WEST PALM BEACH — A teacher at Conniston Middle School and a professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University have joined forces to find a way to teach algebra using a high-tech calculator.
“We are collaborating to create lessons that can reach her middle school kids and my college kids,” said Marsha Guntharp, associate professor of mathematics at Palm Beach Atlantic.
The university last week received a $10,000 grant to buy 30 N-spire interactive calculators created by Texas Instruments, Guntharp said.
Conniston officials already bought 25 of the N-spire calculators last year using about $5,000 of federal money given to schools with a high percentage of low-income students, Conniston Principal Mary Stratos said.
Conniston math teacher Gloria
Royle said she started using her devices late last year and is updating the software this week so her honors algebra class can use the calculators for their lessons this year.
Guntharp said that as part of the grant she has teamed up with Royle to develop a curriculum using the calculators that would be usable for both middle-schoolers taking honors algebra and college students, who the professor said were essentially taking an algebra-for-non-math majors class.
The N-spire calculators are all networked, Royle said, so she can see what each student is working on during class.
She can also display what is on one student’s calculator onto a projector screen for the entire class to see.
Royle said she is also able to send each student an individualized quiz on their calculator.
One of the benefits of the partnership, Stratos said, is honors algebra students will sometimes get to sit in on algebra classes at the university.
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