Artifacts
In both of my math classes (Math for Elementary Teachers 1 & 2), I have solved many problems with base ten manipulatives. My professor provided the class with sheets of foam and we created our own set of manipulatives with the Ellison Die Cut. This was a practical and frugal way for every student in my class to have their own set of base ten manipulatives. After creating our sets, we went through various math problems throughout the semester using the manipulatives. The class started with simple addition and subtraction problems; eventually we progressed to multiplication, division, and algebraic equations. The base ten manipulatives will impact my teaching in many ways. The set of manipulatives was very cost effective, which is really important in any school, especially if money is tight. By actually using the manipulatives, it showed me how visually solving math problems was so much easier than trying to solve them without manipulatives. This is a great resource for young students who cognitively aren’t able to solve math problems in their head. Another way it will impact my teaching is incorporating movement within instruction. Students are actually moving the individual pieces to solve a math problem. This involves the kinesthetic learning style, which might help students learn the content more easily than watching the teacher move the manipulatives. Overall, I found the base ten manipulatives extremely beneficial and I plan to utilize them in my future classroom.