Brief History of Manipulative Media

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827)

• Swiss pedagogue

• First person who strongly believed and advocated the use of hands-on learning or manipulative. Specifically as an educational tool

• Created “Pestalozzi Method”

• Motto is “Learning by Head, Heart, and Hand”

• Children must first understand what is concrete before abstract concepts

Friedrich Wilhelm August Frobel (1782-1852)

• German pedagogue

• Student of Pestalozzi

• Laid the foundation for modern education

• “Father of kindergarten”

• Developed the educational toys known as Frobel Gifts or Frobel gabe

• Included geometric building blocks and pattern activity books

Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori (1870-1952)

• An Italian physician and educator

• Developed the use of manipulative

• Goal “learn through personal investigation and exploration”

• Her gifts are multisensory, sequential and self-correcting materials

“Montessori Method of Learning”

• Stresses development of a child’s own initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play.

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

• Swiss developmental psychologist

• Outlined a particular cognitive development of children

• Stressing the importance of “concrete operation”

• Says, children must first construct knowledge through “concrete operations” before moving on to “formal operations”

Main Function of Manipulative

1. Connect ideas and concept to physical objects

2. Promote better understanding

Types of Manipulative Media

• Real Objects

• Models

• Field Trips

Traditional/Concrete Manipulative

Real Object

• Most accessible and involving material in educational use

• There is no substitute for the real thing when learning some tasks

• They give meaning to otherwise, abstract

• May be modified to make instruction better

• Ex. Currencies, Tools, Plants, Artifacts

Attribute Blocks

• Attribute blocks can be used to teach sorting, patterns, and identifying attributes.

• The Attribute Blocks set includes five basic shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, circle, and hexagon) displaying different attributes. The basic shapes come in three different colors, two different thicknesses. Geared Clocks

• It allows children to explore telling time on analog clocks and calculating elapsed time.

Two-Color Counters

• It can be used to introduce students to basic ideas of probability.

Color Cubes

• It helps the children through hands-on exploration of basic mathematics and geometric relationships as they stack, count, sort, and work with patterns.

Pattern Blocks

• Pattern Blocks make it possible for the shapes to nest together and provides for a wide range of explorations.

Models

• Three-dimensional representations of a real thing

• Can provide learning experiences that real things can’t provide

• Can be disassembled

• Can be larger or smaller than the real object they represent

• Ex. Anatomical Models, Molecular Models, Animal Models, Play Money, Models of Buildings, Globe/Map, Solar System Model

Real Objects and Models

• Familiarize yourself

• Practice presentation

• Make sure the audience doesn’t get the wrong impression

• Encourage the students to handle and manipulate the objects and model

Field Trips

• Excursion outside the classroom

• Students can encounter phenomena that can’t be brought into the classroom

• Particularly valuable for learners who have kinesthetic perceptual strength

Advantages of Concrete Manipulative

• Simpler, more moveable

• Tactile experience adds a dimension of learning

• Allows student to be more creative

• Student has more control

• Allows trial and error

• Units are easier to distinguish, make the whole easier to see

• Easier to relate real-world applications

• Less expensive than technology

• Allows me to be more cognitive of the operations I am performing

• Requires more thinking

• Allows teacher to involve the whole class in an interactive lesson

• Allows information to be received visually and kinesthetically

• Learning through play

Disadvantages of Concrete Manipulative

• Limited

• Cannot see the actual number on the manipulatives so you may miss the concept

• No feedback on whether you are right or wrong

• Not very challenging

• Children focus on manipulative instead of the instruction

• Needs supervision

Digital/Virtual Manipulative

• Integration of traditional media

• Enable physical objects to move, sense, and interact with one another, as a result, make systems – related concepts more salient to (can be manipulated by) children

• Ex. 2048, Tetris, xoxo

Concrete vs Virtual Manipulatives

• Virtual manipulatives are more practical for teachers than concrete manipulatives due to issues on homeroom management

• Virtual manipulatives depends on the availability of computers and requires some basic computer skills from both the teacher and student

• Virtual manipulatives need no clean up unlike concrete manipulatives

• Virtual manipulatives’ appearance can be easily reformatted unlike concrete manipulatives

Advantages of Digital Manipulative

• Fun learning tool

• Involves problem solving skills

• Increases motivation

• Catches attention

• Availability at home

• Student centered

• Discovery learning

• Catches attention

Disadvantages of Digital Manipulative

• Made lead to misconception of some ideas (color, size, etc.)

• Some students may not be able to grasp the abstract concept represented by the manipulatives

• May consume too much time