Calculators eliminating the need to learn skills required to perform mathematical operations by hand?

Question

Some people believe that calculators have eliminated the need to learn the skills required to perform mathematical operations by hand.
What is YOUR position on this belief?

Answer 1

We should not give our children calculators till at least ninth grade. As a teacher I have seen 10th, 11th graders type in multiplying by 1, adding a simple number like 12+4. Kids do not have basic skills or any number sense which make subjects like factoring seem hard. It is sad, how they rely so much on the calculator. So when you go to a store and see 20% off are you going to whip out your calculator? I believe instead of trying to teach advanced topics when kids are in elementary school, teach them the basic skills. Why does a 4th grader need to find the perimeter of an object, if they wont be able to add or subtract a negative number a fraction or a decimal in 9th or 10th grade.

Answer 2

While calculators are great help on figuring out problems you had better know how it came up with that answer if you are in college. You can use that calculator on your home work but when it comes time to take a test you are not allowed to use them so you had better know how to get the answer and show your work or you'll fail your math classes. So if you learn by just using pencil and paper you'll be better off if you want to understand what you are doing and how to get the correct answer.

Answer 3

YES they have.

I am a math tutor in real life, and it actually makes me sad that some people cannot do basic mathematical computations.

I have had students divide 100 by 2 on their calculators, as an example - and these are calculus students. It makes me wonder how a student could've made it to calculus but not be able to do basic multiplication or division.

Other than statistics, I cannot think of a math subject that would rely on calculator usage.

As my AP Calculus teacher used to say:
"Use your meat calculator!"

Answer 4

I really think this is true. I was doing income taxes when hand held affordable calculates came out. I was use to computing in my head and on a piece of paper. Within a couple pf years it was hard for me to do that anymore because I had used the hand calculators all the time

Answer 5

sure, I accept as true with you. in accordance with what you suggested approximately your define no longer requiring a calculator to remedy, maximum easily. thinking they might use a calculator to establish a be conscious subject, that shows a diverse detrimental style. additionally you suggested you're an instructor in a properly popular college, so it makes a individual ask your self why a million/2 of the scholars on your algebra type are based on their calculators. while i substitute into in trigonometry these days, I heard the comparable grievance from the different scholars. They wanted to furnish an approximate answer, and that they actually sniveled approximately having to place it in ideal values. One individual interior the class substitute into an older guy who substitute into already working in an electric powered activity. He informed everybody that no person makes use of the ideal values in actual existence paintings, and he and the instructor have been given into arguments approximately using the calculator for all solutions. the instructor wanted him to understand the tutorial cost of ideal values, and that guy purely felt he knew greater desirable than the instructor. I questioned why he did no longer purely leave the class if he felt like he knew all of it as long as he used a calculator.

Answer 6

I can't do math in my head, but I can figure most out on paper. Calculators can mess up. They are machines, not brains. People still need to be able to do the math by hand so that they can do the problem if the calculator messes up or breaks.

Answer 7

I disagree with that thinking. I was in my second year of engineering school when we were allowed to use calculators. The profs quickly compensated for that advantage by making the problems more complicated. Even with the calculator, it still took 6 to 8 hours to solve one homework problem, but I think we actually learned more.

Answer 8

Agreed--it's useful to know how to perform them by hand, but calculators do kind of diminish that need. I don't think it's a big issue though, when there are more important things to learn.

Answer 9

It's still handy to be able to do the basics on paper or in your head. I mean there's no need to do logarithms and square roots, but multiplication and long division and fractions are still worthwhile.

I mean what are you going to do when you are doubling a recipe that calls for 3/4 cup of flour--grab a calculator?

Answer 10

I don't think that's true. I don't know about where you live but where I live (Ohio) kids aren't allowed to use calculators until they really need them (except to check work). My brother and sister always have to do their math by hand and are only allowed to use a calculator to check. But once you get in middle school you need calculators to do harder math so they use them there.