Why Calculators are Useful

Message from an educator

Barry Kissane 13 August 2017

Barry Kissane

Emeritus Associate Professor
School of Education
Murdoch University
Western Australia

Sound use of technology in education requires good technology, and also needs it to be effectively used by both students and teachers. With advice from teachers, CASIO calculators of various kinds have been developed and successively improved to support the mathematics curriculum in many countries. Modern calculators are uniquely designed as tools for mathematics education, unlike other examples of technology, such as computers, tablets or smartphones. For maximum benefit, calculators must be used wisely, however, so this site provides the necessary educational support for teachers.

Educational support takes many forms: in-depth calculator guides, software tools, classroom-ready materials, video guidance, reports from teachers and schools and academic research on calculator usage in education. The site offers support to teachers at various levels. Inexperienced teachers might need help getting started with efficient calculator use or with classroom activities that they can use with confidence. More experienced teachers will be helped by detailed advice on the calculator’s place in the school curriculum, and by considering their own practices in the light of the experiences of other teachers. All teachers will find helpful the classroom presentation software, calculator updates and add-in modules, to ensure that they are taking advantage of the latest refinements in calculators for their class.

An important feature of the support offered to teachers on this site is that it grows dynamically, with contributions encouraged and accepted from teachers in many countries. In the best traditions of exploiting the wisdom of professional practice, the site will allow innivative work with calculators in education internationally to be shared amongst colleagues, maximizing the benefits for all teachers and their students.