Prime Day and Walmart Savings: Graphing Calcculators

 Prime Day means savings.  Both Amazon and Walmart have deep discounts on graphing calculators.  While I buy used graphing calculators from Good Will, you might be hesitant.  I’ve had remarkable luck.  As long as the calculator powers on, it works.  Some of the older TI 83 models I bought used are starting to die.  However, I paid about $15 for each in used lots.  My target price for used TI 84 calcs is $35.  Yes, I do breathe a sigh of relief every time I get a used calculator and it works.  Below are some deals at Amazon and Walmart, for those of you less intrepid.

Are you doing any labs?

 Full disclosure, I’m a science teacher.  Yes, I teach literature classes and French.  Yes, I have home-schooled kiddos.  Sure, I review portfolios.  My main role is a science teacher for the local Co-op.  Surprise!  I like loads of labs.  My classes do at least 30, with a goal of 50.  Is your household doing any labs?  At all?  No, you don’t need to invest in expensive kits or microscopes to do labs.  For example, take one cup of ice and do this Heat Curve lab.  Calibrate the thermometer before you start the lab.  Graph the data.  Bonus points if you graph it with a graphing calculator after doing a graph on paper.  Even more points if you repeat the lab three times and average the data.  Go ahead and enter the data in a spreadsheet and graph it.  All this from boiling a cup of ice!

How do you infuse more labs?  Set aside regular time.  Can you plan one hour Friday afternoon?  Make the first month especially fun, such as Candy experiments.  Fun helps build habits.  Do the labs in your science textbook.  Apologia’s science experiments are written for home-schoolers.  Start with the experiments which look easy.  No, they don’t have to align perfectly with the science lessons.  That can come later.  Right now, I just want you to do any lab.  Why?  The more fun labs your kiddos do, the more labs they’ll want to do.  Keep things light.  Build your confidence.  Now, get started!  Forego an hour at the park for lab this week.  This is going to be the best year yet!

Write a resume!

 The Brit Lit class is reading Beowulf.  The class is writing a resumé for Beowulf.  High school students should learn how to write a resumé.  Use a template, such as this one.  Google Docs has templates.

Here are some tips for a good resumé with clear instructions.  One of the main tips is to keep it to one page.  Period.  Wait until you have ten years of experience before adding a page.  Look at this blog post, which has tips for home-schoolers.  Yes, all of those activities and volunteer experiences are important: Work Camp, Altar Server, Parish Carnivals, Thrift Store, Religious Education.  Does your teen golf, run, play soccer?  Does she play an instrument?  Include all of it!  Did your teen help build new cops for your flocks?  Is he or she competitive in 4-H?  By all means work on the resumé together.  This is one practical, writing, exercise which could help land your kiddo a job.

How is your schedule?

 How is your schedule?  What are you doing to maintain dedicated study time?  Now is the time to evaluate household habits.  Is everyone in bed at a regular hour? (Maybe not 1:00 AM.)  Are you starting school right after breakfast?  Does breakfast drag?  How are breaks?  Bathroom breaks?  Snacks?  Recess?  Now is the time to do what ever it takes to maintain two-three hours of daily instruction.  Really.  Guard this time.  Make later afternoon appointments. Plan to drop off the Mac and Cheese dish for Meal Train at 4 PM.   Promise a visit to the park after quiet reading time.  Be vocal at Co-op.  (LEGO club can take place at 3:00 PM; it doesn’t half to meet at 10:00 AM.)  Say, no.  Let’s make this the best year yet!

Catch your breath!

Take a deep breath.  Yes, it’s now October.  No, you haven’t done any of the labs in the Apologia textbook.  (Yes, as a matter of fact I am clairvoyant!)  No, you aren’t a failure.  Before you give up and list the unused kit on Facebook, take a minute.  It’s October, not May.  September can be a lot.  Your family got back on a schedule.  Some of the kiddos adjust more quickly than others.  You may be on the struggle bus all month trying to get math started after breakfast. You might feel as though you are juggling fifty things.  Stop beating yourself up because it took a month to get adjusted to the fall schedule.  Instead, set aside one hour on Fridays.  Start with the first lab or two.  Stop when one hour is up. Really.  The labs aren’t going anywhere.  Repeat next week.  Does it really matter that you’re behind on experiments?  I don’t think so.  Tell your kiddos it’s a review.  Just what do they remember from Module #1?  This is going to be the best year yet!

Hoopla has textbooks on audio!

 Hoopla has digital audiobooks—including textbooks!  Many libraries offer Hoopla!  Yeah!  They have recent editions of Apologia’s science textbooks. The only caveat is that Hoopla has the most recent editions.  

How much is a used graphing calculator?

I buy used graphing calculators frequently.  I lend the TI 83 calcs students; they hold on to them for several years to use in math and science classes.  I keep a set of TI 84 calcs in class.  Teens forget their devices.  We use the TI 84 calc with EasyTemp sensors, as digital thermometers, too.  I have had the best luck buying used graphing calcs from Good Will online.  Really.  I tried eBay and Amazon.  Both times, the less expensive calcs had gritty keys.  Boooo!  

How much do new calcs cost?

Now, before I bid, I check to see the calc powers on and the cost of shipping.  My target price for a TI 83 is $15 and $35 for a TI 84.  I usually buy a lot of TI83 models to get an individual price of $15.  I just bought TI 84s.  The price is about the same as eBay; all the calculators power on and work.