The West School
CALCULATORS?
FRIEND OR FOE?
Ms. Inocencio’s Classroom Newsletter
Dear Parent,
Hello Parents and Guardians! As you
all may know your son or daughter
and their other fellow classmates have
been learning about problem solving
and figuring out different strategies
and methods that will allow them to
grasp the different concept of
mathematics.
However, we have come to a point
where we are beginning to integrate
the use of calculators. I am here to
inform you to not be alarmed for I am
saying with full confidence your child
will still gain the highest quality of
learning experience and
understanding. Your children have
learned how to identify place values,
understand numerical relationships,
and memorized basic addition
sentences up to 20.
Virginia Beach, VA
Newsletter November
5,2016
Volume 1, Issue 1
Table of Contents:
Page 1:
 Dear Parent
 What is the NCTM?
Page 2:
 The Views
 The Huge Debate
Page 3:
 My Views On Calculator Use
 How I will Integrate Calculator Use
Page 4:
 Resource
Page 5:
 Home Activity
What is the NTCM?
What is NCTM? They are an organization
that stands for National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics. This organization was
founded in 1920 specific purpose to promote
mathematics education. There are 80,000
members and 230 Affiliates throughout the
United States and Canada. This organization
has helped educators all around to help
students reach their full potential of
learning math through strong leadership,
professional development, and research.
They envision their supports to help bring
enthusiasm about mathematics and
understand the values of it (National Council
of Teaching Mathematics).
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The Views of Calculators On the other hand calculators in elementary
classroom are seen as useful technology tool
from NTCM: for students. Calculators can help a student
The NCTM believes that calculator use is double check their work and give them
very beneficial towards students learning efficient answers if used properly. There are
ability when it comes to mathematics. many pros to using calculators such as
They stated that, “using a calculator in allowing the student to find the best method
teaching and learning of mathematics for problem solving, build up major
does not contribute to any negative confidence towards the student, calculators
outcomes for skill development or can develop a better sense of numbers, and
procedural proficiency.” Calculators are it’s quick and efficient rather than tedious
what enhance students learning and and long (O’Reilly).
understanding of the lesson. The NCTM Overall calculator use is all depending on the
emphasis that calculators increase higher teacher and their use for it. It is important
thinking and reasoning for problem for a teacher to think wisely before
solving for students (National Council of incorporating a calculator into a learning unit.
Teaching Mathematics). A teacher must look at the positive and
The HUGE Debate: negative outcomes of the use for the
calculator (Seeley). While in my class your
The huge debate on children using the
child will be able to gain skills both with and
calculator in math lessons is determining
without the use of a calculator.
whether the calculator is an enhancement or
just another way to cheat for a child. Many
people argue that in elementary classes,
calculators aren’t necessary because this the
time for students to learn the building block of
mathematics (McNamara). Elementary is the
crucial years where a child learns how to add,
subtract, multiple, divide, etc. With a
calculator there is no way a child wouldn’t take
the advantage of getting the quicker answer. It
is important for the child to learn how to add,
subtract, multiple, etc. without the use of a
calculator to ensure full understanding of the
concept being done (Ellington). The student
becomes dependent on the technology rather
than using it as an aid or self-checks. Students
aren’t gaining the problem solving aspect of
mathematics (Thompson). There are other
aspects that affect students drastically about
calculators. Some include, false sense of
confidence, influences the child to only get
their work done rather than understanding the
reasoning or the equation, and the students
doesn’t create a connection of the structure
(Huinker). These are aspects to consider when
applying calculators in an elementary
classroom.
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My views on Calculator use:
Using calculators within structural math classrooms
is a subject that most people question, is it right
whether to include or exclude from learning math.
The huge debate was designed to form a mindset on
the views of calculators. As a teacher, I believe
that calculators are a great use of a tool that helps
children understands the different functions of
math. Although most can say that calculators are
considered the easy way out, that’s not fully the
case.
Granted a calculator can be used to get answers quickly it, it also shows
efficiency. It enables the child to get an efficient answer if that process if and
only if it is done correctly (O’Reilly). This also applies for any technology as well.
Calculators are a way to allow the materials to click in a child’s head. However,
calculators shouldn’t always be in used it should at least be in reach. Within
certain units calculators aren’t always necessary. I think that with making lesson
plans, teachers should really consider and justify the reasoning of why calculators
can be an aid for students within the lesson. I believe that my goal as teacher is
to make sure that all lessons are embedded, to my students, by using multiple
methods, tools, and strategies to reach that designated goal. I want to insure
that my students understand the material to their full potential of learning and
growing from there on. Children need to try to new things to figure their way of
learning.

How I’ll Integrate Calculator within Classroom Instruction:

One of the example lessons I have done with the children understands the usage of a calculator.
This lesson was designed to help the students work together and to understand the key point to
a calculator and its functions. The class was divided inti groups of four and handed a work sheet
that determined the amount of pets each student has. The student was obligated to work with
one another to color/ shade in the buttons that were being pressed in the calculator. For there,
the students were required to finish up the rest of the worksheet amongst their group members.

Work Sheet can be found here! More online games to interact with!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/nu
/techlp/images/calculator_wksht.shtml mbers/calculators.html
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RESOURCES!
Ellington, Aimee J. “A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Calculators on Students'
Achievement and Attitude Levels in Precollege Mathematics
Classes.” Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, vol. 34, no. 5,
2003, pp. 433–463.
Huinker, DeAnn. "Calculators as Leaning Tools for Young Children's Explorations
of Number." Teaching Children Mathematics 8.6 (2002): 316-
21. ProQuest. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
McNamara, Danielle S. Effects of prior knowledge on the generation advantage:
Calculators versus calculation to learn simple multiplication. Journal of
Educational Psychology, Vol 87(2), Jun 1995, 307-318.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 2016. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
O'Reilly, Declan. "Learning Together: Student Teachers, Children and Graphics
Calculators." The International Journal for Technology in Mathematics
Education13.4 (2006): 191-204. ProQuest. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
Seeley, Cathy et al. “Using Calculators in Elementary School.” Teaching Children
Mathematics, vol. 12, no. 2, 2005, pp. 52–53.
Sweeney, Sharon Shriver. "Attitudes and Beliefs of Parents of Middle School
Children about Calculators in School Mathematics." Order No. 3141784
The Ohio State University, 2004. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.
Thompson, Tony, and Stephen Sproule. “Calculators for Students with Special
Needs.” Teaching Children Mathematics, vol. 11, no. 7, 2005, pp. 391–395.
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Ms. Marie’s Classroom 5
Newsletter Page

At Home Activity!
Get your child into the feel of using a calculator!
Here is a link that you can go to that will allow you to print flash cards with fun riddles
to solve through a calculator!
There are plenty to go through!
Encourage your child to read the question out loud and read the numbers before
entering the "secret code" into the calculator. Or you can read the question out loud
and have your child answer it by decoding the answer. Both offer the chance to
practice oral comprehension. Once the number has been entered, flip the calculator
upside down to read the secret answer!
Computation and Estimation
Focus: Whole Number Operations
1.4 The student, given a familiar problem situation involving magnitude, will
a) select a reasonable order of magnitude from three given quantities: a one-digit numeral, a two-
digit numeral, and a three-digit numeral (e.g., 5, 50, 500); and
b) explain the reasonableness of the choice.

LINK: http://www.andnextcomesl.com/p/math-printables.html

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