Using Desmos in the Math Classroom

I love my Texas Instruments graphing calculator...I really do - BUT Desmos is the best thing that has hit my iPad...and it's FREEEEEEEE!

What do I like about using Desmos...

1) it is very intuitive.  Students can type in an equation and Desmos graphs it.   Done!

2)  it graphs as you type.  For example...if you type y = x + 2...it graphs y = x and then moves the graph up as you type +2.

3)  You can add sliders.  For example...do you want to show students what happens to the graph of the equation of a line y = mx + b when you change m?  Type y = mx - 3 and add a slider for m.  Slide the slider and students immediately see what happens when m changes.

Lots of examples right before their eyes...awesome.  Graphing calculators work for this too, but you have to type in each new example.

4)  I like that there is an app and there is a web-based version.  I have students that bring chrome books, but most have iPads.  Both sets of students can work in this app.

5)  There are many, many pre-made activities that you can find by googling.

Last Christmas I had my Pre-Calculus class use all of the graphs we learned about during first semester and make Christmas themed drawings.  They were awesome and really taught them about piecewise functions.  I don't think many of them really understood them until they had to make lines and curves start and stop in certain places to complete their Christmas drawings.

Here are a couple of examples that my class created - awesome!

 If you'd like to see see the rubric and more information about this project, check it out in my Teachers Pay Teachers store...Teaching High School Math