One Point of View: Crisis in Arithmetic Teaching—the Future Is Here

Abstract

New gadgets beckon to the imagination, and robots work in our factories and homes. We are facing a society that is increasingly automated, one that is going to change fundamentally the nature of the work expected of human beings. Such a change has occurred once before in history. During the Industrial Revolution, steam engines and other devices began to do the physical work of human beings. Today, computerization is changing familiar work patterns. Computers are taking over much of the mental labor we do routinely and repetitively. They free our minds to engage in more creative endeavors. People must be equipped for such changes. They must be prepared for the nonroutine, the unforeseen, the unfamiliar, and the uncertain. The standards of the past are inadequate for the present and future. It is important to recognize that not only do problems change over time but also do the methods, the tools, and the knowledge required for their solutions.