Question about CAS and Graphing

[Gerald H]

(11-24-2014 11:47 AM)Han Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 10:29 AM)Gerald H Wrote:  "I can't count the number of times..." indicates:

1. Students are idiots;

2. Students are intelligent & require uniform input output methods to facilitate their use of available tools.

Please tick your preference.

Or, it could mean something else. When you teach many classes of different students on the same subject, there will be issues that come up time and time again. It does not mean that the issues necessarily happen repeatedly within a single group of students and/or in a single class. It is simply a matter of a lack experience which they gain through class and practice.

The idea of two different environments in the same system, each with their own set of rules is not unique to the Prime -- even among HP calculators. The HP50G is a recent example. Some prefer algebraic input, others prefer RPN. We can create a program in one environment and run it in the other. Of course, we have to be careful with providing sufficient arguments when, say, running an RPN program in algebraic mode.

I wonder about the encouragement of mathematical ability & problem solving - Should we train our students to behave like trick dogs & jump through the hoops of the difficult software terrain or - just possibly worth consideration - mitigate their problems by learning from them to remove the difficulties which the experienced teacher has come to terms with during the sad course of his professionalization.