New Insights- Blog 3

The new insight I have gained from our work with the CGI method will not go to waste in the future!  It seems to me that with this approach, we are giving students a real shot at understanding and appreciating mathematics.  In the classroom, this method could be a valuable tool for figuring out how each student learns by what methods they choose to use to solve a problem.  By understanding the different methods used in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, students would be better able to see why different pieces of a problem go where they do in a mathematical sentence.  I cannot imagine how I could not use this method in my classroom since it proves to work so well in studies and with myself, who previously didn't appreciate the importance of CGI in the classroom.

Personal Concerns

CGI

CGI is something that I really like. I love that students are not told what is right or wrong in the method of finding their answers. Being someone who struggles with math I can see how I would have been encouraged through the process of learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. I love seeing that there is a method of teaching that focuses not only on the answer but the different paths to get there. I dont think that you can just decide to use CGI one day, and teach it the next. I think that it has alot more to do with the way that teachers are approaching their classrooms with the freedom of creativity, and students feeling open to express their paths. These concepts must be instilled into children so that they will not fear the wrong answer, and will try even if they are not correct. I feel like all classrooms should be set up in this way and that it is very beneficial to students of all ages to experience the benefits of a CGI classroom.

New Insights

Learning about the CGI method for teaching younger students about addition/subtraction and multiplication/division has really helped me to see how we can teach math better starting with the earlier grades and moving up. What CGI has taught me, is that students know math and it is up to us as teachers to work with them on using their knowledge. When giving them a problem for them to work on, we don't say we are doing multiplication today, as that is going to scare some kids. Giving them a story problem that they can draw out or use manipulatives on isn't as scary. After taking about it in class, I got to see that CGI problems are used at St. Agnes here in Vermillion in the kindergarten classroom. They have a math journal that every week each student works on their problem. It isn't "we're learning this today" but a chance for them to work out something on their own without being scared of labeling the problem. And that may be part of the math problem now. With traditional math, we start each lesson by what we are doing for the day, which can scare students before even getting to the problems. It is already too hard for them, and they haven't even tried. We should move away from that, and that is what the reform method is teaching us.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

As a future teacher I am concerned that I will not teach these concepts correctly to students. This is more about me coming out of my comfort zone, which I don’t mind doing depending on the situation. My main issue is how I will teach my students this method of math when other teachers are still teaching the students the old way, by using the textbook and by the students not solving the problems on their own. My thought is that if I am trying to teach students these concepts how am I to make sure that the students are taking them to next level and ensure that the teachers are also? I think that I will have to find teachers that are familiar with this method or even teachers that have not heard of it and to provide teachers background information on this type of math. I need to get other teachers buy in so that the students are able to expand on this way of thinking and are able to use it year after year. Maybe setting up a math group with other teachers so that we could work as a team in planning our lessons and helping the students scaffold on this learning. I think that this is a great method for students to use when it comes to math so that the students can find their own way of solving the problems which will help to retain the process better and actually take something away from math. Personally, I have gained a new perspective on math and wish that when I was a student that my teachers would have used this method, I think that maybe I would be more comfortable with math and would understand it more.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Going into this class was imtimidating to me as I have always struggled in this area. Growing up math has always been done the traditional way of coming up with the answer and everyone was taught the same and seemed to me it was a much easier. This class allows the student to think cognitively and bring their own knowledge and concepts into the classroom and connect that knowledge with mathematics. I know the emphasis is on what the student can do rather than what they can't do but seems to me doing it this way, there are so many different ways of coming up to one solution that it has become difficult to teach. I feel there are so many different understandings and concepts to teaching these methods and maybe it would be easier for the student who is struggling but I haven't quite grasped it all yet and certainly don't feel comfortable as of yet in teaching it. Sometimes the new ways are better and students feel more at ease learning what they are capable of, so as this class progresses, I intend to continue to have an open mind and do what is best for the students when I become a teacher.

CGI

The videos we watch in class about CGI teaching were helpful in understanding what a cognitively guided instruction classroom would be like. The presentations on addition/subtraction and multiplication/division were helpful. I now know how and why its important to create different types of problems for children. Its also important to make the problems relevant to the students lives. In a CGI classroom, children naturally use a model that suites their style to solve the problems with out the teacher's rote instruction. After students solve the problem, they communicate with the rest of the class on how they solved the problem, what tools they used, and their answer. A variety of methods will be discussed before the class moves on to another problem. CGI is a good instructional strategy that I plan to use in my classroom. It's important for a teacher to build on the child's knowledge and to meet them where they at and to take what they already know and push them to the next level of mathematics.

Concerns

After being in this class for almost a full semester, I think that teaching math this way is a much better method than the traditional method.  However, I do not feel that one semester of being taught this method is in no way enough to prepare us for using this method in the field when we become teachers.  I think that if we are expected to use this method of teaching math, it should be incorporated earlier in our education.  This way, we are taught this method sooner and we are able to practice it throughout our careers here as students.  I do not feel that being taught this method the semester before studn3et teaching is fair to us.  Especially if we are expected to use this method of teaching mathematics.  Having said that, I will coninue to practice using this method so that I am comfortable with it because I do believe it is an excellent way to teach children math. 

New Insights and Their Implications

Throughout this last month, I learned a number of things. The most useful thing that I learned was about the test administration and the type of questions that should included on the test. Tests need to include a number of different types of questions that measure all different levels of understanding of the concept being tested over. Tests should include easy questions that most people get correct but also questions that make the students use a higher level of thinking and make inferences to get the correct answer. Also, tests should include hands on learning if it is possible to help assess the students ability to actually do the work.

Blog #3

New Insights

From the past couple of weeks, I have had a few new insights that have impacted my overall feelings of this "new way of teaching math." In general, I have a very positive outlook on how beneficial this way is to students and their understanding of mathematics, however, I wish that we would have had this method taught to us from the very start in Math Concepts. I believe that one semester is not enough for us to truly grasp how to teach math this way. It should be a technique that we should work on developing during our entire time spent in the School of Education.
Another new insight I have had is about our LPU lesson plan. I'll admit I was very nervous about whether or not we would be able to teach this correctly in way that would be understandable to students. However, after having our meeting with Dr. Reins, I feel much more comfortable with how we are going to go about our lesson, as well as how we are going to help students grasp the concept we are covering.
A final new insight is on CGI. Overall, I feel that this method of teaching math is very beneficial and would be something that students would not only be engaged in doing, but would help them to grasp a concept much better than just rote work. It has also shown me that it does take quite a bit of work and thinking to produce good CGI problems, but the class presentations were very helpful in providing me with information and examples to help make it easier.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Based on what I have learned, so far, about project based mathematics and CGI instruction I have a few concerns about these teaching methods. I think that CGI and project based teaching are excellent teaching strategies for deepening students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. However, I still believe that there needs to be some traditional instruction in the classroom. My reasoning for this is because students still need to know how to do mathematics on using symbols and formulas. Although using models and pictures are great ways to understand and solve problems, there will not always be time or resources available for students to solve every problem using these methods. Also, my concern may be invalid because it is possible that problem based instruction does include periods of traditional instruction and I just misinterpreted it. Right now, my strategy for mathematics teaching includes teaching students the written/symbol mathematics and showing them examples with models or allowing them to find different ways to solve the problems. My thinking has changed over the semester because now I feel that the students should discover ways to solve problems before learning the traditional method. Some concepts I just do not think students will be able to figure out without prior knowledge. Exponents would be a topic that I would be interested to see how it is taught through CGI or project based before it is traditionally taught.

-Branden

CGI

I really enjoyed learning about the CGI model. It has made me think outside the box on teaching elementary math. I think that it is a very efficient way to teach students math. I think that allowing students to figure out their own ways to solve problems is much better than just telling them how to do it because then they will have a better understanding of the solution to the problem and will have a better chance of remembering it in the future. This is ultimately better than the traditional method because down the road teacher won't have to reteach their students how to do the basics of math.

CGI

Our last few class sessions have been focused on cognitively guided instruction (CGI). I could definitely see myself using this instruction in my future classroom. I really think the student-centered activities are a great way for students to grasp a new concept. CGI does just this--it asks opened-ended questions and gets the students to create their own ways of learning. Students share their thoughts with classmates through discussions and explore other ways to solve the same problem. CGI is great for teachers and students, which can definitely be hard in a math classroom. CGI has really been a topic that I have found to be the most interesting in class thusfar. It has us thinking outside of traditional style teaching and opening new doors to how students gain understanding and how teachers teach.

CGI

This last week we have been learning about the CGI (cognitive guided instruction) method of teaching. I believe that is a very good method of teaching students that allows them to be hands on with their math problems. CGI gives the students a chance to decide their own method of doing a problem. CGI also is a great way for the teacher to hear why the student does a problem a certain way. The students are encouraged to explain their reasoning of why they did the problem the way they did, and how they got to their answer. I think that doing our presentation on CGI of multiplication and division really gave me a chance to see the CGI method first hand. I believe that writing problems on your own based on the main topics really allows the teacher to make the problem exciting for the students. It is also every important when writing a problem to make it relate to the students so they are more excited to do it. Overall, I believe that CGI is a great method of teaching, and I will use it in my classroom.

CGI

I think that Cognitively Guided Instruction is a great idea.  I always learn better when I'm able to come up with my own way of doing the problems, and actually have time to do them.  It makes you look at math instruction in a completely different way.  What is the point of having the teacher stand in front of the class and work the problems out for the students.  It makes more sense to have the students figure it out on their own and learn the problems by doing it themselves.  I thought the video (as funny as it was) was a great way to show effective CGI demonstrations.  I thought it was great to have each student show how they got the answer to the problem because it shows the other students other ways and ideas of solving the problem.  I will definitely be using CGI in my classroom.

Cognitively Guided Instruction

Cognitively Guided Instruction has fallen in line with the rest of the ideas that we have discussed throughout the semester. Having the student showcase their skills and ideas for approaching a problem and figuring it is far different than what I have been exposed to in the past. Rather than focusing on what the student cannot do, the teacher needs to find out what they can do and work backward from the student's problem in order to help them develop the skill necessary to solve the problem. With this program, we have discussed again that the teaching really needs to be student centered and they need to find ways to figure out the problem or strategy.

Blog # 3: Reflecting on CGI

For the last few classes we have discussed CGI and from what I saw in the videos and learned through the discussions and the book CGI is something I could defiantly see myself using in the classroom. CGI makes more sense to me and is something that I think would be very valuable for my students. The videos we watched I found very interesting. Watching the students figure out the problems using their own methods was really eye opening, it just goes to show that students have their own ideas about numeration and numbers. Instead of giving them the formula to figure out 2X5 or 16-9 we can give them time to think through it on their own and come up with their own solutions. The bee question that was posed in the video really caught my attention, if one bee has 6 legs how many legs do 5 bees have. Instantly after asking the question students moved around the room finding the tools they want to use to help them solve the problem. One young boy grabbed a ruler and counted groups off the number line, another grabbed cubes and even used separate cubes to represent the bees themselves, and one little girl started using tally marks on her paper not needing the manipulatives that had been set out. Watching them solve these problems using their own strategies really got me thinking about the way I was taught multiplication. We were shown the proper way to multiply and given problems written out on a sheet of paper, there was not word problems or critical thinking skills being used. Using the CGI approach really opens the door for higher level critical thinking skills that allow student to formulate their own connections to math. After seeing the difference and reflecting on the studies we looked over on the first day of class I can’t understand why we don’t all teach math in this way.

last blog post, GURL!

During the past few class sessions we've been discussing CGI-- cognitive guide instruction. I can totally see myself using this in my classroom someday (God forbid I ever teach math). I really believe in student-centered activities and approaches, CGI does just that. It is built around open-ended questions, students working on their own then eventually sharing their thoughts and ideas and ending with a small discussion. CGI is very teacher and student friendly, which isn't the case with all math approaches.
I think this has been the most helpful topic we've covered so far in K-8 Math. Each and every one of us should be motivated and intrigued by the idea of stepping away from traditional strategies-- especially considering how many of us have shared that the root of our hate for math comes from how we were taught it as children-- and moving forward, finding ways to help our future students succeed.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Throughout this semester I have been introduced to many different teaching strategies when teaching math. However, I still feel lost, and concerned about how I will be able to use these strategies when I become a teacher. Math has never been my strong suit, but I do know how I learn math, and the different approaches we have learned this semester are not any of them. My guess is because I have only been taught the traditonal way of learning math when I was in school. In a way I believe this has hurt my confidence and understanding in this class but it is important to learn different approaches because all students learn differently. Although this class is very frustrating for me, I still want to learn this way of teaching because it can benefit the students I have in the future.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

I have a concern that math is definitely different from when I was in elementary school. I need to continue learning the best ways to teach math, in order for my students to learn. I am a little nervous that I will either not use the right technique with my students or I will not use it appropriately. Both project-based learning and CGI are new to me, but I think there are great benefits in using those methods of teaching. Teaching maths seems a little overwhelming to me right now, but I know that if I continue learning the great ways to teach math in this course, that it will not as bad as I think (or at least I hope!!) I think I will have to find a way to integrate all the ideas into one: project-based learning, CGI, and some traditional teaching. Since each student learns differently, it might be beneficial to vary my approach, which is why I need to make the most of each topic during this course.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Throughout this course, I have learned a lot about different ways to teach. I have also learned a lot about myself and how I learn. Allowing students to explore a problem and find their own solutions is what we have learned about. We have learned not to just show them how to do it. I am still not completely comfortable with teaching this way. My teachers always just gave us the solutions and stepped us through solving different problems. This is the way that I am familiar with. It will take some time to feel comfortable with teaching the way we have been learning about. Researching and practicing this method that is new to me are two things that I plan to do to help me with my concerns. Continuing to use this new method will help me with teaching. I know that I will not be comfortable with using it when I first start off teaching. I hope that I do not turn back to the traditional way and the way I was taught when I start teaching. It is important to understand the material you teach and that you know how to teach it to every student. Taking the approach to teaching that we are learning about will be difficult. However, after time I hope that I will be able to use this approach. It is difficult for me to learn how to do a math problem in a way that I am not used to. I am used to solving math problems in the way I was taught. To help with this problem, I will continue to try and practice this new style of teaching.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Now that we have about a month left in this class, I am beginning to feel worried that I am not completely ready to teach math in the ways we have been learning about. It is very scary to think that at this time next year, I very well could have my own classroom and group of students to teach math to. I am concerned that I might try to teach my students in the "wrong" way. I also am concerned that I may try so hard to teach in this "new" way, that I may not realize what types of instruction my students really need. I want to teach in this new way; I know my students would really benefit from it, but the thought of teaching something wrong is a huge concern for me. I am also concerned about what parents will think. Obviously my future students will go home and tell their parents about their day and I am just worried that one day I will go check my email and I will have several emails from angry parents asking me why I am not teaching their children the way we used to be taught. I am not teaching to impress parents, but unfortunately, dealing with parents who don't believe in the way I am teaching would be very difficult I imagine!
I feel the best steps I can now take are to continue to learn as much as possible about teaching math in effective ways. Just because the class is over does not mean that I know absolutely everything I need to know about teaching math! I will need to continue to learn as much as possible. Becoming prepared will also help me to deal with parents, too. There are many resources available for me to learn more about teaching math and it will be extremely important that I use those resources to help me become a better teacher. I need to realize that my teaching will never be perfect, but the more I learn about teaching, the better my teaching will be.

Concerns and the next step

Having been taught math concepts for 16ish years the traditional way with examples, homework, corrections, and tests it is concerning to me that I am suppose to stop, drop, and roll into a new way of teaching. I have become so wrapped up in trying to figure out what we are suppose to be doing and how to teach it the way our professor wants it to be taught. I look at the concepts presented to us and say I was taught this concept this way so I do not see why it is a terrible way to teach it. I see where our professor is coming from with the concept based learning and wanting students to see the true meaning behind certain parts of math. Do not get me wrong I have had an open mind these past weeks about trying to understand and learn how to teach in the concept based mind but it is so difficult to change in only a matter of weeks. I am staying optimistic in that I can continue to broaden my outlook on certain mathematical ways of thinking and teaching. I have learned many new ideas from this course.

Summary and Synthesis

This past week in ELED 330 we have been discussing CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction). From what I know about this program so far, I think it sounds extremely effective. It is a way for teachers to understand students mathematical thinking. This program is used for grades K-6. CGI allows all students to be actively involved in problem solving. Students are able to solve open-ended questions using their own method (student generated solution strategies). Furthermore, students are given the opportunity to explain their mathematical thinking. One reason this program is so effective is because students are always given enough time to give a thoughtful answer. I definitely think more schools should use this program. Students do have the knowledge to find their own way. A student-centered program, like CGI changes the way students think about mathematics for the better.

Summary & Synthesis

For the past few weeks in math methods we have been discussing the CGI approach (Cognitively Guided Instruction). It is similiar to the reformed based math, in which new teachers are encouraged to use in their classrooms, however, several teachers dont use this beneficial approach. We learned that some of the assumptions of CGI are that students' use multiple "roads" of learning to find their solutions and that most of their solutions are developed by means of their own approaches. When using the CGI approach, the instructor acts as more of a facilitator, rather than an instructor who shares strategies and ideas with the students'. Key components of the CGI program are that students' share the different approaches in which they use with their peers and that students' are given plenty of time to thoughtfully think through and solve their problem. It is extremely important that instructors give students' that "wait time", because a lot of students hesitate to state their problem solving strategy. I feel that CGI is an approach I want to use in my future classroom and will without a doubt benefit from. Teachers need to stray away from the traditional style of teaching and allow students to "think" for themselves. By using the traditional style of teaching teachers' are depriving students of their own learning and creating learned helplessness. I am looking forward to implementing this approach (CGI) into my future classroom.

Summary and Synthesis

Over the last couple of months, I have learned some important teaching strategies for teaching math. This way of teaching, was not the way I was taught growing up. I am very scared about this new teaching strategy. I hate math, and I am concerned that my attitude will rub off on my students. In learning this new strategy, it’s scary, because of what I was used to, now I have to change the way I learned, so I can teach my students. In this class, I have really been challenged to understand the material. Over the last couple months, I have gotten frustrated with the assignments and readings because it’s forcing me to think about math in a completely different way. This class is a struggle for me, but each day I am learning little by little. Hopefully this new way will have a positive impact on my future teaching of mathematics.

Synthesis

We have been learning about the Cognitive Guided Instruction (CGI). The key components of CGI, observed from two in class videos, happened to be that students are using their own methods to arrive at a solution, the students are explaining step-by-step their methods, the questions are open ended, and the students are capable of higher level thinking when solving the problems. The assumptions that go along with this teaching style are that the students are capable of explaining themselves clearly, there are multiple approaches to solving a problem, and that students have the knowledge to find their own methods for solving a problem.

We have learned about addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using this teaching style. The addition and subtraction are placed together are given different categories. There is join, separate, part-part-whole, and comparison for the main categories of the types of problems. Join problems are generally addition problems, and separate problems are generally subtraction problems. Compare can be subtraction or addition, but are saying that "y" has more of "n" than "x". Part-part-whole problems are usually involving a problem that seems it could be a fraction or ratio. There are three different subcategories for each problem and are the same for three of the four categories. The three subcategories are result unknown, change unknown, and start unknown. Part-part-whole has two subcategories, those being part unknown and whole unknown.

For the multiplication and division portion of CGI, There are four categories of the type of problem and then three categories for the problem. The three categories for the problem are multiplication, measurement division, and partitive division. The first category obviously deals with multiplying, and the last two obviously deal with division. Multiplication deals with the missing total for the problem, measurement division deals with one missing group within the problem, and partitive division deals with missing objects in a group. The four problem types are grouping/partitioning, rate, price, and multiplicative comparison. Grouping/partitioning is dealing with students placing items into a group and figuring out the answer from grouping. Rate deals with time and distance, normally miles per hour. Price is dealing with the unit price or price per pound/gallon. Multiplicative comparison is saying that something is some many times taller, longer, wider, etc. than another like object/person.

I like how easy this teaching style seems to be for students, and we are asking students to do something most are naturally able to do, such as grouping objects together or using drawings to figure out the answer to a problem.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

While going through this course, I have learned a lot about the way that I learn in the area of math. Math has always come very easy to me and I have always taken a liking to it. However, after experiencing this course I have found that I do not enjoy math as much as I used to. I think that I don’t enjoy math as much anymore because I am so confused on how I will someday teach my students. I know that what we are learning in class on how to teach math will help students to really grasp the concepts that they are taught, but I struggle with the fact that sometimes it takes me awhile before I understand what is going on in the class. At times I never really figure out how to do what we are learning until we have moved onto a new concept, and it is then that I finally understand what we were supposed to take from that new “idea.” I think the reason that I am struggling so much in this class with understanding what is going on, is because I have never been taught this way. I was taught the traditional way of using worksheets to figure out how to solve problems; I never really got a whole lot of interaction with manipulatives. I fully intend to someday teach as the way that we were taught in Eled 330 and Eled 432, but as already mentioned, I will have to do a lot of practice working with different models and thinking of different activities before I am able to teach the way Dr. Reins teaches. I am a little concerned that I will become frustrated with learning/teaching my students deeper level thinking process and turn back to the “traditional” way of teaching.

Blog #3- CGI

The last couple class meetings we have centered our learning and focus on the CGI method of teaching. Alot of the aspects of this teaching model we have have been incorporating into Math Methods, but it was interesting to learn about CGI and compare it to project based learning methods.
Cognitively Guided Instruction is student centered with limited teacher interaction. In order for CGI to work students need to have prior knowledge of the topic at hand and they need to be able to develop their own models and strategies to solve various problems. Some key elements that i feel are important to CGI are: recognizing multiple approaches to solving a particular problem, allowing students to show the entire class how they arrived at their answer and owning the work that they have done, and the problems and questions need to be open-ended. These elements and assumptions are important if teachers want to get the most out of CGI.
I plan on using CGI as much as possible. It is a great way to get students proud of their work and claim their findings. I think it is an important tool to use especially with younger students. We could use this tool to shape and form their way of thinking early on.

Blog #3

Throughout this course we have been studying many different ways to teach students about math, but the newest method is by Cognitively Guided Instruction or CGI. Through listening to two different LPU's on CGI, I have to admit that I am taking a liking to this method. I really like the fact that teachers are present various questions to students, and allowing students to find their own answers by using their own unique way. Students are able to pull from their background knowledge and previous experiences to find the answers on their own. When thinking about the CGI model, two questions form into my thoughts. First, how can I use the CGI model as a special educator. And with this question I believe that I can answer that myself. It's easy. Students of all varieties have previous experiences that can help them in their own way. The key, is being able to pull from those experiences that will actually apply to the task at hand. The problem for students with disabilities, is their ability to know how to take from their previous experiences. That is my job as a special educator to help those students work with what they already know, and then help them to manipulate what they know to find the answer, or maybe help them use an easier strategy. Then, that brings me to my second question. How do we help students using the CGI model when they don't get to the right answer. This was brought up during the video that we watched during class. In one of the clips, a little boy did not get the wrong answer when he used his method to solve the problem. The teacher then referred to another student who used a similar method, but got to the correct answer. I realize that it is not always important for students to know whether their answer was right or wrong and that sometimes it's more about the process. But, when students are using their own methods, and still not getting to the right answer, how do we teach students to use a better method, or what do we do to help those students who are struggling?

Personal Concerns

I will admit that I am a little worried about this new approach towards teaching. I have always been taught with a traditional approach, so I am worried that I will not be able to implement this new approach effectively. I think that with more time and practice, I will become more comfortable with this appraoch, but as of right now, I am not comfortable with it. Throughout this course and watching my fellow classmates presented their LPUs, I have learned various approaches and strategies that I will most definately use within my classroom. However, there are still some approaches that I do not understand. Therefore, if I plan to use these approaches, I know that I will need to do more research and practice these new methods before I could use them in the classroom. It is important that as a teacher you are comfortable with what you are teaching. If I do not feel comfortable with what I am teaching, students will be able to notice that and it might worry them and turn them away from math. I think the best approach towards this new way of teaching is to implement it a little bit at a time while still teaching in a more traditional approach...just until students become more comfortable.

Personal Concerns and Next Steps

This class has been great in showing me a new style of teaching that I have never seen before. I do have some concerns with it though.  The Project Based Learning is very new to me so I am not completely comfortable with it quite yet.  My concern is that there is only a month and a half left in the semester and I don't know if I will feel comfortable enough to use this type of teaching in my classroom when I am student teaching.  One way that I am going to try and solve this is look at the book that is provided for the class.  My group has been preparing to present our lesson next week and when we have been preparing, it has made me realize that the book has a lot of great activities to use for all grade levels.  Another concern that I have is that I do not really love this style of teaching.  I have always been a "math person".  After taking this course, it has made me look at the subject area in a different way.  The way that I am going to try and solve this concern is to be open-minded. I know that every student is not like me and does not like the "old way" of doing math.  The "new way" of math may work for some students and teachers need to accomodate for every student that is in their classroom.