We encounter problems every day throughout our lives. And we usually cannot wish them away. If it’s the same problem we’ve solved before, then we can solve it the same way – or maybe we can think of a better solution. Different problems sometimes require different ways to address them. The following activities look at a variety of kinds of problems and ways to solve them – using technology. You’ll find that they can be fun to do – and can help you with those real-life problems that seemed impossible to solve before.
CONNECT:
• Engineers often use design briefs as a systematic way to define and solve a problem. Read about this approach at http://www.technologystudent.com/designpro/problem1.htm. Think about your home; can you apply a design brief to solve a problem there?
• What is computational thinking? Think with and outside this interactive student’s box to find out: http://www.iste.org/Files/CT-animation_student.swf
• Sometimes making ideas explode is a good idea. See how problem-solving techniques can result in a great fireworks display: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/AEMicrosites/art-of-the-explosion.aspx
• How do inventors solve problems? Watch this video about Thomas Edison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt9NCSqCjI. You can search for lots of inventors at http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-archive.html. This site also has fun interactive games about inventions: http://web.mit.edu/invent/g-main.html
• Have you ever invented something? What would it take to get a patent for it? Find out at http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html
CREATE:
• Can you link art, baseball, and problem-solving? ArtsEdge can help you do that. Try their activity at: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-3-4/All_Around_The_Baseball_Field.aspx
• A math problem a day keeps the dead brain cells away. Choose from over 100 activities, listed by grade: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx/ Here’s one to start with (and you’ll learn some programming techniques!): http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=83
• How about systems thinking? Break it down! In this interactive simulation: http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/07/breakitdown.swf (here is the teacher’s guide to this activity: http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/break-it-down/)
• Play with ideas! Learn how inventors problem solve by playing these games: http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/invention-at-play/
• Try your hand at experimenting. Jefferson labs links to many hands-on and online activities: http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/teachers.html
CARE:
• Closely related to design briefs is design thinking: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/design-thinking-betty-ray. This article refers to the Big Ideas Fest: http://www.bigideasfest.org/ Most of these Big Ideas improve the community. Do you see any Big Idea that you might adapt to solve a problem in your own community?
• Can kids solve community problems? YES! Get inspired by reading what these teens did: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/09/pathways-to-research-problem-solving/
• Want to help map your community to help solve geographic problems? Find out how to participate at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/community-maps-program/ If you get hooked on Geographic Information Systems, go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech186.shtml for lots of cool projects.
• The KIDS Model promotes service learning and youth engagement to help the community. There are several projects for different ages to choose from. Maybe your family can adopt one: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/kidsmodel.php
• Thinking about your future? Futures problem solving tries to think ahead so your world will be a better place to live. Find out how this approach is done worldwide at http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod25.html
CAREERS:
• Do you like to solve problems? Every job entails problem solving, but some jobs really focus on this kind of activity. Find out about some of those jobs at
http://careerthoughts.com/jobs-solving-problems
http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/careers-for-people-who-like-to-problem-solve/
• The following site explains the benefits of learning how to problem solve in your job: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-mark-of-an-independent-employee
CONNECT:
• Engineers often use design briefs as a systematic way to define and solve a problem. Read about this approach at http://www.technologystudent.com/designpro/problem1.htm. Think about your home; can you apply a design brief to solve a problem there?
• What is computational thinking? Think with and outside this interactive student’s box to find out: http://www.iste.org/Files/CT-animation_student.swf
• Sometimes making ideas explode is a good idea. See how problem-solving techniques can result in a great fireworks display: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/AEMicrosites/art-of-the-explosion.aspx
• How do inventors solve problems? Watch this video about Thomas Edison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt9NCSqCjI. You can search for lots of inventors at http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-archive.html. This site also has fun interactive games about inventions: http://web.mit.edu/invent/g-main.html
• Have you ever invented something? What would it take to get a patent for it? Find out at http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html
CREATE:
• Can you link art, baseball, and problem-solving? ArtsEdge can help you do that. Try their activity at: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-3-4/All_Around_The_Baseball_Field.aspx
• A math problem a day keeps the dead brain cells away. Choose from over 100 activities, listed by grade: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx/ Here’s one to start with (and you’ll learn some programming techniques!): http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=83
• How about systems thinking? Break it down! In this interactive simulation: http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/07/breakitdown.swf (here is the teacher’s guide to this activity: http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/break-it-down/)
• Play with ideas! Learn how inventors problem solve by playing these games: http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/invention-at-play/
• Try your hand at experimenting. Jefferson labs links to many hands-on and online activities: http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/teachers.html
CARE:
• Closely related to design briefs is design thinking: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/design-thinking-betty-ray. This article refers to the Big Ideas Fest: http://www.bigideasfest.org/ Most of these Big Ideas improve the community. Do you see any Big Idea that you might adapt to solve a problem in your own community?
• Can kids solve community problems? YES! Get inspired by reading what these teens did: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/09/pathways-to-research-problem-solving/
• Want to help map your community to help solve geographic problems? Find out how to participate at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/community-maps-program/ If you get hooked on Geographic Information Systems, go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech186.shtml for lots of cool projects.
• The KIDS Model promotes service learning and youth engagement to help the community. There are several projects for different ages to choose from. Maybe your family can adopt one: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/kidsmodel.php
• Thinking about your future? Futures problem solving tries to think ahead so your world will be a better place to live. Find out how this approach is done worldwide at http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod25.html
CAREERS:
• Do you like to solve problems? Every job entails problem solving, but some jobs really focus on this kind of activity. Find out about some of those jobs at
http://careerthoughts.com/jobs-solving-problems
http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/careers-for-people-who-like-to-problem-solve/
• The following site explains the benefits of learning how to problem solve in your job: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-mark-of-an-independent-employee
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