I like the idea of not being allowed calculators for freshman year. And the slide rule magnitude too. All that lets you learn to be intuitive to whether an answer is right or not.
You’d be appalled by what’s happening in our high schools these days. Students have to use fancy graphing calculators - and spend a large percentage of their time just learning the calculator. Less time is spent on the actual math or physics now because of that. Many students have no clue what the outcome of an equation is for, for example the quadratic formula, and all they care about is how to plug in A, B, and C because of this shift in priorities.
No wonder we are at the bottom of the international math and science tests!
In 1973, it was more a function of keeping a level playing field than anything else. Calculators were more expensive than slide rulers, and only a few students had calculators.
-- You'd be appalled by what's happening in our high schools these days. Students have to use fancy graphing calculators - and spend a large percentage of their time just learning the calculator. --
Two of our kids graduated a year ago, and the third is in the bowels of the beast now. I spent many hours working with daughter who "hated math," and ended up taking HS Calculus, and enjoying it.
Having a decent teacher makes a world of difference.