The Calculator

As an elementary teacher, I am a little wary of calculators.  It's an effort to have children memorize nowadays when information is at their fingertips, and there's an entire debate on that issue.  I will rant one time:  children need to memorize math facts!!  EVERYTHING in math goes easier if they have those sums and products tucked away in their brains.  Ok, I'm done raving.

At home, we've had our share of calculators.  Our kids used graphing calculators for high school math. Banks give them away for free (or used to).  They're handy for lots of adding or balancing the checkbook.  In the last five years, however, haven't they become a bit passé?  Smart phones, iPods, iPads, computers all have calculators.  Do we need free standing calculators?

Look for a family with a high school student or a math teacher who could use that extra graphing calculator.  Goodwill could pass the old Texas Instrument one on to an older person without technology who might have forgotten his/her math facts (fat chance…the older generation was much better at mental math).  Consider what you can rid from your stash today that is no longer needed.