Re: Sophisticated calculators

["Rauber, Joel Phys" <RAUBERJ@mg.sdstate.edu>]

I enjoyed Gary's comments, probably because there is a good impedance match 
with my on proclivities.

> > Many mathematics teachers are highly enthusiastic
> > about such calculators. They think that teaching of math and science can
> > be elevated to a higher level with such devices because "drudgery" is
> > eliminated and time is gained for "cultivating higher level skills".

> This seems
> to me to be related to our pervasive use of technology in lieu of
> memory and thought.

Unfortunately Gary's above thought is more closesly related to the true 
situation; instead of releaving time spent on drudgery, it seems to relieve 
time spent on *thinking*.

> (I try to forbid the use of these calculators on my tests because
> students have used them as cheat sheets - you can bury your cheat
> sheet in the middle of 100 lines of code, and never get caught.

I've toyed with this idea (mostly to level the playing field, only about 30% 
and increasing of my students have the fancy calculators), but haven't put 
it into practice yet.  Mostly because the students I have with the fancier 
calculators, don't seem to have any advantage on my tests; and maybe are at 
a disadvantage, since they waste a lot of time trying to get the calculator 
to work, rather than working on the test problem. (one student proved me 
wrong on the last test, where I think they saved a little time having a 
calculator do algebra for them; but this is by far the exception).

> Would those of us who've been around for a while trade our HS math 
education
> for what's being given now?

For me the answer is - for the most part no!

> Do these technologies really impart the sense of empowerment that
> their adherents are claiming?

I think the anecdotal examples you gave are the obvious reply to the 
question.

Joel