Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives

Archive for the ‘Slide-A-Round Updates’ Category

Jamie Hall, West Virginia Instructional Resource Center’s Technical Specialist, and I have discussed my math manipulatives several times over the past 4-5 months. Ms. Hall requested information and images of my math manipulatives so that she could share with her West Virginia colleagues in WV IRC’s upcoming Spring newsletter. Due to the time and distance, I really appreciate Ms. Hall’s help!

I met Cecilia Robinson, Vision Specialist at the Region 4 Education Service Center in Houston, Texas, in June 2012 at the 2012 Texas Assistive Technology Network Conference. Over the past few years, Ms. Robinson and I have been corresponding back and forth and sharing information.

We were finally able to find a date for me to share my teaching strategies with her colleagues on December 2nd in Houston. I will be conducting a demonstration/ training with TVI in Region 4 at 1:00- 4:00. Ms. Robinson is also going to invite math specialists because my manipulatives are available for all students.

I want to thank Rudy Neufeld for allowing me to share his booth at ASCD in Atlanta on April 2-3. The conference was amazing! I had the opportunity to share my teaching strategies with educators and administrators from all over the US, Canada, Iceland, Hong Kong, France, Brazil, Jamaica, and Mexico. This was truly an international conference. Please follow my “Latest News” for updates regarding demonstrations and trainings that will follow in the next 2-3 months.

I visited several Mobile County Schools today. I was very impressed by the willingness of several administrators and teachers to take time from their busy schedules to see new math strategies. Ms. Dickson, Principal at Castlen Elementary, Sonya Floyd, Principal at E.S. Chastang Middle School, and several teachers at Dawes 3-5 Intermediate School were very receptive to my teaching strategies and wanted to share with their staff.

Administrators at Griggs Elementary, Austin Elementary, Brazier Elementary, Breitling Elementary, and Hutchens Elementary were unable to meet with me because they had meetings. However, I was able to leave information for them to share with their teachers.

I have accepted an invitation from Susie Thomas, Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, to do a demonstration at AIDB’s summer workshop in Talladega, AL on July 22nd. All TVI in Alabama are invited to this state-wide workshop. I hope to see you this summer!

I had a pleasant surprise! Minnesota State Services for the Blind posted my article on Blind Abilities.com on December 2, 2015. The radio talking book website posted a written version of “Deafblind High School Teacher is Making a Difference in Many Ways”. There is also an audio version for the people that they serve.

I am looking forward to sharing my low vision and braille math manipulatives at the S.W. Regional Center for the deaf and Blind in Mobile, AL on March 31st at 1:00. I would like to thank LeaAnn Hansert, Media Specialist, for arranging the demonstration with her colleagues.

I received a phone call from Doug Walker, Associate Editor at the Rome News-Tribune on Tuesday, March 1. Mr. Walker was interested in writing an article about inventors in Northwest Georgia. Mr. Walker chose me and two other inventors to feature in his newspaper on March 3, 2016.

Mr. Walker met with me at my school, Elm Street Elementary in Rome, Georgia, and we discussed how my manipulatives have progressed from paper prototype to a professionally made manipulative manufactured in the United States. I hope my story will inspire other people to take their ideas to the next level!

I would like to than Kristin Oien, Specialist for the Blind/ Visually Impaired at the Minnesota Department of Education, for forwarding my teaching strategies to her VI colleagues on her state’s list serve. Due to still teaching in the classroom and distance, I really appreciate her help! The dream of helping students far away from Georgia is turning into reality on a regular basis!

I am excited to share my teaching strategies with regular and special education teachers and administrators at 2016 Edcamp Rome on Saturday, February 27th at Coosa High School in Rome, GA. I am planning on doing one session with my number line to 10,000,000 and another one with my elapsed time, weight, capacity, money, decimals, and fractions manipulatives. See you at Edcamp Rome!