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Re: Calculators and Science / Math teaching



phys-l@lists.nau.edu:ForumforPhysicsEducators",Internet writes:
<x-quoted>d whether or not they can
learn anything from the work you are doing. I see these TI-92 (??) -
you know the full computer - and wonder if that person will ever learn
what a derivative or integral really is? </x-quoted>

IMHO:

I do a simple linear regression of the data a graphing calculator collects with two temperature probes or I can imput the data that two old fashion thermometers (one reads in o^F and the other in o^C) show at various temperatures. I then have the students, who have gone through Calculus to look at the regression equation, when they see something that approximates 1.8 and 32 ----they invariably exclaim,".......so that is what (linear) regression is!!" In fact, the graphing calculator is better for teaching than the advantage that the slide rule gave me over fingers and tables AND the advantage the first non-graphing calculators gave over the slide rule combined. BUT it means you must assess the students very differently - the kids who can memorize every example and homework problem do not do significantly better then the other students now, which scare some people.
just a thought jim ealy