Re: The "Perfect" Grade School Calculator? Message #2 Posted by Michel Beaulieu on 27 Feb 2004, 9:02 p.m., in response to message #1 by Paul Brogger
I'm a high school teacher that teach math, physic and chem for 15-16 years old teens. When they bought a normal calculator, they just ask "is there a a/b fraction key and a cube/root key" They also ask if the calculator can do , what they call, "straight entry" like if they want to "solve" ln(2/3*sin(pi/4)+3/2*cos(pi/4)) they really ASK for and NEDD a calculator that they just need to COPY exactly what is ask and get the answer. They also like to view all the entrys they made on the calculator no matter how long it is, so for them, the best calculator to do that is a graphing calculator because the screen is enought large to see long expression. So often graphing calc are too expensive and they buy a casio with two line that is able to scrool all the expression. Thas is what they are looking for!
1) four functions
2) y**x, inverse key,
3) trig
4) LN and LOG
5) square root and cure root and inverse + nRoot key
6) FRACTION keys and fraction simplification
7) 2 lines with scrooling
8) % key (but only 50% know how it works)
9) PI
10) a nice RESET key on the back...
The rest of keys are anoying them!!! Specially the memory keys (they reset the calculator when M, Stat, GRAD is lit in lcd thinking the calculator is bad). FIX, SCI, ENG keys are a big issue too; they don't like when numbers are format and they ask me "what is that number". If it is not written as usual...RESET...
They also dislike the MODE key and all constants, hyperbolic, DMS/DD, logic, etc etc that add nothing but things teachers don't needs in exam...
They don't need manual too; i ask them to read it but it went to the basket with the box when they buy the calculator.
For true, they don't really like TI graphing calculator, they just like the big screen of it. TOO MUCH KEYS AND FUNCTIONS FOR THEM, but it's nice for gaming...
And i'm a teacher that teach to top students in my school, they represent the minority that will study sciences in future higher studies... I use to teach them how to use their calculators but they have many differents models and it's impossible for me to know the procedure on all of them (casio, sharp, TI, and cheaper one). I asked my school to buy about 100 TI-83 plus and all my students now have the same calculator; i try to show them how it works and they ALL told me that they don't whant to know all these functions because they simply don't need them!
At first, i was unhappy about their reaction, but i finally listen to them and saw their view : "a calculator is just a fast TOOL that need only to do what the math teacher ask, if it's mode that the calculator is too complex" and for high school, where the mass of calculators consumer are, their is no need for more in a calculator.
A four function calculator with x**2 and square root is even enought up to 14 years old.
So my conclusion in all is that the HP-33S is possibly target for students but i think that if they buy it it's for the look and not for the functionnality that is too complex for their needs. Possibly, a 20 years old students but not at high school.
Sorry for my faulty english... :-)
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