Making Math FUN with Manipulatives

Constructing Mathematical Understanding

Join us for the 2023 Math Workshop!

August 14th, 15th & 16th
8:00 am–4:00 pm daily

Develop math instruction in Pre-K through 5th-grade curriculum.

Hands-On
Math Manipulatives
Collaborative

Explore how to foster inquiry, conceptual understanding, and build a math community through hands-on, manipulative-based learning.

Course Highlights

  • Focus on the use of mathematical manipulatives as a way to meet differing student learning styles and levels of mathematical understanding. 
  • Build strategies to enhance and individualize specific math concepts  using hands-on materials 
  • Explore ways to integrate math into meaningful interdisciplinary projects across your curriculum
  • Develop teaching and assessment techniques in alignment with grade-level standards
  • Topics explored could include place value, numeric operations, fractions/decimals/percents, algebraic sense, probability, or geometry
  • Apply these new concepts and techniques directly to your school’s current math curriculum.
  • For pre-K through 5th-grade teachers.
  • Clock Hours, CEUs, and Post-BA Credits available

Overview

Constructing Mathematical Understanding is an interactive, hands-on course designed for Pre-K and Elementary educators. Participants will explore techniques for teaching math concepts through a variety of student learning-style approaches. We will focus on the use of mathematical manipulatives as a way to introduce new concepts, enhance and assess current understanding, and individualize existing curricula to meet each student’s level of mathematical understanding. Instructors will highlight how to blend these techniques with traditional teaching methodologies and grade-level requirements. 

Additionally, this course will use a theme to show participants fun and creative ways to boost student engagement and integrate math concepts with other subject areas in the classroom. Whether you are a math expert or building your own mathematical confidence, you will have fun while learning new strategies to take back to your classrooms!

Summer Math Workshop 3
Summer Math Workshop 1
Summer Math Workshop 2
Summer Math Workshop 4

Meaningful, Hands-On Professional Development

The UCDS Institute hosts a variety of events, courses, and educational workshops throughout the year. Our offerings range from one-off evening seminars and speaker events to intensive, credit-bearing courses. Our instructors are experienced UCDS teachers and workshops are designed so that the techniques explored will work in conjunction with your existing curricula. Our expert faculty designs workshops and courses to be informative, hands-on and most of all, fun!

Recent Courses and Workshops

Events & Workshops 2
Mathematics

Constructing Mathematical Understanding

For over 25 years, teachers from around the world have attended this workshop. This hands-on, interactive course offers techniques for teaching math concepts through a variety of student learning style approaches. Participants experience a fun, theme-based way to teach math across all the subject areas.
Events & Workshops 1
Science

Lab Notebooks in the Pre-K & Elementary Classroom

Always in demand, UCDS faculty have been invited to present this course all over the country. Participants learn how to teach data collection, analysis, and recording for preschool and elementary-aged children. Our series of lab-based science workshops are annual favorites on campus and around the country.
Events & Workshops
Visual Arts and Design

The Art, Science, and Design Engineering of Kites

In conjunction with the 2018 National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference, UCDS welcomed teachers from around the world to our day-long kite-making workshop. Beyond the visual arts, this STEAM course focused on creating multi-discipline curricula.
Events & Workshops 4
Innovation & Leadership

Flipping the Graduate School Model

For many years, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has invited UCDS to present at their annual conference. In 2018, UCDS led a workshop at the "Innovation Kitchen" on how our own school culture determines what types of challenges our institution takes on.

Host a Workshop at Your School

Whether held on our Seattle campus or hosted at your school, UCDS Institute workshops are some of the most informative and fun professional development you’ll find anywhere! Contact us to learn more about how you can host or attend one of our events, courses, or workshops.