Reply To: Lesson 3-3: Discussion Prompt

[Mary Olsen]

My big take away is using hands on manipulatives. I get frustrated with students that I know are struggling with a concept but decide to “play” with the manipulatives instead of using them to help them understand. I also need to educate students that manipulatives will help them get a deeper understanding…they are not babyish. Students in middle school are very self-conscious. I spend a lot of time in the beginning of a semester talking on growth mindset. Showing the videos from youcubed. Setting up the class as a safe place to try the unknown and explore different things they may not have understood. Many of the students embrace it but I always have a student that has their walls up so high I can’t get around them. I am hoping that the more students explore math using manipulatives the more open they will be to using different tools when they are offered.