My kids spend so much time using the Chromebook’s mousepad to write math equations. It takes them minutes to do what they could write by hand in seconds. Since COVID, schools are experimenting too much with tech, and I’m worried they’ll lose their handwriting skills. Is this something I just have to accept?
Is it fair for students to use Chromebooks for writing math equation; shouldn’t we go back to paper?
Schools don’t usually respond well to complaints from parents. Honestly, unless you’re willing to pay for private education, not much can change.
In the meantime, tell your kids to type out math equations in words, like ‘integral of pi times x dx.’ Or maybe they could learn LaTeX or Mathematica for writing equations.
There’s also a well-known math professor, Keith Devlin, from Stanford, who wrote an essay years ago about this. He argued that this focus on using technology, like Chromebooks, could harm math education because students end up wasting time on form rather than content.
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
Tony1 said:
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
But where’s the integral symbol?
Tony1 said:
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
But where’s the integral symbol?
Use Alt+8747 for the integral sign.
Tony1 said:
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
But where’s the integral symbol?
I agree. The expectations on students are a bit off. Schools push for tech but end up using poor-quality or insufficient tools.
Maybe you could teach them how to use the Character Map to find math symbols, and make a quick reference sheet for keystrokes they’ll need often. They’ll forget the keystrokes, so having something handy they can refer to might help a lot.
Tony1 said:
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
But where’s the integral symbol?
Just type ‘\int’ for the integral sign.
Tony1 said:
You can find the plus, minus, multiplication, and division symbols on the keyboard.
But where’s the integral symbol?
In Google Docs or Word, you can copy and paste symbols or use the insert option for math symbols.
But let me ask you this: when was the last time you were required to handwrite something at work?
@Beatrix2
That’s a great point! A lot of kids these days struggle more with computers than older generations. Sure, they can use smartphones, but typing an email? Many of them are still slow and awkward with it.
It makes sense to develop their computer skills while they’re also learning math. The person who posted this said their kids already know the math well, so adding tech skills on top seems like a logical next step.
This is 2024, not the 60s. Kids need computer skills. If you’re worried about handwriting, you could always give your kids extra penmanship practice at home. There are lots of online resources to help with that.
@KodhekMike1
I don’t think the person who posted this is worried about handwriting itself. It’s more about how long it takes to type math equations on a Chromebook compared to just writing them down.
Schools often provide Chromebooks, but these don’t really help develop real computer literacy. Chrome OS isn’t the same as using a full desktop or laptop. Many kids still don’t know basic computer skills like printing documents or troubleshooting simple issues, even though they’re using Chromebooks every day.
Why do you think it’s wrong for schools to use Chromebooks?
Edu said:
Why do you think it’s wrong for schools to use Chromebooks?
The post explains it well. The person who posted this is frustrated that their kids spend more time trying to input equations on a Chromebook than they would writing them by hand. I totally get it. I’m pretty tech-savvy myself, but when I used online tools during the pandemic without a drawing tablet, writing math symbols with a trackpad was slow.
Sure, you can use Alt codes for special characters, but remembering those or having to reference a list takes time. And if you’re solving multiple steps of an equation, it’s just faster with a pen and paper.