I think that the issue of calculators goes way beyond the idea that kids
can or cannot do basic skills. This issue gets at the heart of educational
reform and fundamentals of good teaching.
First, I use calculators in my classroom. With that said, I'd like to share
what I know about calculator use/misuse and math in general in the real
world.
Lets begin with a rationale for the changes that we see in mathematics education.
We all know that our society is changing and that we live in a world that
is dominated by information. Each day, we come across graphs and statistics,
and technology has become an important part of our daily lives. Teachers
today are including new topics with greater emphasis. For example, 40 years
ago we did not include informal geometric concepts at the elementary level.
Probability and statistics were saved for high school. Yet math educators
have seen a need to include these topics in their math classes due to the
overwhelming amount of information that we process daily.
Teaching must change to help our kids meet these challenges. I am not advocating
that we do away with basic facts, but I also don't think that the purpose
of math teaching should be to make calculators and computers obsolete --
which is exactly what we try to do when teachers force kids to do long complicated
paper and pencil calculations (ex. 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication). I
want my students to understand what multiplication is. I want my students
to be able to do math in their heads. I want my students to know basic facts.
This business of "you won't always have a calculator" is hogwash.
I won't balance my checkbook without one. Yet when I am in the checkout
lane, I use mental math. My students have learned that we use mental math
more in daily living than any other skill so we focus on strategies to get
better.
When I conduct workshops, I do an activity where I ask the participants
to get into groups of 4. I have 12 math problems from a 5th grade textbook
on an overhead transparency and I ask each group to solve the problems one
at a time. One participant has to use a calculator, one uses paper and pencil,
and one does it in their head. The fourth decided who gets the problem correct
first. Each time that I've done this, mental math wins out about 60% of
the time with the calculator coming in about 35% and paper and pencil 5%.
What does this say?
These are the rules that I use when it comes to appropriate use of a calculator:
1) Use a calculator as a tool in problem solving... sort of like a "fast
pencil."
2) Use a calculator for complex computations but NOT for basic facts!
3) Use a calculator to develop number concepts and skills.
4) Use a calculator in testing situations when not assessing computational
proficiency.
In general, I use calculators to help teach mathematics metter, not to replace
the teaching of mathematics.
Calculators can be misused just like anything. As a teacher who is committed
to preparing my students for a technological world, I encourage them to
use technology when it is appropriate. Mathematics instruction has had to
change. I would encourage anyone who is interested in this topic to read
the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum and Evaluation
Standards.
Susan Ray
Louisville, KY