Feeling Nspired!!

This past I have been at the first week of AMSTI Algebra year 1.  I have been working in an AMSTI school the past 3 years, but have never been able to get trained until now.  I have looked at SO many things in a new light this week! I have really enjoyed looking at problems from the perspective of my students. I am looking forward to working some of the problems I've worked/seen with my students this school year! :) 

One of the things they have really been working on with us is how to use technology effectively in our classrooms.  Specifically, we have been looking at the TI-Nspire CX.  I have used the TI-Nsprie CAS iPad app, and I have used the CX handlheld twice before this week. So, I will say that I have already learned a lot about how to work the Nspire CX.  I thought they would be really difficult, but I have found that the menu-based system is really very user friendly.  I think my students would actually feel MORE comfortable with the menu system of the Nspire CX than they would my TI-83s because you have to know what "button" to push in order to find what you need.  


While using the Nspires this week, I have been thinking a lot about how my students might use the calculator more efficiently with the menu based system of the Nspire than the button based system of the TI-83/84s.  I feel like right now, my students spend a lot of time memorizing which button to push in order to find what they are looking for. 

For example, if they want to find the intersection of a system, they press 2nd, Trace, Intersection, and then select their first curve, second curve, and then a guess.  
On the Nspire, they would just press menu, analyze graph, and then select intersection. They would then manually shade in their upper and lower bounds and the intersection is the result. Once they press the menu button, I think that they would understand why they would select "Analyze Graph" because that is what they are doing! 

If a student is transforming a figure on a geometry page, they select a transformation from the "Transformations Menu". It makes COMPLETE SENSE!! 
So here was the question that I asked myself... why are teachers afraid of trying new technology that may help our students be more successful in our classrooms? 
The only answer that I could come up with was that we as teachers are afraid of trying new technology or allowing our students to use new technology because we are uncomfortable with it. 

Here's the thing... technology isn't going anywhere! It is the world that we live in.  It is the world that our students live in.  We must adapt and bring their world into the classroom. If we do this, we can engage them in a brand new way! 


So, I personally can't WAIT to use the TI-Nspire CX in my classroom this year! What new technology are you going to use this year?