Calculators or no calculators?

I think finding an equilibrium of both is crucial. Calculators allow students to save time and focus on more complex issues. Practicing without calculators is also important, because sometimes you just can't rely on a calculator in the real world. I think finding a balance of both would be the best option to keep students adaptable to different situations where different methods would apply. I'm no expert, though.
 
SFOMH88 said:
I think finding an equilibrium of both is crucial. Calculators allow students to save time and focus on more complex issues. Practicing without calculators is also important, because sometimes you just can't rely on a calculator in the real world. I think finding a balance of both would be the best option to keep students adaptable to different situations where different methods would apply. I'm no expert, though.
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That is certainly true, students should be able to do the calculations without a calculator. A calculator should be seen as a tool to speed things up. Not as a replacement to learning how to do the calculations.
 
Students should not be exposed to calculators during their formative stages of learning which should be the same case with computers. It follows that if this is assiduously observed, they will no doubt develop the neural pathways associated with cognitive thinking, but it will also instill a work ethic and numeracy that is conferred by manual calculations and information hunting.
 
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