Theres a few schools of thought when it comes to teaching math. Theres the camp that thinks that you should see 285 X 342 and figure out in your head its 97,470. Then theres the other group that goes, well we just need to teach them the concept and then the students apply it. Its people in the first camp that said you'd never have a calculator and just isn't a realistic take on the world anymore. Very rarely do I have to sit down and remember what sin(30) is, but I can still do the trig work I've needed in my day job as a software developer.