Analysis of the constraints and potential of the artefact are necessary in order to point out the mathematical knowledge involved in using calculators. Analyzes and categorizes observations of students using graphic and symbolic calculators into profiles, illustrating the transformation of the calculator into an efficient mathematical instrument.…

Reviews tasks and techniques to help students develop an appropriate instrumental genesis for algebra and functions to prepare for calculus. Focuses on the potential of the calculator to connect enactive representations and theoretical calculus. Discusses strategies to help students experiment with symbolic concepts in calculus. (Contains 32…

Illustrates the ease with which programs occupying only a single command line of a graphics calculator can be constructed. (MKR)

Explores the attitudes of a small group of primary teachers towards the use of calculators. Suggests low calculator use in these classes is often by default rather than because of an anti-calculator stance. (ASK)

Discusses the appropriateness of lower secondary school students using graphics calculators instead of scientific calculators. (ASK)

Reviews 10 years of graphing calculators. Examines the issues associated with them and attempts to confront some questions such as, for the teacher, whether graphing calculators should be used in instruction. (ASK)

Presents data from interviews of (n=15) precalculus teachers required to adopt the technology-intensive Demana/Waits Precalculus Mathematics textbook and to use graphing calculators in their precalculus classes. Results showed that teachers recognized the need for well-organized, extensive workshops. Teacher comments showed a disparity in their…

This document presents keystrokes for the Texas Instrument (TI-83) graphing calculator. After presenting some basic TI-83 keystrokes, activities for student practice are listed. This is followed by keystrokes for TI-83 advanced functions such as evaluating function values, finding the zero of a function, finding the intersection of two graphs,…

Many students have difficulties in interpreting position versus time graphs. Presents an activity involving calculator-based motion labs that allows students to bring these graphs to life by turning their own motion into a graph that can be analyzed, investigated, and interpreted in terms of how they actually moved. (ASK)

Presents six examples illustrating both the way in which the level of mathematical demand has been raised, and ways in which the response has sometimes been inadequate with the use of graphing calculator technology. (ASK)

This paper presents three activities on how to analyze rates of change in real-life situations using TI-83 calculators and computer-based laboratories. Activities include 24 hour temperature data, the temperature of a light bulb, and an M&M toss. Each section contains descriptions of equipment/materials, data collection, and data analysis. The…

This issue of Mathematics Education Dialogues focuses on the use of calculators in the mathematics classroom. The eleven articles on this theme include: (1) "Groping and Hoping for a Consensus on Calculator Use" (Zalman Usiskin); (2) "Let's Abolish Pencil-and-Paper Arithmetic" (Anthony Ralston); (3) "Do We Need Calculators?" (Kim Mackey); (4) "How…

Describes an activity in which students are given a set of designs and are required to use their electronic grapher to reproduce the designs. The activity reinforces students' understanding of lines and of the formula for a linear function. (MKR)

It is concluded: (1) elementary school students enjoy doing problems, but have trouble thinking them out; (2) students need to work on a variety of types; (3) calculator use can definitely help students become better; and (4) students need experience in group work. Details of the instructional approach used are provided. (MP)

Ways elementary school teachers might use calculators to help students are noted. A total of nine activities, listed under place value, computation, and estimation, are provided to assist the classroom instructor in effectively employing calculators. (MP)