We have a bit of a dilemma regarding the math AIMSWEB testing at the high school. It seems that the students cannot use a calculator on the math AIMSweb test. However, on the OGT, SAT, ACT, and just about any other high school or college test these days, calculators are the norm. We have seniors who have passed both the math and the science portions of the OGT on the first try. However, they earned a rather poor score on the AIMSWEB math computation. There appears to be a disconnect between AIMSWEB world and the one that we all live in.
I am all for our children learning the basics. Calculation skills are an important part of learning math. However, once a student reaches this level, calculators are allowed. They have them on their cell phones, watches, and pens. So, what do you think?
As a fifth grade teacher, I am always honing in on basic computation skills. I use AIMSweb to monitor the student’s progress and adjust my intervention accordingly. I feel that these skills are important and will impact the student’s long term.
At the high school level, the concern is quite different. The teachers are geared toward advanced mathematical standards and cannot focus on basic skills. The high school has a bit of a dilemma regarding the AIMSweb math computation testing. The students cannot use a calculator on the math AIMSweb test and are scoring in the 10% on this particular curriculum based measure. The argument is that on the OGT, SAT, ACT, and just about any other high school or college test these days, calculators are the norm. The high school seniors who are scoring low in basic computation skills have passed both the math and the science portions of the OGT on the first try. There appears to be a disconnect between learning basic computation skills and the world in which we live in. Calculation skills are an important part of learning math. However, once a student reaches the high school level where calculators are allowed, do we change our views on basic computation skills? Just think, they have calculator on their cell phones, watches, and pens. So, what do you think?
The fact that they score low on the basic computational test without the use of calculators indicates that they do not have any idea of what they are doing with those calculators, hence they have a weak grasp of mathematics.
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