Letting Go

of the

Graphing Calculator

Brian Macon Valencia College

Professor of Mathematics

My Project

• Goal 1: Reduce cost for students, stop

requiring $120 handheld calculator

• Goal 2: Find free (or low cost)

high-quality alternatives

• Goal 3: Continue using same “calculator”

dependent learning activities

• Active learning explorations

• Project-based learning

• Goal 4: Continue focus on applications

Learning Gains

• Multiple studies show increase in access and

instructional time lead to higher test scores1,2

• Even greater success in classes where teacher

had professional development2

• Mere access does not improve learning1

• Using curriculum that blends numerical,

graphical and algebraic methods showed greatest

success in applications1,3

• Improves student motivation, piques interest1,2,3

• Technology helps make math fun and attainable

for all levels!

“We believe that our students have all the

biological gifts, the inherent capabilities to learn

anything we teach. This belief shifts the focus

from the deficiencies of the learner to the

condition we create for learning.” – Dr. Sanford

Shugart

The handheld calculator is not the only way

to achieve student success:

All About Implementation!

• Active Learning (explorations, scaffolding,

prompts, walk-throughs)

• Authentic Learning

• Project-based Learning

• Varied assessments

WolframAlpha

• WolframAlpha used as graphing tool

• Website is free

• WolframAlpha has an app (not free)

• Graphs are static - Not dynamic (unless

pay for Pro)

• Picky with math inputs (steep learning

curve initially)

7

Graphing With WolframAlpha

8

Calculator Resources

Calculators

• Desmos.com

• Meta-calculator.com

• WabbitEmu

Symbolic

• WolframAlpha.com

• Symbolab.com

• MathCelebrity.com

Desmos Demonstration

14

Wolframalpha Demo

16

Evidence

• Students save $120 not buying handheld calculator

• Use of desmos and wolframalpha are even more

powerful and are FREE!

• Exploratory Learning (student centered)

• Active Learning

• Project-based Learning

• Varied Assessments

• Action-Research project on use of desmos.com

• Qualitative data on use of desmos very positive

based on student feedback

• Collecting data to compare between two online

courses

Resources

• Bennison, Anne, and Merrilyn Goos. "Learning to Teach Mathematics

with Technology: A Survey of Professional Development Needs,

Experiences and Impacts." Mathematics Education Research Journal

22.1 (2010): 31-56. ERIC [EBSCO]. Web. 15 Sept. 2014

• Heller, Joan I., Deborah A. Curtis, Rebecca Jaffe, and Carol

Verboncoeur. "The Impact of Handheld Graphing Calculator Use."

ERIC [EBSCO]. N.p., 28 Dec. 2005. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.

• Kastberg, S., & Leatham, K. (2005). Research on graphing calculators

at the secondary level: Implications for mathematics teacher education.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online

serial], 5(1). Available:

http://www.citejournal.org/vol5/iss1/mathematics/article1.cfm