Math Investigations

My mom started teaching here in Utah when they switched their math learning to investigations. I remember walking in on their meetings and hearing her and the other teachers talk about how they were going to incorporate them in their teaching. They would come up with visual aides and other tools that would help them help the students understand what they were doing. I now only realize that they had no idea what they were doing themselves and they were trying all means to gain a better footing on the material. 4 years of teaching math by investigation my mom would now stand by the benefits that it can bring to the learning within the classroom.
I know that not many liked the idea at first. But who likes switching from what they use so commonly to using something that seems foreign and strange. Investigations are another way to look at math. It gives the student a chance to apply their learning more constructively. So if they are studying a concept like fractions, they have learning hands-on experiences that help them learn that concept and retain it better. Most of Alpine liked it, if you talked to the ones that wanted to have it in the classrooms, but as far as teachers go, it wasn’t too accepted. But everything new that isn’t your idea to start with is normally not welcomed with signs and banners. It takes time of using it to really test out what it can do before welcomed signs are even starting to be thought of.
Now investigations are becoming used more and more and they are starting to see some outcome to them. Or at least the teachers are starting to be more open to them. My mom has been talking to me about them and how they can be useful and helpful to the teacher and student within and outside the classroom.