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Now that I have seen the effects of graphing calculators in an Algebra II
class, I no longer feel that their use is conducive to true student learning.
While they are certainly helpful in certain specialized situations, there is
no reason for students to be using them on every assignment and test. In my
future classes, I will encourage students to use scientific calculators instead.
In response to the lack of improvement from the mini-lessons, I have also learned
that if I want my students to really learn something, I need to emphasize its
importance, review it later on, and give them plenty of practice with it.
Ultimately it is the students' attitude towards the material being presented
that determines how well they will learn and retain it.
This summer I will be performing a literature survey with the goal of
finding similar classroom research and comparing it to my own results.
I hope to discover whether these results are consistent with the findings
of other researchers. Furthermore, in coming years I intend to continue
surveying my classes to determine how my students utilize various calculators
and other technology, and how beneficial they are to mathematical understanding.