Re: Being careful with dimensions

[Lois Breur Krause <krause@CLEMSON.EDU>]

> One way to fix all of this would be to demand calculators that *do* keep
> track of units, but I suspect that students would be better served by
> calculators that do *not* keep track of powers of ten!
hear hear!  anyone for returning to slide rules???  i think i still have
one here in my desk drawer.  i chuckle when i hear of kids getting in
trouble for using calculators to do arithmetic when they aren't supposed
to.  i got in trouble in 4th grade for doing my math classwork on a slide
rule. never did memorize the times tables.  every generation has its crutch
i guess.

Dr. Lois Breur Krause
Department of Geological Sciences
442 Brackett Hall
Clemson University
Clemson SC  29634

krause@clemson.edu
http://home.earthlink.net/~breurkrause

teaching chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology to elementary education
majors.

How We Learn and Why We Don't: Student Survival Guide,
available from International Thompson Publishing, ISBN 0324-011970
800-355-9983

If I had one wish for our nation,
I would wish for a turn about of what we value in a person.
We value athletic prowess, and not intelligence.
We value physical attractiveness, and not beauty of the soul.
We value cunning and wealth, and not honesty and integrity.
These lessons should be taught to our youth.
Instead our schools demand athletic competition of every student,
and denigrate the scholar.
Failing to reward excellence rewards failure. - Dr. L. Breur Krause