We Need Calculators in the Classroom
Technology has become a huge part of our lives and our society. Almost everything we use involves the use of computers. In the past few years, technology has been improved and updated which has made our lives easier and more efficient making us more advanced than the rest of the world. I strongly believe in having calculators in the classroom because it teaches children to expand their knowledge of math and science at a very young age. It can give students a variety of ways to look at problems and at the same time expand their knowledge in the subject. If our school has the opportunity to apply for a grant enabling every student and teacher to their own calculators, we should not hesitate to accept this offer.
The use of calculators in the classroom is a very debatable issue and there are many pros and cons. In many schools you will find teachers who are not for calculators because they feel as though students rely heavily on them and end up losing their basic skills in mathematics or just become lazy. Gordon Clavert wrote an article titled ìA dependence on technology and algorithms or a lack of number sense?î In this article, he explains that when he gives his students calculators they lose all sense of thought. He discusses how disturbed he gets when he sees a child put 9+4 into the calculator because this should be easily calculated in their head. Instead they choose to rely on the calculator. While I see Calvertís point, I would argue that it would depend on how the teacher goes about teaching the material. Teachers do have an effect in how the material is taught and technology can prove to be a valuable tool rather than a negative. In the article: ìClassroom t...
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...lassroom technology: tool for, or focus of, learning?. Mathematics Teacher, February 1996. Retrieved February 12, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/webz/FspagePagename=FTascii:pagetype=print:entityprinting/
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...o get attracted by easy and quick ways of learning things. If the technology provides easy and attractive solutions to students, they will get addicted to it and overuse it in ways which can certainly drop the educational standards. Gelernter disagrees with the comment made by a school principle, “Drilling addition and subtraction in an age of calculators is a waste of time.” (279). He revels the bitter truth where American students are not fully prepared for college because they have poorly developed basic skills. In contrast to this reality, he comments, “No wonder Japanese kids blow the pants of American kids in math.” (280). He provides the information from Japanese educator that in Japan, kids are not allowed to use calculators till high school. Due to this, Japanese kids build strong foundation of basic math skills which make them perform well in mathematics.
Working as an Instructional Technology Specialist for the past seven years has provided many opportunities to observe teachers and students in a classroom setting. During this time teachers have been in the process of phasing in a new standards-based curriculum with an emphasis on student mastery of these standards. New technology tools have also been incorporated in many classrooms including studen...
Calculators, computers, appliances, and many more things were created to help us. “The tools we use to think change the way in which we think” (Turkle). This point that Sherry Turkle made in her article and it is true, in a way. Computers do things for us and to us, that is also true. Some people like to blame technology for a lot of things and they could be in the right or in the wrong for it. “Technology does not determine change, but it encourages us to take certain directions” (Turkle). Calculators, for example, are only a tool and people will blame them when the answer they get is wrong. They are wrong though, since calculators are only a tool, it means that they are the ones that messed up. If they had done it by hand, there is a 99% chance that they would have done it wrong
Inspired by Beckett’s literary style, particularly in ‘Waiting for Godot’, Stoppard wrote ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’. As a result of this, many comparisons can be drawn between these two plays. Stoppard’s writing was also influenced by Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as minor characters exist within Shakespeare’s world providing Stoppard with his protagonists. However, the play is not an attempt to rewrite ‘Waiting for Godot’ in a framework of Shakespeare’s drama.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (R and G…) by Tom Stoppard is a transformation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that has been greatly influenced due to an external contextual shift. The sixteenth century Elizabethan historical and social context, accentuating a time of questioning had specific values which are transformed and altered in Stoppard’s Existential, post two-world wars twentieth century historical and social context. The processes of transformation that are evident allow the shifts in ideas, values and external contexts to be clearly depicted. This demonstrates the significance of the transformation allowing new interpretations and ideas about reality as opposed to appearance, death and the afterlife and life’s purpose to be displayed, enabling further insight and understanding of both texts.
Throughout the play Hamlet, there are many symbols, characters, themes and motifs which have very significant roles. Within the context of characters, those with the greatest impact are more often the major characters than the less significant. However, in the case of one pair of characters, it is rather the opposite. The use of the characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet is for more than just comic relief. They are a representation of the betrayal and dishonesty that runs deep within the play.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a play in three acts by Tom Stoppard, is a behind the scenes look at what happens in Shakespeare's Hamlet and how the events in the play may have seemed to other fringe characters. These characters are of very little relevance and even if they are removed from the scene of action, with the grotesque act of hanging by death, the impact on the actual play is minimal
Stoppard's absurd comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a transformation of the Shakespeare's revenge tragedy Hamlet. They both contain common characters and events but are separated by their historical, social and literary contexts. The plays are also different in language, theatrical style, values, character and themes.
Kilfoye, C. (2013). A voice from the past calls for classroom technology. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 53-56.
Not many people would argue that computer technology is bad for the K-12 classroom. There is, however, a serious and thought-provoking debate going on regarding computer technology in the classroom. At issue is to what extent and at what age should computers be integrated in American classrooms. There is no question that a certain level of technology will bring improvements in academic achievement. In one study on children of low socioeconomic status a definite improvement was seen. It was noted that, “Increasing the technology available to students encourages, facilitates, and supports student achievement – at the elementary level, the most profound effects were found in the area of mathematics” (Page 391). Page also states that, “numerous studies have demonstrated that young children’s self-esteem or self-concept directly affects their academic performance” (Page 391).
The world is constantly moving forward. Our societies are in search for the newest advancement, and our children are drawn to the latest technology. It seems as though our current technology could replace our fundamental education, such as the power of a calculator. The answer is just a click away. Not to mention our daily reliance on computers. I wonder sometimes how the world operated a couple of decades ago when computers and cell phones weren’t commonly used. I have to admit technology has truly made our lives easier and saved tremendous amount of our time by its efficiency. However, technology should never substitute the fundamental learning in our educational systems. Specifically in the primary school, building a firm fundamental education is crucial. Seeing children still using fingers to do simple math in second grade is not a good sign of academic improvement. Though the students may easily figure out the answers by ...
Overall, calculators should only be used when it is necessary. Many people think that calculators is not a problem; however, they never really took the time to look at it. With this new generation of technology, teachers will have to limit the use of calculators. If not then, students will learn to depend more on calculators instead of their own human brain. If this problem is not fixed, soon everyone will depend on technology and forget the method of actually trying to do it on their own. So students should not be allowed to use the calculator until they tried their best to figure out the question or only use it when necessary.
Globalization is the connection of different parts of the world. Globalization results in the expansion of international, cultural, economic, and political activities. As people, ideas, knowledge, and goods move easily around the globe, the experiences of people around the world become more similar. (“Definition of Globalization“, n.d., ¶ 1)
During my education, teachers have had many more resources available to them than they did during my Grandpa's time. Calculators, computers, and TV are everyday tools used for teaching. Teachers taught us how to use a calculator at a very early age. Since the fifth grade, I have used a computer to write or research most of my asiments. Every year, the amount of work I do on a computer increases.
When I become a teacher there is no doubt that I will use computers in my classroom and my students will do activities with computers. It is just the way to do things now. There are so many valuable programs out there to help students learn and to help teachers teach that computers are pretty much a necessity in classrooms. In my opinion for an elementary classroom there should be at least five to ten computers in each room. Without the access to the computers it is hard to take advantage of all the wonderful things a computer has to offer. Even using the internet has a source of information for the students or has a tutorial for students who are struggling. There are so many ways that classrooms will benefit from computers.