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Math manipulative tools
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Math manipulatives are an essential tool to teaching mathematics. The two main purposes of using math manipulatives is to help students’ form concrete understanding of abstract concepts and meeting the needs of students who learn better by using a variety of different learning styles. It is important to note that math manipulatives can be used when introducing, practicing, or reteaching concepts.
The first purpose of math manipulatives is to allow students’ to “construct their own cognitive models for abstract mathematical ideas and processes” and “provide a common language with which to communicate these models to teachers and other students” (handtomind.com, 2017, para. 1). In essence, math manipulatives “bridge the gap between the world in which students’ live in and the abstract world of mathematics” (handtomind.com, 2017, para. 3). An example of this is when students’ are learning about fractions. When a student can see that 1/3 + 1/3+ 1/3 = 1 whole using manipulatives it is
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This active learning allows students to bring abstract concepts more real-world to the students’ and allows a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Some great ways to utilize instructional technology in the classroom includes: creating own tutorials, creating video problems, taking real-world video to solving mathematical problems, playing games to learn and practice a variety of concepts, using virtual manipulatives and interactive diagrams to understand concepts, mathematical art, etc. (The Reflective Educator, n.d.). Some additional uses of instructional technology includes: tracking students work and answers, enhancing lessons with virtual manipulatives, providing online activities and online assessments based on math standards, and creating differentiate lessons based on students’ tracked answers (Moss,
...ts work on the lessons independently or with a preservice teacher by using manipulatives or other mathematical tools it will allow them to fully grasp the concept that is being taught so they can do well in the long run of learning more complex mathematics.
Use math before going to bed at night when you’re setting your alarm clock for when you need to get up. Another way math is used at home is when making your coffee. You need to know how many cups to make for the number of people drinking it. Then finally, you’re for sure going to need to know what a cup, pint, quart, and gallon is when making dinner or you could really mess up while making it. I bet there are many more ways you use math at home that you don’t even think about.
Math manipulatives have been around for years, but are now becoming increasingly popular amongst educators. Math manipulatives include anything from buckets of pattern blocks, trays of tiles, and colored cubes to virtual manipulatives, or manipulatives colored and cut out by the students themselves. All of these materials can help assist in tangibly teaching children math concepts and by pulling math off the page and into the hands of students. For a child to be verbally and physically taught a math concept allows them to think, reason, and solve problems with the teacher's guidance as well as on their own. Manipulatives can be used in lower levels by children making up stories with numbers that use a certain number of blocks to learning decimal places and place value in older grade levels.
With the widespread use of digital technology, the classroom teaching approaches and practices went through remarkable changes. When compared to the past ten years, today the classrooms look entirely different in terms of programs and technical tools used to enhance the learning skills of students.
Kelly Uriacer reflects that “Technology has improved many aspects in our lives.” She goes on to ponder, “Therefore it’s natural to wonder: Can technology be used to improve a student’s math skills and close achievement gaps?” In this section of the blog, a number of critical points were made about using technology in teaching and learning mathematics in the 21st Century. Important concepts addressed include technology use endorsements by a prominent math organization and an educator, what current research indicates, the need for teacher preparation, and a brief look inside classrooms.
Manipulatives in a math classroom can be used to help a student become more engaged in what they are learning. In mathematics, manipulatives are defined as an object that is designed so that the learner can perceive the mathematical concept by “manipulating” it. In this article, I learned about the various manipulatives teachers and students traditionally use such as concrete manipulatives, while in contemporary classrooms teachers and students also used pictorial as well as virtual manipulatives. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics encourages the teachers and the students to use a variety of representations during mathematic instruction. This article addresses examples of the various types of manipulatives, the theoretical foundations to use manipulatives in mathematics classrooms, and struggles while using manipulatives.
Fraction Friction is the title of this series of lesson designed for year seven students. It will build on previous basic knowledge of fractions and consider more advanced thinking including algebraic thinking and computation. Fractions have always represented considerable challenges for students and a lack of understanding is then translated into difficulties with fraction computation, decimals and percentage concepts and the use of fractions in other areas especially algebra. (NMP, 2008) as cited in Van De Walle, Karp & Bay-Williams 2010. These lessons are designed to further enhance students understanding of fractions and how they can be compared and adjusted to use in mathematical practice. The students will have the opportunity
...S. and Stepelman, J. (2010). Teaching Secondary Mathematics: Techniques and Enrichment Units. 8th Ed. Merrill Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
A somewhat underused strategy for teaching mathematics is that of guided discovery. With this strategy, the student arrives at an understanding of a new mathematical concept on his or her own. An activity is given in which "students sequentially uncover layers of mathematical information one step at a time and learn new mathematics" (Gerver & Sgroi, 2003). This way, instead of simply being told the procedure for solving a problem, the student can develop the steps mainly on his own with only a little guidance from the teacher.
Many students view mathematics as a very difficult subject since it does not only focusses on numbers but also in letters. Mathematics does not only require the students to come up with an answer but it also requires them to show the solutions on how they arrived at the answer. While in elementary, students were already taught on how to solve problems in a step-by-step procedure starting with what is asked in the problem, what are the given, make a number sentence or formulate an equation and solve the problem. These procedures are called problem-solving which cannot only apply in mathematics but also in other areas such as in Science, businesses and most
So, even in cases such as this, technology can be used to further demonstrate the reasoning behind a problem. It may be the case that we want our students to work on the application, and then again it may be the case that we want our students to be able to see what they are doing the application for. The only thing we really have to be careful of is not to let technology replace the “basic understandings and intuitions” (Principles 25). Technology can be a great tool for teaching mathematics because we can show and manipulate visual form with such programs as The Geometer’s Sketchpad and many others. Programs such as these help students to visualize problems, and can also help teachers better explain the mathematical concepts.
Wenglinsky, H. (1998). Does it compute? The relationship between educational technology and student achievement in mathematics. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved March 6, 2002, from ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/res/technolog.pdf.
Modern technology has made it so much easier to obtain educational information for classroom or homework assignments. It offers educational games that stimulate the brain and help children who have difficulties focusing on traditional teaching and learning procedures. College students are even taking advantage of online courses that many colleges are offering as an alternative to physically attending classes. Advances in technology and computers will continue to play an important role in education for many generations to come.
Technology properly used in the classroom has many advantages to a student’s learning. Technology can help students become more involved in their own learning process, which is not seen in the traditional classroom. It allows them to master basic skills at their own rate rather than being left behind. Teachers and students alike can connect to real life situations by using technology in the classroom; this can also help to prepare students for real world situations. Technology can be used to motivate students as well as to offer more challenging opportunities. It can also be used as a visualization tool to keep students interested in the subject that is being taught. When technology is used effectively, students have the opportunity to develop skills that they may not get without the use of technology (Cleaver, 2011). Assessing and monitoring students is easier on the teacher because of the ability to use technology in the classroom. When technology is used correctly it offers limitless resources to a classroom atmosphere.
I hope to learn a lot about teaching mathematics. My major is early childhood education and plan on teaching kindergarten. As a kindergarten teacher I need to be able to teach every subject. This class will allow me to gain the skills needed to teach math successfully. I want to learn how to use manipulative during math lessons to get my students engaged. I want to learn instructional strategies and techniques to help my students understand. Some of the strategies may include using appropriate materials to teach all children with different learning styles. I look forward to learning the critical mathematics concepts relevant to the early childhood mathematics Common Core Standards for Mathematics. The Common Cores Standards are very important because it provides teachers, parents, and students with a set of clear expectations. The standards will ensure that all students are prepared with the same skills needed in