Re: [MATHEDCC] Technology in the classroom

Laura Petersen (petersen@LCSC.EDU)
Sun, 14 Sep 1997 21:19:22 -0700 (PDT)

As long we're on anecdotes, I had a student come up to me before class
last week and announce that he had discovered why you always have to be
thinking when you use a calculator. We were doing some standard order of
operations problems; I test their competency on doing "simple"
problems without calculators e.g. 12 + 6/3 - 1 (12 + 6) / (3-1) and then
do more complicated ones with the aid of a calculator which probably has
order of operations programmed into it. Anyway, this student discovered
that his calculator could not distinguish between -4^2 and (-4)^2, it
treated both as positive 16. In this case, technology helped this student
clarify his understanding of notation and order of operations.

By the way, he is an older student back in school after wrecking his back
as a logger. He started in arithmetic with me, saddled with a case of
perfectionism and math anxiety. I used the preliminary version of Martha
Haehl's arithmetic book that is coming out this fall; a combination of
manipulatives, estimation checked by technology, and arithmetic with
"easy numbers" that is done without technology. The technology seems to
really help them get past the math anxiety and the assessment of
algorithm proficiency without technology helps them not crutch on the
technology.

Everytime we debate these issues, I return to the same conclusions:
don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Take little bites and chew
well. Everything in moderation (including moderation).

--Laura

-------------------------------------------------------------
Laura Bracken petersen@lcsc.edu

Division of Natural Sciences PHONE 208-799-2484
Lewis-Clark State College FAX 208-799-2064
500 8th Avenue
Lewiston ID 83501-2698 USA
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