<p>Whoever commented about calculator reliance:</p>
<p>I believe this is becoming a SERIOUS issue. Many kids in my IB Mathematics class consistently consult their calculators for arithmetic that would have been easily mentally solved in the days of yor, because it had to! We have become enormously lazy. This is also one of the reasons I loved my Geometry and Algebra II teacher, she allowed NO shortcuts on proofs, and when it came time to solve systems of equations anyone who used their graphing calculator for a quick solve received zero points. A calculator is FINE if you know the theory and method behind it, but a crutch for ignorance when you do not.</p>
<p>That is another reason I dislike timed math contests and the math sections on SATs and ACTs: true mathematical skill does not require speed. It should only require concisely and well solved solutions. Putting a time gun to students’ heads encourages sloppy technique and ultimately degrades the experience.</p>