I think the new method of teaching math sounds like a promising idea. It is more important to make sure the students understand math as a process and not just as a rule or drill that you do the same way everytime and get a final answer. Having mulltiple ways of doing something allows children to explore and have fun with problem solving. By encouraging them to try different methods they are actively engaged in the problem solving process. Personally math has never been fun for me because I have just simply never been good at it. I dont blame anyone for my failures in math but I do wonder if maybe I was taught differently I would like math better and be better at it. Understanding the underlying concepts about math is much more important than getting the right answer.
In these first few weeks of class I also found out a lot about the standards and how they work. It is interesting to know that the South Dakota standards do not always line up with the national standards and the NCTM standards. I always thought that they were aligned after each other. I think that being apart of creating the standards is something that I would be interested in doing when I get out into the teaching field.