I think that it is important that each student is held accountable when using manipulatives for an activity. It is important that the teacher assess each students' knowledge and ability to apply knowledge of a concept through manipulatives. One way that each student could be held accountable when using manipulatives for an activity is to have them each student record their thought process when using manipulatives in their math journal/notebook. This allows the teacher to individually assess each students' knowledge of a topic through the use of manipulatives. The activity we used in class was a great way to hold the students accountable. We each had to record the various activities and we had to work together to create the various activities that each type of manipulative could be used for.
2. Why do people say "hands-on, minds-on," instead of just "hands-on"?
Hands-on, minds-on is referring to the use of manipulatives. When students are using manipulatives they are engaging the mind by using and manipulating different objects to strengthen and build of different math knowledge and concepts. Students' brains are engaged in the manipulatives that they are using and as a result they are stimulating their minds. Manipulative use in the classroom allows the students to apply their knowledge in a way of "doing." When students physically manipulate objects they are applying their knowledge of various mathematical concepts to real-life situations, and they are able to physically see the process of how some math concepts and carried out. When manipulatives are used correctly, paralleled with strong and effective instruction, they will begin to investigate, explore, and ask various questions about concepts.
3. How do the process standards fit with the manipulative activity?
The process standards relate closely with manipulative work. Students are using problem solving when working with manipulatives when they must find a way to use the manipulatives in a way to solve the given problem or situation. Reasoning and proof is incorporated in manipulative use because the students are using the manipulatives to reason and problem solve to provide proof for their solutions they find. Communication is related to manipulative use when they it is used to express the process of a mathematical concept. Students may also have to use the manipulatives in their justification for a solution that they have found. Connections can be made when students are using manipulatives because they are able to use the objects to help relate to two mathematical concept together with a visual and physical representation. Representation is always applied to manipulative work. Manipulatives are used so that representations can be formed. Manipulatives can be used to represent fractions, sorting, patterns, probability, and many other mathematical concepts.
No comments:
Post a Comment