I was recently introduced to a new way of thinking, referred to as the "three acts" by Dan Meyer. This process is very useful for taking a difficult problem and breaking it down into steps, leading to new questions.
Act 1: This is when the conflict is introduced to us, sort of like a movie, book, or TV show. What is the main problem? What do we think is being asked of us? What are our initial questions?
Act 2: Now we are provided some more clues to the problem or conflict. Just as a TV show develops its characters and script, our act 2 provides vital information that's necessary for solving a problem. But we may still have questions to ask, as any higher-level thinker would understand. Never settle for the most basic response!
Act 3: Our resolution. We finally learn the solution to the conflict or problem. With a math problem, we arrive at our "answer." However, this is where we should also extend the thinking, asking "What if" type questions.
What I've noticed is that this three-act process leads to students being perplexed. We become obsessed with solving the problem and asking more questions. Dan Meyer argues that this process of problem-solving would lead to students grasping a better conceptualization of math problems, which is a more enriching thought.
With respect to math education today, there's too much scaffolding for students. In other words, we don't allow students the opportunity to ask important questions before providing them with all of the information they need to solve a given problem. Don't you think this is a problem? What are your thoughts on the matter?
Reference:
Meyer, Dan. (2011, May 11). The three acts of a mathematical story. (Web log comment). Retrieved from http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2011/the-three-acts-of-a-mathematical-story/
I think that providing students with all of the information needed is a good thing because it makes solving problems much easier. I also think that students should be given some time to ask important questions beforehand to improve their understanding and learn the information better.
ReplyDeleteThe "three acts" learning system has personally helped me to understand problems more and go in depth and ask questions that could lead to new ways of looking at the problem. By the problem being broken down by parts, it helps us ,students, think more carefully about what we have to figure out and also lets us take our time considering that's how it is in the real world. This method is way better than just looking at examples in textbooks and following their steps to solve a problem because with the "three act" method we don't just copy step by step off a book, but comprehend what problem is saying and figure out how to solve it by asking questions.
ReplyDeleteI think the "three acts" method helps students solve problems more carefully and easier. Asking questions really helps us how to figure out the problem and answer it. I think it really improves our understanding of the information.
ReplyDeleteI liked the "three acts" activity because I needed to learn the skill of asking questions. It helped me to understand problem solving more and I really enjoyed challenging my own way of thinking. I think that we should do activities like this in the future because it is creative and fun but still teaches people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emma because I also need help asking good question not just how but more in depth questions that lead to more wonderings
DeleteI agree with Emma because I also need help asking good question not just how but more in depth questions that lead to more wonderings
DeletePersonally, I think the three acts are really helpful. Usually when I see a word problem, no matter how short and simple it is, I get confused and just try to skip over all the thinking and get straight to solving the problem so I can answer it faster, I don't even think about what I'm doing. With the three acts, it divides it step by step, one part at a time, and it causes me to actually think about the problem and what it's asking.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Daniela. The 3 acts is a very useful tool for comprehending word problems. I usually just tried to find a way to answer the problem without reading through. Now i will have a new way to work through word problems sooo coool!
DeleteI would say the "Three Acts" is a very useful tool especially for solving word problems, because it helps break down problems, into more understandable sections making it way easier to comprehend and complete the problem correctly. It also feel asking questions are very important and makes learning way more interesting and possible.
ReplyDeleteI think the 3 act is a very useful tool. It breaks down problems step by step and leading to a solution
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