While "thinking outside the box" can be an over-used phase at times, in the world of grants it can provide the genesis of ideas. The "box" is the world of academia accepted by most educators, while "thinking outside" is the process that leads to grant ideas. In the grant world, "thinking outside the box" is a process of doing something that has…

Asserts that graphing calculators give students and teachers the ability to investigate, explore, compare, and discover concepts in a much more comprehensive way than simple calculators or no calculators at all. Offers specific examples that illustrate the advantage of graphing calculators in the Montessori middle school classroom. Lists three…

Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) can be used to help understand the behavior of cubics and other families of curves. The analysis of the parameters associated with a family of curves can give insight into the behavior of the family and can be used within the context of a mathematical model to determine a policy for the implementation of the model in…

This paper discusses TI-89 and TI-92 graphing calculators as a tool for teaching mathematics. How this technology is likely to affect the teaching of mathematics and the role of technology in general is described. Discussion begins with a comparison of two areas, mathematics and moving/transportation, from a technological aspect, and focuses on…

In this article, the authors describe how to use a TI-73/83/84 graphing calculator and Vernier's LabPro/CBL2 probe system to take pH readings. This is not an endorsement of these products, but simply the authors' attempt to give readers an idea of what is involved in using this technology in the classroom. This activity can be accomplished using a…

This essay describes the role of graphing calculators in mathematics reform. Among the topics discussed are the history of graphing calculators in mathematics education, recent technological innovations, and professional development opportunities. The case is made for a balanced approach between calculator use and paper-and-pencil techniques.…

Which manual calculation skills are still needed when students use graphic/symbolic calculators or computers with computer algebra systems (CAS)? What should students be able to do manually, i.e. just using paper and pencil? This text is the outcome of a two-day discussion on these questions, held by the four authors. Our answers and proposals are…

An engineering professional argues that the graphing calculator is simply a pedagogical tool no more useful than the answer key in the mathematics text.

Asserts that there are numerous advantages to using graphing calculators, including the teaching of higher-level thinking skills and allowing students to draw conclusions about what they are learning. However, mathematics educators face such challenges as teaching students when it is appropriate to use graphing calculators, course-content…

Students undertaking mathematics courses in their final year of secondary education in Victoria are assessed using a combination of school based coursework assessment and examinations. Over the last decade, students have used technology such as graphics calculators, statistical software, spreadsheets, and computer algebra systems (CAS) extensively…

A Maryland middle-school teacher can no longer imagine a math classroom without computers, word processing programs, graphing calculators, graphic design programs, and colored printers and monitors. Aided by these devices, her students made great leaps toward the 21st-century technology goals spelled out by the Department of Education in 1995.…

Discussed are the rationale for, and the benefits accrued from, the use of graphing calculators within all aspects of the secondary mathematics curriculum. Examples are included that highlight specific features of graphing calculators. (JJK)

This paper describes how the TI-92+ calculator can be valuable in illustrating basic and advanced programming concepts in introductory computer science courses. Descriptions of the scope of the curricula for the courses in which the TI-92+ is used are provided. The TI-92+ programming language is particularly useful in demonstrating the progression…

Discusses the rationale and a method for the instructional use of graphing calculators as an intermediary step between the intuitive notion of the concept of a limit and its formal epsilon-delta definition. (JJK)

Discusses areas where teachers may harbor mistaken assumptions about their students' understanding when using graphing calculators: (1) confidence and competence with order of operations, (2) integration of algebraic and graphical knowledge, and (3) scaling a graph. (MKR)