Review of Texas Instruments TI-Nspire

As my final project, I chose to review the new line of handhelds (do I dare call them calculators?) by Texas Instruments. Having been a TI man for over 20 years now, I was intrigued by the amount of interest in the educational community surrounding this next-generation tool. While I must admit to at least some scepticism --far too often I have found the tools that companies introduce as truly new and innovative turn out to be merely older versions with flashier window dressing-- the TI-Nspire line seems to be the real deal. My primary interest in this particular tool is the search for technology that will allow us to change the way we teach math and science --a task that I believe is vital if we are to have any chance of meeting the new ACT benchmarks, particularly in science. Reaching the benchmarks in the other areas will be difficult, but finding a way to raise students' science scores to a 24 will require a major curricular change. We must find a way to transition from the vocabulary based standards of the Gateway test to the more reasoning based processes tested on the ACT. In short, we must teach our students to think and to problem solve. While the new family of TI handhelds will not change our curriculum, it does offer some options that will make this change more efficient and more fun for both the students and the teachers. A second motivating factor is that our school has been awarded a technology grant from a local sponsor, so there just might be enough funds to nicely equip a classroom.

The TI-Nspire family consists of three different options: the basic handheld with TI-84 compatibility, the handheld with a Computer Algebra System(CAS), and software for both Windows and Mac users. The basic version can be used on all national tests, including the ACT, and the snap-in TI-84 keypad makes it look and operate like a calculator that most of our students are already familiar with. While the CAS model cannot be used on the ACT, it is allowable on all AP tests and the algebra system allows for the solving of much more complex problems. The software allows the teacher to use a computer to emulate the calculator screen, and, with additional connectivity software, share documents with the entire class.

There are four major features of the TI-Nspire that I believe make it truly innovative. First, the ability to efficiently represent data in several ways sets this calculator apart from earlier versions. Our math department has known for years that teaching students to analyze data graphically, tabularly, and notationally was crucial in building true understanding of concepts, and TI has been a leader in supplying tools with these capabilities. The TI-Npire is the first to allow the editing of all representations from one screen. Another feature that I find very intriguing is the ability to connect probes directly to the handheld without the need to purchase an interface. This would allow our physics and math departments to collect and analyze real-world data for a multitude of motion and temperature projects. Thirdly, the TI-Nspire tools have a Push to Test feature that allows documents and programming capabilities to be locked for testing security. Finally, the TI-Nspire family of tools brings with it entire communities of educators that have already written and published many lesson plans and and activities for use in the classroom. By following just one community link, I was able to "borrow" several activities from a teacher in a private school in California that I know will be useful in our AP Calculus class. Yep, its easier to get to CA in a FLAT WORLD!

While I have not yet gotten my hands on any version of the TI-Nspire family, I am attempting to get a free trial version of the software, and will be attending a workshop presented by TI later next month. If even part of TI's and teachers' claims are true, then this technological tool will be awesome. At a price of around $140 it could even be a reality.