netTrekker Blog

Handheld Technology from TI

Texas Instruments’ Activities Exchange is a collaborative forum of activities for use with TI calculators, complete with downloadable handouts and access to calculator and PC software applications. These resources are not only free but also linked to state standards and to textbooks. They’re perfect for supplementing lectures and required reading, practicing standardized tests, and, last but not least, motivating students via a wide variety of projects and investigations.

A search for TI resources using nT will reveal over 2,500 math and science resources for classroom, small-group, and individual use.

If integrating this type of handheld technology into classroom instruction is new to you, you’ll benefit from the training and support materials Texas Instruments provides for its users. Here are a few places for those just getting started:

Click here for downloadable Guidebooks, manuals for TI’s family of products, from the TI-Nspire operating system, to computer software and calculator applications, to the calculators and their accessories. Click here to access all TI Freeware available for your calculator(s).

Before downloading and using using TI’s Activities Exchange resources, it’s a good idea to pre-download and install the LearningCheck App for the popular TI-83 Plus and TI-84-Plus calculators. An advanced search on TI’s site indicates that there are over 500 math activities that utilize this application, which allows students to monitor their own progress as they complete teacher-generated questions, practice tests, and exams. Click on the image on the left to see two screenshots from a sample program that uses the LearningCheck App.

If you’re interested in creating and uploading your own activity, click here for file-extension guide. This is useful, too, for educators new to Activites Exchange who need help with activity downloads.

Last, but not least, here’s a teacher-authored resource that will help you with your calculator. Based on common issues faced by new users of the TI-83 and TI-84, it’s organized into problem-and-solution format and is intended to help students fix errors they might encounter. See sample problem and solution by clicking the image at right.

Tags: Activities Exchange, Texas Instruments, TI