Calculators - a Slippery Slope
Calculators, as we now know them, have become the microwave of tedious computations. As early as the 1940’s at NASA, a calculator was a human who manually approximated the computations of logarithms, trigonometric functions, square roots etc. I first learned about human calculators while watching the movie “Hidden Figures.” I must admit that I cringed at the thought of having to manually approximate these values every time an irrational number crept into my work! Scientific calculators are to logarithmic, trigonometric, and irrational computations as indoor plumbing is to bathing, cleaning, and cooking. They simply eliminates hours, and likely days, of grueling computations.
The power of the scientific calculators have not only expedited computations, it has also eliminated the need for large tables of values. This does not even scratch the surface of the power of a graphing calculator!
So you see, calculators were designed for much more than the addition, multiplication, and division of integers. When students in Pre-Algebra and Algebra I are given calculators for addition and multiplication of integers, their arithmetic skills are weakened. Their memory of how to handle negative numbers fades, their “times tables” are all but erased.
One semester, I worked with three different Pre-Algebra students enrolled at three different schools. At the start of the semester, all three students were dealing with the same math struggles and I worked with each of them, one-on-one. One of the students’ math teacher did not permit calculators in the classroom while the others’ did. By the end of the semester, the student who did not use calculators was tackling long division with poise and accuracy. No longer did she hesitate before a quick multiplication or long division computation. As I watched her work, I realized that although some of the specific concepts of Pre-Algebra were still giving her pause, the necessary arithmetic was her sword and she was not afraid to wield it when needed! In contrast, the two students who were granted calculator access reached for it for every single computation there was. Addition of a single digit positive number with a single digit negative number paralyzed them without the calculator, e.g. -8 + 12. This inability to recall how to add negative numbers, was the result of over-reliance on calculators.
When is it okay for students to use calculators at school? At what point are calculators doing more harm than good?
Since there is no simple answer this question, my first suggestion is to observe your child. If your child is beyond 5th grade, observe them while they do their math homework from time to time. Are they using their calculators to compute things like: 5 + -13? Are they using their calculators to compute things like 12 x 31? If so, their arithmetic skills could be strengthened. Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II all rely heavily on strong arithmetic skills. Arithmetic skills are vital for standardized math tests (state tests, Pre-SAT, SAT, ACT, etc.) that have both calculator and non-calculator portions.
If this is the case, how do you help your child develop and strengthen their arithmetic skills? My first response is: PLEASE DO NOT RUIN THEIR MATH EXPERIENCE. Please don’t give them hours and hours of daily arithmetic exercises. Instead, try incorporating some arithmetic exercises into their routine. Some helpful websites with interactive software and free math games are:
Incorporating 30 minutes of interaction on these websites 3-4 nights a week will help them reestablish the arithmetic footing they will need for what lies ahead. Perhaps even playing the games with your child or as a family challenge will help make the experience more enjoyable and feel less like painful, agonizing, dreadful work.
Teachers and school administrators do their best to create policies for sound learning environments. Sometimes it is necessary, for the sake of completing all course material, for teachers to allow calculators. There are certainly times when calculators are necessary, especially when finding solutions involving irritation numbers. These types of problems are common on calculator portions of standardized tests. In short, calculators are wonderful learning tools that are necessary for certain problems but are not always helpful when doing basic operations on natural numbers or integers. Use with caution!
