The course is coming to an end and I am amazed at how sheltered my mathematical thinking was growing up. Maybe I should say restricted. I never even considered that there were so many ways a child could solve a problem. I have seen more efficient ways to solve problems by children in the videos, but I am so brainwashed that it is hard for me to do them any other way than the way I was taught... the teacher's way. Unfortunately, most of the schools have adopted a math program that uses the standard algorithm, but I am curious can kids apply their own strategy to the standard algorithm? I am not going to be able to word this properly. What I am trying to say is the standard way does not make too much sense and isn't the most logical way. Say a child prefers the 10's and 1's strategy is it easier to look at the U.S. algorithm, apply their own strategy to find the answer, and then complete it the standard way. Will they just stop inventing like Dr. Shih said? I know this is not making sense how I am writing it.