Should Teachers Ban Calculators?

The use of calculators has become a divisive issue. One side believes that students

should be taught to use calculators in early years. Others disagree and believe that calculators

will cause students to lose the ability of using mental mathematics. We all agree that students

should be proficient with calculators and we also agree that students should be able to do mental mathematics.

There are several reasons teachers should allow calculators in the classroom. Calculators

allow students to focus on solving more complicated problems and reasoning. All standardized

testing allow the use of calculators. Many workplaces have some sort of calculation systems such as computers, scanners, and cash registers. Calculators save time. In the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (1986), Hembree and Dessart analyzed 79 studies of calculator use and found that students who use calculators on tests have higher scores in both basic computation skills and problem solving. They found that students who use calculators within a mix of instructional styles do not lose their paper and pencil skills. They also found that students who use calculators in class have better attitudes toward mathematics than children who do not use them. 

I believe students should be able to do the basic mathematics, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, mentally. Teachers can use certain activities that require students to show the work and explain their reasoning in order to check their understanding. By choosing the suitable activities, students should have the opportunity to both: use calculators successfully and do the mathematics mentally. In most algebra, calculus, and geometry classes, the problem solving is a multistep procedure. This means that students do not get to use the calculator until they have accomplished several steps. So should we allow calculators in math classrooms? Or should we implement the use of calculators at a certain grade level?