The duo of artefacts is a simplified model of the complex systems of various manipulatives (either tangible or virtual) that mathematics teachers and their students use in classrooms. It offers a means to study the complexity of the interweaving of the tangible and of the digital worlds in the teaching and learning processes. A duo of artefacts is…

Discusses the changing perceptions of numeracy in a changing world, and puts forward arguments for integrating calculator use into the earliest school years. (Author/ASK)

Presents an activity on number concepts using a calculator. Suggests that by using a calculator, students can search for patterns and identify them more quickly. This activity helps students make mathematical connections about divisibility rules, carry out investigations, make sense of what happened, and continue their investigation by creating…

Offers teaching suggestions for activities using the TI-73 graphing calculator in middle schools. Topics include the number line, data handling, and algebraic thinking. (MM)

Examples given for uses for the calculator exchange key include: generation of the Fibonacci sequence and geometric series, determination of square roots, and the chief use of the function, which is to interchange the numerator and denominator of a fraction. (MK)

Presents a study in which a group of 25 undergraduate students was given seven whole- or decimal-number estimations and asked to determine the exact answer using a calculator programmed to give incorrect answers. Points out subjects' lack of confidence in their estimation skills as well as a reluctance to question calculator-produced results.…

Presents an activity in which students build their flexibility in using numbers and explore the connections between numbers and their representations with base-10 materials using the TI-15 calculator. (ASK)

Calculators can be used in primary schools in a number of situations. They are most beneficial when working with large numbers, dealing with real data that leads to complex calculations, performing repetitive calculations, developing concepts, estimating and checking, problem solving, and looking for patterns and/or relationships. But what if the…

Examines the idea that the arithmetic calculator can act as a cognitive tool, supporting the amplification or reorganization of systems of thought. Examples were found in which use of the calculator helped pupils work with unusual problem representations and adapt solution strategies in which they focused on planning and monitoring computations…

Calculators that have the constant arithmetic feature are promoted, and examples of ways this feature can be used in lessons are presented. (MP)

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommended the use of calculators in the classroom in 1989. While calculators are more readily available in classrooms today than they were a few years ago, the recommendation is rarely followed in elementary grades. One of the reasons for this is a lack of appropriate classroom materials.…

Presents a game along with several variations involving three players using three-digit numbers to help students improve their number sense on decimal numbers and fractions. (ASK)

Argues that the type of calculator that is used in mathematics instruction is very important. Suggests that four-function calculators fail to give correct values of mathematical expressions far more often than do scientific calculators. (PK)

The first volume of this proceedings contains the papers presented at the 21st annual meeting of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Papers include: (1) "Research, Rhetoric and Reality" (Lyn English); (2) "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men" (Peter Galbraith); (3) "The Intension/Intention of Teaching…

The second volume of this proceedings contains the papers presented at the 21st annual meeting of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Full papers include: (1) "Teachers Interpreting Algebra: Teachers' Views about the Nature of Algebra" (Brenda Menzel and David Clarke); (2) "Long Odds: Longitudinal Development of…