Simply Manipulatives

THOUGHT

Manipulatives can be brought into the classroom to improve student learning.

REFLECTION #1

BUT... manipulatives have to be taught properly in order for students to understand what they mean and how they work. For example, with pattern blocks, a red block can equal a half of a yellow block, but it is more complicating to say that one yellow block represents half of two yellow blocks.

REFLECTION #2

Albert Einstein is quoted for saying: “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” If the teacher does cannot teach students, in a simple way, how to solve more complex ideas with the blocks, such as how to multiply and divide with them, then it is best for the teacher to first understand this. If it cannot be taught simply, a lot of confusion will result from the attempts at explaining what the teacher may not fully understand themselves.

“If you can't explain it simply,
you don't understand it well enough.”
-- Albert Einstein

Luckily, there are many resources available online to help educators understand and implement manipulatives into their lessons, which can be found through a simple Google search.

As Long As It Takes

THOUGHT

How long it takes to teach math is insignificant.

REFLECTION #1

Math needs to be taught to the students through quality lessons, and perhaps very differentiated ones, but there is no point in moving on to new lessons, which often build on previous knowledge, if students are not comprehending the material. While some students may not be able to comprehend the material, a teacher's responsibilities can be conflicting. On one hand, we want our students to understand the ideas that we are teaching them, but on the other hand, we are expected to cover many areas, which can create pressure on the teacher to keep moving forward, however, this is a disservice to the students who are unable to keep up, or are at a standstill in their learning of the mathematic concepts, for whatever reason.

REFLECTION #2

If students do not understand the most basic concepts, this can cause them to not understand entire units, because they do not have the foundation of knowledge to support the rest of their learning. Therefore, I would agree that it is crucial that students understand a math concept before moving on, otherwise it is likely that they will lose confidence in math, and develop a dislike for the subject because their teachers never took the time to properly explain the basics in words/ways that the student would understand.