Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom

Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom 550

Posted by michael on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:44PM from the crutches-for-the-weak-minded dept.

TheMatt writes "CNN.com is reporting about a new conflict perhaps emerging in classrooms: calculators v. PDAs. The article talks about how TI seems to be making their latest calculator more PDA-like, while PDAs are gaining TI-like functionality. A comment on current math education is this quote from the article: "When you have circles and ellipses, there is no way you'd be able to do this without a calculator," Jarvis said. "It helps us visualize what we're doing." Were the compass and geometry uninvented?"

Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom

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PDA?? (Score:4, Funny)

by ackthpt ( 218170 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:47PM (#3689606) Homepage Journal

Like, why not just go straight cellular and connect to the internet or your home beowulf cluster?
The downside of being a geek is you don't know whether to lose face admitting your system is down and you can't reach it -or- admit you really didn't do your homework, thus can't download it.

TI-86 (Score:3, Funny)

by sheepab ( 461960 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:47PM (#3689615) Homepage

I always remember playing SimCity on my friends TI-86 during math class, does this mean I can play it on a PDA too?! Anyone else play SimCity on a TI? It was pretty damned good for a calc game.

Remember when... (Score:2, Funny)

by jbarr ( 2233 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:51PM (#3689645) Homepage

...you had to sneak a calculator into class for fear that you would get caught cheating?

Man (Score:2, Funny)

by GigsVT ( 208848 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:53PM (#3689665) Journal

Just the other day I saw someone use a butane lighter to light a cigarette. Apparently they don't even know the basic ways to make fire anymore. Was the tinder box uninvented?

Re:The real question is... (Score:2, Funny)

by sheepab ( 461960 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:53PM (#3689670) Homepage

Students already cheat, having a PDA will only make it easier for them so I dont really see a difference between a student having a graphing calculator to store awnsers or a PDA. Both can help a student cheat just the same. Except a PDA could let you cheat in COLOR!

Re:PDA?? (Score:3, Funny)

by DocSnyder ( 10755 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:57PM (#3689696)

Like, why not just go straight cellular and connect to the internet or your home beowulf cluster?
With WLAN or Bluetooth networking, you could even build a classroom-wide Beowulf cluster _with_ PDAs...

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:5, Funny)

by DNS-and-BIND ( 461968 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:58PM (#3689706) Homepage

Tip chart? My latest cell phone will calculate tips!

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:2, Funny)

by BigGar' ( 411008 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @05:59PM (#3689721) Homepage

I know several people that can't calc a 10% tip in their head, can't guestimate even.

Re:PDAs dont' have buttons! (Score:3, Funny)

by dciman ( 106457 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @06:10PM (#3689826) Journal

Too bad there are no more HP calcs.... RPN was awsome to use.

No kidding -- calculators stifle thinking... (Score:3, Funny)

by Dr. Zowie ( 109983 ) writes: <slashdot@defores t . org> on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @06:32PM (#3689952)

... at all levels. In the early 90s I TA'd a course in statistical mechanics at Stanford. We got to the inevitable part where you have to calculate the expected wait time before all of the air in the room accidentally ends up under the desk. It turns out to be something like 10^130 seconds -- a very, very long time. The most common answer was "too long for my calculator", because after all most calculators can only go up to 9E99.

How annoying. You'd think they'd just switch to calculating the logarithm of the answer, or divide by 10^75, or something. But, no, "very big" was enough for most. These were Stanford students, too -- supposedly the cream of the (western half of the) nation's crop of students...

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:2, Funny)

by j1mmy ( 43634 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @06:47PM (#3690034) Journal

as long as the "ole fashioned" ways (i.e. by hand on paper) are taught/learned first.

Agreed. All computer science education will now start with punch cards and move forward to more modern tools.

Re:other conflicts? (Score:2, Funny)

by Arthur Dent ( 76567 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @07:51PM (#3690422)

i've taken business classes like the ones you've mentioned, and there is no calculator needed or aloud.

Quite right. Loud calculators tend to disturb the teachers & neighbouring students.

Who Wants to Be a Millionare? (Score:3, Funny)

by Mad Man ( 166674 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @08:28PM (#3690666)

Like, why not just go straight cellular and connect to the internet or your home beowulf cluster?

Can students use their cel phones to call their life-lines during exams?

Yes, I uninvented them (Score:4, Funny)

by Kohath ( 38547 ) writes: on Wednesday June 12, 2002 @09:01PM (#3690830)

I was recently awarded the unpatent. Non-users of "the compass and geometry" must cease their inaction immediately, or I'll be forced to litigate.

Uninventing (Score:2, Funny)

by Wechsler ( 551653 ) writes: <wechsler@fromthe ... s.com minus city> on Thursday June 13, 2002 @08:36AM (#3692841) Homepage

So it's started already... with compasses and protractors. From observation of such sent-back-through-the-wormhole documentaries from the future as Star Trek and Babylon 5, you'll be able to determine at what point the uninvention of fuses, fire extinguishers, money and fashion sense occur.
And probably plenty more I'd not thought of...

Re:PDA?? (Score:2, Funny)

by kasparov ( 105041 ) writes: on Thursday June 13, 2002 @09:29AM (#3693131)

Wow! When I was in school, PDA was strictly prohibited. I mean, holding hands was ok, but anything else and it was straight to the principles office.

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Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom 550

Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom More Login

Calculators vs. PDAs in the Classroom

PDA?? (Score:4, Funny)

TI-86 (Score:3, Funny)

Remember when... (Score:2, Funny)

Man (Score:2, Funny)

Re:The real question is... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:PDA?? (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:PDAs dont' have buttons! (Score:3, Funny)

No kidding -- calculators stifle thinking... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Lets crawl before we walk... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:other conflicts? (Score:2, Funny)

Who Wants to Be a Millionare? (Score:3, Funny)

Yes, I uninvented them (Score:4, Funny)

Uninventing (Score:2, Funny)

Re:PDA?? (Score:2, Funny)

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