My son's required calculator is $100 on average. - Page 3

[Marsupialmom]

I got the exact models TI 83 or 84.

I they have them at Wally world for $89. I am not going to rush to buy it.

I talked to a math teacher -- who homeschools his kids. LOL He says the reason why he teaches the calculator is MAP testing. That is the only time he allows a graphing calculator as MAP testing.

[faerierose]

Originally Posted by eepster

Why in the world would anyone "need" a calculator for algebra 1? When I took honors algebra all I got was a pencil a note book and a pad of graph paper. You guys realize Newton didn't even have a slide rule when he was working on Calculus.

Is the point of the class to learn to understand algebra or to learn how to play with a fancy calculator?

I was required to have one for algebra in the 8th grade. My math teacher taught us to program games on it
Half the class didn't understand the material and it didn't matter as long as they could manage to put the right formula in the calculator.

I would look for a used one. It is likely to be a huge pain if your ds doesn't have the correct brand/model required because of the reasons already mentioned above.

[noobmom]

Originally Posted by eepster

Why in the world would anyone "need" a calculator for algebra 1? When I took honors algebra all I got was a pencil a note book and a pad of graph paper. You guys realize Newton didn't even have a slide rule when he was working on Calculus.

Is the point of the class to learn to understand algebra or to learn how to play with a fancy calculator?

I agree that you don't need a graphing calculator to do calculus. Heck, you don't even need a regular scientific calculator. However, Newton wasn't taking timed tests and the fact of the matter is if these tools are used correctly they can save your child a lot of time. When the students are beyond the point where they need to be tested on basic graphing skills (by hand), they will be allowed to use their calculators for the graphing portions so that they can be tested on more advanced skills. Just like your child no longer needs to be tested in multiplication once they are in algebra class.That is the benefit of using calculators in the classroom.