A graphing calculator can help students build the skill sets to perform better in mathematics and science. It challenges students to work out mathematical problems by visualizing them. When students can see expressions, formulas and graphs on screen, they are able to explore concepts and make connections that lead to a deeper understanding.

Uploaded on Mar 20, 2010

Cheat On Your Tests and NOT GET CAUGHT: Store Information On TI-83/84 Backup/Archive

THIS VIDEO IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. I AM NOT RECOMMENDING CHEATING IN ANY WAY.

To viewers;

I want everyone to read the following comment carefully, including teachers who are baffled that a video like this was created in the first place.

Students should never cheat on a test or exam. Although this video informs students of ways to cheat using a very powerful calculator AUTHORIZED by the school systems in which they reside, it is even more discerning that teachers are not aware of the technology in their classroom. The amount of middle school and high school teachers who are taught the basics behind a TI calculator in a one-day team meeting, yet complain when they clearly fail to understand exactly what a graphing calculator can do, only reflects the sad realities that faces American students today: teachers tend not to be qualified for the subjects that they teach, and/or the tools given to students are impediments to a proper education.

Teachers: If you actually take the time to learn about the tools that you tell your students to use, rather than read off a curriculum written haphazardly in a 4 inch binder, then perhaps there would be a better structure behind your teaching. Don't you think that it's sad that students have to resort to cheating because you as a teacher fail to dedicate enough time to the students struggling the most? You think a student who has learned the content will waste their time using this method on a test? Because when I was in school, I would finish my math tests early and draw funny comics for my teacher to chuckle at when he or she graded my work. The argument that some students cheat because they are too lazy to learn or are so uninterested that they don't care is completely, and utterly false. Unless these students have some type of diagnosed learning disability, then the fault lies mostly on the teacher and/or curriculum for failing to demonstrate the following:

1) The subject being taught is of great pertinence 2) The subject can be engaging and fun 3) The subject will be used in the child's future/can be used for various reasons 4) The subject is something to which the student can relate, and therefore instill an autodidactic desire to learn more

Also, teachers, if you're writing test questions that can be solved by having data stored in a calculator (be it a formula, or perhaps step-by-step instructions), then you're doing something incredibly wrong. As an engineer today, I laugh when I look at the tests that I took back in high school. I took AP Calculus in 10th grade, then moved on to college level math in a prestigious university near my home my junior and senior year. I currently use discrete math to invent new products and streamline current models of electronics in my internship, and yes, my employer is aware of this video and my YouTube channel.

Math questions are meant to be multi-faceted, and although a calculator should be encouraged to solve multi-digit calculations, or trigonometry, the student should find his calculator inadequate when it comes to anything else on the test. The very fact that the rudimentary method described in this 10-minute video produced by me when I was a mere teenager can cause students to perform well on their tests is only indicative upon the meager and reductive approach taken by teachers when writing their question sets.

For students: I used to be you at one point. Middle school sucks. High school sucks even more. Shortcuts seem to be the best way to get through class, but you will realize when you get older that those shortcuts are hindrances in uncapping your full potential. If this video helped you, reconsider why you needed this in the first place. Was it that the teacher failed to teach the content appropriately, or was it because you were too busy doing other things rather than studying? If it was the former, than perhaps you should tell your teacher that the methods he or she are using are not the most effective for you. If it was the latter, then you need to prioritize better. These are only some of the questions you need to ask yourself.

For teachers: By reducing mathematics to a question that can be solved using a calculator, teachers fail to adequately instill their students with the logical reasoning and critical thinking required to be a successful math student. So for any teacher on this comment board complaining that this video is an abomination to their hard work, please take the time to re-evaluate how you teach math to students, and reflect on the very fact that your tests are written in such a pathetic way that a calculator can do all the work.