This morning, I have answered chemistry paper 1, the questions require us not to use any GDC, or so called the graphic display calculator, in answering all the questions. The requirement, made us rethinking a few times again.
Am I capable of answering the questions? Can I calculate all the mathematical analysis that is required in the chemistry paper?
These questions juggle in our mind. Some may have a positive feedback, but some may have shocked and stepped back.
The reliance on the calculating machine may cause our perception towards our own calculating skills dropped significantly. We might not trust the calculations made by ourself and doubts it, as the machine has controlled our way of thinking. Technological dependency also kill our instinct and confidence in most areas. It also de-skill some areas of thinkings, such as the creative calculating skills which emphasizes on fast and creative way of solving a mathematical problems for instance. Given graph sketching knowledge. With the use of calculator, we will straightforwardly brought to the exact graph without having to use our critical thinking to figure out how the graph look at the first place.
Dependency on technologies, given a calculator for example, reduces our alertness on some mathematical topics. We might be less alert to all the mathematical symbols such as the positive and negative signs as we easily obtain the answer just by entering the equation for instance and getting an answer. But , when we calculate traditionally ,we value them very much as the miss of those minor signs will bring a big impacts on the calculation which might lead to re-calculating back the equations. This time consuming process will make us value each of the sign and symbols given.
I always remember my dad, who keeps reminding his workers to learn to calculate the tedious and complex engineering manually without the help of the dedicated software. His reason was very simple, if you we're stationed at a tropical rainforest to handle a job, and the electricity is not sufficient. But the work must be handed in at time. Thus the human skills must be combined to complete the work, without the help of the engineering software.
His saying always plays in my mind. I keep rethinking about it, and to me it holds a truth value. Hence I keep to myself, and make a vow to be not a technologically intoxicated. Not to leave the technologies behind, but not to be in total rely on it. The human are the creator and they invent the technologies, and surely, the human brain are better. Though to some extent the technology can lead us to a better life and eases it, but having traditional method in mind is a better precautions as we might have a day where the technology fails to meet our requirement or the breakdown of it, and we have to rely on ourselves, and if we cant we will fail.
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