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Post by Judy on Nov 2, 2020 8:34:39 GMT
This week I thought we would talk about calculators. How are they used in your setting? Are they encouraged or discouraged? Are children taught how to use them? Are children taught to estimate when using a calculator? What are your views on calculators?
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Post by Karen on Nov 2, 2020 13:45:04 GMT
Hi Judy
I think calculators are largely under used in primary schools. The big focus seems to be on mental maths in the Highlands. I do think using a calculator is something that needs to be taught and encouraged when appropriate and not sure its really taught in highland primary schools at the moment. Certainly wouldn't want pupils to become reliant on calculators but they do have their place, particularly when working with larger numbers.
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Post by John Bayle on Nov 3, 2020 21:56:49 GMT
Hi Judy
Secondary: I encourage pupils to use their calculators to check their answers and also to generate their answers if the number work would distract from the topic being taught. Calculators can enable pupils to work more independently and access a wider range of topics. As Karen says, I wouldn't want pupils to become reliant but by the time pupils sit exams they need to be confident and competent in calculator usage. We've recently started using OUP's "Discovering Mathematics" at KS3 and a lot of effort goes into efficient mental methods, so there is a balancing act to be performed.
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Post by Katherine Bishop on Nov 12, 2020 3:16:17 GMT
I am not a class teacher of maths, but tutor 1-1. I think it is clearly a good thing for students to understand number patterns and have a range of strategies they can use to work out number facts. I tend to recommend a calculator depending on the situation. If a student is in high school, is trying to catch up on understanding concepts then I would encourage them to use a calculator and talk to them about reasonableness of their result. When there is more time I focus on number skills and patterns, mental strategies. I recently showed a Year 5 student who struggles a lot, how to use my calculator and he was hooked. My concern with him is that he will not want to try anymore himself. He is desperately low in self confidence in maths and needs a boost so he doesn't constantly feel behind and incompetent. Interesting debate - what do others think? It makes sense for students to use calculators in upper primary school for sure, and continue to build mental strategies. Estimating and checking is a good activity.
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Jenny
Junior Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Jenny on Nov 14, 2020 12:10:39 GMT
Sorry - delayed reply here. I don't think I have ever seen the children use calculators in my school. They are mostly used by teachers to check answers.
I think they could be very useful for word problems when you want the student to focus on how to do the question and whether their answer looks right.
In a previous school, we used to put children in pairs with a pile of times tables cards. One had the calculator and the other was doing it in their head. We played it that it was a race, but I guess you would need to avoid the time competition for children who are anxious.
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Post by Judy on Nov 15, 2020 17:18:09 GMT
It certainly is an interesting debate and always controversial. I do believe that they can be extremely useful, IF the child has been shown how to use them properly and has fairly decent estimation skills. But they can alos enable children to access a higher level of thinking in maths and maybe more experience with reasoning, if their barrier is fact recall and mental maths.
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