Arrrgh - teenagers!
So a few years ago, I decided I neede to brush up on my math. So I went to Lakeland and took all their math up through DiffEQ. The course syllabuses (syllabi?) said you need a graphing TI calc, so I got a TI89 - top end machine.
Of course, the profs never saw one before - they were all using 83s. So I had to slog my way through the manual. Very powerful machine that let me cheat on a couple tests - it can decompose functions and simplify 3rd order equations. And show you how it did it. Nice! It was hard to not use it as a crutch.
Anyway, after I got done studying all that math that I'll never use - some algebra and maybe some calc, but not much else! - I put the calc away and went back to my beloved HPs.
Years go by, and Jackie needs a graphing calc for pre-calc. She decides she can use the TI. Last night she comes up to me and asks how to graph piece-wise functions. I know how to graph two piece functions, but multiple piece functions require you write a program and assign it to a y= slot in the grapher.
So I;m trying to teach Jackie the programming language the night before she needs the calc for a test. Ugh. I finally gave up, said screw it and took her out and bought her a TI84, which is what the rest of her class uses. $127 later, Im pissed. She should have told me four days ago when she tried sorting it out! Oh well.
Of course, the profs never saw one before - they were all using 83s. So I had to slog my way through the manual. Very powerful machine that let me cheat on a couple tests - it can decompose functions and simplify 3rd order equations. And show you how it did it. Nice! It was hard to not use it as a crutch.
Anyway, after I got done studying all that math that I'll never use - some algebra and maybe some calc, but not much else! - I put the calc away and went back to my beloved HPs.
Years go by, and Jackie needs a graphing calc for pre-calc. She decides she can use the TI. Last night she comes up to me and asks how to graph piece-wise functions. I know how to graph two piece functions, but multiple piece functions require you write a program and assign it to a y= slot in the grapher.
So I;m trying to teach Jackie the programming language the night before she needs the calc for a test. Ugh. I finally gave up, said screw it and took her out and bought her a TI84, which is what the rest of her class uses. $127 later, Im pissed. She should have told me four days ago when she tried sorting it out! Oh well.