Rethinking How We Use Calculators | Edutopia

Rethinking How We Use Calculators | Edutopia

OMG!! Yes Calculators! What a debate. José Vilson nails it when he says you are "either old school or new school."

I think there is a definitely a fine line on when to use them. It is a difficult decision too. I actually have 2 sets of different calculators. Since one of our calculators does so many functions (like operations with fractions) which makes it really hard to decide if your students know how to work with fractions or they know how to punch it into the calculator. But when we are finding area of a shape, I don't want them to get tripped up on the math with the fractions. I need to know if they understand area, not multiplying with fractions at that time.

So I am with Jose, sometimes I am for them and sometimes I am not. I really think it depends on what is being taught. Sometimes I give them the basic calculators just for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.  But I will tell you I am silently banging my head against the wall waiting for students to divide by 2! (And in case you forgot, I work in a middle school)

So yes, back and fourth I go when deciding about that calculator.

P.S.
I think it is great that the person that commented on this blog is a professor I had at GVSU!