Soundoff!: A New Breed of Calculators: Do They Change the Way We Teach
A new generation of graphing calculators—for example, the TI-89 and the Casio 9970—that use computer algebra systems (CAS) are now available. Since they manipulate symbols, one could argue that they represent as big a change as the step from scientific to graphing calculators. A student “asks” the calculator to factor x2 + 5x + 6, and the calculator prints (X + 2)(X + 3). On the Advanced Placement calculus examination, existing graphing calculators allow the student to find the derivative of y = cos x at a specific x-value. In addition, the new models can “tell” the student that the derivative of cos x is −sin x. They can also provide units for numeric answers. They are apparently much more user-friendly than the existing HP-48, thereby assuring widespread use. The TI-89 is essentially a TI-92 in a TI-83 case, without the geometry package but with FLASH™, a feature that allows it to be upgraded electronically.