A TEACHER-HOME CONNECTION OPPORTUNITY FOR MS.

CHRISTY'S 4TH GRADE CLASS

THE GREAT (CALCULATOR)

DEBATE!
Where Does Ms. Christy
Stand?
I incorporate calculators into my classroom as one
of many tools. I cannot ignore the benefits that
calculators bring to a classroom. Such benefits
include student engagement, approachable
technology, and a source of accuracy for students.
Our use of calculators will include an introduction on
to how to use calculators as well as how to increase
understanding and fluency. When I use the term
fluency in math, I mean understanding
mathematical concepts at a level in which the
student feels confident in their ability to work through
the process of math in order to solve problems. In
this class, confidence in math is critical! I want our
math to be relevant to the students’ lives and the
"Calculator use can promote the
larger community so this will mean that calculators
higher-order thinking and reasoning
play a role in math for us! Calculators also help us
needed for problem solving in our
differentiate our teaching in math. To differentiate
information-and technology-based
means to think about students’ learning styles and
society."
level of readiness before we even create a specific
-National Council of Teachers In
lesson. Teaching and education have a lot of
Mathematics
language that may be new to you, just like the new
vocabulary your children are learning. If you ever
have a question about anything, I am here to discuss
it with you.
OK, SO WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?
As educators we look to a lot of professionals to enhance our instruction.
One of the largest organizations including math professionals is the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM.) There has been lots
of research about calculator use in the elementary classroom Here are
some key points made by NCTM and other professionals:

- The NCTM supports use of calculators to support higher order thinking and
the type of problem solving approaches required in our current society.
- Calculators can be used for low level computation and helps speed
learning for more complex tasks
-Calculators increase students' comfort level with technology
- Calculators are one of many tools that students may use to work through
levels of computations needed for complex problems
ARE THERE RESOURCES
PEOPLE FOR
AGAINST CALCULATOR
THIS? PRACTICE AT
There are always two sides to an
argument. Here are some concerns:
HOME!
If you'd like to explore some
sites that use calculators at
-Cheating: these concerns relate to home, here are a few:
students being able to save formulas in
Dr. Mike's Math Games for Kids
graphing calculators
-Cost: calculators are tools that need to be Top Notch Teaching
purchased Kids Math Games
-Students will default to just using a
As always, if you have any
calculator questions, please feel free to
email me and I will respond
during my posted hours
Here are my answers to those concerns: christy.przystawik@apsva.us
-graphing calculators are used at the high
school and college level and are not
developmentally appropriate for
elementary school
-no family member will be responsible. for
the cost of a calculator; like any math tools
used at school, it is provided to the student
-calculators will be built into lesson plans
and used intentionally; as such they will
not be available to students unless they
are part of the learning that day

Sources

A., V. de W. J., Karp, K. S., Bay-Williams, J. M., Wray, J. A., & Brown, E. T. (2019). Elementary and middle school mathematics: teaching
developmentally. Pearson.

Calculators in Math Class: Pros and Cons: Resilient Educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2018, October 18).
https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/pros-and-cons-of-allowing-kids-to-use-calculators-in-math-class/.

Differentiated Instruction: Examples & Classroom Strategies: Resilient Educator. ResilientEducator.com. (2021, April 29).
https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/.

Hartley, M. (n.d.). Calculator games! Calculator Games | Dr Mike's Math Games for Kids. https://www.dr-mikes-math-games-for-
kids.com/calculator-games.html. An interview
with Jonathan
Index - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (n.d.). https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Position-
Statements/Calculator-Use-in-Elementary-Grades/. Hames, the

world's most
Pomerantz, H. (n.d.). The Role of Calculators in Math Education. education.ti.com.
innovative
https://education.ti.com/sites/us/downloads/pdf/therole.pdf.

person.
Top 3 Fun Calculator Games. Top Notch Teaching. (2014, October 2). https://topnotchteaching.com/lesson-ideas/calculator-games/.