Needs Assessment
Actual Performance:
Every day we face decisions that need to be made and problems that need to be solved, be it a stubborn printer that won’t print, getting the washing machine fixed, creating and balancing a budget, or even putting together a portfolio for school. Being able to problem-solve is a lifelong skill that begins when we are children. For instance, children may have to figure out who gets to play on the last available swing at recess or who to choose to be on their kickball team. These decisions are based upon analyzing the situation and then taking action.
Learning-oriented organizations such as Scholastic and Leapfrog have created numerous activities and tools to help children develop their problem solving skills. The beginnings of mathematical knowledge, a type of thinking that allows children to engage in analysis, also develop early. However, because problem solving comes naturally, the strategy is often missing. Some may skip the analyzing phase; others may apply one solution without reflecting or trying different solutions. Facilitation might be necessary for children to engage in metacognitive thinking about their problem solving behaviors.
At children’s museums, children can engage in interactive activities that are not only fun, but are learning experiences as well. The museums are not like schools where everything is structured, and so they may help children feel relaxed as they engage with tools and activities that can help them learn.
Desired Performance:
The ability to make sound decisions by using problem-solving strategies is one of the most useful skills to have in order to be successful in life, society, and work. As technological skills become necessary, understanding how to apply problem-solving skills in various contexts is increasingly crucial. Long-term success of educational activities requires quality experiences in rich environments where children are supported in their exploration of the world.
The Scratch Jr. app provides a context in which the computational thinking is stressed, allowing instructors to walk children through the process of solving problems in a concrete way. Supplementing instruction with the STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Reflect) problem solving model would also help guide the students. By introducing children to problem-solving strategies in a virtual environment, they begin to learn the coding language and how to solve using these technological tools.
Metacognitive thinking--asking students to think about their thinking and the strategies they use in activities such as problem solving--is believed to lead to higher levels of achievement. Strategies such as modeling, scaffolding, and providing deliberate activities to notice thinking would help students develop these metacognitive skills.
Performance Gap:
Children ages 5-7 should be engaged in environments that encourage exploration and strategic thinking in order to help them improve their problem solving and mathematical skills. These experiences are imperative during this age range as this is when the children are building their foundations for problem solving.
Children need exposure to problem-solving opportunities in various contexts in order to develop the critical thinking skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. The museum and virtual context allows them to develop these skills in an environment that is separate from the school and home, which gives them the opportunity to broaden their problem solving abilities.
Opportunities to engage children in metacognitive thinking about problem solving should be provided. A workshop on problem solving that provides modeling, scaffolding, and activities that prompt children to notice their thinking during the problem solving process would help them develop more effective problem solving behaviors.
Resources:
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle.jsp?id=4039
http://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/learning-path/logic-and-problem-solving
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/how-you-can-help-children-solve-problems
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-pathways-metacognition-in-classroom-marilyn-price-mitchell
http://imaginationsoup.net/2012/01/16/teach-kids-to-think-about-their-thinking-metacognition/