• Which manipulatives, technology, and centers have you used most successfully to teach math to early learners?
• Do you use manipulatives, technology, and centers with all students, or as part of a differentiation strategy? How do they meet the learning needs of typical and atypical learners?
• How do you model the use of manipulatives, technology, and centers during instruction?
• How do you manage behavior while manipulatives, technology, and centers are in use? Does classroom management change? If so, how?After your interview, observe and assist your mentor teacher with instruction in your field experience classroom. Take note of any strategies used to engage, motivate, and differentiate for students.
Discuss, with your mentor teacher, creating your own learning centers for the class based on the state’s mathematics standards the class is currently working on. Arrange to implement your learning centers in your next clinical field experience.
Spend any remaining field experience hours observing or assisting the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.
In 250-500 words, summarize and reflect upon your observations and interview:
• Explain how manipulatives, technology, and centers reinforce math concepts and allow for differentiation, including specific examples.
• Describe strategies the teacher used to engage, motivate, and differentiate for students.
• Reflect on how you can apply what you learned to your future teaching practice.
