Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!eos!aurora!labrea!decwrl!decvax!dartvax!eleazar!roberta
From: roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Mental arithmetic, was: Calculators in exams, was: Becoming CAI literate
Message-ID: <8314@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 3 Mar 88 17:35:14 GMT
References: <2032@ukecc.engr.uky.edu> <3900008@nucsrl.UUCP> <24954@cca.CCA.COM> <1988Feb28.224421.6922@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> <3849@whuts.UUCP>
Reply-To: roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein)
Distribution: na
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover,NH
Lines: 45

In article <3849@whuts.UUCP> spf@whuts.UUCP (FRYSINGER) writes:

>Well, I think you've hit the nail on the head.  Yes, in most
>situations calculators improve performance (speed & accuracy).
>Unless you don't have one handy.  Or it's broken.
>
>The ability (and willingness) to do mental arithmetic is certainly an
>advantage when no calculator is around, as happens with me often.  I
>even carry a calculator in my "go to work" shirt pocket, and still
>frequently find myself in arithmetic situations without one.
>Furthermore, if one loses the ability (or confidence, or willingness)
>to DO mental arithmetic, how will one recognize (A) when your
>calculator or your fingers have made a mistake, or (B) when someone
>else or their calculator (e.g. a cashier) has goofed?
>
>Since proper training to do mental arithmetic is in fact a very minor
>effort (mostly done by parents, not teachers), it's well worth doing.
>

Is anyone else here *unable* to do mental arithmetic?  Yes, I had all the
drills, etc, etc, and have absolutely no problem with a pencil and paper, but as
soon as I try to keep more than two numbers in my head, I'm lost.  I can
manage the bit about doing the decimal point, and can keep a running total of
groceries if I round to the nearest dollar--but even the latter takes some
concentration.  Forget multiplying in my head, I can't remember where I've
been.  Is this just me or what?


>Steve Frysinger
>
>P.S. By the way, the same goes for doing arithmetic long hand.  When's
>the last time you balanced your checkbook by hand?

Actually, believe it or not, I almost always do it by hand.  It's too annoying
to have to worry about whether or not I've pressed the right keys.  I can
do it much faster and more accurately by hand.  With a pen.  ;-)





-- 
###############################################################################
Roberta Millstein                                 roberta@eleazar.dartmouth.edu
                                                  ...dartvax!eleazar!roberta
"A friend of the devil is a friend of mine....."  --The Grateful Dead