During the COVID-19 pandemic the educational world has under gone a huge change and shift in thinking.
Many teachers have had to look for new ways to deliver concepts in maths.
From the increase in activity and membership I have seen on my
Facebook site there has been a renewed interest in the use of manipulatives when teaching mathematics.
Using online, virtual manipulatives has given:
- students a new way of thinking about and visualising maths
- teachers a new way of presenting concepts
There are many students that have thrived in this new learning
environment. In discussions I have had with teachers, maths seems to have been the subject where most students have made good progress while learning online. Even those students that generally struggled in the classroom. The lack of distractions the, often, smaller teaching groups and more focussed attention they have received has proved to be beneficial.
I am a great believer and proponent of using concrete materials. The physical experience of touching and moving manipulatives while learning maths is an excellent way to fix ideas and concepts.
During the move to online learning many teachers had to look for new ways to deliver the concepts they have been teaching for years. In their search they have discovered the myriad of virtual manipulatives that are available.
Many teachers are using manipulatives more now than they did in their physical classrooms. When we return to the classroom ideally we should switch to the physical manipulative, and not just continue with the virtual.
The virtual manipulative is certainly better than no manipulative, but I do
not believe that it can replace the physical.
The ability to make this switch will depend on the availability of concrete materials and budgetary constraints. Teachers should be looking in cupboards for those dusty Cuisenaire rods and searching for those long forgotten resources that are hiding in so many schools.
Let us all use the amazing teaching and learning that we have been doing
online and transfer to the classroom with the resolve to keep looking for
innovative and creative ways to deliver the maths curriculum and to foster
creativity and growth in our students.
My situation has changed too. I am no longer working in a school and must think about what is next. I am looking to start a maths education consultancy. Taking the ideas of growth mindset in maths and the use of manipulatives to schools, students and parents. Still working on the idea. Look out for the launch in the coming weeks.
