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Re: [Phys-L] just for fun


On 12/19/2013 09:07 AM, Bill Nettles wrote:

I think calculators are being used to enable "math" teachers who
don't want the hard work of forcing students to work hard.

And John Denker wrote:

There are lots of reasons to de-emphasize calculators, but IMHO
"forcing students to work hard" is very far down on the list.

Following this you have mis-interpreted what I mean by "work hard." It's not any old arbitrary hard work.
[snip]

As an additional point: figuring stuff out without a calculator
can be fun, if you make a game of it. Understanding stuff is
more fun than mindless number-crunching. Like most things,
it's more fun after you build up some skill.

Understanding stuff IS the "hard work" to which I was referring. Many students don't have take the time (or have the proper instruction) to build up some skill, because building skill isn't always fun. Using skill IS fun.