Should elementary students be using calculators?

I know that we all should know how to do the math out long ways, but, seriously, how many people really still do long hand anything anymore? We live in a computerized world, and we should expect that they are going to want to use a calculator.

Only if their math is that advanced which I highly doubt it is!!!

primary grades should be learning to memorize the tables not depending on technology to find the answers for them.

i teach seconday, and the kids there can not to basic adding and subtracting without a calculator. i always make my students get a library card adn have at least 1 report where no source cited is from an online search. what is so sad now is that you can not even look up a book in the public library without the use of technology which means when our infrastructure collapses and the power grid fails no one will be able to do anything because we have left behid writing skills and all other traditional non technological skills behind.

no

Depend on what kind of class they are taking

THEY WORK IS SOOOOO EASY...THEY CAN USE THIER FINGERS

They will become too dependent on the damn thing

The need to learn math skills and will never learn how if they start using calculators. The use of math in every day life is vital.

My daughter is an engineer with two degrees, she asks me how much something is when it's on sale because she can barely do math in her head without a calculator. She's always used one and it shows. Children should not use one until they're in high school.

this was my calculator ,

I work as a student aid, I have seem them used in 5th grades classes but only to check their work, these kids are doing so really hard math these days

They should learn the concepts certainly. but a calculator is a tool of the trade.

Students do NOT have a trade. They are in school to learn.

that's gibberish

Saying that a calculator is a tool of the trade when public students are not engaged in any trade is gibberish.

You do not make change any any check out counter with a calculator amd you are expected in most carreers to be capable of understanding the majority of math principles and USE them without pulling out your calculator. If you can not operate on the fly, you are left in the dust.

Obviously, an idiom is beyond your comprehension. Have fun with your word games.

I am very well educated and know exactly what idioms are. School children are not part of any association of that type of verbage and need to actually LEARN befor they get tools. Your idiocy is profound.

get a life.

It is important for them to learn it the long hand way so they will have a better understanding of math

NO .. never ..
learn the basic skills ..
learn how to do math with paper and pencil ..
NO CALCULATORS in the elementary years!

Nope. They weren't allowed in school when I was attending. We had to do math the old fashioned way: in our heads. Children should be taught to use their heads before they can use calculators.

We used calculators in elementary school a lot, and some of us never learned basic multiplication tables. And that's a shame really. Me on the other hand, Im very good at math and almost never need a calculator. On of my strongest abilities.

In elementary school you're being tested on basic math skills. Addition, subtraction multiplication, division. It's pointless if you use a calculator.

Not until they've mastered the skills to perform the operations without one!

NO .......

What should they use instead? Abacuses? I say it should be a mixture of both. What is disturbing though was watching a girl at McDonalds panic one day because their computers were down and they had to do everything manually. I gave the girl my money and she about went into panic mode because she didn't know how to make change. However, no doubt she knew how to get access to condoms at her school. But I digress....there is nothing wrong with calculators.

I have seen that happen, I watched one clerk flip out because I did not want 98 cents in change so I handed her 2 pennies. I got a reaction that I would expect if I handed her a giant fuzzy spider.

They should be leaning math and how to use it properly so they will not be mathematically illiterate when they get out of high school.

Every one in society needs to learn to count, multiply and divid. If they cannot do that, they will never be functional in society.

No has our school system made math so hard that they need one?

along with math concepts

ok.... I agree with that.... but they shoud not depend on calculators.....
I have so many I try to train.... but, they can't even take $4.50 out of $5.00.......
It blows my mind..... I'm thinking seriously..... you don't know???
Sad......;(

ya just what we need even lazier ,lower iq kids

IKR!

:)

:(

why frown ? you dont agree obviously

I think they need to count without calculators.... that's all.....;)
and lazier kids we dont' need.........

ahh you mean like we had to before they let them use em :)

yes like we had too....!