First Lessons with Graphics Calculators
Before starting my review of this resource I offer the following contextual information. In the late 80’s I bought a class set of Casio graphics calculators. Over the next couple of years I learnt to use them with classes across the 11-16 age range. I became a committed advocate of graphics calculators and even ran a couple of INSET sessions as my expertise developed. My next place of work used Texas calculators and I could not find the motivation to re-learn all the functions and key-steps in order to utilise them in my teaching; indeed I was rather cheesed off, to put it politely about having to repeat this learning process… so I didn’t. There are, therefore, omnipresent issues here about the ever-changing nature of hi-tech resources and teachers needing to prioritise time to find out about new operating systems etc. So, when the request to review this book came along, I decided to use it as a learning opportunity; having got that off my chest I offer the following about Alan and Barrie’s excellent book.
I found the book interesting and very easy to use. The illustrations, showing which buttons to press and the key-steps were valuable; copies of different screens were reassuring. I think all the activities are ones that teachers could use, integrate very easily into their teaching and weave into departmental schemes of work. I feel the ‘crib’ sheets for students are potentially very user-friendly and accessible; the follow up tasks splendid. I also liked the notion of no intended progression so the book can be dipped into according to how they might fit into a teacher’s short-term planning. All of this provides a rich resource base for students to help develop their mathematics. How/whether the use of graphics calculators might inform pedagogy is a separate issue. There continues to be concerns about the brain-rotting effects of calculators and I wondered if the authors might have spent a paragraph or two discussing pedagogical implications in the introduction… maybe, maybe not.
I feel this book can be a valuable addition to any mathematics department collection of resource books; it could certain be used as a focus of a department meeting to explore pedagogy and to lay the seeds for colleagues to use graphics calculators in their teaching. Buy it and use it!
Mike Ollerton is a member of ATM General Council and a freelance consultant
Alan Graham and Barrie Galpin
£30.00 + £1.99
ISBN: 0954102053
Published By: A+B Books
Publication Date: 01 March 2005
Format: Spiral, 90pages, 29.7cm height, Ill.
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