David Rough's Blog - Posts Tagged "red-rocks"
Problem Solving - The Red Rocks
I enjoy doing puzzles and figuring out solutions to problems. One of my favorite responsibilities as a school administrator was brainstorming potential resolutions to educational issues. I loved student scheduling and trying to integrate all the student requests into a workable master schedule. At the same time, I was concerned with the lack of perseverance on the part of some students to solve problems, not just in Math class, but in life in general. The old saying: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” has been replaced with the sad philosophy: “If at first you don’t succeed, quit.”
I am not a fan of video games and apps, especially those that expose children to violence, but many games help young minds search for solutions to problems. Many games are designed toward failure until you discover the right sequence for success. I have seen my grandchildren’s frustration reach an angry response to an app and I have seen them persevere until they conquer a particularly hard level.
One of the common threads of my children’s books is the problem-solving skills of my protagonists. I try to present a problem to my young leader that is not easy to solve, and yet with diligence and intelligence, the hero manages to discover the answer. I also attempt to bring a parallel between application the wisdom other others and the lessons learned in life with the solution to similar problems.
One of the books in the series of adventures of Princess Polly and Sir William the Brave is called The Red Rocks. In this children’s book, Polly and Billy have to use logic, transference of knowledge, mapping reading skills, and quick decision making to solve critical problems facing their adventure.
A quick excerpt to taste your appetite:
A tall gate blocked the entrance to the bridge and attached to the gate was a sign.
“Let me read it out loud. It seems like some sort of riddle”, said Polly.
The river is too swift to cross without going over me.
My gate is too high for man to leap;
My lock of wood cannot be broken by sword or hand of thee;
And my key is hidden deep beneath.
Billy knelt beside the river and tried to look deep into the water. The water was crystal clear, but there was no key to be seen. He paced up and down the river for a while but could not find anything that looked like a key…
In addition to solving the riddle, a lesson taught to Polly by her nanny, Sally, (earlier in the book) must be utilized to retrieve the key trapped in a narrow hole made of solid rock. I hope that utilizing problem-solution situations will encourage young readers to discover and exercise their own abilities with situation present themselves in their lives.
I am not a fan of video games and apps, especially those that expose children to violence, but many games help young minds search for solutions to problems. Many games are designed toward failure until you discover the right sequence for success. I have seen my grandchildren’s frustration reach an angry response to an app and I have seen them persevere until they conquer a particularly hard level.
One of the common threads of my children’s books is the problem-solving skills of my protagonists. I try to present a problem to my young leader that is not easy to solve, and yet with diligence and intelligence, the hero manages to discover the answer. I also attempt to bring a parallel between application the wisdom other others and the lessons learned in life with the solution to similar problems.
One of the books in the series of adventures of Princess Polly and Sir William the Brave is called The Red Rocks. In this children’s book, Polly and Billy have to use logic, transference of knowledge, mapping reading skills, and quick decision making to solve critical problems facing their adventure.
A quick excerpt to taste your appetite:
A tall gate blocked the entrance to the bridge and attached to the gate was a sign.
“Let me read it out loud. It seems like some sort of riddle”, said Polly.
The river is too swift to cross without going over me.
My gate is too high for man to leap;
My lock of wood cannot be broken by sword or hand of thee;
And my key is hidden deep beneath.
Billy knelt beside the river and tried to look deep into the water. The water was crystal clear, but there was no key to be seen. He paced up and down the river for a while but could not find anything that looked like a key…
In addition to solving the riddle, a lesson taught to Polly by her nanny, Sally, (earlier in the book) must be utilized to retrieve the key trapped in a narrow hole made of solid rock. I hope that utilizing problem-solution situations will encourage young readers to discover and exercise their own abilities with situation present themselves in their lives.
