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FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1976
CALCULATORS ARE TEACHERS' TOOLS OF THE TRADE
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A CALCULATOR, ALTHOUGH NOT INDISPENSABLE, IS OF IMMENSE HELP TO TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, STATISTICS AND TECHNOLOGY AND COULD NOW BE REGARDED AS A TOOL OF THE TRADE, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PROFESSIONAL), MR. HO NGA-MING SAID TODAY WHEN HE OPENED A SEMINAR AND EXHIBITION AT KING GEORGE V SCHOOL TO EXPLORE THE USE OF CALCULATORS IN SCHOOLS.
+A CALCULATOR ENABLES THE TEACHER TO CHECK MARKS AT ANY STAGE IN A QUESTION, THIS MAKES MARKING MUCH EASIER. ALSO, TO SOME EXTENT, IT LIBERATES THE TEACHER FROM THE TEXTBOOK. AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, THE TEXT MAY BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH AN EXTRA SET OF QUESTIONS, EASILY AND QUICKLY WITH THE MINIMUM OF TROUBLE,+ HE SAID.
IN A THOUGHT-PROVOKING SPEECH, MR. HO SAID THE PRIME QUESTION WAS WHETHER STUDENTS SHOULD USE CALCULATORS AND, IF SO AT WHAT LEVEL.
+THERE ARE VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW, BUT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THESE CAN BE POLARISED INTO TWO OPPOSING OPINIONS.
+ONE VIEW IS THAT THE CALCULATOR WILL BECOME SOME SORT OF CRUTCH AND OUR CHILDREN WILL FORGET HOW TO PERFORM EVEN THE SIMPLEST CALCULATIONS.
+THE OTHER VIEW ASSERTS THAT OUR CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE USED AS CALCULATING MACHINES - RATHER LET THE CHILDREN USE THE MACHINES. THIS IS NOT JUST A SPECULATIVE ARGUMENT IT IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND HAS TO BE THOUGHT OUT VERY CAREFULLY, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR STATED.
HE CONTINUED WITH A NOTE OF CAUTION: +WE DON'T WANT TO JUST DRIFT WILLY-HILLY INTO USING CALCULATORS: WE MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO USE THEM, WHEN AND HOW TO USE THEM.
+THERE IS A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CALCULATORS USED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE SYLLABUS, LIKE A SLIDE RULE, AND THEIR BEING STRUCTURED INTO THE TEACHING SITUATION AND THE CURRICULUM,
MR. HO URGED THE SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS TO DISCUSS AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS WHICH HE PUT TO THEM AS MATHEMATICS TEACHERS.
AMONG THE QUESTIONS WERE: CAN CALCULATORS BE USED IN EXAMINATIONS? SHOULD CALCULATORS BE LIMITED TO THE UPPER FORMS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS? SHOULD THE SYLLABUS FOLLOW THE CALCULATOR OR VICE VERSA?
+YOU MAY NOW BEGIN TO REALISE JUST HOW COMPLEX THE SITUATION IS AND HOW MANY QESTIONS NEED ANSWERS. THERE ARE CERTAINLY MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, HE TOLD THE PARTICIPANTS,
WHETHER CALCULATORS WOULD FIGURE PROMINENTLY IN FUTURE CURRICULA REMAINED TO BE SEEN. BUT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAID ONE THING WAS CERTAIN CALCULATORS COULD NOT BE IGNORED.
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