T5 Top Ten Teaching Tips with Technology

							 T5:  Top Ten
 Teaching Tips
with Technology

       Frank Griffin
          Cate School,
         Carpinteria, CA
       TCM Conference
       Durham, NC 2007
                  T5: Top Ten
          Teaching Tips with Technology



• Effectively using technology in the
     classroom is as much about
      involving kids actively and
  encouraging them to think as it is
 about pushing buttons or “bells and
               whistles”
             T5: Top Ten
     Teaching Tips with Technology

        • The pedagogy:
     • Demonstrate, Check
      • Make connections
• Numeric, symbolic, graphical
• Visualize, see it another way
 • Create suspense, surprise
   • Think, predict, analyze
    • Play games, have fun
             T5: Top Ten
     Teaching Tips with Technology



    #10 Starting class:
 Play “guess the function”
by “hiding” the equations in
        Y8, Y9 or Y0
        T5: Top Ten
Teaching Tips with Technology



      • #10
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



 #9        Testing conjectures:
      • Student predictions
• Give the kid in the front row the
        overhead calculator
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology


#8       Seeing patterns and asking
    students to guess and check:
• Using the home screen, tables and
          the Ask/Ask setting
                  T5: Top Ten
          Teaching Tips with Technology



                  #7
  • Projecting onto a whiteboard so
     you can “write” on the graphs;
       make it like a game show
• Using Horizontal and Vertical lines
         in the Draw menu
         T5: Top Ten
 Teaching Tips with Technology



           #7
• the Draw menu
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



                   #6
• Calling on your students randomly
   either with numbers or names
       entered into a program
        T5: Top Ten
Teaching Tips with Technology



          #6
                  T5: Top Ten
          Teaching Tips with Technology



                    #5
     • Using the STO-> key to test
 hypotheses, use parameters, or solve
            to check equations
    • Enter key to “pause” the graph
• typing over an equation to retrace for
              “instant replay”
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



                   #4
   • Showing families of curves
       • (multiple graphs):
• using a list (L1) as a coefficient:
        • y = ax2 + bx + c
       • y = L1x2 + bx + c
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



                   #3
       • Preparing for class:
• Using graph data bases (GDB) to
   save functions and save time!
      • (in the DRAW menu)
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



                   #2
  • Using regular function notation
• Y VARS, e.g Y1(2) or Y1(x+2) to
         show variations and
           transformations
        T5: Top Ten
Teaching Tips with Technology



          #2
                     T5: Top Ten
             Teaching Tips with Technology



          And now the #1 technique!
• Animating curves with parametrics and polar
                      curves;
  • “replaying” the action in real time (using a
                    stopwatch)
   • Use x=T, y=f(T) to animate any function;
              • Using SIMUL and
            • SEQUENTIAL modes
        T5: Top Ten
Teaching Tips with Technology



            #1
                 T5: Top Ten
         Teaching Tips with Technology



• This wasn’t David Letterman, but
       I hope you enjoyed the
    presentation and picked up
    something to enhance your
      classroom and help your
              students.
              Thanks!
             T5: Top Ten
     Teaching Tips with Technology



         Smartview
  TI-84 Emulator Software
         Smartpad
Free “Apps” from TI website
            T5: Top Ten
    Teaching Tips with Technology



     • Frank Griffin
     • Cate School
   • Carpinteria, CA

• Frank_Griffin@cate.org