Technology in the Classroom

Technology in the Classroom

Greetings Math 2 parents. I hope that my blog is very helpful as I attempt to convey what I am teaching your children and what is going on in my classroom. With that said I will delve right into the specifics. Right now we are nearing the end of our Quadratic Functions unit. At this time your child should know multiple techniques for solving quadratic equations. These techniques include solving by factoring, solving by taking square roots, solving by completing the square, solving by using the quadratic formula and finally solving by graphing. Your child has also been introduced to various ways of solving quadratic equations by graphing. Not only do they know how to solve by using graph paper and creating the graphs of quadratic equations in standard form, vertex form, and intercept form by hand, but they also know how to do all of this when using technology. Yes, we have a classroom set of TI-84 graphing calculators that they have been learning to use on a daily basis. Incorporating technology into learning is growing increasingly more and more important. As you know the world is constantly changing because of technology and it is important for students to know as much as they can about new technology to keep pace with the rest of a very competitive world. That is why I promote being equally efficient and knowledgable when it comes to various math concepts with and without the use of calculators. To get an idea of what these calculators look like and what exactly I am talking about you can got to the Texas Instruments website, http://www.education.ti.com/ , and view a tutorial. At this website you can also buy a calculator for your child (they range from $80 to $140) if you decide that it is worth the price. Other great websites for you and your child to learn more about calculator technology include http://www.tialgebra.com/ and http://www.atomiclearning.com/. Below I have added a link to a quick tutorial. If you don't want to go to the texas instruments website you can just click on this link and it will quickly show you how to graph a basic linear equation: http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/en/movie/16258/play_window?type=Tutorial&sid=1365