are we too dependent on assistive devices?

[leslie :-D]

that's exactly my peeve marla.

these technological conveniences have definitely replaced the concept of critical thinking and even more pathetic, not so critical thinking.

i won't let my kids use calculators unless it's to doublecheck their work.

all these gadgets have made us even lazier and less motivated.

leslie

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Calculators were absolutely FORBIDDEN in our house until the eldest child was in fourth grade, when she at least had some concept of the basics. Unfortunately, their use was not only allowed but encouraged in the classroom by the time my boys came along, and the 16-year-old never really understood WHY things are done the way they are, or that math is one of the few constants in life: you add two and two, and you get four every single time. On the other hand, my 13-year-old is in 8th grade, but he's taking high-school level math and doing well in it, so that sort of shoots my theory in the butt.