Research+Findings+on+the+calculator+in+the+math+classroom

Research!

Research found by Kaitlyn

The article “The Graphing Calculator: A Survey of Classroom Usage” was written by Eric Milou, and it was published on March 17, 2010. The article explains that many studies have been done in high school classrooms where a certain number of students were taught using graphing calculators and another group of students were taught without the use of graphing calculators. The majority of these studies show that the students who were taught with the graphing calculator had a better understanding and achievement level. The use of graphing calculators also seemed to motivate the students more than not using the calculator. Very few of these studies showed a negative impact on achievement when using graphing calculators. Many teachers that took part in the study were asked questions about when it was appropriate to start using the graphing calculator in the classroom. Out of one hundred and forty five high school math teachers, 79 (54.5%) strongly agreed that graphing calculators should be used starting in Algebra I. After this study, many mathematics teachers believe that the math curriculum should be revised in order to incorporate the graphing calculator.

The article “Integrating Calculators in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom: Teacher’s Attitudes and Perspectives” was written by Andrea Mason, and it was published on June 28, 2010. A study was done by collecting data through observations, questionnaires, and interviews about what teacher’s thought about the use of calculators in the mathematics classroom. One thing teachers agreed most on was the huge difference between using the calculator in middle school and in high school. The results of the study show that using a calculator in a high school classroom is a complicated task compared to the middle school. Secondary teachers must be very knowledgeable when it comes to the calculator to answer student questions. Also, the study showed that in grades 6 through 8, the calculator was only used for basic computations most of the time. Whereas, high school students main use of the calculator was for graphing and graphic representation.

Research found by Gretchen

"Calculators In The Classroom" Charles Boulton

Primitive calculators have been used for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. There are many different types of calculators and some are better depending on the functions they are being used for. Elementary math would use a basic one whereas a mathematician would prefer a scientific one or a graphing calculator. Calculators increase computation times as well as improve human error accuracy. In contrast, calculators are relied upon so heavily that basic math skills are not able to be performed without them. “Calculators should be used as a tool for learning, rather than a shortcut.” “‘While using a calculator's graphing capability to study the similarities between functions can broaden a student's grasp of relationships in mathematics, relying on that calculator to do basic operations like times table facts and integer operations has exactly the opposite effect. Students are slowed in their work, often making assignments take much longer to do than theyshould. As well, the concepts which should be evident from appropriate use of the calculator become lost in a maze of unnecessary calculator operations.’”

"Research on Graphing Calculators" Penelope Dunham The article discusses that graphing calculators are more readily available to student and that teachers in both the high school and college levels need to adjust their cirriculum to teach students the proper use of such tools. The functions of the calculator has changed what teachers find more important to teach to students. Still no clear winner as to whether a classroom that uses or does not use the calculator is more successful says its like comparing “apples and oranges.” Students, however may do more, faster as well as be able to be taught more aspects of math that the graphing calculator makes it easier to learn and comprehend.

//Nathan Cherpak // Classroom Lecture: Teach the Calculator in context. The student should use the calculator like the teacher does. Always work with a smaller version of what you are going to do first on the calculator.


 * Research on the Calculator**

Calculators are useful tools in elementary mathematics classes, if students already have some basic skills, new research has found. The findings shed light on the debate about whether and when calculators should be used in the classroom. These findings suggest that it is important children first learn how to calculate answers on their own, but after that initial phase, using calculators is a fine thing to do, even for basic multiplication facts,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, assistant professor of psychology in Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education said. Rittle-Johnson and co-author Alexander Kmicikewycz found that the level of a student’s knowledge of mathematics facts was the determining factor in whether a calculator hindered his or her learning. “The study indicates technology such as calculators can help kids who already have a strong foundation in basic skills,” Kmicikewycz, now a teacher in New York City public schools, said. “For students who did not know many multiplication facts, generating the answers on their own, without a calculator, was important and helped their performance on subsequent tests,” Rittle-Johnson added. “But for students who already knew some multiplication facts, it didn’t matter – using a calculator to practice neither helped nor harmed them.” The researchers compared third graders’ performance on multiplication problems after they had spent a class period working on other multiplication problems. Some of the students spent that class period generating answers on their own, while others simply read the answers from a calculator. All students used a calculator to check their answers. The researchers found that the calculator’s effect on subsequent performance depended on how much the students knew to begin with. For those students who already had some multiplication skills, using the calculator before taking the test had no impact. But for those who were not good at multiplying, use of the calculator had a negative impact on their performance. The researchers also found that the students using calculators were able to practice more problems and had fewer errors. “Teachers struggle with how to give kids immediate feedback, which we know speeds the learning process. So, another use for calculators is allowing students to use them to check the answers they have come up with by themselves, giving them immediate feedback and more time for practice,” Rittle-Johnson said.

Thomas Barone Research on the calculator

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Leaping Hurdles: Without technology, it was nearly impossible for students who had few skills and little understanding of fractions and integers to study algebra in a meaningful way. Consequently, lower level high school courses often became arithmetic remediation courses. With technology, all students now have the opportunity to study rich mathematics. They can use their calculators to perform the skills that they are unable to do themselves. =====

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**Connections**: A sophisticated use of graphing calculators is to help students make connections among different representations of mathematical models. Users can quickly maneuver among tabular, graphical, and algebraic forms. =====

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**Realism**: No longer are teachers restricted to using contrived data that lead to integral or other simplistic solutions. Graphing calculators permit the creation of several types of best-fitting regression models. This capability allows data analysis to become integrated within the traditional curriculum; the tedium and difficulty of calculating a best-fit model are no longer factors in introducing data analysis into the curriculum. (pp. 24-32) =====

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Calculators only as good as what you show. Meaning if you show the kids how to do problem on the calculator without them having an understand of the problem then the student then become dependent on the calculator. What you have to teach is for them to use it as a tool and not as something to replace thinking. =====

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Mark Smith percieved the definition of algebra as simple symbol manipulation and that calculators bypass important concepts. So, he was convinced to go to a 2 day technology confrence on technology, specifically the graphic calculator and a week long confrence connecting math and science. The two classes changed Mark's perceptions and gave him a greater working knowledge of graphs of exponentionals and trigonometric functions. "I'm seeing the calculator as a tool to get where I want to go rather than as an obstacle to keep me form going to where I want to go." This is Mark's new perception of the calculator. ===== Mike's science courses began to change.They went from predominantly lectures to more hands-on work, and his students began to incorporate calculator-generated graphs into their laboratory write-ups and into their tests. One of the first incidents after Mike returned from the institute occurred in Mike's marine biology class. Some students asked Mike if it was true that every seventh wave that came onto the beach was larger than the others. Mike answered with the graphing calculator by showing them that waves are sinusoidal and they have different frequencies, depending on what causes them. He put several sine functions with different frequencies together and showed students that a pattern was evident in which one of the waves would be larger than the others and that the pattern was a repeating one. According to Mike, prior to that time he had avoided sine functions in his classes and had always skipped the sections dealing with harmonic motion. "I find that my concept of math has really been stretched into looking at relationships. Rather than the math being an algebraic manipulation, it has now become more of a summation--a relationship of patterns or of tendencies and trends as a result of the various factors that are interacting with whatever problem it is we're talking about.... So then, I'm starting to see a relationship--what is actually occurring in a much broader sense, more than just a solution for a problem. It's now trends and tendencies and the ability to predict and manipulate, because I'm seeing a bigger picture. And so, in that respect, the math is showing me what's really happening--not just a solution."

Matt Byerly

The first article I read was about a multiple number of tests involving students of various grades. Some students were a part of a group that used a calculator and the other did not use one. There were 95 studies that happened. In 47 of the comparisons, there was no significant difference found. In 43 of the studies, the group using the calculator scored higher. In a couple of studies, the opposite action happened which means the group with no calculator involved did better. These studies dealt with elementary students. There was one study of 12th graders, and the non-calculator group did better.

The second article was an article about technology in the classroom. Many sources of technology were referenced, like computers as well as calculators. Graphing calculators can download data from the internet, so they do not have to key it in. Many models vary on what they can do and what they cannot do. The graphing calculator is a nice addition to a classroom. The only bad thing about graphing calculators is the price. The price is about $100, and the whole classroom needs one. Graphing calculators is one of the best technology resources a math teacher could have.

Kafatson Ng The research I found was that students need to be able to understand the calculator. It has been shown that students given with the Ti 83 they only know how to use not more than 15 buttons on the calculator. The other buttons are useless and all the other rich sources aren’t able to be used. The program that is used in most classes is quadratic formula. Also, Mt. Lebanon’s High School Teacher Mr. Ober, and Mrs. Rosenik retired last year!

Use of a graphing calculator was first allowed on the SAT and Advanced Placement Calculus exams in 1994. Now some types can be used on sections of the ACT, A.P. Chemistry and A.P. Statistics, and are required on many state assessments. In June, the revised GMAT will introduce a no-frills calculator, on screen, for the first time, as did the G.R.E. last August. “We’ve included the calculator to reduce the emphasis on computation and to focus more attention on reasoning skills,” says Christine Betaneli, a spokeswoman at the Educational Testing Service, which administers the G.R.E.

Research found by Darcy One interesting article I found on the calculator talked about learning to use the calculator as a new skill. It also said that this skill allows students to be more efficient at mathematics. They compared to calculator to walking and driving. Yes, you can walk from point A to point B, but it might be more efficient to drive there instead. However, before you can drive a car, you must acqure the necessary skills to drive. B Kutzler: The Algebraic Calculator as a Pedagogical Tool for Teaching Mathematics Page 2 of 12 / Oct 6, 2000 "Another method of moving is driving a car. The car is a device that produces movement. The driver needs (almost) no muscle power for driving, but needs new skills: He must be able to start the engine, to accelerate, to steer, to brake, to stick to the traffic regulations, etc. The corresponding activity in mathematics is //calculator/// //computer calculation//. The calculator or computer produces the result, while its user needs to know how to operate it."

The second interesting article that I found was a case study using the graphing calculator. For this study, two random groups of students were chosen. One group had access to the calculator and the other group did not. All of the students were from a calculus class. Both groups used the same text book. The group with the calculators were able to cover the material in 5 weeks, where as the non-calculator group took 10 weeks to cover the same material. Also, the calculator group significantly outscored the non-calculator group on both computational and conceptual exams. It was also noted that the students in the calculator group had slightly more confidence in their success in future mathematics courses.

Funny calculator quote, " The calculator can be used in teaching in a good way or a bad way - it all depends on the teacher's approach. Calculator in itself is not bad or good -- it is just a tool."

Mackenzie Lawler- Most of the research I found was very simple to everyone else. I mainly concentrated my research on junior high and high school students. One of the articles I found discussed how students tend to prefer to use calculators in class. This also tends to make the students more motivated to participate and gives some students who are struggling in the class an easy and safe way to participate. Another positive with using calculators is that they allow to teach more creative problems that are related to the real world. This is very similar to the idea we talked about in class about making all concepts relatable to the students. As many of us know, one of the drawbacks to using calculators is the decrease in basic arthimetic. Although I see this point, students should know this by junior high and high school. Using calculators allows teachers to move quicker and cover more material during class.

Katie Patterson Article #1: Middle School Math and the Calculator by Dr. Louise Johnson Students need to learn the abilites of the calculator but it is important for the teacher to know when to use it in the classroom. The students need to know how to use paper and pencil, estimation, and mental arithmetic to solve their every day problems. The goal each student needs to learn is when a calculator is necessary to solve the problem and when to rely on their computation skills. They need to be able to distingusih which method would be most effective in solving the problem. This will be be taught by the teacher giving them problems they should be able to solve with the calculator or computation skills only. If their skills are not at that level yet, they can use the calculator so certain students do not feel left behind or they can use calculators to check their work.

Article #2 Calculators in Mathematics Classrooms by J.A. Van De Walle education.com Many parents see using calcutors as a crutch and as a way to dummy down the lessons instead of enhancing the lessons and pushing the children to learn to the best of their abilities. Parents need to understand they actually do enhance the lesson and cannot be a substitute for understanding. If they are properly used in the classroom, classrooms and computers require the student to be the problem solver. Students need to understand the problem at hand, put in the correct information in the calculator in order to get the correct answer. NCTM is a long standing believer in using calculors in the classroom to promote learning.