At what age/grade do you think children should be allowed to use any type of calculator in school?

Question

Please explain why you feel the way that you do. What types of mathematical functions should children be able to use a calculator for?

Answer 1

I firmly believe that calculators should only be allowed to make ease of computation WHEN a child already knows the mathematics. If a child is fully competent and capable of performing the operation themselves on paper or in their head, and its time for them to move onto more difficult concepts, then and only then can a calculator be used to save time as they experiment and practice with the newer concepts at hand. I hold myself to this same standard. I am a calculus student, but I still use a calculator to multiply large numbers. Why? Because it would waste my mental effort on the calculus problem to take the time out to multiply a few numbers, which I am fully capable of doing. If a child is allowed to use calculators on mathematics that they are in the process of learning still then they wont learn anything besides how to use a calculator! The sad thing is that newer calculators not only compute values, but are capable of solving equations and manipulating algebraic expressions... if kids rely on that then they wont learn anything. The only exception to this rule is in computing irrational numbers, like &sqrt;2 or sin 45°. I can see a practical reason for that since there is no exact answer, but that wont be until a higher level of math anyway... but the concepts should still be taught to their fullest. The fact of the matter is that kids are lazy and apathetic and their parents and teachers let them be. Teachers more emphasize correct answers than conceptual understanding. If a child accidentally comes by the right answer in the wrong way he is still accredited for it. Why do you think so many kids have trouble with math? They dont understand! They are forced to memorize values and procedures, without true understanding.

Answer 2

The use of a calculator at school varies enormously, especially from country to country. There are schools I have been to abroad in which the use of calculators are stricly forbidden - to which I ca see wher they are coming from. I believe that not using the calculator has the strong ability to develop independant-thinking skills - the child figures things out for themselves, without pushing a few buttons to reveal an answer. Not using a calculator also truly tests the brain - it gets people thinking, whereas learning a repeated routine to answer a certain type of maths question only tests the memory of a paticlular sequence in which the buttions must be pressed. I belive that it is important to develop maths skills as much as possible - as young as possible, and that calculators should be left for later eg. last years of secondary school, by which students would have mastered key skills in which they know a calculator is not needed, but are able to use a calculator for trigonometry etc. (looking numbers up in a table can be extremely time consuming! and unbeneficial). As a further topic, thing like personal ability may be discussed but I have given my overall view of how todays society 'takes things for granted' and can quickly become 'lazy'. However, the opposite side of the argument is that - what were calculatos created for? and as we are becoming more and more depedant on technology - why not use it from a very young age?

Answer 3

Children below 5th class should not use calculator because he will never of solving even a simple mathematical calculation and more over he will get lazy and donot use brain...So this will effect him in entrance test latter where calculator is not allowed...So I think calculator can be used after 6th because they get trigonometry,....which surely requires calculator and that cannot be done on our own.....

Answer 4

Standard calculators are for idiots. After kids are taught the basics, i.e., they should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, that is when they should get trained on statistical and scientific calculators.

There are some very advanced calculators out there. They can be a powerful tool in young hands. When I was in 8th grade, I was programming TI55's and Radioshack PC5's and PC6's for linear algebra. Those things were powerful then. Nowadays, they are incredible. Kids need to start on them early.

The problem is that most teachers don't know how to use them.

Answer 5

After they learn to do the basic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for numbers upto 100 if not upto 1000. After that they can be taught the calculator for larger numbers, powers, roots etc.

Answer 6

Any age/grade, as long as they don't rely on the calculator too much and become LAZY. And of course, if their teacher allows them to use a calculator. But I thonk they should develop their mathamatics skills as much as possible.

Answer 7

Grade 10. In exams, there must be parts where they are not allowed to use it, so that we know that the kids can do the questions without the calculator and parts where they are, to knwo that they can use technology.

Answer 8

Kids should not be allowed to use calculators in school at all. How on earth are they meant to add up if they don't learn to do it in their head.
We got on really well in school with algebra, geomenry etc without using calculators ... why can't they.

This is the same as the way kids are spelling these days when they txt people. They are not going to learn to spell properly.

Answer 9

Before digital calculators, slide rules were permitted at the college freshman level and students learned mathematics, not button pushing.

Answer 10

I think about 5th or 6th grade, when Algebra is introduced.

I believe Calculator is as necessary tool as a pencil and rule. In jobs they allow you to use a calculator, and they need to learn it properly.

I myself would EXPECT a professional to ALWAYS check their work with a calculator to avoid mistakes.