Calculator versus mental calculation...

Schools in India still follow the same old system and kids in school aren't allowed to take the help of calculators. The first time I used a calculator was in engineering college. And the system continues. So, I usually use my head to do the simple math. I don't think it's a good trend to use the calculator early because even though the kids might know the concepts...they wouldn't work on being quick in their mind and that will affect other aspects of their studies too. I agree using a calculator might be easier...but the kids do need the practice and for their brains to do some active working. Studies have proved that if you don't keep your brains in working condition by keeping it involved in activities that make it work, one might lost out in the long run when performance counts.

First, I love this discussion. That said, despite my great respect for math, I've always had to work really hard at doing the calculations manually. Math is really important and really useful, so I do work at it still, doing little problems by hand with pencil and paper just to keep sharp. Why? Because it is use it or lose it as to the memorized stuff, even though I eat math theory like candy. So, yes, the machines, help, but having lived in a time when those machines where not available to the ordinary person, I don't want to be completely dependent upon them. It is a great discourtesy to students today, though, to allow them to get by without learning to compute by hand first before giving them machines.

nope not that much anymore ..i just do some simple additions and subtraction only..i depend so much on the calculators..more convenient i guess

i used to be very bad at maths ,still may be when given mathematical problems but i'm very good at mental addition subtraction,division and multiplication ,sometimes faster than calculator,surprising isn't it.

I am 26 years old. When I was in school we were not allowed to have calculators for our tests or for doing our school work for Math, unless it was a class about how to use the calculator to do something. Like make a graph or something. I am glad that my teachers made us do it because now I am one of the few people I know who can still do math in my own head. My friends say, oh you are so smart Amanda! But really it's not smart, it's just practice! I think teachers should remember that learning is about knowing how to do it without technology first, and then using technology as a way to increase the effectiveness of doing the work.

I usually use my brain to do the simple ones, but when it comes to percentage, especially when there us a sale i have to use a calculator.

Well I use a calculator if I dont have the time to write out the math or if it woudl take to long to calculate it without paper :P.Last but not least I love math so when i can doa question i do it :).

yes i do. most of the time. i try to do mentally most of the time.I like to do mental calculations.still for something difficult or lengthy i use calculators in my desktop.

I am never good at Math. I can do addition, subtraction with my brain, but other than that I would rely on a calculator. They used to not let us using calculators when I was in school and I am never a fan of math (I never did good). I am so glad that we can use calculators now!

I prefer the mental math , it stimulates our brain and keeps it active.

Hear ye, hear ye! I'm definitely on your side when it comes to this! Personally, I think doing math in ones head helps keep the thinking/deductive processes lucid which helps out in "figuring" out other problems in life. The use of a calculator for me still requires a significant number of digits to be tallied in order for me to forsake pen and paper, mental or real. I still enjoy doing string addition/subtraction on paper (real). It's such a rewarding feeling to process so much mentally to the correct conclusion. But this "craftsman's pride" mindset went out with the '70s it appears, and thus using calculators to add even two one digit values, has become the norm. Deeply saddening.

When I was in my elementary years until I reach college, I didn't own calculator and my family has no calculator, I can use sometimes calculator if I can borrow from friends, but most of the time, i do it on papers and others just like adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, I do it sometimes mentally. there are lots of techniques where you can use your mental calculation to speed what your answer will be.

I use to have mental calculation especially the multiplication table because during my kindergarten days and chinese multiplication memorization. If there zeros in multiplication I only count zero and multiply it by non zeros. thats my mentality.

The calculator is faster but the mind is smarter.

now that i finish schooling and started working i can get the luxury of using a calculator for any calculation big or small. :)

You've said it many of children now a days are using calculator in a very simple math problem. They did not excercise their brain to solve it. Very poor I must say. With my children I did not encourage them to use one for them to learn. If try to discourge children to use calculator they will benifit to it later... As you told us thanks to your teacher. They will do the same as you. Mathematics really needs effort to learn, practice, time to get it perfectly.

Calculators are wonderful. FIRST, children need to learn math without calculators. Then they'll have a background that will serve them well just in case. I was never good at math, but I know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide on paper. When I'm on mylot sometimes I need to do a little quick calculating. I'm not going to go into another room for my calculator and the one on my computer is "lost" so I get out a piece of scratch paper and do it the old fashioned way.