The Graphing Calculator:
Teachers and Students Learning Together

Department of Mathematics
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK


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Background of the Project
Reform or revitalization of school mathematics has been called for by numerous professional organizations and industries concerned with the mathematical education of young people. In Oklahoma, several initiatives have been undertaken that are guiding the state's reform efforts. Significant among them is the Coalition for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education in Oklahoma (CASMEO), a nonprofit alliance of representatives from business, education, and the private sector.

One of the most promising linkages that has been established in the mathematics reform process in Oklahoma involves cooperation among the seven geographically distributed Professional Development Centers (PDCs) funded directly by the state of Oklahoma; each PDC is charged with the continuing education of the educators in the region it serves. Another strong linkage is with the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). The collaboration between CASMEO, PDCs, and SEDL has evolved a model which has contributed to improving mathematics and science education in Oklahoma.

Building on the momentum that CASMEO has achieved for statewide leadership and the linkages with SEDL and the state PDCs, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education funded a collaborative project "The TI-85 Graphing Calculator: Students and Teachers Learning Together" during 1993 that focused on a most significant component of the reform effort, namely, integrating technology into the mathematics curriculum. More specifically, it supported the integration of the Texas Instruments TI-85 graphing calculator into the mathematics curriculum in grades 9-12 through the development of TI-85 graphing calculator learning and teaching system for use in the grades 9-12 with dissemination through the PDCs.


About the Project
"The Graphing Calculator: Teachers and Students Learning Together" is an exciting three-year project being undertaken at Oklahoma State University as part of the U. S. Department of Education's Star Schools Programs. By extending the efforts initiated in 1993 described above, its goal is to assist educational leaders in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with the appropriate integration of technology into mathematics classrooms.

The specific objectives of the project are:


What is a Teacher Learning System?
A Teacher Learning System (TLS) is a user-friendly independent study collection of materials designed for teachers (and students) including written materials, calculator programs, and video supplements for grades 9-12. Three Teacher Learning Systems have been developed: TI-82 TLS, TI-83 TLS (under development), and TI-85 TLS. Calculator programs have been written for selected topics in the school mathematics curriculum for the TI-82, TI-83 (under development) and the TI-85 graphing calculators; the programs are immediately transferable to any like calculator.

The specific components of a Teacher Learning System include:
To see the Teacher Learning Systems, click below.
Project Announcements
The latest project information is available at this location.


Locations of Service Centers and SSIs
Visit these locations - either in person or on the internet - to see what's new.
Each Service Center or SSI listed has been provided with copies of the project materials for your use.


Credits. The Graphing Calculator: Teachers and Students Learning Together is made possible through funding to Oklahoma State University from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education under grant number R203A40026 with assistance from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Disclaimer. The project materials are based on work sponsored wholly, or in part, by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education under grant number R203A40026. The content of these materials do not necessarily reflect the view of OERI, the Department, or any other agency of the U.S. Government.


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This page is maintained by Doug Aichele (aichele@math.okstate.edu).