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Would abaci be too high tech?

• caseyy 2y ago
  "You won't always have an abacus in your pocket."
• bawolff 2y ago
  Abaci would actually probably be good for making mental math come naturally. As a general rule, i am on team - if you need a calculator in math class then you aren't learning math.
  • thfuran 2y ago
    Because if you're studying real math, a calculator wouldn't help?
    • cyberax 2y ago
      Pretty much. You either do every calculation symbolically, or you need a full-blown computer for numeric methods.
    • bawolff 2y ago
      Either that, or you are trying to teach people arithmatic, in which case having them do it by hand is a benefit.
• SoftTalker 2y ago
  We learned to use them in elementary school (1970s)! It was what I think they now call a "manipulative" as way to teach place value, addition, and multiplication.
• cyberax 2y ago
  An interesting question, actually. It feels like they can be a good teaching tool, compared to calculators.