Why can't a high school graduate figure change without a calculator?

Answer 1

well, maybe math isn't/wasn't importatnt to that grad. AND as long as he/she has calculator ...

Answer 2

Indeed, they must be lazy to use the calculators and not their heads. A possible explanation for this behavior is that they don't have bona fide confidence in their mathematical abilities and therefore fear the possibility of making a mistake. They don't want to make a mistake, so they use the calculator. As TV's Jack Bauer used to say, when you compromise once, you'll keep compromising after that. So, even if these graduates initially use the calculators on certain occassions (e.g. a big test), they gradually have less confidence in this simple math and less grasp of what they've known because of lack of practice, and they'll start using the calculators for all kinds of simple, mundane calculations. Their fear in their abilities made them lazy. Perhaps these graduates' former education system should be modified so that later graduates have more confidence in their teachings and therefore do not rely on calculators.
I should also give you an anecdote for an example. I had a math teacher who is relatively good in what he does and used to teach in a really prestigous higher education institution. He said that once he was at a meeting with math teachers in their department, and they were planning a party or something and had to buy materials. When these people had to add up some simple numbers even they whipped out their calculators. My teacher was shocked and embarrassed; he did the calculation quickly in his head.

Answer 3

Several reasons.

1. The high stakes testing that states now require high school students to pass only cover Algebra, Geometry, Statistics and Probability. Very few questions, if any, deal with figuring change.

2. No one taught them the basics in elementary school.

3. Their parents/guardians never spent the time playing with money with them.

4. A calculator has become a crutch for otherwise intelligent people.

Answer 4

In My case: Accuracy.

I'm good with math. Heck, nowadays I even ENJOY it. Yeah, I'm sick, I know...

But even simple operations throw me for a loop at times, especially if distracted or trying to work quickly.

I'm good with addition, however subtraction annoys me. My brain rebels against it. I don't know why. Additionally I never learned my multiplication tables. (For the record, I'm an Electronics technician, so math is part of my everyday life, but it's all square roots and such, and multiplication has no application whatsoever.).

The fact of the matter is just brute-force, and cold reality. The human mind is prone to mistakes, and even something as simple as "Subtract $4.63 from $13.25" doesn't fit. If everything is in 25 cent increments, I'm pretty good, add in any odd numbers and I'd rather double check and make sure than give someone else incorrect change.

For that matter, Math is partially overrated. Real world applications demand more intense calculations than "What is 6x8?". Today's industry cannot survive with people telling you, "Oops, my mistake, I forgot to carry the 2 when I ordered these supplies two weeks ago".

Our children need to be taught what math is, and how to do it... but forcing a child to hand write 5000 multiplication problems is not going to solve anything. It never helped me in the least, and the only people in the entire world using more math than me are Math Teachers, Math Professors, the Occasional engineer, and a few Physicists.

Okay, I exaggerate somewhat there, but Honestly, when was the last time you needed to add the inverse of 4 numbers, divide by a 5th number, and figure out the square root of that result? (It's been 4 years in my case).

Finally, they will improve with the math skills as time goes on. As you ring up more purchases, subconscious patterns form in your head, and it will become second nature to think that "$15 minus $8.64 equals $6.36". A brief stint in retail proved that point to me.

Answer 5

Because, like Plato warned, they've (the calculators) stolen their ability to think.

I was discussing this was the head of an Engineering firm this April, he said that they can't hire any decent engineers anymore because they don't allow applicants to use calculators on their pre-interview exams. Sad, huh? Might have something to do with why we are inporting 50, 000 new engineers from overseas every year now.

I'm a physics teacher, and I see this all the time. It makes me ill. Schools are being tod to "stress technology in the classroom", and the "use" of calculators has become an "abuse" of them. The kids use them as a crutch, and can't thing without them. Did you know that kids don't even LEARN multiplication tables anymore! It's insane.

Answer 6

They are dependent on the calculator once they are given the option of using it in school. The students use it for every little thing and never learn to do without.

Answer 7

Well, some can but others have learned to become dependent on calculators they utilize in algebra and pre-cal classes. Teachers don't make them practice mental math.

The education US children receive is inferior to those of other countries. Also, the majority of US kids don't care much about their education.

Answer 8

Because the teachers nowadays require calculators in their class. Well, at least mine did. We had to have a graphing calculator for our statistics class, and the teacher assured us that we would use these calculators in college. So not true. I haven't used a graphing calculator once in my 2 years of college.

The result - my younger sister now does simple calculations better than me.

Answer 9

Because they are not taught that stuff in school without a calculator -- you do know the calculator can do everything better then they can - and they are lazy and stupid.

Answer 10

because todays students are told to use calculator also when working at a place like mcdonalds or somewhere like that if they make a mistake on change it comes from there pocket so theyd rather not take the chance

Answer 11

The same reason some backward communist nation like china is whupping our butts in science, engineering, and business. Kids nowdays don't give a crap about our national standing in the world. Yet, they complain when other countries look down on us after watching all our hollywood movies.