Dear Dr XXX,
You are making many incorrect assumptions about the teaching of mathematics
at South H. S. Use of a graphing calculator
is a requirement in all NYS regents courses, as well as AP courses and exams
. In our program it is used as a tool to help
conceptual understanding and not as a "crutch" that impedes understanding.
Joan Casazzone
wrote:
> Dear Ms. Casazzone,
> It is not the financial difficulty, it is the damaging effect to the kid's
brain. I knew that Texas instrument Inc. invite the high school teachers
to 5 star hotelsl to advertise their calculators.Thank you for your reply.
> However, you did not answer my concern. let me repeat:
>
> With this advance calculator, students can just push a few buttons and get
the answers for all the difficult math questions instead of using their
brains. Imaging putting a kid with strong legs in the wheelchair instead
of walking for years, do you think they can still use their legs? Then why
put the kid’s brain in a calculator when they need to learn serious math?
> Over the years, I met too many kids with a high school degree yet not
having any senses of logical and critical thinking skills in math , and I
even also met some high school teachers who can’t do math without a
calculator. I realized that those Taxes Instrument calculators really damage
many smart people. As you know, finding the zeroes of a quadratic equation
by completing square method is very different from finding the zeroes by
just looking at the screen of graphing calculator; although they both give
the same numbers, the mental challenging is like the day and night.
>
>XXXXX
> ________________________________________
> From: CASAZZONE, JOAN
> Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2014 1:39 PM
> To:XXXXXX
> Cc: ELLIOTT, SUSAN
> Subject: Re: Calculator for math Teaching
>
> Dear Dr.XXX,
>
> As noted in the information for incoming freshmen that you received early
in August, the calculator that South High School uses
> in the instruction of mathematics is the TI Nspire Touchpad or TI Nspire
CX (not the CAS version). This calculator can be purchased
> at Staples or at various sites online including ebay. If the purchase of
this calculator is a financial difficulty for a student the school
> will provide a calculator for the student's use.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Joan Casazzone
>
>
> On Aug 17, 2014, at 12:14 PM, "Yao, Haishen" (function(){try{var s,a,i,j,r,c,l,b=document.getElementsByTagName("script");l=b[b.length-1].previousSibling;a=l.getAttribute('data-cfemail');if(a){s='';r=parseInt(a.substr(0,2),16);for(j=2;a.length-j;j+=2){c=parseInt(a.substr(j,2),16)^r;s+=String.fromCharCode(c);}s=document.createTextNode(s);l.parentNode.replaceChild(s,l);}}catch(e){}})();
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>
> wrote:
>
>> Dear Math Chairperson,
>> I look forward to your reply so that I could decide if I need to buy the
advanced TI calculator. By the way, why the kids can just use TI 83 rather
than TI Nspire?
>> Thanks.
>>XXXXXXXXX
>> ________________________________________
>> FW: Calculator for math Teaching
>>
>>
>> Subject: Calculator for math Teaching
>>
>> Dear Math Chairperson Ms. Casazzone,
>> My son is an incoming freshman in great neck south high school. I
received the letter that requires the parents to purchase the TI Nspire CX
calculator for his math class. However, as a math instructor and a ph.D in
mathematics , I have strong reservations on using this advanced calculators
in math teaching. May I ask you how essential is this $124.00 equipment
related to math teaching?
>> With this advance calculator, students can just push a few buttons and
get the answers for all the difficult math questions instead of using their
brains. Imaging putting a kid with strong legs in the wheelchair instead
of walking for years, do you think they can still use their legs? Then why
put the kid’s brain in a calculator when they need to learn serious math?
>>
>> Over the years, I met too many kids with a high school degree yet not
having any senses of logical and critical thinking skills in math , and I
even also met some high school teachers who can’t do math without a
calculator. I realized that those Taxes Instrument calculators really damage
many smart people. As you know, finding the zeroes of a quadratic equation
by completing square method is very different from finding the zeroes by
just looking at the screen of graphing calculator; although they both give
the same numbers, the mental challenging is like the day and night.
>>
>> By the TI calculators, students do not even need to add or factor
polynomials, the calculator built in function will do it for them. Yet,
those are exactly the math they should know by heart when they are young.
>>
>> I strongly suggest limit the usage of calculator and start doing some
real math in great neck public schools. I implore you to reconsider using
calculator in your department for the academic future of the students.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> XXXXX