[K.B.]

Ahh word problems, my favorite. Some times called story problems. Sometimes asking for more than a numerical answer, a constructed response, in certain situations. Now that is what math is all about! That is what kids really need to know how to do, find the solution to a problem by logical thinking. Even if they have trouble with the memorized basic facts and rote followed algorithms, they need to know what they are trying to accomplish and how to get there. If using a calculator is helpful then do it, just don't get addicted - everything in moderation..........


In my 30+ years of teaching math I've had some pretty smart kids but nobody ever makes it thru any math class mistake free. Lots of simple rules linked together to make a more complex problem. The human mind is pretty fallible, Einstein is said to have had trouble making change for a dollar, Scientific American frequently publishes error corrections in a later month, Billions of dollars and we still blew up a space shuttle. Its great to try to memorize everything but nobody gets it 100 per cent, 100 percent of the time. Some people have better memories than others. The ones with poor memories still deserve to think about the higher level problems that a calculator can assist them in getting to. Once you learned to find the derivitive of a number the hard way and then they showed you an easier method. Did you still do them all the hard way? Once a student knows how to multiply matrices by hand shouldn't we let them do them on a calculator so they can move on to higher levels of matrix math? What is the use in making them multiply 8X8 matrices by hand? or what does it help to have kids multiply 8 digit numbers by 8 digit numbers by hand?

There is a limit somewhere - it is different for each person, We all need to reach for our limit and then go beyond. If a calculator or computer helps go beyond then we can solve even more complex problems.