I think you may be missing the point. We're not complaining about the use
of calculators to teach. We all do it, I assume. But when children--we're
talking about students who can't do basic arithmetic calculations--are
given calculators, they WILL (I use the capitals advisedly) use them to
get answers, when the goal is not to get answers, but rather to learn HOW
to get answers. The students have the calculators at home. They use them
for homework. The teacher cannot control that. In most cases, it lessens
their felt need to develop the mental ability to calculate--a capability
that is necessary to compete successfully in higher math and science
classes.
John M. Flanigan <johnf@hawaii.edu> The equation is the final arbiter.
Assistant Professor, Mathematics --Werner Heisenberg
Kapi'olani Community College The scoreboard is the final arbiter.
4303 Diamond Head Road --Bill Walton
Honolulu HI 96816 History is the final arbiter.
(808) 734-9371 --Edward Gibbon
On Thu, 25 Feb 1999, Edward Laughbaum wrote:
> At 12:04 PM 2/25/99 -0500, Bret Taylor wrote:
> >Thank you.
> >
> >Our school is apparently one of the dwindling few who do not allow use of
> >technology at the developmental level.
> THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT HAND-HELD TECHNOLOGY IS A TEACHING TOOL. SO
> BY REFUSING TO ALLOW CALCULATORS IS TO DENY TEACHERS THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO
> TEACH. ANOTHER RELATED PROBLEM IS THAT HAND-HELD TECHNOLOGY IS A
> SOPHISTICATED TOOL AND REQUIRES TRAINING ON THE PROPER USE -- SOMETHING
> TEACHERS (COLLEGE) MAY THINK THEY DON'T NEED.
>
> ED
> ______________________________
>
>
> >At 07:22 AM 2/25/99 -0600, Seese, Lillian wrote:
> >>I recently noted that 6 of my differential equations students began here
> >>in our developmental math classes - most in Basic Math (arithmetic). So
> >>I had a luncheon with these students and all of the math, science, and
> >>engineering teachers who had been their instructors, and we chatted for
> >>about 2 hours about what made them successful, advice they had for us,
> >>etc. Without exception they stated that they really felt that doing
> >>arithmetic without calculators was a big factor in their success in
> >>uppor level math classes. They said (without our asking them to) that
> >>the felt it was not possible to make the jump to abstractions in algebra
> >>without a firm understanding of the arithemtic operations in Basic
> >>Math. My favorite statement came from a young man who said that the
> >>one thing that was most influential in his moving forward in his math
> >>classes was when he finally had the courage to stop doing the
> >>comfortable and easy homework problems (because he felt so good when he
> >>got them right) and pushed himself to do the hard ones that he was
> >>almost sure he wouldn't be able to complete successfully. Getting
> >>outside of his comfort zone, and realizing that he could make some
> >>progress on difficult problems encouraged him to continue in this mode.
> >> Lillian Seese SLCC Meramec
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