Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Kira Lynn Madison

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2019

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Introduction

In this competency, I hope to portray how the use of hands-on manipulatives can help the

development of our students. The use of hands-on can be tricky, tedious, and sometimes it can

even be messy. These factors are real, indeed, but the effect that it has on students outweighs the

negative. We live in a world of technology; anyone can find the answer they need just by doing a

Google search. Technology is a great asset in the school system, but it does take away from the

use of manipulatives. In this competency, you will see two artifacts that show my students using

a hands-on approach in our force, motion, and energy science unit. My students not only were

able to have fun and be creative for themselves, but they were able to learn about inertia and

different forms of energy. Using a hands-on approach has been a fantastic learning opportunity

for my students.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact I chose is the egg drop inertia experiment that we completed in the

classroom. For this, Mrs. Taggart would set up a cup of water at the bottom, an aluminum pie

pan, a toilet paper roll, and an egg on top of that. The students would then be called up one by

one to hit the aluminum pie pan, and the egg would drop into the water. This experiment

allowed the students to hit a manipulative to create a cause and effect of the egg dropping into

the water. Prior to doing the investigation, the students were able to see a video of the

experiment being completed. The students then decided whether the footage was real or not. I

choose this artifact to prove that hands-on learning in the classroom is beneficial. It allows the

students to make their assumptions on how it will turn out, as well as allowing everyone to try it

for themselves. This experiment proved Newton’s First Law of Motion that an object will stay at
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rest until a force is acted upon it. Even though the trial made me nervous, the students loved it

and cheered me on when I completed it for myself.

For my second artifact, I chose a picture of my students standing next to their

rollercoasters that they made. Mrs. Taggart and I created groups for the students to work

together to create their rollercoaster out of paper and tape. The students had a variety of curves,

hills, loops, and supports to choose from. This was a very hands-on experiment that tested

potential and kinetic energy. The group in the photo decided not to do the typical loop

rollercoaster, but they choose to use a variety of hills. By allowing our students to work together

in a group, they were able to decide how they wanted to create their rollercoaster, and it worked!

This activity not only made them work together, but it also let them lean on one another and

allowed each of them to use their strengths to make it work all together. The reason I choose this

group and picture is because when I observed them creating their rollercoaster, they worked

together as a team despite all of their differences. It showed that student development is also

beneficial for talking and working together in a group as well as showing that hands-on learning

is useful.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

Children can learn at a higher capacity if they are given an object and told to do an action

with it. Not only is it easier to sometimes understand, but it is a natural instinct. Our natural

inclination is not to play a game on a computer as a baby, but it is to hold and manipulate an

object to do with it as we please. If a toddler can learn the alphabet or colors by blocks,

elementary students can do a lot by just having counting blocks or hands-on experiments in

science. In this competency, I hope that you will understand the critical role that hands-on

learning has in the classroom and the development of our children. Hands-on learning allows
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students to get a deeper understanding of the subject by enabling them to engage with materials

in the classroom physically. Using hands-on learning in the classroom not only allows students

to study objects up close but it will allow the student to do "a lot more understanding than just

memorizing the process,” or remembering facts (Marcia, 2017). From what I have learned

throughout my classes at Regent, students can retain more information when they can complete

an action that reinforces what they are learning. In my science class at Regent, the professor

would always bring in manipulatives for us to use. It not only made the class fun, but it also

allowed us to put our thoughts into our work.

As an educator, one of the most significant assets is understanding how each of our

students learn. There are many different types of learners; these range from auditory learners,

visual learners, reading/writing, and kinesthetic learners. Understanding which way our

individual students learn is beneficial because it allows the educator to use their skills in the

classroom. While we can teach from a necessary textbook, “they can rarely inspire the same

type of awe and interest that experiencing something firsthand can” (Children, 2019). Hands-on

learning allows the children to almost “play,” which is said to be the best form of learning for

students. Children learn by playing and allowing them to interact with others. In life, in school,

and faith, we are called to work together and have experiences with others, not only is this

beneficial for learning, but it is useful for personal growth. Throughout my time as an educator, I

hope that I can do more work with hands-on manipulatives and allow my students to use their

skills to learn and understand in their unique ways.

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References

Children benefit from hands-on learning. (2019, Jul 03). TCA Regional News

Marcia Love Spruce Grove ExaminerStony,Plain Reporter. (2017). Students benefit from hands-

on environmental learning.