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It's interesting to read the myriad of different potential causes shared in the comments.

The biggest problem with my kids' math studies that I've noticed since COVID has been having the kids solve problems exclusively using the computer, with no prompting to work things out on paper. They just stare at a screen and try to think of what their next step should be so they can type it into MathSpace.

I love math and do very well at it, generally, but trying to do it without writing it down and lining up the numbers and operators on the paper in a way that makes sense, crossing off items that have been reduced away, and regrouping the problem as my understanding of it evolves is maddening for me as an adult. I can only imagine what goes on inside my 13 year oldest head. I'll always grab a sheet of paper to show him how I would approach it, but he won't do it for himself. He's more likely to ask the DESMOS calculator site for a hint over and over again until it basically solves the problem for him. Who can expect actual understanding and retention when that's possible? He just wants the homework over with.

I think the push for technology in the classroom has been too aggressive. It's great that the tech is increasingly available. How to build and implement it for the optimal results still needs more time in the oven.



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