Demonstrating Conceptual Understanding of Mathematics Using Manipulatives and Technology
Help me give my students some Math in a Flash Discovery Cans for all domains, Place Value Hands-On Teaching Kit, Spot the Error! Math Activity Cards, Number Talk Daily Activity Center, and Amazon Fire 7 2019 release 7' Tablets.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
As an elementary school teacher of 32 fourth graders, their academic levels and learning styles vary immensely. The learners I work with are students who come from low income families. These students have not been exposed to many different things or have even had the opportunity to leave their city or surrounding area. Unfortunately, my students will sometimes have difficulties relating to things we talk about in the classroom because they haven't been exposed to a lot outside of their own personal world.
Without a doubt, the biggest change for me had to do with how I supported conceptual understanding with my learners.
Beyond simply checking for right answers to textbook problems, I wanted to find ways to identify whether my learners were developing a deeper understanding of the content I was teaching them. I wanted to understand their thinking and ensure they were truly problem solving and not just mimicking a solution method. Using manipulatives and technology will help my learners demonstrate conceptual understanding of mathematics.
My Project
I often have difficulty getting the group of students I teach to become involved in higher level thinking activities without support. When students get involved and have a purpose, I see their self-esteem and self-worth increase tremendously. By having modern technology that is easy to use, I have found that more and more students want to be involved with activities at their school and the school climate changes in a very positive way.
Students love using manipulatives and technology because it's the world that they live in and in school manipulatives and technology helps connect them to learning new content, vocabulary, and language skills.
Having more math manipulatives and technology in the classroom will increase students' academic growth measure tremendously in all subject areas.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Berkley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
