Calculator Usage: Although permitted for some problems, I will ask that the students NOT use them for every problem. I will tell the students which problems they can use a calculator on during class, and also post it on my website... so you as parents may know.
As Picasso once said, "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
Please trust me in my calculator guidelines. I do permit the usage of one when I feel the concepts outweigh the calculations that basic math may take a while to compute by hand.
Using a calculator for basic math isn't doing the work yourself. Not only is having a calculator or computer do your work for you degrading, it limits your understanding... and understanding comes from DOING!
I can not tell you how many students I have come across that can divide numbers easily with a calculator, but cannot do long division when I take the calculator away. If you want to have a career that has anything to do with math (a small list is here), then you have to have a basic understanding of mathematics.
As Picasso once said, "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
Please trust me in my calculator guidelines. I do permit the usage of one when I feel the concepts outweigh the calculations that basic math may take a while to compute by hand.
Using a calculator for basic math isn't doing the work yourself. Not only is having a calculator or computer do your work for you degrading, it limits your understanding... and understanding comes from DOING!
I can not tell you how many students I have come across that can divide numbers easily with a calculator, but cannot do long division when I take the calculator away. If you want to have a career that has anything to do with math (a small list is here), then you have to have a basic understanding of mathematics.