Manipulate Your Mind!!! Math 1510 Post #4

In a previous post for Math 1512, I discussed the use of the geoboard as a classroom manipulative and it got me thinking, why stop there. This week I worked with an online thinking blocks manipulative that I found to be very insightful. There are so many different types of manipulatives that you can use in you classroom. They can be online resources, manipulatives bought for specific purposes, they can be homemade manipulatives, or anything you have laying around that you can create a visual out of. 

Using manipulatives in the classroom is something that I feel very strongly about. There is a great importance in using manipulatives in the classroom. I feel that using manipulatives can really enhance what the students are learning. Using manipulatives when teaching allows the students to work "hands on" and visually see what they are doing and working out. The cartoon above is one I created on using manipulatives in the classroom. Many times students see a problem on the board and panic. Allowing them to use their hands and work out the problems with the assistance of manipulatives makes the problem easier to understand and more real to the students.

There are many different tips on how to use manipulatives in the classroom out there. I feel that it is important for teachers to take advantage of all of the great ideas and ways to use manipulatives in the classroom. By using them in the classroom you are using multiple teaching strategies and reaching a greater number of your students. Also by using "hands on" learning situations you are creating a more memorable experience for your students. The benefits are endless.