INFORMATIONAL

     The Department of Education will make available to
  Virginia teachers an eight hour televised staff development
  course on using the Texas Instruments TI-82 graphing
  calculator. This course will be broadcast on the DOE Hour
  during the month of February. This course is an updated
  version of the course the Department broadcast in December
  1995.

     Teachers of all mathematics disciplines will learn the
  essentials for using the graphing calculator to enhance
  their teaching of mathematics. The first three sessions
  explore some basic functions of the TI-82 calculator and how
  to access menus. The third session will introduce the
  programming capability of the calculator.

     Sessions three through six focus on the use of graphing
  calculators in Algebra I. Topics include
  patterns/relations/functions, algebra, measurement,
  geometry, and statistics/probability. Activities involve
  connections, problem solving, and mathematical modeling. 

     Session seven addresses business applications and
  session eight introduces peripherals such as Graph Link
  software and the Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL) system. 

     This course will be broadcast beginning February 3,
  1998 and continue each Tuesday and Thursday on the DOE Hour
  during the months of February and March.  The last lesson
  will be broadcast on March 24, 1998. The DOE Staff
  Development Hour is broadcast from 2:00 - 3:00 pm on public
  television. A comprehensive workbook is included and can be
  obtained by calling  (800) 246-8736. The course and
  materials are available at no charge to Virginia teachers.
  Schools may also record the course for future training.

     For more information call Greg Weisiger at (804) 692-0335
  or Jim Calleran at (804) 225-2972.

  RTL/emt