Calculators in the Classroomby Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger 08 Oct 2007 05:45 AM While eating lunch one day last week, some sixth grade teachers were discussing how their students struggled with subtraction that required borrowing. After the topic circled the table a couple of times, the conclusion was made that students are being allowed to depend on calculators too much. Many state tests and curriculums now allow students to use calculators for their math calculations. When I was teaching eighth grade pre-algebra, I taught my students how to use a scientific and graphing calculator. However, they could not use them on every day work or on the state test. Now things have changed. I think that certain applications may be better with calculator use. However, I also feel that students should not use the calculators for everyday math such as addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Using a calculator for these skills often only weakens the child's abilities. Applications such as finding a square root may be more suitable for calculator use. There is a very fine line with this issue. Technology is the thing of today. Almost every store has a computerized adding machine or cash register that gives details of the change to be given back. So children do need to learn to use the machines. However, things happen. The power goes out or the machines break down. Children also need to be taught how to recognize when an answer given by a computer or calculator is unreasonable. In some cases, persons feel that these machines can never be wrong and they would never second-guess the answer that it gave. Children should not be taught to depend on machines to this extent. I think that teaching children and allowing children to use a calculator is okay. I think that it would be most appropriate to have a calculator day assigned. For example, let the students use their calculator every Friday or every Monday. On the other days, they are required to use their head. This way both manual and computerized calculations are being made. Learn more about Lyn Newton  Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing. Relevanteducation tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 08 Oct 2007 07:24 AMI do not plan on letting my children use a calculator until high school. I was not allowed to use a calculator until high school and at that point it was a scientific and graphing calculator. Calculators can be used when the math gets more theoretical. Frankly, the argument that kids need to use a calculator so that they learn how is just lowering standards, IMO. Let's face it, plugging in numbers is not rocket science. Learning how to use a cash register is not rocket science either. Actually being able to think through something theoretically however, will always yield higher order thinking eventually. When they get to math that necessitates a calculator. . .that's different. But that shouldn't happen until college. I could go on. . .but I'll stop here. . . I think this is a good discussion in the forums so I hope you don't mind. . .  Lyn Newton (3966) 09 Oct 2007 03:37 AMI am now- but I have a master's degree in teaching math and my career began as a math teacher!  SchooDoodle (10) 09 Oct 2007 11:00 AMDoesn't every generation think that its' children have it easier than they did? We always hear the elders waxing knowledge about how they used to 'walk to school 14 miles up hill, both ways.' Gimme a break. Calculators, spell check, and the internet are wonderful substitutions for an abacus, thesaurus, and the card catalog. Valorie Delp (49340) 09 Oct 2007 11:16 AMMeanwhile our children place nearly last among industrialized nations on a variety of educational tasks. And I've never, for the record heard my elders waxing eloquent on walking to school both ways. I don't think this is about what we had to do or not do but what we think is best for kids to learn. JMHO  Pam Connell (2658) 10 Oct 2007 01:43 AMI have a child with some learning problems and memory issues. Most of what I've been reading says children should be taught their math facts, but meanwhile a calculator can enable students who can't memorize these facts to show what they do know. Apparently some kids who have a really hard time with basic arithmetic actually go on to do very well in advanced math--they seem to have the kind of minds that can grasp abstract geometric concepts etc. (I wouldn't know; I got As in math until high school and then lost it!) But the learning disabilities authors I've read feel that many kids get frustrated and come to hate math because they are not allowed to do any interesting math until they memorize their facts. I think it's similar to accommodations for dyslexic or dysgraphic children who have problems with reading or writing. The child and teacher should work hard until these skills are mastered. But the child can also be allowed to tell or show what he knows about history or science without getting a failing grade on test or paper because of lack of writing ability. So I guess I would say, usually I wouldn't let a kid use a calculator during a math lesson, but perhaps it would enable a child to keep up with their age group and stay excited about math--while at the same time working intensively to remediate the basic problem. Pam Connell (2658) 10 Oct 2007 01:46 AMI do agree we need to demand more of kids in general. Nothing is more frustrating than a cashier who can't make change because the machine is down! Valorie Delp (49340) 10 Oct 2007 03:56 AMPam. . .I think children with learnig challenges are different. A calculator is a completely acceptable accomodation for a learning challenged child. Lyn Newton (3966) 10 Oct 2007 04:10 AMI agree, Pam. It is also frustrating when your bill comes up to $9.09 and you give the cashier $10.10 and he/she looks blown away! Meltowne (1120) 10 Oct 2007 11:17 AMI agree that calculators should be available to kids with learning disabilities. I also think the use of a calculator should be taught to all children. But they should not be relied upon - the children need to know how to tell if the answer is at least in the ballpark. Not only do batteries wear out (and calculators then give WRONG answers), but the kids can mis-enter a number. I am doing with my children what my parents did with me - they can use the calculator for those functions I know they understand. This applies to the more advanced calculations too - if they can read the sin and cosine from the graph or chart, only then can they use that function on their calculator, and only because it is faster. I don't have a problem with calculators on the tests, if it is allowing the kids to work faster, and helping show what they really do know, but again, they need to understand the context of the answer. (and don't let me start on those cashiers!) Discuss this article
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