Color Calculators Help Students Visualize Math Concepts

Graphing calculators help most all high school students visualize math concepts and the results of their work. But if those students have learning disabilities, graphing calculators with vibrant color displays are even more effective at making math come to life.

$Color Calculators Help All Students Better Visualize Math Concepts - Thanks to a donation by the Student Research Foundation$

One such color graphing calculator is the Texas Instruments TI-84 CE Plus. Not only does it have a bright color display with a hi-res backlit display, it also comes with preloaded apps and images, MathPrint functionality and the ability to interface directly with computers.

And Ms. Turney, an 11th-grade math teacher at Northside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, wanted one for her classroom. One reason? It would do a great job of making math concepts come alive for her students with learning challenges.

“This calculator also can help my visual learners,” she explains. “The calculator helps distinguish between multiple graphs and plots with color-coded equations, plots, and objects. It also makes graphs easier to read by adding grid lines. With this calculator, I can deepen student understanding of math concepts with images. I can also connect a computer to the calculator and graph on top of the images to create an engaging learning experience.”

$Color Calculators Help All Students Better Visualize Math Concepts - A project funded by Student Research Foundation$

In short, adding this calculator to her classroom would help Ms. Turney teach her classes, including Algebra 2, and better prepare all her students to major in engineering and STEM areas after they head off to college.

Ms. Turney Posted Her Need for a Calculator on DonorsChoose.org

The cost of a TI-84 CE Plus, $160.95, was not great. Even so, she needed additional funding to buy one. (Shipping and other costs brought the total cost up to $243.11.) So she posted her need as a project on DonorsChoose.org. And now, thanks to donations from The Student Research Foundation, Verizon and several generous individuals, she has one in her classroom! And her students are using it enthusiastically to complete their problems and better visualize mathematical concepts.

Thanks from Ms. Turney

Dear Student Research Foundation,

Whenever I got the email that this project had been funded, I couldn’t contain my excitement of going back to school to let me kids know they will have access to a device that will help understand math better! Thank you for your generous donations!

With gratitude,
Ms. Turney

We look forward to writing about the success of more teacher projects here on the Student Research Foundation blog. Stay tuned.