My problem is that I regularly get high school physics students who
DON'T know how to do long division, and a few who can't subtract
properly without a calculator either. I did a lab just a few days ago
that required students to find a displacement, and the most common error
on the lab reports was incorrect subtraction. It really makes me wonder
if these kids were ever required to do math without a calculator at all.
Julie Montgomery
-----Original Message-----
From: James Mackey [mailto:jmackey@HARDING.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 12:47 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: banning calculators
I'm not sure that if one KNOWS how to do long division that continually
practising 8 digits divided by 5 digits makes much sense. I have a
particular complaint regarding what I have observed in the curriculum my
grandson uses (8th grade - preAlgebra). They continually practice long
division problems over and over using divsion problems that are
apparently carefully selected to be difficult to do. I can take square
roots and do long division by hand, but I wouldn't do it unless forced
to do it. The suggestion about estimating seems like a good idea. The
problem I see with my grandson is that numbers don't seem to really mean
anything to him. He can manipulate and get the right answers but
has no FEEL for what numbers mean. I still see this in some of my calc
physics students who can manipulate their TI 83 to do everything but
sing, but crank out answers that should be obviously ridiculous without
blinking!
James Mackey