The 4,000 year old abacus might be ancient technology, but it can serve as a teaching tool for modern students. When operating the device, one learns decomposition — a way to think about pairs of numbers mentioned in the common-core standards.
The movements involved in manipulating the abacus also aid in solving problems. Ulrich Boser, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, says counting and visualizing numbers allows us to “offload ideas onto our hands.” In this video, he further explains the strengths of using this remarkable device.
A version of this news article first appeared in the On Air: A Video Blog blog.
Sign Up for EdWeek Update
Get the latest education news delivered to your inbox daily.
Reprints, Photocopies and Licensing of Content
All content on Education Week's websites is protected by copyright. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Readers may make up to 5 print copies of this publication at no cost for personal, non-commercial use, provided that each includes a full citation of the source. For additional print copies, or for permission for other uses of the content, visit www.edweek.org/help/reprints-photocopies-and-licensing-of-content or email reprints@educationweek.org and include information on how you would like to use the content. Want to seamlessly share more EdWeek content with your colleagues? Contact us today at pages.edweek.org/ew-for-districts-learn-more.html to learn about how group online subscriptions can complement professional learning in your district or organization.