Session objectives/goals:
Students may participate in the International Future Problem Solving Program at the primary, middle school, and high school levels. At regular intervals throughout the year, the teams mail their writteupper elementary, middle school, and high school levels. At regular intervals throughout the year, the teams { or classes } mail their written work to trained state evaluators, who review the papers and return these papers to students with written suggestions for improvement. Students are encouraged to use community resources in studying the curricular topics.
The basic objectives of this session will be to assist teachers to help students to:
1. think more creatively
2. improve both written and oral communications skills
3. master the six step process to solve problems
4. work cooperatively with teammates
5. learn about complex societal issues
6. think critically and analytically
Session content/skills focus:
The International Future Problem Solving program is a year-long program in which students participate in collaboraaa year-long program in which students participate in collaborative learning groups of four { or as a class } in order to master a six step problem solving process to solve scientific and social problems of the future. Topics include: small arms control, mental health, the 21st century marketplace, cybernetics, the United Nations, youth and violence, and terrorism. The presenters will also offer some techniques for problem solving at the early childhood and primary levels.
Presentation Strategies to be used:
The presentation will feature a review of the probbboblem solving process :
- Pre discussion of the selected topic
- Research -- gathering information and background preparation { community based research is highly encouraged }
- Reading and responding to the 'fuzzy sitation' -- a one page scenario which describes a hypothetical social or scientific problem relevant to the selected topic
- Brainstorming problems -- using both the skills of fluency and flexibility to generate a list of forty to fifty possible problems
- Developing an underlying problem -- selecting one problem or a combination of problems which synthesize an important aspect of the 'fuzzy situation'
- Brainstorming solutions -- using boooth the skills of fluency and flexibility to generate a list of forty to fifty possible solutions
- Generating criteria -- designing applicable and relevant criteria by which the problems listed in step number III may be evaluated
- Evaluating solution -- constructing a mathematical grid which permits quantative evaluation of brainstorm solutions
- Describing the best solution -- explaining in detail the selected 'best' solution
Audience participation and interaction will be encouraged. Participants will receive handouts which explain the program and which offer some community resources.
Abstract:
The International Future Problem Solving program is a year-long curricula program in which students master a six step problem solving process. Topics include: small arms control, mental health, the 21st century marketplace, cybernetics, the U.N., terrorism, and youth and violence. The presenters will also focus on other problem solving techniques for classroom instruction. Audience participation and interaction will be encouraged. Participants will receive handouts which explain the program and which offer some community resources.