Of the many computational tools out there, I believe the calculator is the most widely known. From an early age, I recall being looked down upon for relying to heavily upon the tool. I also recall being in the classroom and being discouraged from using it as if it were a form of cheating – as if I was making the tool do all the work for me. I do think I rely on calculators to this day – I usually carry one on me at all times. However to my relief, this might not be such a bad thing. The NCTM says that “appropriate calculators should be available to students at all times”. More importantly discussed in the Reys text is that it says calculators don’t discourage thinking and it does not harm students’ mathematics achievement. Contrary to myths and common belief, the calculator has so many pros as opposed to cons to it such as: it facilitates problem solving, relieves tedious computation, removes the anxiety from computational errors/failures, and it can provide users with motivation and confidence. Finally, students who use calculators usually have a better attitude towards mathematics.
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