Sunday, April 8, 2007

Calculators?

Since I want to be a high school math teacher, the topic of when students should use a calculator will come up. I am not completely against letting students use their calculators; it's just that I don't think that students need to use it all the time, especially for simple addition and multiplication problems. I think that students should be able to do two digit multiplication problems in their heads. If they can't, then they should be able to on paper. On tests, I will ask my students if they want to use their calculators or not. I will tell them that if they choose to use their calculators, then the test will be harder, but if they choose not to, then the test will be easier. I know that I cannot stop students from using calculators on their homework, but during the class I will not let them use it, unless we are doing "hard" problems.

3 comments:

Katie said...

Some teachers teach the problems with calculators and then have the students do the probelms without the calculators and I do not agree with that. But I do agree with you about not using them all the time because I hate when I can't do simple problems in my head and I know who is to blame.

Amy said...

I think that this is a subject that can be argued in many ways. Sometimes when I take tests without a calculator I realize that I really didn't need it. However, there are students who get test anxiety and may have trouble remembering something simple. This does not mean that they did not know how to do the problem. So from this point of view it is unfair. However, some people may say that math is something that is constantly building on itself and it is the student's responsibility to practice.

jenski said...

I agree, students should use calculators sparingly, and only when needed. It is important that they are educated on how to complete different types of problems without using a calculator
jenski