Video Blog: Guide to Graphing Software for Math and Science Exams, Labs, Assignments, and Handouts

Graph 4.4 and Desmos.com

Graph 4.4

Graph 4.4 is a great freeware program for producing math and science graphs for exams, labs, assignments, and handouts.  Graph 4.4 can be downloaded at http://www.padowan.dk/download.  You will need administrative privileges on your computer in order to install the software, but ITS can also do this for you.  I found this gem thanks to Google and CNET.

Here's a video guide to Graph 4.3 that I produced a year ago as a guide to how to use and embed in MS-Word for the Mathematics 30 development project:

Click here to see the video in full screen:  http://www.youtube.com/v/FMrOVjIB04I  

Graph 4.4 can be used in many different ways to enhance teaching and learning.  The exam and assignment templates for math and science encapsulate Graph 4.4 in the Quick Parts making the insertion of these item types effortless.  Furthermore, this program is a tremendous learning tool for students.  I wish I had access to software like this when I was a student.  Instead, I made my own graphing software in QBasic on a Tandy 1000EX--graphing a relation was so slow you could see each individual point appear on the screen one at a time.  By contrast, Graph 4.4 is lightning fast.

Desmos.com

The best web-based graphing tool I know of is Desmos.com.  You can log on to Desmos.com using an existing Google Account.  You can store your graphs at Desmos.com, share them with students as a URL, or embed them Google Sites.  Unfortunately, you can’t embed Desmos graphs in Google Documents--yet.

Click image to open the Desmos graph.

Amazingly, because Desmos is written in HTML5 rather than Flash, it will run in almost any device, such as an iPhones and iPads.  An iPad app is also available; an iPhone app will soon be available.

And, perhaps most useful of all, Desmos easily implements sliders for parameters, a great learning tool for students.  See this example:  https://www.desmos.com/calculator/gojtzw3ral .

Desmos graphs can be exported to Google Drive as PDFs, downloaded as images, embedded in web sites, and emailed to students.

Regards,
Michael Gaschnitz