LESSON 15: MANIPULATIVE MEDIA

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

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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

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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.

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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”

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Main Function of Manipulative

1. Connect ideas and concept to physical objects
2. Promote better understanding

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Types of Manipulative Media

• Real Objects
• Models
• Field Trips

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Advantages of Digital Manipulative

• Fun learning tool
• Involves problem solving skills
• Increases motivation
• Catches attention
• Availability at home
• Student centered
• Discovery learning
• Catches attention

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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

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