Learning with Calculators: Doing more with less

It seems that calculators continue to be misunderstood as devices solely for calculation, although the likely contributions to learning mathematics with modern calculators arise from other characteristics. A four-part model to understand the educational significance of calculators underpins this paper. Each of the four components (representation, calculation, exploration and affirmation) is highlighted and illustrated, mostly with relatively unsophisticated modern calculators such as those widely accessible to students in Years 6–10, but also recognising some calculator features not available to younger Australian students. Intelligent use of calculators at these levels of schooling offers many opportunities for students to develop a solid understanding of key aspects of mathematics through their own actions, provided our apparent obsession with calculators as merely ‘answering devices’ is overcome