Calculators

Technology has provided us with many different learning tools that assist in presenting new information to students.  The calculator is one of the pieces of technology that assist in the students’ learning and education in mathematics.  Not only is this important and used during school, but many people rely on a calculator in their everyday lives.  The tasks a calculator can perform vary depending on the type of calculator.  There are some that only operate simple algebraic expressions where others can find the derivative of a function.  The calculator plays a very important role in learning mathematics and can assist in completing a task that is too difficult, tedious, or complex for someone to do on their own.  A calculator is also a good way for students to check if their work done without a calculator was completed correctly.  The simplest form of a calculator is one that is capable of calculating the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of numbers.  This is also the foundation of our mathematical knowledge.  When we first learned math we started by learning these four operations that were then expanded into more complex concepts and topics.  As our mathematical knowledge expands, there are calculators that are also capable of doing more complex math.  For example, a graphing calculator is able to graph a function on an x-y coordinate plane.  For a student that is just learning about functions and how to graph them, a visual of a graph will be helpful in the initial lesson of graphing functions.  Another benefit of using a calculator is the time that is being conserved during a class.  By using a calculator, a result is given to you almost instantaneously, which could have taken ten minutes if it was done by a person.  Time is restricted in a classroom each day by the length of the period, and calculators are able to help speed the process of understanding a lesson.   

Not only is a calculator helpful in a classroom, but calculators are used every day outside of the classroom. There are many tasks that are understood how to be completed but take too long or too much effort to complete them so many people rely on a calculator.  While paying a bill at a restaurant many people use their calculators on their phones to find the amount of tip and then the total bill they will be paying.  Calculators are also used very frequently while shopping.  If there is a discount on a certain item it is more convenient for some people to calculate the new price through calculations on a calculator rather than in their head or on paper.  Finally, many jobs, such as accountants and architects, require a calculator to perform tasks in their work assignments. 

The main purpose of technology is to make a situation be more convenient for the user.  Math is everywhere and used for so many different everyday activities.  Such a small form of technology that is used to teach mathematics in schools is also used throughout almost everyone’s lives daily.  There is some kind of impact a calculator has on each person and without it there would have been a different route taken to arrive at an answer.  The calculator is very convenient for the user when trying to reach the solution. 

Technology Autobiography

The three technologies that I decided had the most impact on my life are the smart phone, social media, and email.  All three of these technologies have had affected my life in many ways.  These three technologies are continuously used throughout each day of my life.  My smart phone is the main social connection between myself and friends and family.  My phone has most of the capabilities of a computer and can retrieve information or preform many tasks.  The communication through my phone, whether it is text messaging or calling, is the most used form of communication I use.  My phone is also capable of updating and alerting the user about information through different apps which informs many people of the current events going on in the world.  Social Media is another form of technology that has impacted many people’s lives.  Social media profiles allow individuals to create a profile that describes how they portray themselves.  These profiles are also forms of communication. The ability to share information and opinions on one’s profile is encouraged.  This is a different way you will be able to learn knew information because of the publicizing of a story on a social media site rather than a data website. Finally email is another form of communication and has become much more popular over my lifetime has become increasingly popular.  With the popularity of communicating through email growing, its effectiveness on society has also increased.  I do not, however think that email has an impact on the ways I learn new information. 

Throughout the video I noticed many different uses of technology while amongst the young participants; although I think the main purpose was continuously based from personal enjoyment and entertainment.  For example, a lot of the young people were able to express them through the usage of technology, whether it be having a social media profile, create music, or read and write.  These personal hobbies that are supported or created from technology are also forms of communicating and exposing yourself to information that you may not have come across another way.  However, another portion of the participants from the video were also using the technology for an academic purpose.  Some of these students were using technology to learn languages, write, read, and take pictures.  Technology can be used in many different ways and is a very helpful aid when learning new information.  People in society today have however become dependent on certain forms of technology which can be a very large downside to the usage and importance of technology.