What are some myths and facts about using calculators?
Some myths about using calculators are that they do not require thinking from students, they lower math achievement, that using a calculator always makes computations faster, and they are only useful for computations. Calculators do require that a person think of what numbers they need to compute to problem solve. For example, helping the student use process of eliminator to find common factors between numbers to further solve the problem. Calculators can also raise a student's achievement and are also useful for instructional tools. Calculators can be used as an instructional tool to facilitate search for patterns, support concept development, promote number sense, and encourage creativity and exploration. Today's calculators are able to efficiently plot graphs among other things. Also, it is not always faster to use a calculator because computations that one has memorized or that are simple enough to compute mentally will be much faster to retrieve than punching it in to a calculator. Allowing students to use calculators in the classroom can facilitate problem solving, ease the burden of long tedious computations, focus the attention on meaning, remove anxiety and provide motivation and confidence.
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