In my mind, the key to the successful use of calculators in early education
is that the bulk of the math experience needs to be based on the dreaded
'story problem'. If students can actually determine whether they should
add, subtract, multiply, or divide in a given 'realistic' problem, then I
wouldn't be _too_ upset if they used a calculator to do so. I think it is
pretty clear that in order to have this kind of skill students must first be
able to READ, and second must have a CONCEPTUAL grasp of the basic
functions. How many sixth graders qualify on these counts today? While the
elementary text books may be chock full of story problems, the teachers have
to use them--well first they have to be able to solve them--and use them
often. If we continue to allow elementary ed to be a haven for the math and
science phobic (which in my experience it has become) then there is little
hope for improving basic math skills whether they be based on a 1950's
curriculum of memorizing the multiplication tables and taking square-roots
by hand (I can still do that!) or a 2002 curriculum based on conceptual
understanding of basic functions and calculator/computer manipulations of
the actual numbers.
Rick (Whose first research work involved solving the relativistic Q-value
equation for nuclear reactions with a Monroe adding machine which used
special printed tables for determining square roots and who later was amazed
at the capabilities of a $5000 Olivetti calculator that _could_ do square
roots and could store 120 step programs (so that we could do other functions
via expansions!)
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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
FREE PHYSICS INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
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NEW! SIMLAB2001--DYNAMIC CARTS now available.
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