#desmos is out of control.
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@poleguy @futurebird ... Wdym they're required to have iphones?? Srsly?????
@mhstoixeiwmenopip @futurebird Sorry, I was exaggerating a bit. The kids all have iphones because Apple has a near monopoly on the market, partly because banking apps mostly only work on android and Apple, and when two kids in the group get talking on iMessage on old WiFi devices without cell phone numbers, they can't talk to kids with android, and the peer pressure effect causes android households like mine to go buy them an iPhone to avoid being excluded at 12 years old.
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@mhstoixeiwmenopip @futurebird Sorry, I was exaggerating a bit. The kids all have iphones because Apple has a near monopoly on the market, partly because banking apps mostly only work on android and Apple, and when two kids in the group get talking on iMessage on old WiFi devices without cell phone numbers, they can't talk to kids with android, and the peer pressure effect causes android households like mine to go buy them an iPhone to avoid being excluded at 12 years old.
@mhstoixeiwmenopip @futurebird but they can't use these iphones on the test I don't think because of LLM cheating. So our school requires buying a very specific model of calculator per the syllabus.
The school does provide chrome books.
I was not aware desmos was allowed on the SAT or that you could use a Chromebook for that test until I read this thread. It seems teachers and students might not either
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@poleguy @futurebird required to have an iPhone specifically? Why don't they allow Android?
@LunaDragofelis @futurebird not literally required. See my other post. But practically by social pressure.
And completely useless for tests. Android can't be used either.Many kids do cheat with llms anyway.
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#desmos is out of control. Here is my guide to all of the features I've found so far. You can make logic gates in there. You can do lists and iterate things:
Desmos Hacks n Tricks
Explore math with our beautiful, free online graphing calculator. Graph functions, plot points, visualize algebraic equations, add sliders, animate graphs, and more.
Desmos (www.desmos.com)
They've added summation and it's a little strange sometimes how it works. This threw me. You set i to be a list and it give you three answers. It won't evaluate it if you don't set an upper bound.
I'm excited but also a little horrified that this is the new SAT calculator. It's just so feature-rich.
@futurebird the regression engine in there is seriously impressive, too. it instantly converges on decent solutions to nonlinear multivariate equations in most situations.
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They are NOT "required to have an iPhone"
It's a browser-based application.
When taking the SAT you can take it on a computer or on paper. Paper is being phased out. If the test is on a computer desmos runs on the same machine.
If a student is taking the test on paper the SCHOOL should provide a device that can run desmos or the student may use the approve graphing calculators the TI 84 is the most popular but there are others.
@futurebird @LunaDragofelis thank you for clarifying this. I think my daughter, who "hates math" (she's as good as anyone at math) is not aware that desmos is allowed for the SAT or that she should be getting good at it.
As a professional I found desmos on my own and was very impressed by its features, although I usually use python for any math/plotting I do. (For documentation and repeatability and to get lots of numbers (data) in and out.)
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@mhstoixeiwmenopip @futurebird but they can't use these iphones on the test I don't think because of LLM cheating. So our school requires buying a very specific model of calculator per the syllabus.
The school does provide chrome books.
I was not aware desmos was allowed on the SAT or that you could use a Chromebook for that test until I read this thread. It seems teachers and students might not either
Students have no access to an LLM when their device is in test mode. The college board has issued specifications that (in theory) any OS developer could implement so they could be approved as a testing device.
it’s all very “other brands are available” per British television standards.
As a teacher, my primary concern is ensuring that students can maximize the effectiveness of whatever tools are permitted.
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#desmos is out of control. Here is my guide to all of the features I've found so far. You can make logic gates in there. You can do lists and iterate things:
Desmos Hacks n Tricks
Explore math with our beautiful, free online graphing calculator. Graph functions, plot points, visualize algebraic equations, add sliders, animate graphs, and more.
Desmos (www.desmos.com)
They've added summation and it's a little strange sometimes how it works. This threw me. You set i to be a list and it give you three answers. It won't evaluate it if you don't set an upper bound.
I'm excited but also a little horrified that this is the new SAT calculator. It's just so feature-rich.
@futurebird I stated looking, and this is a very cool list of all the features. Thanks for putting this together!
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I don't know if desmos is "better" we are no longer buying graphing calculators for students. I have been trying to get the faculty to pay more attention to this issue.
Getting my hands on a calculator is what *MADE* me a math person. I think it's incredibly important.
Since students will have this software during the test they need to use it regularly as they learn. I'm also annoyed that few faculty seem to understand this.
@futurebird
Fiddling with my calculator to do wierd math that occured to me throughout the day was a core part of me learning math.
Even opening up my phone app doesn't tickle the same part of my brain, and it's not as fun. -
I don't know if desmos is "better" we are no longer buying graphing calculators for students. I have been trying to get the faculty to pay more attention to this issue.
Getting my hands on a calculator is what *MADE* me a math person. I think it's incredibly important.
Since students will have this software during the test they need to use it regularly as they learn. I'm also annoyed that few faculty seem to understand this.
@futurebird I got into programming in part because of my TI85. I loved it.
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Students have no access to an LLM when their device is in test mode. The college board has issued specifications that (in theory) any OS developer could implement so they could be approved as a testing device.
it’s all very “other brands are available” per British television standards.
As a teacher, my primary concern is ensuring that students can maximize the effectiveness of whatever tools are permitted.
@futurebird @mhstoixeiwmenopip This is much better than before (again, "per British television standards"), but I still got a letter this year saying that I had to buy my kid one of two different TI branded calculators.
So maybe the requirement for this class (or this book) is different than for the SAT. Or maybe the memo hasn't got out to all the teachers (sounds like your experience).
During class my kid reports others put all the questions into an LLM routinely during final exams...
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@futurebird @mhstoixeiwmenopip This is much better than before (again, "per British television standards"), but I still got a letter this year saying that I had to buy my kid one of two different TI branded calculators.
So maybe the requirement for this class (or this book) is different than for the SAT. Or maybe the memo hasn't got out to all the teachers (sounds like your experience).
During class my kid reports others put all the questions into an LLM routinely during final exams...
@futurebird @mhstoixeiwmenopip ... or regular exams. And not just in math class.
The phones are hidden and they use their smart watches I think.
She complained about a test done as a group, where you got to compare answers after working them out individually and got a chance to change a certain number. My daughter did it by hand. But then she had the option to share with an LLM cheater who couldn't explain their answer. But she knew she was likely wrong. No value in such "collaboration."
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@futurebird
Fiddling with my calculator to do wierd math that occured to me throughout the day was a core part of me learning math.
Even opening up my phone app doesn't tickle the same part of my brain, and it's not as fun.I think desmos can fill that role. It’s pretty good. Give it a chance.
I’m just a little frustrated to be the only person who is laser focused on how much it has changed: and what those changes might mean for our courses!
