J.E. A calculator is like an air conditioner, you use it when you need it.

You only use an air conditioner in the summer when it is hot outside. You

also have to get the size that you need. You don't get a 9,000 BTU air

conditioner to cool a very small room. Likewise, you use a calculator only

when you need it. You don't have to use a huge calculator like a TI-83 when

all you are doing is basic computation. (Can you tell why I teach math and

not language arts?)

NP A metaphor for a calulator could be that a calulator is a boat on a pond. That boat makes it much easier and quicker to cross the pond than swimming, but, if the person cannot properly steer the boat, the boat does no good as it goes around in circles, never ending up at the other side of the pond.

JE My metaphor for a calculator is “tool.” The ground is that it helps you get the job done easier and it is a means to an end. The tension is that tools aren’t misleading as calculators sometimes are.

BD To me, a calculator is a tool. A student cannot rely on the calculator to get the right answer for them on its own. The student must use the calculator to complete the steps required to solve a problem correctly.

CP The calculator is a tool used to assist in completing a project. It is not a substitute for the human mind though.

NS I believe that a calculator could be considered to be a crutch. This metaphor would work for those students who use the calculator instead of learning their basic facts. This metaphor would not work for those students who are fluent in the basic skills and have a understanding of doing higher level math, they just use the calculator for checking or time.

KM A calculator is like a magic wand, but it is only as good as the user. If the user of the wand is experienced in the method/s for carrying out a procedure, the calculator will have you your solution in no time. However, if the user is not well rehearsed in the powers of this instrument it could lead to chaos and cause the operator to become confused and even question skills that they can perform without the calculator. I say this because I witnessed just this occurrance during the state testing this year. The students were allowed to use calculator during a portion of the test and the ones who chose to use them seemed to get frustrated because they weren't getting answers that matched the letter choices.

HF I am not really sure of what you are asking here, but I will give it a try. I put my number carrots into a food processor. What came out was great for my cole slaw recipe, but my snowman hates his nose now.

TT A calculator can be compared to a baker using a recipe. It will only work when the correct ingredients (information) are put in to produce the desired result (an answer). One wrong ingredient (number, operation sign, negative sign, etc) can cause the end product to be useless (lead to a wrong answer).

MJ My metaphor for calculator is a washing machine. The person has a bunch of clothes that needs to be cleaned. They are put in the machine (input). If everything is put in correctly, the clothes will be clean when it’s finished (expected output).

This will only work if the input (water, detergent, right amount of sorted clothes, etc.) is put into the machine according to the instructions of the manufacturer. However, if you overload the machine, put in too much detergent, or put the wrong fabrics or colors in the machine together, the output will not be what you had intended. Well, it’s happened to me before.

Just like a calculator. If the input of numbers is not inserted correctly, we don’t get the output the way we want. If we don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions we won’t get the in- result we’re looking for.

AS A metaphor for calculator would be a limited brain. As we discussed in class, a calculator can make an infinite number seem finite. You also have to know how to use a calculator, it will not magically give you an answer. The successful use of a calculator is limited to the knowledge of its user.

LM A calculator is like crutches. When in the right situation, such as a child with a broken foot, they are helpful and supportive; but, when there is no need evident, they are just mere toys.

JM There are a couple of metaphors about calculators that I think. The first is a crutch for students who lack fundamental skills and rely solely on their calculator to “walk”. The other is a jet plane, for the students who know what their doing but can get their quicker by “flying”.

DD”. Explain how your metaphor works (the ground) and how it does not work (the tension). A calculator can be seen as a taxi cab. It can get a person to a destination relatively quickly. Getting to the destination all depends on how good the directions given to the taxi driver are. If the directions are good the person gets there quickly. If the directions are okay it may take a little longer route, but still get to the destination. If the directions are bad, the person will get lost.

ML“Scaffolding above the incomplete storey”. I chose this metaphor because it describes how a calculator can be used to supplement learning and enhance it. If used incorrectly, the student is beyond understanding of what they inputting into the calculator, thus it becomes just a tool to get an answer with meaning.

CH A week foundation. Students relay on the calculator too often and do not establish a strong foundation for math skills

SB Metaphor for ‘calculator’ would be a person. This works because people ‘calculate’ solutions to problems. It does not work because the original meaning of a calculator is that it is a mechanical device.