Workshop | Empowered Problem Solving

Prices

The price listed is for Extended Access (12 months), ending February 8, 2028. An additional pricing option is available for this workshop at $375 for Standard Access (4 months), ending May 28, 2027.

For further information, please visit Robert Kaplinsky website.

Registration

Registration for the next six-week Empowered Problem Solving online workshop opens on January 22, 2027, at 8 AM Pacific time. This flexible, self-paced workshop is entirely asynchronous, so you can participate whenever it works best for you.

The workshop runs from February February 8 to March 19, 2027.

Facilitator

Robert Kaplinsky
Robert has been an educator since 2003 as a classroom teacher, teacher specialist for Downey Unified School District, instructor for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and presenter at conferences around the world.

He is also the author of Open Middle Math: Problems That Unlock Student Thinking and the creator of the #ObserveMe movement.

What This Online Workshop Has to Offer

Module 1: Why Is Problem-Solving So Important?
How will this help me?
I'll begin by taking you through a problem-based lesson where I break down the experience from both the student's and teacher's perspectives.

What will I learn?
What does problem-solving look like?
How should students explain what they did?
Why is this change needed?

Module 2: How Would It Work With My Students?
How will this help me?
Next, I'll help you envision what this would look like with elementary, middle, and high school students by using videos of the lessons in action.

What will I learn?
How do students respond to these lessons?
How do I support my students?
Why can’t I use strategies like CUBES?
What does it look like when students can’t apply math?
What should I focus on when teaching?
Where can I find problems to use?
What questions do teachers frequently ask?
How do elementary (kinder) students respond?
How do high school (pre-calc) students respond?
How do I use a problem-based lesson digitally?

Module 3: How Do I Prepare To Teach A Lesson?
How will this help me?
Now, it's time to talk about practical implementation, so we'll discuss how to prepare for success so that you feel confident and ready to go.

What will I learn?
Why should we prepare to teach these lessons?
What’s a problem we can practice facilitating?
How do I facilitate a discussion about the problem?
What might that discussion look like?
How can I practice facilitating this discussion?

Module 4: What If It Doesn't Go As Planned?
How will this help me?
I won't avoid the reality that lessons rarely go exactly as we plan. So, in this module, you'll learn what to do when these issues happen.

What will I learn?
How can I anticipate lesson failures in 60 seconds?
How to handle eleven of the most common worst-case scenarios when implementing problem-based lessons. (including “What do you do when a student comes up with a strategy for solving a problem that you do not understand?”)

Module 5: How Can I Help Students Better Understand Math Concepts?
How will this help me?
Students can also learn procedural skills and conceptual understanding through problem-solving, so we'll use Open Middle problems to make it happen.

What will I learn?
How can students get correct answers yet not understand?
How can I support both students who struggle and those looking for more challenge?
How do I help students persevere?
Where can I find more Open Middle problems to use?
How do I use an Open Middle problem digitally?

Module 6: How Do I Merge This With What I’m Already Doing?
How will this help me?
We'll wrap up the workshop by making sure you feel comfortable integrating these ideas with your current workflow.

What will I learn?
How do we make time for this?
How do I fit this into my pacing plan?
How do I assess problem-based lessons?
What should I tell people who observe me?
How do I stay focused on what’s important?

Credit

University PD Credits: 2 to 4.

Credit may be available for this workshop and may vary by country or institution. Please verify eligibility with Robert Kaplinsky.