Question for the young'uns - calculators in school?

[Sweet Angel]

My son, in 6th grade, is ONLY being taught how to figure out math problems by using a calculator. The problem with this is (a) he isn't learning how to do it with pencil and paper; (b) not all calculators process in the same way by using the same procedure.

An old fart like me was not allowed to use a calculator in school, and so far, most of the people (late 20's, early 30's) that I've spoken to, were not either.

At what point did you start using a calculator in school? Were you taught how to figure it out by hand first? Are calculators being used in lieu of brains now?

I'm asking also because won't this prove to be a problem later in school when they introduce more complicated calculators that don't work like the simple ones they are using now?

Thanks.

[fbd]

i wasnt allowed to use a calculator until freshman year. i've forgotten how to do long division now

[Hybrid]

are you kidding? they ARENT using pencil and paper at all?!

[Sweet Angel]

This isn't even long division. They're learning stuff like:

The shoes that Jennifer bought cost $24. That price was after a 25% discount off the regular price. What was the regular price?

If $1000 is deposited in a bank for five years at 5%, compounded annually, how much total interest will be earned by the end of five years?

[quote]are you kidding? they ARENT using pencil and paper at all?![quote]
Just to write their answers.



Edited By Sweet Angel on 1037587241

[The Sleeper]

I honestly don't remember what year they started allowing a calculator for me. The more complicated calculators work exactly like the simple ones except they have a lot more functions. By 6th grade your son should know how to do basic functions without a calculator, so I don't see a big problem with him using one.

[Hey Ladi]

I had a graphing one for calculus senior year of HS

[Sweet Angel]

Sleeper, I'm not talking 2+2 here.

Here's another example, straight off the homework:

Corner Diner:
Tuna special - $4.89
Beef Sandwich - $6.75
Sodas - $2.25
Subtotal $13.89
4% tax $0.56
Total $14.45

Follow these keystrokes slowly and watch your display:
(clear) 4.89 + 6.75 + 2.25 x 4 % + = 14.4456

On my calculator if you use those keystrokes you get: 5.27

What do you get?

[krahzee]

I'm 26. I started to be allowed to use a calculator when the adding, subtracting,ect... didn't matter as much as the process you used. For example if there was a problem where you had to multiply two numbers, add another, then divide,ect... we were allowed to use a basic calculator to save time in all of the steps involved. We were still fucked if we did not know what steps went where, ect...

6th grade seems early to me, but I went to a Catholic Elementary/Middle School, so what do know?

[The Sleeper]

ok, the fact that they actually tell you what buttons to push is pretty fucked.

[Sweet Angel]

Did you try it? My calculator at home is by no means advanced...but it differs from the ones they use in school.

[fbd]

i just did that on my calculator...got 11.73

[The Sleeper]

I can't find my calculator

[Sweet Angel]

I did it on the Windows calculator and ended up with 15.something.

[Hey Ladi]

I got 14.4456

[Sweet Angel]

Pencil & paper Ladi?

[crx girl]

4.89 + 6.75 + 2.25 x 4 % + = 14.4456

doing it exactly this way is not going to work. the calculator will multiply numbers before adding, so unless you hit = before multiplying by the 4% it's gonna add 4% of 2.25 to the total of 4.89 + 6.75.

ok, actually i just did it on a little basic calculator and it gave me 14.4456 and now of course i can't find any other calculator. but, in theory you're supposed to do multiplications before additions so it should be written (4.89 + 6.75 + 2.25) x 4 % + = 14.4456 but, then for that to happen it would need to be written in the first place.

when i was in middle school we were forced to write down everything even if it was easy to do in our head, so i really can't believe they'd tell kids not to do that at all now. what this is saying to me now is that all that time when they went on about how important it is to show your work, was all just a waste of time

and where the Hell is sales tax only 4% ??????????? :-o

[Hey Ladi]

no, I just pushed the buttons in the order it said. I don't understand it, but it's right. :fuggin:

[fbd]

when i was in middle school we were forced to write down everything even if it was easy to do in our head

me, too

[Sweet Angel]

Maybe it has something to do with the simplicity of the calculator. I just tried it on one of those calculators that comes with a wallet -- it worked.

Which brings up another point. When they no longer use "simple" calculators, they'll have to re-learn the whole procedure. Wouldn't it make more sense if they knew how to do it by hand (and brain) first?



Edited By Sweet Angel on 1037589280

[crx girl]

Wouldn't it make more sense if they knew how to do it by hand (and brain) first?

it would, but since when does anything make sense around here?