Re: calculators No, I think the point is that we still need to teach kids mental arithmetic  when it is that easy. Ray Moore ----- Original Message -----  From: "Vladik Kreinovich"  To:  Cc:  Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 12:58 PM Subject: FW: calculators > Re need to teach kids (and adults) about accuracy and maybe intervals. And > maybe in favbor of interval calculators. > > ------------- Begin Forwarded Message ------------- > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 09:46:52 -0800 > From: "Paul Wilkinson, Ph. D."  > Subject: FW: calculators > To: SIGCSE-MEMBERS@LISTSERV.ACM.ORG > > I spent a long time teaching > mathematics > ... > > I have found that if you take the calculator away from the student, > they cannot add, subtract, multiply, or divide, let alone doing fractions. > > An example that I have had arguments with students over is (2/3)^4 * > (3/2)^4. The answer we all know is 1, but they argue their calculator says > the answer is not one, but something, depending upon the calculator brand, > like 1.00000001. > > ... > > From my observations, it appears as if all they know how to do is punch > buttons when they get out of high school when calculators are used in the > classroom. > > Paul J. Wilkinson, Ph. D. > Chair > Department of Information Systems and Computer Science > Pasadena City College > Pasadena, California > > > ------------- End Forwarded Message ------------- > > >