Concrete Manipulative Analysis

To satisfy Ruth Ann’s request of addressing the deficiency of students’ math skills and integrating real world problems in laboratory classroom setting(Orrill & Hill, 2013), Maya should interview more teachers and students and visit more schools in the same school districts and city. She could also conduct more research from literature or online resources to gather both successful and un successful examples, suggesting some possible solutions regarding integrating authentic problem-solving activities in teaching as well as addressing the gap between the

Eyyan, R. (2014). Impact of use of Technology in Mathematics Lessons on Student Achievement and

A manipulative is often used in many ways to teach mathematics such as basic addition, fractions, decimals, order of operations. To name a few manipulatives; blocks, cards, number tiles, counting tubes, etc…A manipulative can be taught either concrete (hands-on) or virtual. Hands-on manipulative models are physical objects such as base-ten blocks, deck of cards, Dice games, and Algebra tiles. A virtual manipulative is a technology that models the existing manipulatives such as base ten blocks, rulers, fractions bars and algebra tiles to name a few. These manipulatives are in the form of Java or Flash applets, a web base technology.

The classrooms are set up as a room per grade level. In each classroom, there are basic classroom materials: tables and chairs as well as various manipulatives that can be used in the lessons. At each of the tables is a box full of different manipulatives for the tutors to use in various activities. Some of the materials in the boxes change each week as the boxes move from table to table; so each tutor must be sure to complete the activity with the new information for that week.

42 of the third-grade students used virtual manipulatives while 49 students used concrete manipulatives. The virtual manipulative students were ranked according to ability and utilized an educational site linked to NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) to explore the lesson on fractions. The concrete manipulative group had a similar activity based on concrete fraction circles and fraction bars. All groups completed their assignments within the allotted 20-minute time period and were given a post test. In the third grade, post test results showed that both groups showed improvement however concrete groups’ point gains were higher when comparing pretest and posttest of virtual manipulatives group. Fourth grade scores proved that both groups made gains in post-test, yet concrete group earned more points in mean test scores. Although the gains were small yet significant, this study contradicted the Olkun (2003) study that suggested computer based manipulatives provides more gains than concrete manipulatives. Hamm & Burns noted that virtual manipulatives caused a slight delay because planning in advance for equipment set up was an issue and the wireless internet is not readily available in all schools. For this reason, concrete manipulatives such as the number grid can be conveniently used by students to find missing parts to one hundred without the use of a wireless

Many of math includes three dimensional shapes and changes in shapes, which are all difficult for a teacher to present to their students. (Curri, 2012) says, “There is no understanding of mathematics without visualization.” One study used a Microsoft program to teach calculus, the study of change, that showed improvement in the student’s confidence in math and a better understanding in math. (Oktaviyanthi, 2015) With more visualization of math in the classroom it can help deepen the understanding of complex math problems, especially ones that requires lot of shapes like

Bottge, B. A., Grant, T. S., Stephens, A. C., & Rueda, E. (2010). Advancing the math skills of middle school students in technology education classrooms. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 94(2), 81-106.

In my two years teaching sixth grade at Riverview middle school I have grown a lot as a teacher. I constantly try new lessons and ideas from other teachers, seminars, and trainings. These new techniques help me get my students best prepared with math, middle school, and life skills. After going to a technology conference I used many types of

what I liked most about the use of manipulatives was the ease with which complex mathematical problems would be solved by children. The interaction between concrete tools and children to sink abstract ideas results in a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts being taught.the classes are more engaging with the use of manipulatives children enjoy the lessons more.the importance of authentic learning is emphasized as children easily grasp concepts after experiencing the idea.what I liked least was that it takes more time and money to employ the use of manipulatives.children take more time to solve problems.more money is also used to purchase the manipulatives.

A manipulative is often used in many ways to teach mathematics such as basic addition, fractions, decimals, order of operations. To name a few manipulatives; blocks, cards, number tiles, counting tubes, etc…A manipulative can be taught either concrete (hands-on) or virtual. Hands-on manipulative models are physical objects such as base-ten blocks, deck of cards, Dice games, and Algebra tiles. A virtual manipulative is a technology that models the existing manipulatives such as base ten blocks, rulers, fractions bars and algebra tiles to name a few. These manipulatives are in the form of Java or Flash applets, a web base technology.

Although the hands-on learning approach requires a great deal of preparation time, once students have adjusted to the teaching method, the learning process becomes an enjoyable experience for both the teacher and the students (Berk, 1999). When teachers make use of hands-on activities to illustrate concepts in mathematics and science, students perform better on assessments in these subjects because their level of thinking and curiosity increase as a result of their active participation in the learning process (Wenglinsky, 2000).

Manipulatives are tangible materials that teachers can use to help students understand the abstract concept concretely. Moreover, virtual manipulatives substitute physical manipulatives. Virtual manipulatives offer many benefits, for they can be modified in different ways; for instance, shape, color, and size can be changed easily.

Since the 1980’s calculator use in the classroom has been a huge controversy between educators (Golden, 2000). It is becoming increasingly common to use calculators in the classroom on a regular basis. Some states allow students to use calculators on standardized tests and as part of the regular curriculum (Dion, 2001). Because we live in such a technologically changing world, hand held calculators have been far surpassed and can be purchased for as low as $4.00 each. This low price however, has not swayed the many people that believe calculators are not appropriate in the classroom.

After we introduced the tangible technologies, we asked eight teachers to ponder the ways of implementing these tangible technologies to their current projects or their classroom settings. The teachers wrote their ideas of utilizing those tangible technologies to post-its, which were then placed on poster paper and displayed.

Active: Teachers can start using technology not only to deliver a lesson but also let students to engage with the technological tools. For instance, using smart-board is becoming more popular day by day, and teachers are using it in their teaching activities. However, just showing videos on smart-boards to students relevant to the context that they are learning will not enhance students’ engagement and learning. Thus, teachers can allow students to deliberately engage with technological devices. For example, while teaching numbers, instead of just showing the numbers and the objects, and asking them to calculate, teachers can give them opportunities to draw numbers with their hands on smart-board. In this case, as they will be engaging with the technological device, their attention will be higher, and they will learn easier.