Implementing the Standards: Redefining Computation

Pencil-and-paper computational skills have long dominated the elementary school curriculum. For over ten years we have been hearing that the emphasis on these skills must be reduced because in our technological society they are much less important than in previous times. Furthermore, a valid, frequently voiced argument suggests that the time spent on computation is the one “fat” area where cuts can be made to allow time for the many new concepts and higher-order processes that are more important.