"Report of a Workshop on the Scope and Nature of Computational Thinking" presents a number of perspectives on the definition and applicability of computational thinking. For example, one idea expressed during the workshop is that computational thinking is a fundamental analytical skill that everyone can use to help solve problems, design…

Since the 1999 fall semester, the TI-92 Plus or the TI-89 has been a compulsory purchase for new students entering one engineering school in Montreal, Canada (almost 1000 enrolments a year). The purpose of this paper is to share impressions of a campus-wide experience and to communicate solutions adopted to help students and faculty members in the…

Drawing from experiences at Ohio State University (OSU) with remedial college students and with 12th grade students without elementary algebra skills, this paper outlines a numerical approach to algebra instruction using handheld calculators. Introductory material discusses problems with traditional approaches to math education and outlines some…

This paper reports on a workshop developed to give middle school teachers experience using the TI-73 calculator as a teaching tool and to serve as a model for the introduction of technology into their classrooms. A booklet prepared for the workshop gave keystrokes used for the TI-73 with an emphasis on features that are unique to this calculator.…

This paper is designed to show how graphics display calculators can be used to analyze data. The paper describes a classroom activity, where students calculate a linear regression on a data set and answer questions related to the regression. Teaching notes, a full solution, and calculator instructions are included as are blackline masters. (MM)

This paper presents the conceptualisation of infinity as a multi-faceted concept, discussing two examples. The first is from history and illustrates the work of Euler, when using infinity in an algebraic context. The second sketches an activity in a school context, namely students who approach the definite integral with symbolic-graphic…

As part of the Electrical Engineering program at the Univesity of Southern Maine, students are typically introduced to Two's Complement algebra and representation, a method to include negative numbers in the binary representation of integers that is widely used in microprocessors and related digital systems. The traditional, procedural method to…

In this report, we give a sociocultural account of the mediating functions handheld graphing calculators and social interaction play in students' mathematical understanding. We discuss the evolution of students' abilities to symbolize, model, and develop collective mathematical practices about polynomial inequalities in instrumented activity. In…

This collection of activities is designed to show how TI-Interactive[TM] and Calculator-based Laboratories (CBL) can be used to explore topics in high school science. The activities address such topics as specific heat, Boyle's Law, Newton's Law of Cooling, and Antarctic Ozone Levels. Teaching notes and calculator instructions are included as are…

Strategies for incorporating a calculator made within FORTRAN programs and a Response Analysis Scheme during interactive sessions are described highlighting salient features of the programs. (Author/SK)

The Mathematics Department at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) (New York) has been actively involved since 1988 in a serious and successful program to improve instruction, understanding, and retention for women and minority students in calculus courses. One result of this work has been students creating calculus animations using…

An overview is provided of the current status of technical and vocational mathematics in the two-year college. Section I traces the development of technical math courses and discusses their function in the two-year college curriculum. Section II examines the use of applied math problems appropriate to particular vocational programs as an aid in…

This paper reports on a mathematics course in an Austrian high school that focuses on probability distributions. Students in this course used a TI-92 during math classes, at home for doing exercises, and during math tests. The TI-92 was used as a tool for calculations and illustrations making the concepts of probability distributions easy to…

This collection of activities is designed to show how graphing calculators can be used to explore statistics. The activities address such topics as data representation, distributions, and statistical tests. Teaching notes and calculator instructions are included as are blackline masters. (MM)

As a means of alleviating math anxiety among business students and of improving their business machine skills, Spokane Falls Community College offers a course in which basic business math skills are mastered through the use of desk top calculators. The self-paced course, which accommodates varying student skill levels, requires students to: (1)…