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Calculator Community => Other Calculators => Topic started by: annoyingcalc on October 17, 2012, 10:55:29 pm

Title: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: annoyingcalc on October 17, 2012, 10:55:29 pm
Im taking honors math and we have crappy ti-80s the only good calculators (besides my 10 calculators) are the teachers ti-83 NO plus
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on October 17, 2012, 11:07:53 pm
In my school, every math classroom has its oown set of 30 Nspire’s, and a few Advanced Placement classes have 60.
But, for the standardized tests, every student gets a calculator, so I imagine that there are enough calculators for every student in one grade to get them.
So at least 800 calculators (and I have to update the OS on nearly all of them!)
But, we have had a few grades with over a 1000 students, so there might even be 1000 Nspires.
That’s a lot of Nspires!

However, all of my teachers have only ever used the 84 faceplate, and it takes us about ten minutes for the class to relearn how to use the Nspire if we ever use it.

Plus we have a few hundred scientific calculators.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: _Nicco_ on October 17, 2012, 11:25:05 pm
At my school only a few of the upper level math classes have a class set of Ti-84's and some have a couple Ti-83's.  You are also able to borrow a Ti-83 from our library for the year if you are in AP Statistics.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: Juju on October 17, 2012, 11:45:58 pm
At my high school every grade 11 student had a TI-82 lent to him (in grade 10 it's a set of 30 TI-82s for everyone), a few people (myself included) had a TI-83+ though. And then I graduated to college and they disallowed calculators.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 18, 2012, 12:35:38 am
In my case it was like this:

Grade 10 easy maths (416):
Minimum requirement: scientific calc
What people had: Mostly scientific calcs, but a few had TI-80's, 82's (original model) and 83+'s.
Calculators the class lent: none
Calculators lent at final exam: none

Grade 10 hard maths (426 & 436):
Minimum requirement: TI-82
What people had: Mostly TI-83+'s, a few people had TI-80's and TI-82's as well. Only one redesigned 82 (1996), one 83 and two 83+SE (including mine and a teacher).
Calculators the class lent: 20-25 TI-82's (original design)
Calculators lent at final exam: 20-25 TI-82's (original design)

Grade 11 easy maths (514):
Minimum requirement: TI-80
What people had: Mostly TI-83+'s and 80's, a few people had TI-82's as well (all the original design). I was the lone 83+SE owner.
Calculators the class lent: 20-25 TI-82's (original design)
Calculators lent at final exam: 20-25 TI-82's (PARCUS/3rd redesign from 2001)

Grade 11 hard maths (526 & 536):
Minimum requirement: TI-82
What people had: Mostly TI-83+'s, a few people had TI-80's and TI-82's as well.
Calculators the class lent: 20-25 TI-82's (original design)
Calculators lent at final exam: 20-25 TI-82's (if I remember, they were PARCUS/3rd redesign from 2001)

I believe they got the Parcus 82 models around the end of my final year of hi school. Nobody had TI-84+ nor TI-82 STATS calcs because they did not exist yet. I did not see any other graphing calc model. Teachers had TI-82, 83, 83+ and 83+SE Viewscreen models if I remember.

Btw the only calc models that are sold in Quebec anymore are:

TI-83+
TI-84+
TI-84+SE (rare)
TI-89T
TI-Nspire CX
Casio FX-cg10

Around 2001-03 it was the following:

TI-80
TI-83+
TI-83+SE
TI-86 (until 2002)
TI-89
Casio color screen calc (I believe it was the CFX-9970GC Plus or 9850GC Plus, but it was not the white version)
Another Casio calc that was about $49.99, which I believe was a FX-7400G series calc (until 2002)
HP-39g (when I tried it at Staples it BLOD'd on me) (until 2002)

Afterward they only had 80s, 83+s, 83+SE's and 89's until early 2006 or so, then added Nspires and Casio FX-9750G around Early 2008.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: nxtboy III on October 18, 2012, 12:52:02 am
My honors class has like, 20 or so TI-84s
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: floris497 on October 18, 2012, 01:13:12 am
my entire school (±1500) has a TI-84+ instead of me i have a Nspire and a TI-84+ SE :)

but most people don't need the calc so its pure loss of money.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators do your school have?
Post by: Adriweb on October 18, 2012, 02:15:05 am
My engineer school generally doesn't allow calculators, simply. However, for exams where it is really needed (rarely, according to them...), they have about 100-150 TI-30X II
(http://cdn.idealo.com/folder/Product/111/8/111805/s1_produktbild_gross/texas-instruments-ti-30x-iis.png).

My High school however allowed any calc for exams/tests, but since I live in France, students pay for (and bring) their own calc... I don't know if the school actually even has some calculators of its own to lend to students when needed. (Btw, I was in a private school but I believe it's kinda the same for anywhere, anyway)

In my year of High School, I remember the school were advising TI-84+ (and TI-89T IIRC?) for the students to buy (useful for homework etc.) but they also have 84+ anyway to lend.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: aeTIos on October 18, 2012, 02:58:41 am
At our school, we have:
TI-30X II
TI-30XB Multiview (Solar)
TI-83(+)
TI-84+ (SE)
TI-Nspire CX

In brackets are others which are also used.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Darl181 on October 18, 2012, 05:13:23 am
The bookroom at my high school lends out mostly 83pbe's, along with some pink 84pse's (popularized by the included PuzzPack) and the occasional 82.
Seems like they kind of dole them out indiscriminately at that, in one class there were all three different models :P and someone even had a viewscreen 83 XD

Also the little 30-packs of TI-108s, tho those aren't exactly graphing are they :P
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: lkj on October 18, 2012, 08:10:44 am
At my school everyone has to buy a Nspire CX CAS, and before a classic Nspire CAS. About six years ago they had Voyage 200s, but now those are 350 $ (converted to US $).
The school has a Nspire CAS clickpad for every maths/physics teacher and some ancient non-scientific calcs for exams.
But we almost never use calcs in class, and when we use them a scientific calc would normally be enough.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: ben_g on October 18, 2012, 01:54:00 pm
My school doesn't have calculators. All calculators used during class are owned by the students, not by the school.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 18, 2012, 04:55:24 pm
In Quebec I find it ironic that in early hi school we are not allowed to use any calc, in mid/late hi school we can use graphing calcs then suddenly in college we can't anymore again. ???

Also i never ever saw a Voyage 200 anywhere IRL. Not even a TI-92+ (although I got a 73, 85 and 92 on Ebay). I believe that Consumer's Distributing (anyone remember those stores?) had TI-81's, 82's and 85's when I was kid, along with some Casio calcs. A lot ranged from $69.99 to $129.99 if I remember.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: blue_bear_94 on October 18, 2012, 05:32:49 pm
In my school, 83+/84+/SEs are used, although some own TI-89s or Nspires. I have never personally known anyone at my school who uses a Casio.

EDIT: I am currently writing an editorial to convince the school to start using Casio Prizms.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: epic7 on October 18, 2012, 06:14:43 pm
The school has some random scientific calculators, but other than that, we buy them ourselves.

9th grade Algebra 1 and Geometry require any kind of calculator and in Algebra 2 we just need any kind of graphing calculator.
My Algebra 2 class is 70% 84+/84+se, 29% 83+, and 1% nspire cx (me :P). I haven't seen anyone in my class with a 89/casio or any other ones.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Sorunome on October 18, 2012, 06:26:24 pm
my school in germany uses 84+ (not se) and the school in the us lets you choose :D
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 18, 2012, 10:31:26 pm
EDIT: I am currently writing an editorial to convince the school to start using Casio Prizms.


Good move :D (hoping it convinces them)
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on October 18, 2012, 10:48:02 pm
I guess my school wins the prize for wasting the most money, because those Nspires had to have cost anywhere between 80000 to 150000 dollars.
The couple hundred ti 30X must have cost a couple thousand dollars.
Also, several science classrooms get a set of 30 TI 83 +’s or TI 83 silver editions.
So that’s another 30000-50000 dollars possibly.
So 110000-200000 dollars spent on calculators, when physics and statistics are the only classes we need them for.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Jonius7 on October 18, 2012, 11:28:54 pm
I may have mentioned something like this previously somewhere but here is the chronology of my school calculator history

2008 (opening year): TI-84s (at least I think so)
2009: TI-84s (maybe SE, I remember a green white colour version)
2010: (my year): TI-nspire Clickpad (some decided to stick with TI-84s though, these are light blue (?))
2011: TI-nspire Touchpad
2012: TI-nspire CX

We had to buy all these either from Officeworks, or from a third party Australian supplier.
Now I'm graduating in Year 12, in under two months. Some in my year have just bought CXes because they couldn't bother to upgrade the OS, (or they wanted the colour screen), others have asked me how to upgrade (since I'm the only person in the school that has much knowledge of this stuff)

I guess my school wins the prize for wasting the most money, because those Nspires had to have cost anywhere between 80000 to 150000 dollars.
The couple hundred ti 30X must have cost a couple thousand dollars.
Also, several science classrooms get a set of 30 TI 83 +’s or TI 83 silver editions.
So that’s another 30000-50000 dollars possibly.
So 110000-200000 dollars spent on calculators, when physics and statistics are the only classes we need them for.

Your school buys them for you? Including (especially) the graphical ones?
Wow now those are some very big (possibly exaggerated) numbers O.O

EDIT: My old school mainly used Casios. That's how I first got introduced to graphical calculators.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on October 19, 2012, 09:38:28 am
Yes, all of the calculators are provided for us.
And the number might be partially exaggerated. We haven’t had a class with over a thousand for a few years, and we got the Nspires a few years ago. But we still probably have 800 Nspires.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: aeTIos on October 19, 2012, 09:42:39 am
800*$120 = $96000 for the nspires.
but still a lot of money o.O
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on October 19, 2012, 09:52:20 am
Well, throw in a few hundred 83’s
Also, I don’t remember if the nspires were $120 three years ago.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: aeTIos on October 19, 2012, 09:54:55 am
probably around that. and lets say 800 ti-83(+)'s cost 800*$110=$88000
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: calc84maniac on October 19, 2012, 10:46:36 am
Well, buying in bulk probably reduces the price substantially. Also they only loan them out to students, so it's basically a one-time cost.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: aeTIos on October 19, 2012, 11:24:27 am
Ah, I thought they got it for keepings :o
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 19, 2012, 07:29:05 pm
Well, buying in bulk probably reduces the price substantially. Also they only loan them out to students, so it's basically a one-time cost.
Wasn't it possible for schools to buy 83+s in bulk for something like $30 before?
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Yeong on October 21, 2012, 02:18:59 pm
my class uses ti-86 O.O
my sister's class use cx.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 21, 2012, 02:32:21 pm
I sure hope they don't require the TI-86, else I feel bad for people who have no credit card nor access to a pawn shop. :P (it's a great calc tho aside from the lack of archive)
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Deep Toaster on October 21, 2012, 04:57:40 pm
Our school has a ton of TI-83 Plus calculators to check out from the school library.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: TIfanx1999 on October 21, 2012, 06:51:55 pm
For us it's TI-83s adn TI-83+es. I'm not sure how many there were. I've always had my own calcs anyways though. :)
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Deep Toaster on October 21, 2012, 06:54:57 pm
For us it's TI-83s adn TI-83+es. I'm not sure how many there were. I've always had my own calcs anyways though. :)
I still check one out from the school occasionally so I have an extra guinea pig ;D
Im taking honors math and we have crappy ti-80s the only good calculators (besides my 10 calculators) are the teachers ti-83 NO plus
I didn't know those were even still around O.O
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: TIfanx1999 on October 21, 2012, 07:04:20 pm
Yea, it's kind of surprising that they didn't at least have TI-73s. I guess his school is on a limited budget, though middle schools do tend to be more lacking when it comes to graphing calculators anyways.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 22, 2012, 03:34:12 am
Well, throw in a few hundred 83’s
Also, I don’t remember if the nspires were $120 three years ago.

From what I remember, during the first year they were even more expensive than 68K calcs, but in 2008 TI was forced to drastically reduce prices due to poor sales. In 2008 where I live you could get a TI-Nspire Clickpad that includes a 84+SE keypad for $8 cheaper than an actual 84+SE. The next year, the Nspire price increased by $10 and the year after it was close to TI-89 prices.

Also regarding the TI-80s a lot of people ended up with their calc breaking in math classes. Those calcs are so poor quality compared to regular TI graphing calcs that just dropping it on the floor kills the LCD.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: TIfanx1999 on October 22, 2012, 07:26:02 am
Yea, the TI-80's are super small and slim, (which makes for a cool design) but unfortunately it also makes them very breakable. :/
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on October 22, 2012, 03:37:54 pm
I think another issue is the cheap plastic used. My TI-80 was left under a pile of 15 other calcs for a few years then when I tried to use it again the LCD was all glitchy and I couldn't fix it. Not sure if it's due to that or other factors, though.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: epic7 on October 22, 2012, 05:56:25 pm
Anybody else's classes not even supply any calculators?
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: floris497 on December 17, 2012, 10:09:02 am
Can someone explain the price of those calcs?

There €100 to €150, is the hardware so expensive? Can't imagine that, I think they are super mass produced.

Is it all the calculation technology so the software your paying for?

Or Are they overpriced? (seems likely to me)

TI must make a lot of money with the calcs.

And I'm not sure but In my opinion there are almost no innovations in the ti-83 family,
Just a new case a bit more memory, the new screen is a huge update most likely also in software.

Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: V1mes on December 17, 2012, 10:12:35 am
Anybody else's classes not even supply any calculators?

Here in UK they don't.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Spyro543 on December 17, 2012, 02:31:21 pm
In my algebra I class, there are 10 TI30XIIS calculators for students to borrow. I use my FX9750GII instead :D
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: ElementCoder on December 17, 2012, 03:06:44 pm
In the classes of my old school they don't supply them, you have to buy them yourself :P For the so-called "Math A" (lots of statistics) and "Math C" (easier version of A) they made us use the TI 84+ (SE). For "Math B" (lots of equations (solving) stuff and geometry (proofs too)) and "Math D" (kinda like A and C together, but for pros, a chapter in A/C is a paragraph in D) they made us use the TI-Nspire. And  in the first 3 years we have to use the TI30XIIB and it's newer brother. Furthermore we could borrow some TI83 if we needed to.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: XiiDraco on December 18, 2012, 01:52:31 am
My school has ~15 Ti-84's per class. So, roughly 50 or so Ti-84's.
Oh and some Ti-83's.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Spyro543 on December 18, 2012, 09:01:45 am
What schools do you people go to? Almost no one in my grade (8th) knows what a graphing calculator is.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: epic7 on December 18, 2012, 02:12:54 pm
People in middle school thought my 83+ was insanely overkill :P
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Roboman on December 20, 2012, 05:22:16 pm
My School has ~ 30 Ti-83+ for each MATH class.  And they have many, many boxes of Ti-82's for when the math T.A.K.S. test comes every year.  But each of the math teachers gets a Ti-84+SE.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on December 20, 2012, 05:37:31 pm
You still take the TAKS?
Our school is changing into an EOC, end of course, exam and I assumed all Texas schools were changing too.
I guess my school is richer. All 800 students get to use an nspire on the math TAKS
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Roboman on December 20, 2012, 05:59:14 pm
Class of 2014 is the last Class to ever take the T.A.K.S.  That is my Class! (I don't have to take the EOC, my brother in Class 2013 has taken it for a few years now XD)
*edit*
TEXAS FTW
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: blue_bear_94 on December 20, 2012, 06:28:22 pm
In my school, 83+/84+/SEs are used, although some own TI-89s or Nspires. I have never personally known anyone at my school who uses a Casio.

EDIT: I am currently writing an editorial to convince the school to start using Casio Prizms.
Do you remember this post I made earlier? My AP Stats teacher lets us use any calc we want. We don't use calcs much in Discrete Math, though.
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Sorunome on December 20, 2012, 06:32:54 pm
In my school here in the us we get to choose the calculator
In my school in germany we have a ti 84+ (non-se)
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Rhombicuboctahedron on December 20, 2012, 10:47:13 pm
TEXAS FTW
Well I’ll say!
Almost everything we discuss on this forum starts with “Texas,” thought today there were quite a few Casio conversations
Title: Re: What graphing calculators does your school have?
Post by: Deep Toaster on December 21, 2012, 12:12:57 am
lol you should drive over to TI headquarters and take a peek :P

The Calculus AB and BC and Statistics classes at our school require graphing calculators. (Technically only students in those classes are allowed to check out the TI-83 Plus calculators from the library, but they don't really check. More guinea pigs for me.)