Graphing Calculators

Yes, I'm back on my technology band wagon.  I want home-school families to be on par with their peers when they head to college, in terms of their technology.  Many high schools use graphing calculators. Let's level the playing field.  First, contact the local high school and make an appointment with the Chair of the math department.  Ask the Chair if a math teacher would be willing to instruct a group with the graphing calculators.  Most high schools now have suitcases of TI 83 or TI 84 graphing calculators (or TI Nspire with dual keyboards.)  See if the school will host a seminar after school with some basic instruction.  If the local school district is hostile to home-school families, try to locate a math teacher who is familiar with the graphing calculators and willing to provide instruction off site.  TI-Cares is the customer support branch for TI instruments, including graphing calculators.  TI-Cares will loan graphing calculators and the Viewscreen to project the calculator screen.  (This is requires an overhead projector.)  Math teachers also use a digital camera to project the calculator, which allows students to see how to hit the keys.  If the math teacher knows how to use a graphing calculator, you can borrow the calculators (for up to three weeks) and get the instruction.  TI-Cares loans the calculators for teacher workshops.  Perfect!  Have the students and their parents attend the seminar and return the calculators.  Ask the math teacher to demonstrate the apps, the Stat function, the algebraic functions, etc.   Now what?  There are several sources for graphing calculators.  Yes, GoodWill is a gamble; I've had very good luck.  I even located a View graph from ShopGoodWill.  (The one listed here is for TI81, a much older graphing calculator. But, my point is to start at GoodWill.)  Try to buy a TI84; it can be used with EasyData software, preloaded on to the graphing calculator, to collect data with sensors that connect directly to a port on the calculator.  Another option is download a graphing calculator app to your tablet.  I bought one for my iPad for $5.99.  I'm not sure how reliable this free app is.  Time will tell because all of the guys in the Physics class are using these apps.  Beginning on Tuesday, I'm going to teach the kids how to use the graphing calculator to analyze the data.  Yes, I bought the calculator, ViewGraph, and overhead projector from ShopGoodWill, altogether for under $100.  Below is the apparatus; I set it up in my kitchen to test the overhead projector.