Blog : T³ Learns

12Jan 2021 by Michelle Rinehart

Operating on Lists

This post extends the Teaching Foundations of Computer Science with Python on TI-Nspire™ Technology workshop to study additional topics from Computer Science with the support of TI-Nspire II Python coding technology. In this post, we will operate on lists (also known as arrays) and their elements, then use these operations to analyze lists and their elements. In this blog post, we will: Perform operations on lists and their elements; and, Use operations to analyze lists and their elements. Materials for Learning Work along with this blog post by downloading the following materials: Unit 5 Activity 3: Operating on Lists Working with 1D Arrays Notes Page Also, you’ll want to have the following handy: TI-Nspire CX II (with updated OS) Getting Started with List Operations In the last blog post in…

11Jan 2021 by Michelle Rinehart

Programming with Lists

Coding, Professional Learning

This post extends the Teaching Foundations of Computer Science with Python on TI-Nspire™ Technology workshop to study additional topics from Computer Science with the support of TI-Nspire II Python coding technology. In this post, we will explore the basics of programming with lists (also known as arrays), including creating and editing lists. In this blog post, we will: Describe the basics of lists in programs; and, Write programs that use and edit lists. Materials for Learning Work along with this blog post by downloading the following materials: Unit 5 Activity 2: Programming with Lists 1D Arrays Notes Page Also, you’ll want to have the following handy: TI-Nspire CX II (with updated OS) Unit 5 Activity 2: Programming with Lists A great introduction to working with lists can be found in…

11Jan 2021 by Michelle Rinehart

Recursion

Coding, Professional Learning

This post extends the Teaching Foundations of Computer Science with Python on TI-Nspire™ Technology workshop to study additional topics from Computer Science with the support of TI-Nspire II Python coding technology. In this post, we will explore recursion, a form of iteration that includes repeated, nested calls of a function. In this blog post, we will: Define a function using explicit notation; Define a function using recursive notation; and, Use return to send values to another function. Materials for Learning Work along with this blog post by downloading the following materials: Unit 5 Activity 1: Recursion Recursion Notes Page Also, you’ll want to have the following handy: TI-Nspire CX II (with updated OS) Unit 5 Activity 1: Recursion A great introduction to recursion can be found in Unit 5 Activity…

11Jan 2021 by Michelle Rinehart

Counters, Accumulators, and Comparing Loop Types

Coding, Professional Learning

This post extends the Teaching Foundations of Computer Science with Python on TI-Nspire™ Technology workshop to study additional topics from Computer Science with the support of TI-Nspire II Python coding technology. In this post, we will compare and contrast the three types of loops explored in this workshop (for, while, and do while), then we will explore counters and accumulators and apply our learning about loops. In this blog post, we will: Compare and contrast pre-test (for, while) and post-test (do while) loops; Use counter and accumulator statements; and, Use loop control structures and conditional statements in a program to get an undetermined amount of data. Materials for Learning Work along with this blog post by downloading the following materials: Loops Notes Page Incrementing Variables Notes Page Unit 4 Application:…

26Sep 2020 by Michelle Rinehart

Do While Loops

Coding, Professional Learning

This post extends the Teaching Foundations of Computer Science with Python on TI-Nspire™ Technology workshop to study additional topics from Computer Science with the support of TI-Nspire II Python coding technology. In this post, we will explore Do While Loops, a form of post-test loop that always runs at least one time. In this blog post, we will: Model the do while loop structure; Use the break statement to exit out of a loop; and, Construct and use iterative control structures, including a while loop written to behave like a post-test do while loop. Materials for Learning Work along with this blog post by downloading the following materials: Unit 4 Activity 3: Do While Loops Do While Loops Notes Page Also, you’ll want to have the following handy: TI-Nspire…

11Aug 2020 by Karen Campe

How to Use the TI-Nspire CX for Geometry

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

Dynamic geometry software allows users to construct, measure and manipulate figures to explore geometry concepts and properties. This power gets combined with linked multiple representations on TI-Nspire CX handhelds and software, enabling students to make rich mathematical connections in Geometry. Read on for some ways I use TI-Nspire in my Geometry class. To Visualize Concepts Many geometric concepts are difficult to visualize, especially in a static paper-and-pencil environment. Dynamic geometry software, such as the TI-Nspire geometry app, allows for motion that clarifies properties for students. Students do not need to be expert users of TI-Nspire to work successfully with these ready-made documents; in many cases, knowing how to grab and drag a slider or object is sufficient. To grab an available object, swipe on the Touchpad to move the cursor…

11Aug 2020 by Karen Campe

How to Use the TI-84 Plus CE for Geometry

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

When students interact with dynamic geometry software, they can construct, measure, and move figures to explore properties, confirm theorems, and visualize geometric situations. Lessons using this technology allow students to create their own geometry knowledge and are also more fun than reading properties and theorems out of a textbook. Here are some suggestions on how to use the Cabri Jr. App on the TI-84 Plus CE in your geometry class. Getting Started First, a quick “how-to” if you aren’t familiar with Cabri Jr.—the small but powerful dynamic geometry App preloaded on your TI-84 Plus CE (note that Cabri Jr. is available for the entire TI-84+ family). Press the apps button and select Cabri Jr. The menus F1 through F5 are accessed using the five keys under the screen: y=,…

03Jan 2020 by Kevin Spry

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: Blindspot – Hidden Biases of Good People

Book Study

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji & Anthony G. Greenwald https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13131582-blindspot Come Learn with Us As we have done the last few years, it has been energizing to kick off the new year with a book study through the T3Learns community. It is important, that as educators ourselves, we continue to grow and learn. The book study has been a wonderful opportunity, midway through the school year, and after the holiday season, to refocus on important education issues. We have covered topics ranging from the importance of content to teaching practices in making learning visible and an exploration of the heart of teaching. This year, based on the recommendation of a number of educators, we are excited to select the…

29Jan 2019 by Kevin Spry

Save Our Science: How to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists

Book Study, STEM

T3Learns #Slow-Chat #BookStudy https://www.amazon.com/Save-Our-Science-Generation-Scientists-ebook/dp/B00B7B0G32 Again this year we want to kick off the new year with a book study through the T3Learns community. We are excited to select the book: “Save Our Science: How to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists.” The author Ainissa Ramirez is the keynote speaker at the T3 International Conference in Baltimore on March 8, 2019. https://education.ti.com/en/professional-development/t3-international-conferences Dr. Ramirez is a professor at Yale, and makes an impassioned call to change how we approach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in our schools and throughout our society. This short study will provoke us to consider how we need to prioritize skills in creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. Slow Chat Book Study Beginning February 4, we will cover 4 sections each…

25Feb 2018 by Karen Campe

Fun Features of the TI-84+ Family

Technology

I was a panelist for a TI Calculators Webinar that happened to follow a new Operating System release for the TI-84+CE color calculator and its accompanying Apps and computer software. The new calculator features were not our primary focus, but since OS 5.3 was just released, we tried to highlight them when appropriate. This post summarizes a few features of the new OS version 5.3; I want to share in more detail these fun features that will help my teaching and my students. 1.New shortcut key for the fraction template. I use the fraction template to make the calculator inputs match the math notation. It has been available for the entire TI-84+family for several operating systems. Press ALPHA-Y1 to access the shortcut menu for the fraction and mixed number templates.…

02Jan 2018 by Kevin Spry

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: Visible Learning for Mathematics

Book Study, Classroom Practices, Professional Learning

#T3Learns Slow-Chat Book Study: Visible Learning for Mathematics What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey with Linda M. Gojak, Sara Delano Moore, and William Mellman Again this year we want to kick off the new year with a book study through the T3Learns community. We are excited to select the book “Visible Learning for Mathematics” An excellent opportunity to discuss “what works best to optimize student learning”. T3Learns instructors who have read the book have commented "Visible Learning for Mathematics helps you understand the impact of your teaching strategies on student learning. As someone who always valued discussion based classrooms, the exploration of high quality tasks, and understanding student thinking, this book had a huge impact…

31Oct 2017 by Alice Fisher

Mathematics and Music – with TI-Innovator

Coding, Music, STEM, Technology

Hedwig's Theme for Penny! I recently visited my 5 nieces in Pittsburgh who are immersed in the Harry Potter book series. My oldest niece played Hedwig's Theme on the piano for me. I've been working on a session proposal for the 2018 T3 International Conference. I decided to submit a proposal on creating music on the TI Innovator Hub. As a demo, I wrote a program that plays the first few lines of Hedwig's Theme. Hedwig is Harry Potter's dear owl. Here is a video of the program being run on the TI-Nspire connected to the Innovator Hub. Ancient Greeks, in particular the Pythagoreans, are known as the first to investigate musical scales in terms of simple ratios. They discovered that a lyre string that is half the…

24Aug 2017 by Michelle Rinehart

Show What You Know: Reviewing and Applying Knowledge with Debugging Activities

Coding, STEM, Technology

The following blog outlines my experiences in delivering workshops this summer on Teaching Computer Science. Toni and I led a number of 4-day Teaching Computer Science with TI-Nspire Technology workshops across the state of Texas this summer. Many of the sites offered days 1 and 2 consecutively, followed by days 3 and 4 at a later date. Sometimes day 3 of the PD happened months after day 2. In these instances, how might we structure an activity that helps participant review key computer science ideas from previous learning episodes, while also applying these ideas in new situations? One strategy that we found particularly helpful in this situation was a set of debugging activities. Side note #1: The first two days of learning delved into most of the topics from the first four units of the 10 Minutes of Code activities, including…

14Aug 2017 by Pam Rawson

Why I like TI-Nspire

Technology

As the new school year approaches and I contemplate how I might structure my classes for the coming year, I remember how grateful I am that there are so many resources out there to support me and my students. One resource, though, rises above the rest: TI-Nspire. Why? Full disclosure: I've been using TI-Nspire technology for over a decade. I'm not new to this game. I have also used TI-8* family of graphing calculators as part of my teaching since 1990. I still have a TI-84, but I prefer the teaching power of TI-Nspire. I am also a T3 Regional Instructor. I became an instructor because I am passionate about how TI-Nspire can be used to help students learn math better. Even if I were not an instructor, I…

04Aug 2017 by Jennifer Wilson

Blending Technology with Paper and Pencil

Classroom Practices, Geometry, Technology

My geometry class is 1:1 this year; each student has her own MacBook Air. Students share responses to questions digitally in class using TI-Nspire Navigator for Networked Computers. Students explore mathematics using TI-Nspire dynamic graphs and geometry software. We use Canvas, an online learning management system, for assignments. We use Google Drive for sharing electronic documents with each other, and we use MathXL, online homework with built-in learning help, to practice mathematics. What place does pencil and paper have in my students’ learning and understanding of mathematics? Even though many of the tasks that my students do for geometry take place digitally, I am convinced that pencil and paper plays an important role in how much mathematics my students not only learn but also remember. In a Wall…

28Jul 2017 by Jennie Kelly

T³Learns Community Inspired Me To Become Computer Science Certified

Professional Learning, Technology

The T³ community inspired me to become certified to teach computer science. Background I took Pre-AP Computer Science my sophomore year of high school. I really enjoyed the class, so I signed up to take AP Computer Science the following year. I was the only girl in my AP Computer Science class. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed computer science. I have always known that I was going to be a teacher. I decided that I was going to be a math teacher during my junior year of high school. My mom and I visited with an adviser at Texas A&M University the summer before my senior year of high school. The adviser suggested that I pursue alternative certification for teaching and get a BS in applied mathematics.…

13Jul 2017 by Louise Chapman

The Power of TI-Nspire Technology – 3D and Data Collection

STEM, Technology

I served as a panelist for a recent T3 professional development webinar entitled Innovative Class Projects with TI-Nspire™ Technology, where I discussed using sensor-based data collection outdoors to promote biological and environmental awareness among students. In the past I have felt like a voice in the wilderness, but several comments during my portion of the webinar inspired me to get more information out about activities that use TI-Nspire handhelds and Vernier sensors in the field. During the webinar, my co-panelist Steve Phelps shared examples of how he has used TI-Nspire and 3D printing to enhance students’ spatial reasoning skills. I learned so much seeing what math is doing with 3D printing, that I can see a potential future workshop on using 3D printing to teach…

19Jun 2017 by Karen Campe

In The Zone

Classroom Practices, Lesson Design, Professional Learning, STEM, Technology

Teachers Teaching with Technology International Conference I attended the Teachers Teaching with Technology (T-cubed) International Conference this past spring in Chicago, and my four days were chock-full of thought-provoking sessions and conversations. As expected, there was much talk about technology in math and science classes, but there was also a great deal of discussion concerning thinking about teaching and learning in math and science classes. Here are some of my take-aways: 1. Get out of your comfort zone into the “learning zone" In order to learn something new, get out of established routines (about doing math, about teaching math) and try another technique or perspective. I pushed myself to learn about topics that are not my specialty, things I might have otherwise avoided.I tried coding some…

13Jun 2017 by Gail Burrill

Handheld Graphing Calculators Still Make a Difference!

Classroom Practices, Professional Learning, Technology

As Schools Adopt General-purpose Technology for Classrooms, Handheld Graphing Calculators Still Make a Difference in Math Instruction A career spent teaching high school math can bring about some revelations. You’ll start to notice patterns over the years: math content remains unchanged (although statistics did sneak in a bit); students’ fashion trends fade away and return; and the latest way to improve learning becomes a big focus in schools one year, but disappears completely the next. Still, year after year, for over 30 years, I have considered graphing calculators as core to my instruction. The best teachers around the world use graphing calculators in their classrooms, so I typically don’t have to defend their purpose to math educators. Yes, you can crunch numbers and display graphs; those are certainly…

07Jun 2017 by Julie Shouse Riggins

TI – A Partner with Educators for over 25 years

Professional Learning

I wanted to respond to some recent negativity toward TI calculators. For 25 years TI has supported teachers and students to provide cutting edge technology that enhances student understanding of abstract math concepts. My first year teaching was 1994. I and other teachers in the early 90’s were “wowed” by the ability to enter a function into y= on that blue TI-81 and instantly see a numerical and graphical representation of any function we wanted – WOW! If you think TI has not changed or evolved over the last 25 years, you are hugely mistaken. Perhaps what is more true, is the number of teachers and district leaders who have not evolved to support the new, dynamic technologies of Texas Instruments: the TI-Nspire, the Nspire Navigator, and the Innovator…