Calculators

CALCULATOR USAGE ON TESTS AND QUIZZES

In some math classes, a teacher often faces a situation in which he or she is giving a quiz or test and which the teacher wants the student to use a calculator on part of the test but not on the other part of the test. I found a good way to handle this. You can do it in either order but I had the students place their calculators on the table in the front of my room and they took a marker out of a box on that front table. (I would put enough markers in the box so that each student could get one.) When they start the test they do all the questions on the test that I want them to do without a calculator. I would group those questions together or designate them in some way so that the student knew which ones they were. They had to do their work, if needed, with the marker, and write the answer(s) with the marker. When they had completed those questions, then they would put their test face down, take the marker back up to the front table, put it back in the box, and then pick up their calculator to finish the rest of the test.

When working with the calculator they show their work with pencil and write their answer(s) with pencil. Because their answers to the non-calculator questions are written with a marker they can't use their calculator to redo the question and change their answer (when they have their calculator, the marker is back in the box). Ink pens can be used instead of markers as long as students use a pencil with their calculator. This method works very well. Students should know ahead of time what kinds of questions they will be doing without the calculator (ideally when you are first teaching the skill). Also the day before the first time I use this method, I tell them about it and show them where they will put their calculator and where the markers will be and so on.