Problems-First Learning

The educational pattern of lecture, listen, and forget is deeply ingrained in schools. In this user-friendly resource, author Ted McCain offers a compelling alternative that flips lessons on their heads: the problems-first instructional method. Using this method, you will fully engage students by first introducing a problem and then empowering learners to solve it using creativity, innovation, collaboration, and other essential skills.Use this resource to help students achieve higher levels of thinking:Identify the need for instructional change in the current educational system.Consider the transferable skills students need for solving problems in the workplace and in life outside the classroom.Study the benefits of a problems-first teaching style.Learn to implement problems-first methods into existing classrooms.Understand how this method teaches seven essential 21st century skills highly desired in the modern workforce.Discover how to introduce role-play into the classroom and broaden lessons to encompass whole-mind learning and boost student engagement.Contents:AcknowledgmentsTable of ContentsAbout the AuthorIntroductionPart One: Understanding New Needs and a New Approach for a Digital Generation Chapter 1: The New Needs of a Changing Generation Chapter 2: The Thinking and Processing Skills Students Need for the Future Chapter 3: The Key to a New ApproachPart Two: Learning How to Create Problems-First Projects Chapter 4: Envision a New Role for the Teacher Chapter 5: Ensure That Problems Are First, Teaching Is Second Chapter 6: Establish a Real-World Link Using Role-Play Chapter 7: Expand Your View of the Curriculum Chapter 8: Equip Students With the 4 Ds of Problem Solving Chapter 9: Elevate the Students' Level of Thought Chapter 10: Educate the Whole Mind Chapter 11: Evaluate Holistically Chapter 12: Ease Yourself Out of the PicturePart Three: Making the Shift to Problems-First Teaching Chapter 13: Pointers for Shifting to a Problems-First Approach Chapter 14: Examples of Problems-First Lesson PlansReferences and ResourcesIndex