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Do they use Python for their homework? I'm a math teacher and a programmer, and I can't wait to see the end of the TI dominance in education. I would happily l

• analog31 9y ago
  They don't. It's strictly recreational. Right now one is in 2nd year calculus, and the other is in "Algebra 2 and trig." There is little or no use of computation in their classes, perhaps because it's so cumbersome. When there is any computation, there is an emphasis on the graphing calculators because they're allowed by the standardized tests, and the teacher is familiar with them. The Algebra teacher even stipulates that he can only work with TI calculators, not Casio. I think there are a couple of broader issues here. First of all, I'd like to see more of what I call computation for lack of a better term, in the K-12 math curriculum. This isn't for turning people into professional programmers, but because computation has had a huge influence on how people do both practical and theoretical math. Thus, a computation-free K-12 curriculum misrepresents what math is. Of course the other issue is teacher training, and standardized testing. Changing the curriculum requires changes to both teacher training and the tests. If it's not on the test, then it can't be taught. Remember proofs in geometry? Gone.