Strategies to Solving Different Problems

This week what really stuck out to my was the different strategies we can take on when solving different problems.

1. Trial & Error: when all else fails always try this one. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.
2. Algorithms: lets look to see if there any possible algorithms for these problems to help us solve
3. Heuristics: many problems with have a general rule of thumb so lets see if there are any.
4. Insight: Read the problem thoroughly to see if you understand the question and if there is any information contained that could help you
5. The IDEAL strategy
  • Identify the problem
  • Define & represent the problem
  • Explore the possible strategies or solutions
  • Act on a selected strategy or solution
  • Look back and calculate
Who knew there were so many ways in which you could come up with an answer. Things have come a long way since the late 90's to early 2000's in which you could only get the answer one way or no way. This is the way it was taught but I believe that mathematics can be something that be taught or learned in many different ways which can help every student understand basic problem solving in their everyday lives.

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