Re: TI-89 virtue email needed
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Re: TI-89 virtue email needed
No, you learn what is expected for the course to get the grade
you want and learn what you want on your own for yourself.
If what you learn in class is important you will know it when you
need to use it. Don't get hung up on the small details. It's not
how you multiply or add your numbers that is important but rather
when, where, and in what order you multiply or add your numbers that is
important.
In my opinion, the student is the most important component in education.
Not the teacher, not the institute, not the books, nor the calculator, the
student. What learning that he/she does on his/her own for his/her self
is what really counts. I also believe what the student does outside of
the formal classroom setting with homework or just plain independent
study is far more lasting than the things one does in class. Why have
classes at all? There is where you get direction. Most folks need a little
nudging. Where you go with it is still up to you.
Good Luck
G Wardall
>you say learn the teachers method and forget them to learn the calculators
>method. are you saying on the 89, the calculator actually acts as a teacher
>and SHOWS you how it does it's calculations. for some reason, i'm thinking
>not.
>
>so how exactly does the calculator teach you a newer, better method?
>
>At 12:50 AM 9/2/98, you wrote:
>>Should the TI-89 or TI-92+ be used in mathematics classes?
>>
>>About 20 years ago I was teaching a pre-calculus course to high school
>seniors.
>>One of my students, the second smartest person I ever met on this planet,
>>stopped
>>me between classes. He said to me something like the following: "That
>>method for solving exponential equations you showed us today I will never,
>>and I mean NEVER EVER use. If you have a moment I will show you how you a
>>better way." He did show me a better way and I told him I will never and I
>>mean NEVER EVER use that old method again either. That old method involved
>>working with the characteristic and the mantissa of logarithms. His method
>>used a calculator. This new method with its' speed, accuracy, and pure
>>elegance compared to the slowness, the yielding of only four or five
>>digits, and quite frankly uninspiring older method gave no doubt to me
>>that things were a changing for the better. He told me that if I wished he
>>would do the old method for any test or quiz I choose to give. But come a
>>day when he needed to solve exponential equations out in an applied area he
>>would use his calculator not my old method.
>>
>>Going back even further. About 40 years ago when was in 7th grade I was
>>taught to compute square roots by a method that looked kind of like a
>>protracted long division problem. I believe it was called Hohner's Method.
>>I learned it well enough to do the problems on the tests that year but when
>>it came to 8th grade I forgot it and I had to relearn it. Over the next
>>summer I forgot it and sure enough in 9th grade we got it again in class. I
>>relearned again and forgot it again. In 10th grade we didn't have it but in
>>11th grade we did. I had to relearn it again and forgot it again. My dad
>>had some math books that had better methods. One method was the "divide and
>>average" method the other was using a slide rule. I learned those methods
>>and I haven't forgotten those either.
>>
>>So what does this have to do with using TI-89 or TI-92+ calculators? The
>>Key Number method for factoring polynomials, completing the square for
>>solving quadratic equations, and synthetic division tableaus in polynomial
>>theory are these the Hohner and characteristic and mantissa methods of
>>tomorrow? Many of the things we math teachers make you students do will be
>>a waste of time in light of what can be done with a TI-89 or TI-92+
>>calculator today. In all fairness to the past, present, and future math
>>teachers how are they to know what will be important for the future and
>>what will not be. Personally I don't care if a student uses a calculator or
>>not or which calculator he/she chooses to use in any of my math classes. If
>>speed and accuracy are important then by all means use a calculator, the
>>best calculator you can afford. Today that would be a TI-89 or TI-92+. Why
>>settle for any thing less?
>>
>>If I were a student and the teacher would not allow me to use my TI-89 or
>>TI-92+ in math class I would look for a new teacher. If that's not possible
>>I guess I would learn his/her methods for the tests and forget them later
>>and learn the calculator methods for myself and remember them. Does using
>>one of these calculators give you an advantage over someone who does not? I
>>think so. That's why I use them. I make alot fewer mistakes when doing work
>>with them than without them.
>>
>>Good Luck
>>
>>Gary Wardall
>>UWGB Mathematics Dept.
>>Green Bay, WI
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>At 10:07 AM 09/01/98 -0500, GARY WARDALL wrote:
>>>>From an old mathematics teachers point of view the TI-89 will lead the way
>>>>how mathematics will be taught/learned in the future.
>>>
>>>Would you (or any other mathematics teacher/professor) be willing to write
>>>a comprehensive e-mail to my AP Calculus teacher extolling the virtues of
>>>the 89? Despite all of my reasoning she still refuses to allow it even on
>>>classwork as she says it is "too powerful". Me and a few other students
>>>have 89's (and/or 92(+/II)'s) and were quite disappointed when we brought
>>>our 'great new calculator' to school just to find that it was totally
>>>useless to us (except for the 92's which most of us type class notes on in
>>>other subjects, but thats beside the point). I sincerely hope that she
>>>will regard the opinion of another learned mathematics educator more highly
>>>than she does ours.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Bill Risher Sparr UIN:1952775 ._, . . .
>>>Lorenai #44 Makra FON:9316484164 |_) o | |
>>>Overlord n7hq Decius |_) | | |
>>>mailto://billr1@midsouth.net FAX:9315526807 ^ ` ^ ^ ^
>>
>{-kimo-}
>
>Summers never live up to your expectations . . .
>-kimo
>_____________________________________
><html>
><font size=3>you say learn the teachers method and forget them to learn
>the calculators method. are you saying on the 89, the calculator
>actually acts as a teacher and SHOWS you how it does it's
>calculations. for some reason, i'm thinking not. <br>
><br>
>so how exactly does the calculator teach you a newer, better
>method?<br>
><br>
>At 12:50 AM 9/2/98, you wrote:<br>
>>Should the TI-89 or TI-92+ be used in mathematics classes?<br>
>><br>
>>About 20 years ago I was teaching a pre-calculus course to high
>school seniors.<br>
>>One of my students, the second smartest person I ever met on this
>planet,<br>
>>stopped<br>
>>me between classes. He said to me something like the following:
>"That<br>
>>method for solving exponential equations you showed us today I will
>never,<br>
>>and I mean NEVER EVER use. If you have a moment I will show you how
>you a<br>
>>better way." He did show me a better way and I told him I will
>never and I<br>
>>mean NEVER EVER use that old method again either. That old method
>involved<br>
>>working with the characteristic and the mantissa of logarithms. His
>method<br>
>>used a calculator. This new method with its' speed, accuracy, and
>pure<br>
>>elegance compared to the slowness, the yielding of only four or
>five<br>
>>digits, and quite frankly uninspiring older method gave no
>doubt to me<br>
>>that things were a changing for the better. He told me that if I
>wished he<br>
>>would do the old method for any test or quiz I choose to give. But
>come a<br>
>>day when he needed to solve exponential equations out in an applied
>area he<br>
>>would use his calculator not my old method.<br>
>><br>
>>Going back even further. About 40 years ago when was in 7th grade I
>was<br>
>>taught to compute square roots by a method that looked kind of like
>a<br>
>>protracted long division problem. I believe it was called Hohner's
>Method.<br>
>>I learned it well enough to do the problems on the tests that year
>but when<br>
>>it came to 8th grade I forgot it and I had to relearn it. Over
>the next<br>
>>summer I forgot it and sure enough in 9th grade we got it again in
>class. I<br>
>>relearned again and forgot it again. In 10th grade we didn't have it
>but in<br>
>>11th grade we did. I had to relearn it again and forgot it again. My
>dad<br>
>>had some math books that had better methods. One method was the
>"divide and<br>
>>average" method the other was using a slide rule. I learned
>those methods<br>
>>and I haven't forgotten those either.<br>
>><br>
>>So what does this have to do with using TI-89 or TI-92+ calculators?
>The<br>
>>Key Number method for factoring polynomials, completing the square
>for<br>
>>solving quadratic equations, and synthetic division tableaus in
>polynomial<br>
>>theory are these the Hohner and characteristic and mantissa
>methods of<br>
>>tomorrow? Many of the things we math teachers make you students
>do will be<br>
>>a waste of time in light of what can be done with a TI-89 or
>TI-92+<br>
>>calculator today. In all fairness to the past, present, and future
>math<br>
>>teachers how are they to know what will be important for the future
>and<br>
>>what will not be. Personally I don't care if a student uses a
>calculator or<br>
>>not or which calculator he/she chooses to use in any of my math
>classes. If<br>
>>speed and accuracy are important then by all means use a calculator,
>the<br>
>>best calculator you can afford. Today that would be a TI-89 or
>TI-92+. Why<br>
>>settle for any thing less?<br>
>><br>
>>If I were a student and the teacher would not allow me to use my
>TI-89 or<br>
>>TI-92+ in math class I would look for a new teacher. If that's not
>possible<br>
>>I guess I would learn his/her methods for the tests and forget them
>later<br>
>>and learn the calculator methods for myself and remember them. Does
>using<br>
><font size=3>>one of these calculators give you an advantage over
>someone who does not? I<br>
>>think so. That's why I use them. I make alot fewer mistakes when
>doing work<br>
>>with them than without them.<br>
>><br>
>>Good Luck<br>
>><br>
>>Gary Wardall<br>
>>UWGB Mathematics Dept.<br>
>>Green Bay, WI<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>><br>
>>>At 10:07 AM 09/01/98 -0500, GARY WARDALL wrote:<br>
>>>>From an old mathematics teachers point of view the TI-89 will
>lead the way<br>
>>>>how mathematics will be taught/learned in the future.<br>
>>><br>
>>>Would you (or any other mathematics teacher/professor) be willing
>to write<br>
>>>a comprehensive e-mail to my AP Calculus teacher extolling the
>virtues of<br>
>>>the 89? Despite all of my reasoning she still refuses to
>allow it even on<br>
>>>classwork as she says it is "too powerful". Me
>and a few other students<br>
>>>have 89's (and/or 92(+/II)'s) and were quite disappointed when we
>brought<br>
>>>our 'great new calculator' to school just to find that it was
>totally<br>
>>>useless to us (except for the 92's which most of us type class
>notes on in<br>
>>>other subjects, but thats beside the point). I sincerely
>hope that she<br>
>>>will regard the opinion of another learned mathematics educator
>more highly<br>
>>>than she does ours.<br>
>>><br>
>>>--<br>
>>>Bill Risher
>Sparr UIN:1952775 ._, . .
>.<br>
>>>Lorenai #44
>Makra FON:9316484164 |_) o | |<br>
>>>Overlord n7hq
>Decius &nb
>sp;
>|_) | | |<br>
>>><a href="mailto:%2F%2Fbillr1@midsouth.net%A0"
>eudora="autourl"><font size=3>mailto://billr1@midsouth.net
></a><font size=3> FAX:9315526807 ^ ` ^ ^ ^<br>
>> </font><br>
><div>{-kimo-}</div>
><br>
><div>Summers never live up to your expectations . . . </div>
><div>-kimo</div>
>_____________________________________
></html>