Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives

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

I appreciate the opportunity to share my math manipulatives with Dr. Diana Gregory, Interim Chair of the Inclusive Education Department, Kennesaw State University at 10:00 on April 3. Because Kennesaw State University is one of the leading universities for teacher training programs, I plan to share the differentiation of instruction strategies of my number line to 10,000,000 and other math manipulatives that address the standards of fractions, decimals, weight, capacity, elapsed time, and money. I will also share some of my low vision and braille math manipulatives. With the rigor of the Common Core, my goal in having this demonstration is to provide future teachers additional instructional strategies to meet the academic needs for ALL of their students.

I had a great conversation with Elisa Wilkinson, Family Specialist for the Project for New Mexico Children and Youth Who are Deafblind.  I mentioned to Ms. Wilkinson about  the recent articles I had published in National Federation of the Blind’s Future Reflections magazine and the Canadian Deafblind Association’s Intervention magazine.  She offered to forward my contact and articles to parents in New Mexico who have deafblind children. I sincerely appreciate her help!

I had three successful demonstrations in Tampa on February 9th. I shared my teaching strategies with Emily Wilson, Specialist at Florida Alliance of Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST). Then, I had the opportunity to see the amazing low and high tech assistive technology devices at her center.

My second demonstration was with Sheryl Brown, Executive Director of the Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind, and her colleagues. Then, I met with Laura Brown, Coordinator of Visually Impaired Program and her TVIs at Hillsborough County Schools and Kay Ratzlaff, Coordinator of Instructional Resource Services, and her colleagues from the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMR-VI) at the Manhattan Center. Both demonstrations were full of enthusiastic teachers. I believe that everyone left with additional knowledge and were ready to work with their students.

I really appreciate everyone fighting the rain to attend my demonstrations. I hope that I can visit Florida in the near future!

Kathleen Farrand, Editor for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Visual Impairments and Deafblind Education Journal, Visual Impairments and Deafblind Education Quarterly, informed me that she is interested in publishing an article in the Summer issue about a deafblind high school life skills resource teacher who uses my braille manipulatives during her lessons while students use my student versions. The teacher in the article is an amazing person and very inspirational because of the dedication to her students. Stay tuned!

I am pleased to stated that I am meeting with Emily Wilson, FAAST Program Specialist, at Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology in Tampa at 9:00 on February 9th. Sharing ideas is the main goal of this demonstration. Every time I visit assistive technology centers and school districts, I always gain additional information to provide strategies to use with my students at Elm Street Elementary in Rome, Georgia.

I had an article about my math manipulatives and teaching strategies published on FAAST’s website in October 2014. It is going to be exciting to demonstrate my ideas in person!

Kimberly Berry, AT Teacher at ABLE TECH, Oklahoma State University, will be demonstrating some of my student and braille math manipulatives at two upcoming sessions with her colleagues on January 16th. I really appreciate her help, especially considering the distance from Georgia to Oklahoma. January 16th is going be a great day… I will be teaching in Rome, Georgia while educators in Oklahoma will be learning new teaching strategies to address the Common Core at the same time! TGIF in more ways than one!

I was just informed that Julia Pearce, Assistive Technology Specialist at the Utah Center for Assistive Technology, is going to join me and Jennie Gibson, Associate Director at the Utah Parent Center, on December 30th at 10:00 at the Utah Parent Center in Salt Lake City. I really appreciate Ms. Gibson and Ms. Pearce for scheduling a demonstration during the holidays!

After sharing information with Laura Brown, Exceptional Children Services Coordinator, Hillsborough County Public Schools, has invited me to Tampa to do a demonstration with her colleagues on February 9th. This will be a quick trip, but it is very important because it will give many options for teachers and administrators to teach their students rigorous math standards and differentiate instruction. I like to visit school districts and assistive technology centers in person because teachers and administrators can ask me questions face-to-face. It also allows me to be able place a face with a teacher if he or she should call or email me about how to use the manipulatives more effectively.

I discussed my low vision and braille manipulatives with Bonnie Lucas, Visually Impaired Seniors Coordinator for the Alaska School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Ms. Lucas requested images, directions, and information for my low vision and braille manipulatives to share with her colleagues in many parts in Alaska. She also mentioned how my manipulatives could help adults with life skills. Due to the distance between Alaska and Georgia, I really appreciate her help!

Before I publish this post, I have one last thing to say….The possibility of helping students and adults about 3,000 miles away while I teach at Elm Street Elementary in Rome, Georgia would be a great feeling. Hopefully it will work out!!!!!

Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives has donated 43 manipulatives to help students in Guatemala. A member of my church, Hector Navarrette, has organized a mission trip to his native country. Because education materials are very scarce, Hector took several different kinds of Slide-A-Rounds with him. With the manipulatives, teachers will have durable visual aids to support their instruction. Teachers can have their students orally express their answers, and they will not need paper and pencils to solve math problems. Many teachers use the strategy of drawing number lines in the United States. Because many schools in Guatemala often lack basic necessities for teaching and learning, such as paper and pencils, I am sure the Slide-A-Rounds will very beneficial for the students and appreciated by their teachers. Students will be able to see, touch, and explain how they found their answers.

Have a safe mission trip! I am sure you are going to make a positive impact on the spiritual life of many children as well as their academic progress.