Lanny Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 During July, I began a thread about the price of these calculators, which had dropped significantly, since the product launch during January 2015. I bought one for DD from Amazon. Knowing that I was going to buy one of those calculators for DD for her Algebra 1 course, during June, I purchased this book, for $7.26 plus shipping, from an Amazon Marketplace Seller. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118592158?ref_=cm_rdp_product When I bought the book, I hoped that it would help DD, if there were any differences in what her course showed, for a TI-84 Plus calculator and the way her TI-84 Plus CE calculator works. Also, I hoped that it would help her to learn how to use the full power of the calculator. This morning, before Breakfast, DD told me, "You were right to buy that book for me!". She began the Algebra 1 course, 2 or 3 weeks ago and the book has already been helpful to her. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Thanks. I got the calculator for my 13 yo. She's been playing around with it but a book would be very helpful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I need that. We're still graphing everything by hand. It's so much faster for us. I think I'll add that to my list, thanks!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My boys like these. We used library copies. Using the TI-84 Plus (2015 edition) http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1617293156 Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus (2012 edition) http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1617290777 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Why are they using a graphing calculator in algebra 1??? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Why are they using a graphing calculator in algebra 1??? Because the publishers and TI are buddies :P It is required for Larson algebra 1 which is a common public school textbook. You can see examples of calculator instructions from page 16 onwards of link which is a 52 page sampler http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/edserv/klauderm/Timelines%202014_15/HMH%20Curriculum%20Planning/Holt%20Algebra%201%20Honors/LA1_CCCC_SE.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Because the publishers and TI are buddies :p It is required for Larson algebra 1 which is a common public school textbook. You can see examples of calculator instructions from page 16 onwards of link which is a 52 page sampler http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/edserv/klauderm/Timelines%202014_15/HMH%20Curriculum%20Planning/Holt%20Algebra%201%20Honors/LA1_CCCC_SE.pdf Good grief. No wonder our college students are completely calculator dependent. Using the calculator to graph straight lines teaches them absolutely nothing - except how to use the calculator. If the best math curriculum manages to get by without a calculator all the way through calculus, you'd think an average program might manage to teach them at least through algebra 2 without one? Geez. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 … If the best math curriculum manages to get by without a calculator all the way through calculus … Regentrude, Would you mind telling us which curriculum you're talking about? Thanks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 FYI: I just purchased the TI-84 Plus CE for my older Dd to use for Saxon Advanced Maths. It actually comes with a copy of the book referenced by OP, so if you are in a market for this calculator -- you may not want to run out and buy the book separately. eta: actually, it's just a smaller/similar booklet. At any rate, purchasers of the calculator may want to wait to see if the other book is needed before rushing out to buy it. My dd doesn't find anything additional to be necessary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Regentrude, Would you mind telling us which curriculum you're talking about? Thanks. Art of Problem Solving. They allow a regular calculator on about 2 or 3 problems per year. Otherwise, everything is designed to be worked completely without calculator. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 Why are they using a graphing calculator in algebra 1??? My guess is that it is the beginning of familiarization with the hardware/software, because the calculators are permitted (or required?) for the SAT and ACT exams. There is a section of the SAT that requires the use of a graphing calculator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My guess is that it is the beginning of familiarization with the hardware/software, because the calculators are permitted (or required?) for the SAT and ACT exams. There is a section of the SAT that requires the use of a graphing calculator?The general SAT and the ACT does not require a graphing calculator, just a scientific calculator. One kid of mine did the practice papers without using a calculator at all just for fun. The graphing calculator is for AP Calc and maybe some subject exams. Page 1 is clear about calculator requirements for SAT and AP and which exams have a no calculator policy. https://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/pdf/CBCalculatorPolicies2014.pdf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My guess is that it is the beginning of familiarization with the hardware/software, because the calculators are permitted (or required?) for the SAT and ACT exams. There is a section of the SAT that requires the use of a graphing calculator? No. Graphing calculators are not required on the SAT or ACT. Calculator use is permitted, but a simple scientific calculator suffices completely, even on the SATII Math subject test. The only standardized test that requires a graphing calculator is AP Calc which has questions designed specifically so they can only be solved with a graphing calculator (for which purpose, I cannot imagine) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I actually saw a post on facebook the other day that a friend of mine needed a graphing calculator for her son. He is in the 7th grade!! This is for a small private school and I don't think it is advanced. I turned to my daughter and said if it was my kid I would want to know why they are not teaching math. You don't need a graphing calculator for 7th grade math. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We're 22 lessons into Saxon Advanced Math and we've only used a basic scientific calculator, with no graphing. My concern is when my dd transitions to dual enrollment she'll be expected to do things in the calculator versus manually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We're 22 lessons into Saxon Advanced Math and we've only used a basic scientific calculator, with no graphing. My concern is when my dd transitions to dual enrollment she'll be expected to do things in the calculator versus manually. Or, quite possibly, her math and physics classes may not permit any calculator use at all. ETA: Just today I was frustrated because as every semester, my college students are unable to sketch the basic shape of a function without a calculator, by thinking about asymptotic behavior and signs. It will be much simpler to learn how to use a calculator when it is needed then it is to learn all those math concepts that were not learned because the calculator substituted for conceptual understanding. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Or, quite possibly, her math and physics classes may not permit any calculator use at all. ETA: Just today I was frustrated because as every semester, my college students are unable to sketch the basic shape of a function without a calculator, by thinking about asymptotic behavior and signs. It will be much simpler to learn how to use a calculator when it is needed then it is to learn all those math concepts that were not learned because the calculator substituted for conceptual understanding. Thank you. This is really encouraging. I figured I'd learn the TI and explain it as needed, but stick with actual math. I'm an HP girl myself so this is a new curve for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 DD is using Larson Calculus (8e). This is the same edition used by her older sibs in public school and like them, we work all the problems without the calculator. Larson always has problems in each section to be done on the calculator - she plugs them into the calculator after she has done all the work by hand. The TI-84 is a nice tool, but it's not a replacement for actually learning the math. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 All of the comments in this thread about the calculators were very interesting! Before the TI-84 Plus CE arrived from Amazon/Miami I googled, to see how one would use it, for Algebra equations. As I recall, it gives the final answer, so I guess for my DD or someone taking Algebra 1, it is a check, to see if they got the correct answer. I also gave DD an old Radio Shack Scientific Calculator that I must have purchased for work, after my 2nd or 3rd TI Programmer calculator died. That one has the manual that came with it. We have another one, that I can see as I type this, a Casio, but I don't know where the manual for that one is. I think we bought that one when my wife was a Distance Learning/Hybrid (one Saturday a month) student in the public university in Cali. It's not in as good condition as the Radio Shack calculator, which is much older. In the case of DDs math courses from TTUISD, I believe they *always* require the students to show their work, so the instructor can see whether or not they are going off the deep end and I believe that is the best method The comments here have me wondering why the schools are teaching the use of Graphing Calculators, but that's what they are doing, so one needs to comply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Some students will be in for a big surprise when they go to take the new PSAT (less than two weeks from now) and find that one part of the math test does not permit the use of calculators. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Some students will be in for a big surprise when they go to take the new PSAT (less than two weeks from now) and find that one part of the math test does not permit the use of calculators. :hurray: Thanks for the heads up. That will be *very* interesting, for the students who take the PSAT... DD was incredulous, when I asked her if she is always required to show her work in TTUISD Math courses. She cannot imagine learning Math, without doing that. Apparently, there are some schools/instructors who do not require that, and when their students get into a class taught by "regentdude", some of those students are lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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