Confession time- I hate story problems.  I always have but I love math!!  I am getting better at them as a result of our P.O.D.- Problem of the Day.  I begin math every day with a story problem displayed on the overhead (came with the texts).  I walk around the room and give stickers to those kids who are really trying to work them out.  My kids love this and boast about their sticker collection.  After everyone has had a chance to solve the problem, one child goes to the overhead to explain how he/she found the answer.  Sometimes a couple different students will demonstrate their techniques showing that there is often more than one way to solve a problem. I still feel somewhat apprehensive when some problems are given.  I've even had to call on my bright students when I wasn't sure of the answer.  This is really embarrassing to me, afterall this is only fourth grade.  I have to put the blame on never being taught HOW to go about solving these types of problems.  So in my class we spend a great deal of class time asking ourselves (sometimes I am truly learning as they are how to approach some of these questions so I do a great deal of thinking out loud and modeling), "What are they asking for?" "How can I get it?" "Does this make sense?"  Studies have proven that students who are taught "how" to solve problems do better than those not given instruction.(Bruning)  Sometimes, however, it is the trial and error method that works best for me.  This in one concept that is very difficult for 10 year olds to conceive.  If they don't know how to come up with the answer, often they don't know how to begin.  I try to tell them if that if they just start the problem one way they may at least discover what "doesn't" work bringing them one step closer to finding what does work.

After one school's students experienced exceptionally low problem solving scores on an achievement test, they began searching for ways to teach problem solving skills.  They worked together as a unit to come up with consistent math terminology.  Also, each teacher taught the same problem solving steps:

They created posters and hung them in the classrooms.  Other measures were also taken:

1)The introduction of a daily story problem time, usually using story problems created by students, as part
of the regular math instruction in each classroom every day.

2)A daily morning announcement of two story problems - - one primary, one intermediate -- over the
 intercom with morning announcements; problems are then solved in each class.

3)Purchase of supportive instructional materials, including response cards and slates to facilitate quick
teacher assessment of student responses: students write and display answers, and teachers quickly scan to
assure students are correct.

4)Development and wide usage of two levels of a board game called "Tiger Trivia," featuring story problem
solving as the means for moving around the board and using cards printed with story problems written by
 students.

5)Schoolwide reinforcement of student achievement in story problem solving by teachers' awarding "I Love
 Story Problems" buttons or "Super Story Problem Solver" pencils as students show progress in the skill.

6)Staff development with a visiting consultant for all teachers in story problem instruction.

7)Collection of resources to support story problem instruction, including the establishment of a file in the
school's Media Center with resources keyed to grade level objectives; the researching and listing of
programs featuring practice for story problems; and the purchase of several instructional packages focused
on story problems. (Butler)

As I searched for information on this topic I ran across some great math sites.

Math Prose  Many different stories that integrate math, reading and the internet- high school level

Math Stories- elementary school level- very cool- tons

Math poems- cute, includes concepts from addition to angles

Funbrain- super- check out math baseball (thanks to Sue Cooper's email)

Results from this lesson:

Math has always been one subject where I rarely use discovery learning.  I've decided to try a discovery lesson next week that involves using the internet, math books and perhaps dictionaries.  Instead of explaining the terms perpendicular, intersecting and parallel, I'm going to pair my students and give them 10 minutes to find the definitions and draw and label the different lines.  Discovery learning is a type of problem solving.  They have to determine how and where to find the information. I am also going to create a poster like the one described above.   My students will practice story problems using the links above.  As I am developing my term paper and workshop, I'm trying to discover new ways to use one computer in the classroom.  Links like the ones above are very useful.  I'm in the process of setting up a schedule that will allow two students to use the computer for various assignments throughout the day.

Resources:

Bruning, Roger, Cognitive Psychology and Instruction

Butler, Jocelyn, Math Problem Solving Improvement: Troutdale Elementary School

Cooper, Sue under her "Links" portion of her page  link to new website

McAllister, Howard C., Concept Based Learning