id: 06271459
dt: j
an: 2014c.00464
au: Flores, Alfinio; Braker, Jaclyn
ti: Developing the art of seeing the easy when solving problems.
so: Math. Enthus. 10, No. 1-2, 365-378 (2013).
py: 2013
pu: Information Age Publishing (IAP), Charlotte, NC; University of Montana,
    Department of Mathematical Sciences, Missoula, MT
la: EN
cc: D59 G30 G40 I30
ut: problem solving strategies; preservice teacher education; teaching;
    learning to see the easy; alternative approaches; alternative
    solutions; mathematical model building; geometry; arithmetic series;
    proportion; area; circles; trapezoids; thinking back about problem
    solving experiences
ci: 
li: http://www.math.umt.edu/tmme/vol10no1and2/14-Flores-Braker_pp365_378.pdf
ab: From the introduction: In this article we will focus on learning the art of
    seeing the easy, by using an example of a problem posed to future
    secondary mathematics teachers. De Finetti indicates that it is often
    difficult to see the easy things, that is, to be able to distinguish,
    in the complexity of circumstances present in a problem, those that are
    enough to formulate the problem or that allow one to do the formulation
    as several successive steps that can be carried out easily. The problem
    presented below was posed as part of a modeling course. According to
    Lesh and Doerr, we need to put “students in situations where they are
    able to reveal, test, and revise/refine/reject alternative ways of
    thinking.” We will first present the strategy used by a group of
    future teachers, and then an approach gained by looking back at the
    problem and trying to see it at a glance. We finish with a brief
    discussion of why it would be worthwhile for prospective teachers to
    look back at this and other problems.
rv: