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Week 15

 Welcome back to the Alge-blog! This week, we looked at chapter 2 of the textbook and discussed the Entry, Attack, and Review phases. These are very important phases to understand because students often rush into a problem and give up quickly. Rushing a question can make students feel overwhelmed, confused, and stuck to a point where they can’t move forward. 


What Stood Out and What I Learned

In our group, we discussed how the Entry phase is often overlooked by students, and it is crucial that educators take the time to teach students how to approach a problem and emphasize the entry phase. During the entry, students should determine what they know about the problem by identifying key words, features, and information that is provided in the question. This is a process that needs to be taught by the teacher. Students should be encouraged to slow down the entry phase by taking the time to write down or highlight key information, draw a diagram or chart to visualize it, or use any other method that helps them to understand the problem given. 

We also highlighted how moving through the phases may not be linear. Students can start the attack phase, get stuck, then return to the entry phase to regroup and rethink. It is important to teach students strategies like this when they get stuck rather than just giving up. Have them go back to the information they’re given and see if they missed anything or misunderstood something, and then try a different approach to attack. 

Finally, we discussed the importance of emphasizing the review phase as well. Often, when students solve a problem, they leave it at that and don’t think about it again. But this is a point where learning can happen by reflecting, connecting, and internalizing the rationale of a problem. By reviewing problems, students have the opportunity to analyze what worked, what didn’t, and why, allowing for a deeper understanding.

We started by writing what we know about the problem, what we want to find, and then introduced it by using a visual. 


By following these steps, we were able to slow down the entry phase and start the problem from a better point rather than rushing into the attack. Questions like this can often seem overwhelming, which is why it is important to start by breaking it down. 


Key Takeaways

The main idea from this week is understanding the problem-solving process. As a future educator, I will ensure that I encourage my students to take their time with the entry process of problem-solving. I will teach them the key words and information to look for when looking at a question, and have them highlight or rewrite them. It is important that students understand the entry phase and learn how to identify what they know, what they need, and how to introduce it. This allows them to start specializing in the problem and help them come to a generalization or solution. 

As a future teacher, I will ensure I teach my students the correct steps of problem solving as well as encourage reflection upon solving. I can do this by asking guiding and follow-up questions and having discussions with my students about the problems. By emphasizing the review step, I can help students to connect with and build a deeper understanding of the material so that they hold onto the knowledge long-term. 

Overall, I will ensure the problem-solving process, entry, attack, and review are encouraged and understood by my students. I will use strategies including collaboration with classmates, engaging lessons, and supportive tools like technology, to help build their problem-solving skills in each stage.

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