Investigations Math

What is investigations math?

According to the website http://investigations.terc.edu/, investigations math is a K-5 math curriculum designed at TERC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed to help students understand fundamental ideas about numbers, operations, geometry, data, measurements, and algebra. Investigations math is a result of over 20 years research designed to improve teaching and learning math in elementary schools. Three principles that guide investigations math are that students have mathematical ideas and the curriculum needs to support the exploration of these ideas; teachers are engaged in learning about math and how students learn math, and that teachers and students work together to create curriculum in the classroom. From several sources I have determined that in this type of math the teacher presents a mathematical question and the students work together in groups to try to find a way to solve it. Apparently, time is spent emphasizing concepts, estimating, and using calculators. The traditional idea of memorizing math facts, and repetition and practice are not a part of this type of math.

What were the results of its use in the Alpine School District?

Alpine district began using investigations math in the 2000 school year. I was unable to locate the math scores for pre and post usage of the investigations math program. I only found mention of raised test scores in which the district spokesperson said that there was a 5% increase in elementary algebra and a 7% increase in geometry than the state average. I was able to find reported in 2005 that the legislative committee criticized the method and that the Utah State Office of Education removed it from its list of recommended primary sources of instruction.
I found information that indicated schools in California that used the investigations math approach for 7 years went from being top in math scores in the states to the second lowest. The thing that seemed to be the most obvious result of the use of investigations math was the divisiveness in the district. Some parents were so upset by the program, that they went door-to-door obtaining signatures for a petition against the program. They created a website which kept information concerning investigations math in the forefront of conversation. Some parents moved their children from the public school system into charter, private, or home schools. Several teachers supported the program; however, many others opposed it. In the news reports, children were scolded by teachers for using traditional math ideas and some teachers’ jobs were threatened if they did not use the program. Some teachers reported that they spent 10 minutes on investigations math then closed their doors and taught traditional math.

What are the arguments for and against the use of investigations math?
Arguments for:
Emphasis on concepts, estimation, and use of calculators
Teachers present concepts
Students explore concepts through investigations
Making students into thinking mathematicians
Students develop a deeper understanding and love for math

Arguments against:
Large amount of time for students to identify which solution will work
Fewer topics covered or diminished depth of content
No repetition and practice of basic math facts
De-emphasizes algorithmic methods
Deprives students of some essential skills

My Opinion:

I believe that there should be a balanced approach to teaching math. I believe that it is important for students to memorize basic math facts in order to make it easier to recall basic facts for more complicated problems. I believe that students need to have many opportunities to discover and work with manipulatives in order to solidify abstract math concepts in a more concrete way. As I prepare to teach kindergarten, I realize that my students need many hands on experiences to help them gain an understanding of many math concepts.