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Rounding UpAuthor: The Math Learning Center
Welcome to Rounding Up by MLC. These conversations focus on topics that are important to elementary mathematics teachers, administrators, and coaches. Rounding Up is hosted by Mike Wallus, VP of Educator Support at the Math Learning Center, home of the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum. For more information on MLC, Bridges, or any of MLC's tools and educational support materials, visit mathlearningcenter.org Language: en Genres: Education, Mathematics, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The How, When & Why of Physical & Digital Manipulatives with Natalie Crist & Patrick Vennebush
Episode 4
Thursday, 15 October, 2026
The How, When & Why of Physical & Digital Manipulatives with Natalie Crist & Patrick Vennebush ROUNDING UP: SEASON 5 | EPISODE 4 Recently, there's been a great deal of debate around the role digital manipulatives should play in an elementary math classroom. In this episode, we'll talk with Patrick Vennebush and Natalie Crist about the role physical and digital manipulatives can play in a classroom. We'll try to clarify the opportunities, the limitations, and the questions teachers should ask themselves when they consider using these powerful tools. BIOGRAPHIES Patrick Vennebush is the chief learning officer at The Math Learning Center, where he manages the development curriculum products and professional learning services, including the newly released Math MultiApp by MLC. Natalie Crist is the director of content development at The Math Learning Center, where she leads the development of curriculum products, including Bridges in Mathematics. In addition to her work for MLC, Natalie is an adjunct faculty member at Towson University and McDaniel College. RESOURCES Math MultiApp by MLC app "Meet the Math MultiApp by MLC: All Your Math Tools in One Place" webinar "The Benefits of Virtual Manipulatives" article CHAPTERS 00:00 - The Role of Manipulatives in Math Education 02:27 - Physical vs. Digital Manipulatives 05:40 - Benefits of Physical Manipulatives 10:05 - Exploring Digital Materials 14:13 - Limitations of Manipulatives 21:36 - Choosing the Right Manipulative 24:46 - Planning for Effective Instruction 27:58 - Introducing the Math MultiApp 32:19 - Accessing the Math MultiApp TRANSCRIPT Click here for a full episode transcript.









