Have You Had the Great Calculator Debate?
Published:
July 30, 2019
Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa
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This is truly the great debate in math. To use a calculator or to not use a calculator? This debate is only in the context of schooling students because OF COURSE as adults we will just use the calculator. Which is one of the reasons in favor of using the calculator?
The great calculator debate, I don’t think is going anywhere. It has been around since the invention of calculators itself – I am thinking. What is the role of calculators in math education? There are two sides to this debate.
The people against calculators say calculators should have no role in math education at all, that we need to use mental math. The other side thinks that mental math is no longer needed in the modern-day.
For those who are against the calculator, another debate ensues about what age they think is an appropriate age to introduce the calculator, since the need to use it as adults.
I actually let my son use the calculator in math just last week. I found that in division, he didn’t know that usually the larger number inside the divider was supposed to be plugged in before the number it should be divided by. That was really interesting to me. I am still in the middle of the debate.
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