Cory Bennett

Effectively implementing problem solving within upper elementary classrooms poses many challenges especially when the focus of learning mathematics centers on procedures or discrete concepts. As a result, problem solving can be a difficult skill to teach. There is often a lack of time during the school day and students do not typically understand the actual nature and process, which requires critical thinking, persistence, organization, and flexible thinking. This presentation shares the initial findings from an on-going project examining the extent to which one problem solving structure helps students from diverse backgrounds and cultures better understand what it means to be a mathematician and do mathematics through authentic experiences.