Re: TI-92 programs requested

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Re: TI-92 programs requested

"Thor, Mary J. Ms." <ThorM@COTF.NAVY.MIL> writes:

> What goodies do you have for a precalc student?  A Pythagorean that solves
> the missing leg when you have one and the Hypotenuse would be good to have I
> suppose.  All I have to share is below
>
> TI-92, Pythagorean Theorem
>
> press apps, press 7, press 3, press enter, press enter, type PYTH in the
> variable box, press enter
>
> :pyth( )
> :Prgm
> :setMode("Exact/Approx","Approximate")
> .......
> .......

        I am sure that we all appreciate the spirit of sharing this message
represents. I am not so sure, however, that I agree with the underlying premise
here, that providing students with a "received program" like this is the proper
_mode of use_ of a calculator/computer like the TI-92 or TI-89 in the classroom
or instructional lab setting. In my own experience, I find it far more powerful
to lead students through explorations on their own, using the built-in tools
and commands of the calculator (of which there are plenty). In general, this
means simply developing a lab project with steps to be followed, including
incisive, tantalizing, open-ended questions whenever possible. Hmm, scratch the
"simply" in that last sentence!

        Another powerful approach is to use the power of the 92 or 89 to store
_scripts_, which can be shared from calculator to calculator. Instead of going
through the development of the quadratic formula at the blackboard, as I used
to do, I would nowadays have the students work through the algebra right on the
home screen of their calculator. I haven't yet got to the step of having
students _store_ their development, with their name included as a comment, and
then hand in the script (using a graph link) for me to look at and comment on,
but I expect to try this soon. Another strategy that occurs to me is
distributing a script that is slightly deficient (an error or a missing step)
for students to fix up or improve on, then hand back in.

        Discussions of this sort, about teaching strategy or other
classroom-related subjects, more typically occur on the GRAPH-TI site instead
of this one. Perhaps it would be a good idea to move this strand there?

RWW Taylor
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester NY 14623

>>>> The plural of mongoose begins with p. <<<<

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