Are manipulatives sometimes overemphasized? When are they useful, and when can they actually get in the way of the mathematics? What role do they play in our discussion about the modeling framework? Pam and Kim discuss these tricky questions, and discuss the power of contexts and developing models as tools for reasoning.
Talking Points: 

• An important modeling framework
• What are manipulatives?
• Gail Burrill - Where's the Math?
• Cathy Fosnot - Do manipulatives embody mathematics?
• Are manipulatives bad?