Today in class I learned that you can use manipulatives to help older students learn Algebra. I haven’t really thought about the effectiveness or even the general use of manipulatives for older students until now. Understanding how the manipulatives work and using them to learn a new mathematical concept can be very beneficial to all students, especially those who have a kinesthetic and/or visual learning style. One of my concerns with using manipulatives for older students is how they might respond using something they once used in elementary school. Rather than finding the benefit to using them the students might find it childish and opt out. My only other concern is that they may be a bit distracting at any age; however, they shouldn't be as much of a distraction for the older, more mature students. I thinking finding new and creative ways to teach students is highly valuable. The success of trying new and creative things almost always depends on the students. What works for one class may not work for the next.
It was interesting to see yet another professor talk about the importance of group roles, especially with math projects. I have become very familiar with group roles for almost all other classes, but this is the first time seeing how they work with math groups. I have found that group roles are highly important for any grade level and any subject.
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