Math Problems and Math Problem Solving
George Polya was a 20th century mathematician and math educator leader. He wrote extensively about math problem solving. The following is quoted from a talk that he gave to a group of elementary school teachers:
To understand mathematics means to be able to do mathematics. And what does it mean doing mathematics? In the first place it means to be able to solve mathematical problems. For the higher aims about which I am now talking are some general tactics of problems—to have the right attitude for problems and to be able to attack all kinds of problems, not only very simple problems, which can be solved with the skills of the primary school, but more complicated problems of engineering, physics and so on, which will be further developed in the high school. But the foundations should be started in the primary school. And so I think an essential point in the primary school is to introduce the children to the tactics of problem solving. Not to solve this or that kind of problem, not to make just long divisions or some such thing, but to develop a general attitude for the solution of problems. ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pólya George Polya; 1887–1985.)
George Polya was a 20th century mathematician and math educator leader. He wrote extensively about math problem solving. The following is quoted from a talk that he gave to a group of elementary school teachers:
To understand mathematics means to be able to do mathematics. And what does it mean doing mathematics? In the first place it means to be able to solve mathematical problems. For the higher aims about which I am now talking are some general tactics of problems—to have the right attitude for problems and to be able to attack all kinds of problems, not only very simple problems, which can be solved with the skills of the primary school, but more complicated problems of engineering, physics and so on, which will be further developed in the high school. But the foundations should be started in the primary school. And so I think an essential point in the primary school is to introduce the children to the tactics of problem solving. Not to solve this or that kind of problem, not to make just long divisions or some such thing, but to develop a general attitude for the solution of problems. ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pólya George Polya; 1887–1985.)