RE: Caluclators - LOOOOOONG pending

"something we were withholding made us weak; until we found it was ourselves"

ratnesh 

 -----Original Message-----
From: Minakshi Prabhu [mailto:mina_prabhu@yahoo.com]
Sent: 19 September 2007 16:19
To: 9ttt@geniekids.com; genieblogspot
Subject: Caluclators - LOOOOOONG pending

Calculators – using it as an aid to teach maths…. Starting position was - we could use it as an aid from 5th / 6th standard onwards

 

Arguments :

- Understanding the concepts requires practice. So provide it as an aid one understanding has set-in.

- Real life use of complex maths is limited and thus skills for what is required to be done mentally will already be developed by then

- Calculator is just another aid, leave choice to them

- Creates more time to apply concepts

 

Counter arguements

- Can’t it be used to teach concepts??? So earlier Figured out that I am basing my whole thinking on a BELIEF that calculators cant be used to TEACH / UNDERSTAND. They can only be an aid.

- After some investigation on the net, I find that people are using it even at KG / 1st std for

- investigating patterns in #s

- Builds a number sense in children

- Can be used to understand place value

- The assignments will have to be of a different type to use the calculators (not like 3+4 = ?)

- Children who have a good number sense can use it to movefatsre, children who don’t can go at their pace

 - Increasing motivation

- UNDERSTANDING of concepts has to be done together with calculator usage

 

Now my mind is working on how to do this effectively. So the jury is not out yet.

 

This has been a NEW learning altogether. Thanks for the same…

 

And thanks Kayal for helping me get started...

 

Mina