Teaching Methods for Solving Word Problems

In partnership with Model Teaching, an industry leader in supporting educators, this course focuses on addressing challenges students encounter in math and offers solutions through two different methods for solving word problems. Model Teaching's Mission is to improve student performance by directly supporting teachers with quality content and resources. Participants will receive a downloadable PDF of the content, along with valuable graphic organizers and student resources to support implementation in the classroom.

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3 Months / 1 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
Offered in partnership with your preferred school

Baylor University

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Learning method

Course code: T14751

This teacher professional development course will teach you about the challenges students often encounter when solving word problems and present varied solutions for teaching problem-solving skills to your students. You will be provided with a detailed plan for teaching two different problem-solving strategies in your classroom, depending on your students' needs: the GUESS method and the CUBES method for word problems. The course also comes with a downloadable PDF of the course content, graphic organizers, and supporting student resources.

What you will learn

  • Evaluate the common challenges students face when solving word problems
  • Analyze solutions teachers can consider when teaching word problem-solving
  • Compare the CUBES method and the GUESS method to determine which is the best method to teach your students

How you will benefit

  • More easily determine where a student struggles in solving a word problem by identifying the step they begin to struggle with
  • Effectively communicate a clear path to completing word problems and give confidence to students who may feel that word problems present a daunting task
  • Students will be able to apply their learning more easily to various word problems once they have mastered the strategies you teach
  • Provide students with increasingly complex word problems as they begin to master strategies to solve them

How the course is taught

  • Self-Guided, online course
  • 3 Months access
  • 1 course hours
  1. Teaching Methods for Solving Word Problems in Mathematics Course Content
    1. The video and article will provide you with two specific methods for solving word problems and ideas for teaching your students these skills. You will learn about common strategies required for solving word problems and challenges that arise so you can help correct and support your students. The course also includes some "Reflect or Discuss" prompts to help you connect with the course content and ends with a "Try This Task" to guide you explicitly on how you might implement the ideas into the classroom.
  2. Quiz
    1. You will answer questions related to strategies for solving word problems. Quizzes are automatically scored and provide feedback on answer choice rationale.
  3. Implementation Reflection
    1. The reflection prompt requires you to plan for use of the "try this task" by either reflecting on the content yourself or discussing them with the colleague. You will then discuss a new concept you can attempt to implement in the future based on something you learned in the course.
  4. Considerations for Implementation
    1. This short statement helps you reflect on your ideas and assess whether you might be successful in your implementation.
  5. Videos and Further Reading
    1. Additional content suggestions are provided to enhance and expand your understanding of supporting students in word probably analysis.
Self-Study

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 10 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word Online
  • Editing of a Microsoft Word document is required in this course. You may use a free version of Microsoft Word Online, or Google Docs if you do not have Microsoft Office installed on your computer. Model Teaching can provide support for this.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Your course begins immediately after you enroll.​

You have 3 months of access to the course. After enrolling, you can learn and complete the course at your own pace, within the allotted access period. You will have the opportunity to interact with other students in the online discussion area.

There is no time limit to complete each lesson, other than completing all lessons within the allotted access period. Discussion areas for each lesson are open for the entire duration of the course.

Because this course is self-guided, no extensions will be granted after the start of your enrollment.