iTools Math Manipulatives

Looking for some awesome interactive digital math manipulatives to use in your classroom? Check out Think Central’s iTools. They are easy and fun to use for both teachers, students, and whole class on your interactive whiteboards.

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Basics:

1. Head to iTools.

2. Choose the tool you want to explore.

3. Here are the basic tools on most screens:

• Line Up: Lines up all manipulatives on your screen

• Clear Workmat: Clears all your work and resets to blank

• Eraser: Deletes one manipulative at a time (like undo)

• More Tools: More tools for that concept

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Tools:

There are many tools to help make learning math concepts easier. The best tip I can give is to just click and explore them all. Below are some screenshots of all the activities your and your students can use to practice and reinforce math concepts.

1. Algebra

2. Base-Ten Blocks

3. Counters

4. Fractions

5. Geometry

6. Graphs

7. Measurement

8. Number Charts

9. Number Lines

10. Probability

There is a lot to do with this site. Dive in and start exploring!

If you want these directions in a Document click HERE.

Online Math Manipulatives

Manipulatives make learning easier and more relevant to students. They allow exploration and play in learning. Online activities can never replace true “hands-on” learning, but they can be a great addition to your math resources. Virtual manipulatives are a great way to have students share what they learn, explore different ways to do activities, and understand simple or complex concepts. There are many sites out there, but I really like the Mathigon Polypad site. It is free and has a lot to offer both lower and upper elementary students. Check it out!

Explore Polypad:

1. Head over to mathigon.org/polypad.

2. Change the canvas to match your needs. Just click the Canvas icon on the bottom left then choose the design you want.

3. Choose what manipulatives to explore. You just click on the shape/tool you want or drag it to the canvas. You can rotate it as well.
• Polygons

• Number Block (Base 10)

• Number Bars (Parts of a Whole Tiles)

• Fraction Bars

• Algebra Tiles

• Pentominoes

• Tangram

4. Share your creation! 
• Click the “Share” icon to share what you made. This is not a live link (any changes you make after sharing are not visible to others) nor is it collaborative. It just gives others a link to your creation at the moment of sharing.

• Download your creation! Click the “download” icon and save your canvas.

5. Explore “Activities”
• There are 12 different activities (most for upper elementary and higher) to explore. 

6. Explore “Courses”.
• These are designed for middle school and up.

Let your students explore, learn, and play!

If you want these directions in a document click HERE!