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From: gao@ucrmath.ucr.edu (weiqi gao)
Newsgroups: sci.math,comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: The use of calculators in teaching calculus
Keywords: Calculators, calculus
Message-ID: <10335@ucrmath.ucr.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 90 19:28:09 GMT
References: <4608@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Followup-To: sci.math
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, Riverside
Lines: 39

In article <4608@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> rouben@math13.math.umbc.edu (Rouben
	Rostamian) writes:
>Here are a few thoughts and ideas on the role of calculators 
>and computers in teaching freshman calculus.  I am interested
>to find out if there are others who share these thought, or if
>there are some who disagree with me.  Comments from both 
>teachers and students of calculus are welcome.  
...
>I would like to hear your thoughts and comments on this.  Specifically:
...
>E - Other thoughts and comments.

I don't have any formed opinion on this subject, for I am just starting
to teach calculus.  However I would like to share the following story
with you.

Yesterday is the final examination for my freshman calculus class.  One
of the problems is to find out whether the graph of the function

	         4     3
	       3t  - 4t   
	f(t)= ----------
	         4     3
	       4t  - 3t

has any horizontal asymptotes.  As time went by the students all
finished up, and I was with the last student in the room.

-- Which one has gotten you stuck?
-- The asymptotes.
-- That one is easy, isn't it?  You just have to take the limit!
-- Yes, and I am taking it. (He pushes the keys in his calculator.)
-- Does your calculator take limits?
-- No, I just, ... sort of ... put in the numbers ... (He does this), it
	worked for me in the homeworks.

He got the wrong answer!

Weiqi Gao