Middle school students need to know about energy concepts and how they can reduce their energy use. New energy-monitoring tools provide powerful opportunities for students to engage in authentic investigations rich in the science practices described in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (NRC 2012), while at the same time advancing their…

As anyone who has taught or taken a statistics course knows, statistical calculations can be tedious and error-prone, with the details of a calculation sometimes distracting students from understanding the larger concepts. Traditional statistics courses typically use scientific calculators, which can relieve some of the tedium and errors but…

Some experiences with a classroom computer graphics facility are recounted to show how such a facility has changed the views of some instructors teaching mathematics at the college level. Teachers are encouraged to search out and seize opportunities to acquire graphics hardware, with the added teaching capabilities promoted. (MP)

The use of a computer to help honors second-year algebra students graph quadratic and higher-order polynomials is discussed. Sample computer programs are included. (MP)

A project developed and evaluated an intermediate form of presentation that provides a virtual dynamic tactile display for use with computers that could complement static tactile displays of graphical material. The device is a two-dimensional extension of the tactile mouse and provides contour and slope information to the user. (Contains nine…

In this article, we will describe the results of a study of 6th grade students learning about the mathematics of change. The students in this study worked with software environments for the computer and the graphing calculator that included a simulation of a moving elevator, linked to a graph of its velocity vs. time. We will describe how the…

This description of the PLATO system over its first seven years describes the development of PLATO III and PLATO IV, lists financial supporters of the PLATO project from 1960 to 1977, outlines highlights in its history, and provides a chronological list of publications about the system. Figures include the locations and increasing numbers of PLATO…

In this article, the author proves a theorem about polynomial zeros, but the focus is on how the theorem is integrated into a QuickBASIC computer program, and how that program answers the questions of the theorem--a unification of mathematics and computer programming. For a given polynomial, how can one overcome assorted problems in finding zeros…

This paper extends and develops theories of mathematical learning to provide a framework for the analysis of classroom video data of students working at a computer in a task aimed at increasing understanding of multiple representations of quadratic functions. Student interactions are coded using novel software tools in the process of analysis, and…

Reviews two software packages: Graphical Analysis III and Lewis Diagrams. Finds Graphical Analysis III to be a fast and versatile graphing program for high school science classes with access to Apple II microcomputers. Lewis Diagrams is designed to aid in determining Lewis structures of molecules and ions for IBM computers. (MVL)

Describes an activity which uses the computer to produce an environment that encourages an inductive reasoning approach to ratio and proportion through a billiard ball simulation. Provides examples of graphs and bouncing ball data. (RT)

Describes a program which allows students to identify and characterize several kinetic inhibitory mechanisms. Uses the generic model of reversible inhibition of a monosubstrate enzyme but can be easily modified to run other models such as bisubstrate enzymes. Uses MS-DOS BASIC. (MVL)