such as building a table or examining a more simple case are powerful, if learned and practiced in isolation students realize little of their power and seldom transfer these strategies to new situations. Students must have the opportunity to make connections between problems - the underlying mathematical structures, the available representation and the various strategies that give insight. As students, over time, gain the ability to monitor their problem solving progress the problems they are willing to approach increase. We would like to share some interesting mathematical problems and powerful solution strategies, as well as discuss some approaches and activities which encourage students to make connections among problems and problem solving strategies.

Carol L. Howald (University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA)
Connie L. McLean (University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA)

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