It was a pleasure meeting so many teachers from Peel DSB and elsewhere at this conference.

I wish we’d had more time to share thoughts and discuss great ideas for the classroom.

Below are links to the files used in my presentation, important software, and other useful resources.

Presentation File

Here is the presentation as shown today.  This outlines how I use the files with my students.  Here is the same file in a format more suitable for printing.

TNS Files

These are the files that can be loaded on to Nspire devices for use by students.  From the Grade 10 session:

Relations_1_Crickets.tns

Relations_2_Roy_Halladay_Quality_Starts_vs_Temperature.tns

Relations_3_Dropping_a_ball.tns

Relations_4_OTL_Volleyball_drop.tns

How do I get these files onto an Nspire device?

The new Connect to Class software that was demonstrated at the session today is the best option.  Get it if you can.  Right now the only way to get this in Canada is through a coupon-exchange program.  Talk to your Mathematics department head if you are in the Peel DSB.  They should have details about this program.

Until you get Connect to Class, the free Computer Link software (Windows version / Mac version) from Texas Instruments is a good substitute.

Download and install the software.  Connect the Nspire device to your computer with the provided USB cable that is small on one end, and large on the other.  Make sure the device is turned on.

Once you have a TNS file on one Nspire device, it’s probably best to have your students do the work of transferring that file to all the other devices in your class.  Do this using the “Send File” command on the handheld.  This takes a surprisingly short amount of time and your students will quickly become experts at moving files around.

How do I make my own TNS files to use with my students?

You could use a handheld, but that is way too time consuming!

Instead, use the desktop software version of Nspire.

A 30-day trial of the software is available (Windows version / Mac version).

When you write TNS files, be sure to create them in “Handheld View”.  This is necessary because the resolution of your computer screen is much larger than the resolution of an Nspire handheld.

What is TinyURL?

You may have noticed the website addresses in the “Roy Halladay” TNS file all start with “http://tinyurl.com/”.

This is a web-site address re-direct service.  Have you ever felt the pain of giving your students a very long website address to type into a computer?  Just one mistake and the website won’t come up.

So, instead of using addresses like:

http://thestar.blogs.com/baseball/2008/04/halladay-in-hea.html

... with your students or in your documents, you can use addresses like this:

http://tinyurl.com/6aues8

Visit http://tinyurl.com for more details.

Other Resources

Texas Instruments Activities Exchange (Search by device for Nspire CAS)

TIPS4RM Resources for Grade 10 Applied Mathematics

Other Documents

Expanding and Factoring Patterns Using Nspire CAS

A great write-up describing how the CAS capabilities of Nspire can be used to help students discover the “rules” of expanding and factoring for themselves.

Solving Equations on a CAS

Written with TI-92 screenshots, but the same result can be achieved using the Calculator function of Nspire handhelds.  This was demonstrated briefly in the Grade 10 session.

Basic Algebra with a CAS

Introduce students to like terms using CAS.

Solving Systems of Equations with a CAS - Black-box vs. White-box Approach

Are you concerned that using Computer Algebra Systems like Nspire will further increase your students’ dependency on technology?  This is a good, brief write-up on the pitfalls of “black-box” use of technology and the advantages a “white-box” approach.  Again written for an older TI calculator, but works identically on an Nspire.