Problem Solving with SCAMPER

One of the greatest difficulties students face is thinking outside of the box on their own.

Education has so handcuffed students into thinking the way the teacher wants, the book explains, the rubric directs or the directions instruct, that they have become incapable of striking out on their own for fear of being, OH MY GOSH!!! WRONG!!!!

Bob Eberle developed the SCAMPER system in 1982 to assist students in ways to creatively approach problem solving.

SCAMPER is an acronym of options students can call upon in their approach to solving problems by creative means when thinking outside the box and extending the boundaries is a necessary part of the process solution.

S - SUBSTITUE       What other material, process, method could we use instead?

C - COMBINE         What can we add, cluster or put together to change our perspective?

A - ADAPT               What can we change, adjust or do differently to fit the situation?

M - MODIFY           How can we alter or change the form or quality? Can we resize the form?

P - PUT TO USE      What else could this be used for? Where can this be valuable?

E - ELIMINATE      What could we remove or omit to change our perspective?

R - REVERSE          Could we deconstruct the information to understand the process?    

How many of us have witnessed that classroom where every students can follow directions and achieve the desired result? The classroom where 32 paper look exactly the same because each student can follow the designed algorithm and produce the expected end product?

But, can these same students think out side the box, without a rubric, without specified directions, without a known value as an outcome?  Can these students bring something to the table from another classroom, from a life experience or from another source and derive their own outcome?

It is imperative that the process of learning provide students the opportunity to problem solve free from expectation of producing an expected outcome.  To be able to experience the processes of due diligence necessary to produce an outcome, correct or otherwise.  A process that allows students to make mistakes without judgement, but encouragement to search out a better solution.  A learning environment that values that process as a means to an outcome but not the only outcome.

Allow students to SCAMPER.   

   

Sometimes Failing is a Good Thing

"Success is never final, failure is never fatal,

it is courage that counts."

                                              - Winston Churchill -

What if these individuals allowed their failures to get in the way of their eventual success?

Lance Armstrong ended dead last in his first cycling race?

Lucille Ball was told to, "try another profession," when she first took up acting.

Robin Williams was voted "Least Likely to Succeed" in his senior class.

Walt Disney was fired from his job on a newspaper because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas."

R.H. Macy failed seven times before his store was finally successful in New York.

Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry.

Babe Ruth also held the strike out record.

Michael Jordan missed over 9,000 free throws, lost almost 300 games and failed 26 times on game winning shots.

And of course there is the ultimate record in failure:

• Failed in business in 1831
• Defeated for a seat in the legislature in1832
• Failed in business in 1833
• Suffered a nervous breakdown in 1836
• Lost for Speaker of the House in 1838
• Defeated as an elector in 1840
• Defeated for Congress in 1843
• Defeated for Senate 1855
• Lost Vice Presidential election in 1856
• Lost in a Senate race in 1858

Who?

Abraham Lincoln who was elected the sixteenth President of the United States.

As educators it is vital that we teach our students to accept failure as a step on the road to success.  That, it is in understanding what caused the failure that they can gain insight into what might be the correct path to choose.  It is the fear of failure that paralyzes their initiative and they do not continue to progress torward their ultimate goal. An even greater injustice is, if the fear of failure keeps them from making any attempt what so ever.   It is the responsibility of the educator to create an environment based upon challenge that does not instill fear and failure that is celebrated as a stepping stone towoard personal success.  

Five Basic Rules to Learn By

Everyone needs time to think and learn.

We each learn in our own ways, by our own timeclocks.

It is okay to make mistakes. That is how we learn.

It is intelligent to ask for help. No one need do it alone.

We can to more an learn more when we are willing to risk.

These five basic rules should be embodied by teachers, mentors, coaches, parents and students alike.
If everyone who is involved in the process of learning would take into account that we all have a wide variety of talents, skills, characterisitics and tolerances, and that each of us must be given the opportunity to develop our own success the process of learning would be far less stressful and much more enjoyable for all. 

Educators must understand that there is no definite timetable for learnig. Just because the curriculum guide or our semester overview or our lesson plan says we are supposed to be on chapter five, this des not mean that we are all ready for the content or skills in chapter five.  However, we do not live in a perfect world where everyone is allowed to do what they want when they want to.  Therefore, we must
create a learning environment that provides the comfort and security for our students to be willing to attermpt new things, to make mistakes and take risks, knowing that the process of learning is the ultimate reward and that success is measured against oneself not against an artificial measure of the group.