Using manipulatives to support understanding in Mathematics

As part of our commitment to our partnership schools, the secondary mathematics PGCE team at the University of Nottingham have established a Maths Education Innovation Network. The network will bring together teachers, maths leads, ITE colleagues, and researchers to explore prevalent, relevant and practical issues related to the teaching and learning of mathematics in primary, secondary, and Post-16 settings. All maths colleagues are welcome to attend irrespective of whether or not they are currently working with University of Nottingham beginning teachers.

Each seminar will include an input on a prevalent teaching approach or issue, followed by opportunities for cross-phase collaboration to explore the implications of this approach / issue for classroom practice.

The topic for the next seminar will be using manipulatives to support understanding in Mathematics. There will be the following components to the seminar:

• Research: initial input from Professor David Webb from the University of Colorado Boulder on how and why representations, models and manipulatives support learning in Mathematics – for example, see Beneth the tip of the iceberg: using representations to support student understanding
• Primary practice: demonstration on the use of dienes blocks by a Primary teacher from one of our local Primary schools
• Secondary practice: demonstration on the use of Algebra tiles by Leyton Mead and Raluca Zagan from The Fernwood School

Light refreshments will be available from 4.10pm. The seminar will run from 4.30-6pm