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Active learning can be more engaged role in the Lindberg, 2001; Bransford,
defined as engaging learning process and are Brown, & Cocking, 2000).
students in some activity less reliant on the teacher. Through facilitating direct
that forces them to reflect Active learning experiences experience with content
upon ideas and how they require opportunities for and engaging students
are using those ideas students to work both intellectually, socially and
5). Thereby children must cooperatively with their more likely to retain the
consider their own peers on rich learning tasks content we want them to
how they may apply these conditions allows students middle school teachers in
lessons?
for some time that children's' concepts specifically between ages 7-11 form
this can happen. Piaget (1971) suggested more effective to allow students to
St Brendans Primary school
actively construct their own true for low achievers, students with
and not just listening. Furthermore the language learners as objects provide a
work of Dienes (1971) suggests that needed visual and kinesthetic avenue for
upon students having opportunities to J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. 2000). These
John Deweys (1924) claim that learning making evident the interconnected nature
both physical and socially on a task (Ross problems which present real-life
Sowell (1989) emphasises that research ways (Doias, 2013). Moreover students
into manipulatives reveals such materials can more easily explain and reflect on
help make math concepts more accessible their thinking when using manipulatives
to solve a problem (Stein & Bovalino students interests far longer than direct
Doias (2013) and Sowell (1989) discuss engaging classroom environment which
through student-centered activities holds tasks (Doias, 2013; Moch, 2001; Sowell,
1989).
effectively in order to reap the rewards (Doias, 2013). As Back (2013) states, it is not just
the materials we use that will impact student learning but more so how we use them.
Below are key considerations for teachers to gain the greatest impact from manipulatives.
understand. Teachers should chose a which particular materials are best suited
assist students to reach a particular (Swan & Marshal, 2010; Moch, 2001).
St Brendans Primary school
3. Materials are not for imposing upon their mathematical thinking and
their own critical thinking skills and Activities involving manipulative usage
Thompson (1994) revealing this aim could greater degree of responsibility for their
cause students to view mathematics as learning. Post (1981) asserts this allows
memorising a set process, resulting in the students to explore materials and use
belief that their own mathematical their own creative processes when solving
IN SUMMARY
Research into manipulatives demonstrates that incorporating these item into mathematics
lessons in effective ways provides optimal opportunity for active and meaningful learning.
It is hugely important for teachers to utilise concrete materials to help middle school
MATHEMATICS TASKS
Below are 2 mathematics tasks created for a year 4 classroom which have been designed
with a focus on concrete materials as a facilitator for active and purposeful learning.
Activity 1
Curriculum Content Descriptor: Compare objects using familiar metric units of area
Using the table tudents should discover that the shortcut to finding volume is to follow
the formula length x width x height and thereby realise they are not require to fill the
entire box with unifix cubes. Unifix cubes develop students concept of volume to help them
Activity 2
Curriculum Content Descriptor: Use scaled instruments to measure and compare
Students will be grouped into tables of 5 students. On each table there will be a variety of
containers/cartons (eg: butter container, shampoo bottle, milk carton). Looking at each
container students must come to an agreed estimate on how much liquid each will hold.
They will order these from largest to smallest capacity and take a photo. Students will be
given a clear cylindrical container and use this to measure the actual capacity of the
containers. Gradients on these jugs require labelling which the teacher will demonstrate
the smallest capacity and use Ipads to take a picture. Groups will discuss with the class
their estimations and how these compared to actual measurements as well as how/if their
References
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (2000). How people learn (1st ed.). Washington,
D.C.: National Academy Press.
Collins, J., & O'Brien, N. (Eds.). (2003). The Greenwood Dictionary of Education.
Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Dienes, Z. (1971). An example of the passage from the concrete to the manipulation of
formal systems. Educational Studies In Mathematics, 3(3-4), 337-352. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/348203
Doias, E., (2013). The Effect of Manipulatives on Achievement Scores in the Middle
School Mathematics Class. ProQuest, 1-143 Retrieved from https://search-proquest
com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/docview/1773212672?accountid=8194
Edwards, S. (2015). Active Learning in the Middle Grades. Middle School Journal, 46(5),
26-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2015.11461922
Ross, R. & Kurtz, R. (1993). Making manipulatives work: A strategy for success. The
Arithmetic Teacher. 40: 254258. Retrieved from
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/docview/62880530?accountid=8194
Stein, M., & Bovalino, J. (2001). Manipulatives: One piece of the puzzle. Mathematics
Teaching in the Middle School, 6(6), 356-359. Retrieved from
https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/docview/62184944?accountid=8194