Using Calculators

For a teacher a calculator can be the worst thing in the classroom, in other classes the calculator can be a helpful tool for simplifying problems, graphing strange equations, and overall confusion in math.  Most students don't know their way around a normal calculator that adds/subtracts/multiplies/divides let alone a graphing calculator that can do multiple functions.  Here is a website that shows you how to use the graphing calculator, especially the TI 83/84.  http://mathbits.com/mathbits/tisection/openpage.htm this website covers all the math areas from algebra, calculus, trigonometry, geometry, and statistics.  There is also a teacher page, a robot page, and problem/solving techniques on your graphing calculator. 

Students have fun using the calculators and you show trust in students when you allow them to use calculators in the class.  In an article: The Role of Calculators in Math Education by Heidi Pomerantz she states in her research, "When students work with graphing calculators, they have the potential to work much more intelligently than they could if they were not using this valuable resource."

Graphing calculators help students visualize problems and discover mathematical theorems on their own.