IEP Project

The TI-89 Graphing Calculator

Most computer programs, CGI, and engineering careers rely on higher-level mathematics. Algebra forms a base for all upper level mathematical concepts. In algebra, one tool that can help students understand more clearly the concepts of mathematics involves the use of a graphing calculator. In my classroom, we use the Texas Instruments - 83 or -89. Both are powerful tools that allow easy computation of otherwise tedious calculations. However, the knowledge and algorithms used for these calculations are not omitted. For example, I would not allow a student in elementary algebra to use their calculator to divide 234 by 16 unless he or she has proven on a quiz they are able to do it by hand. That way, the calculator becomes a tool, not a crutch.

In my IEP, I have 7 lessons that involve the use of a TI-89, complete with screen captures on a Powerpoint Presentation. The lesson plans assume the students know the concepts put forth, and are simply using their calculators to get an accurate picture of how certain functions behave and how to perform various matrix operations. Again, these lesson plans are used only after a student has shown me that they know how to multiply two matrices, for example, using algorithms learned prior.

• Lesson 1: Graphing Lines


• Lesson 2: Quadratic Equations


• Lesson 3: Translating and Stretching Graphs


• Lesson 4: Exponentials and their Graphs


• Lesson 5: Logarithmic Functions and their Graphs


• Lesson 6-7: Matrices and Matrix Algebra


• Powerpoint Presentation

Internet Resources

Here are some great online resources for math teachers:

• Purple Math is a great site because it contains links to dozens of other valuable and usable math resources. Links take you to worksheets, quizzes, math games and other fun applications, tests, and software you can purchase.
• Terry Husted's Homepage is a site by a twenty-six-year teacher who admits to not having all the answers, and that teaching is an "ongoing experience." That's an attitude everyone needs to have regarding education. The site has links to sites about classroom management, science sites, lesson plans, and graphing calculator sites. It's a very simple avenue for any math teacher to access great resources.
• PBS has always been one of my favorite providers of educational material, whether it's books or video. Their website also has fun activities for students, lesson plans for teachers, recommended websites, and advice for teachers.

Digital Story

My chemistry class was learning about gas laws, so I decided to create a story about a balloon that had to shrink his head in order to fit into his new helmet. The three gas laws involved were Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, and Avagadro's Law. The story map and script descibes that students learn how the effects of pressure, temperature, and the number of particles of a gas affect the volume it takes.

The story is narrated on youtube. The different specialists that the main character consults are named after the three gas laws above. They each give him advice on how to fit into his new helmet. The balloon, Red, finds a comfortable solution and uses it. The specialists' illustrations are the actual equations for each law, so students can relate the law to each character, as well as what each specialist prescribed.

Assistive Technologies for Reading

by Ted S. Hasselbring and Margaret E. Bausch

This article defines assistive technology and how it is used in education. More specifically, it describes how assistive technology is used to aid students with learning disabilities. 80 percent of students with learning disabilities have reading problems, which hinder them from understanding important reading concepts such as phonetics, decoding text, or understanding what they read.

Two ways assistive technology guides students to literacy

• Reading Support


• Reading intervention
  

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Article Assessment

The Overdominance of Computers
by Lowell E. Monke



I couldn't agree more with the subtitle, "Our students need inner resources and real-life experiences to balance their high-tech lives." In his article about young students and the use of technology, Monke looks its effects on student achievement, character development and lack thereof, and the human qualities that are being overlooked as a result of a seemingly critical need to prepare students for the high-tech age we live in. My article assessment...