South High Principal Ray Aponte said that since he became principal in 2014, students have never been required to buy a costly calculator. Depending on the model, they can cost more than $100.Ībout half of South's students qualify for free or reduced lunches, according to Minnesota Department of Education data, so forking over cash for a math tool could be an economic hardship. The graphing calculator used in Van Der Werf's classes is the TI-84, manufactured by Texas Instruments. The expensive tools necessary for higher-level math work can put some students at a disadvantage, she said. Van Der Werf has been trying Desmos on phones for about a year, though she also circulates regular graphing calculators through her classroom. Paul and is a math instructor on leave from Normandale Community College.īen Murray and Kaida Bisbis used their cellphones in Sara Van Der Werf’s advanced algebra class at South High. Both are used worldwide, said Christopher Danielson, a member of Desmos' teaching faculty. Teachers across the Minneapolis district, at South and Southwest high schools, and at Ramsey and at Sanford middle schools, are using the app, Van Der Werf said.ĭesmos, a San Francisco-based company, launched its online calculator in 2012 and its app in 2014. 'I saw it almost immediately as kind of an equity game-changer for students everywhere,' said Van Der Werf, who teaches advanced algebra. Best of all, they can crunch equations, whether in class or at home, without having to buy a costly calculating tool.

They touch curves to show maximums and minimums. Students pinch to zoom into graphs of algebraic equations on the Desmos app. Instead of banking on clunky and pricey TI-84 calculators, her kids use a free graphing calculator app on their mobile devices. It's not the conventional way to begin math class, but neither is Sara Van Der Werf's calculator alternative at Minneapolis South High School. OK, class - pull out your smartphones, please.

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