Has anyone used a graphing calculator for algebra?

Hi all. We just completed Teaching Textbooks Alg. 1 but were asked if we have experience using a graphing calculator by public school relative. Does anyone know if that's required in Alg. 2 or college. We did fine without one!!!

Thanks,
D in AZ

As a teacher, I generally introduce graphing calculators in Algebra II, especially if the curriculum covers the trigonometric functions. However, I always teach my students how to do the problem first, then how to check their answer on the calculator.

I teach in two community colleges. Unfortunately, too many students are "calculator dependent". With the introduction of the TI 89, which can do so many things including integration, many students don't want to do any of the work on their own - which I do not allow.

Diann

You could do most of Algebra 2 without one, but after that you have to have one and be able to use it correctly (Trig, Pre-Calculus & Calculus). With the exception of students taking low level math courses at a community college, colleges would expect students to be proficient in using a graphing calculator.

With the exception of students taking low level math courses at a community college, colleges would expect students to be proficient in using a graphing calculator.

I taught Calculus I and Calculus II last year at a community college. You are correct. All of my students were familiar with the graphing calculator. However, I am concerned that many students, while proficient on the calculator, do not have the understanding of the concepts used in actually solving the problem. I was very happy that the "powers that be" in my school required that the students work out most of the problems on the final.

Diann

Thanks all. Is there a tutorial anyone would recommend? I haven't found one online. I know there's a booklet with the calculator but perhaps there's a cd somewhere.

Denise

A friend of mine purchased one of the "for Dummies" books to help her use a TI 89 and she loved it. I know you can buy one of those books for the TI 83.

Also, Kolbe sells a book Algebra and Trigonometry Graphing Calculator Supplement , but I have never seen it.

Diann

If you are going to continue with Teaching Textbooks they have lessons for it in the Pre Calc class

08/23/08

I am a retired math and physics teacher. As an alternative to graphing calculators, I would have my students use Graphmatica. Graphmatica is a powerful, easy-to-use, equation plotter with numerical and calculus features. Graph Cartesian functions, relations, and inequalities, trigonometry functions and much more. It offers on-line help and demo files. In summary, a great tool for students of anything from high-school algebra through college calculus. It is a Free download.

You can find it at Graphmatica.com

As a graphing tool it is far superior to a graphing calculator, In my class room, students had access to a computer.

I never used a graphing calculator in high school but was introduced to it this year when I started college. I found I was able to bypass all the prep. classes and go straight to Calculus. A lot of the other students who used graphing calculators in high school were lost when they could not use them on placement testing and did not understand how to do problems without them. I would leave using graphing calculators to the minimum and stick with a scientific calculator as long as possible.