SK> I suggest that it is a poorly constructed analogy. 
 SK> Neither the bark, the
 SK> slate, the pencils or pens of various types, nor 
 SK> the paper replaced any
 SK> thought process on the part of the student. 
 SK> However, calculators can do
 SK> so. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. The challenge to
 SK> today's math teachers is to structure the use of the calculators in
 SK> their classrooms in such a way that students do not 
 SK> use these devices as
 SK> a crutch, or as a substitute for analytical 
 SK> thinking. When students can
 SK> use them as a magic black box which produces answers for them without
 SK> any thought on their part, they will do so and learn little from it.
Great, now this is why I disagree with the analogy also! I posted this so I 
could see if someone would be able to catch the error. I like to have races 
with students when they use calculators, I can beat them on most problems. 
But if I get a student from Mexico that has been in a good school, I let him 
(her) race us all. They use shortcuts and tricks that I had never seen 
before. This is some of the fun I miss from being an elementary teacher.
--- Maximus 2.02
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