The Power of Desmos

Technology has changed the way we teach and learn mathematics. We as educators are not restricted to just using pencil and paper anymore because of the wide variety of new technologies that have been developed. These technologies allow us to graph functions that would be impossible to graph by hand, create interactive activities for students to complete, and so many more things. One major player in the development of math technology is Desmos. The power of Desmos is unmatched, and the opportunities are endless.

 

One major function of Desmos, which is probably the most used function, is graphing. Desmos allows you to graph pretty much any function you can think of, including trig functions, exponentials, circles, conic sections, polar and parametric equations, and more. Desmos also has a section on statistics, where it is able to graph things such as linear regression and histograms. In addition to just graphing equations, Desmos is able to plot lists of points. Desmos can be a very beneficial tool in Calculus due to its graphing power. Desmos allows you to graph the original function and the derivative on the same screen, along with graphing tangent and secant lines. 

 

Another great tool of Desmos is its ability to do calculations. Desmos is able to do simple computations like addition and multiplication and more complex computations like trig functions and integrals. Desmos has a whole section for statistics calculations that includes standard deviation, normal distribution, cdf, and pdf, and all the other calculations involved in statistics. It can do combinations and permutations, as well as midpoint and distance calculations. Desmos can solve almost any integral.

 

One of the best features for educators is Desmos Activity Builder. In Math 371, we are using Desmos Activity Builder to make custom activities. This feature allows educators to search for and use activities other educators have created or create their own activities based on what they are teaching. When creating these activities, there are so many options for educators to use, such as multiple-choice questions, free responses, graphing, card sort, and the list goes on. I think these activities are so useful because they can be a great way to supplement your lesson. Another great feature is that educators can make their activity as simple or complicated as they would like. Desmos Activity Builder allows educators to add a computational layer. Some educators have some really cool and interactive projects on Desmos Classroom that involve the computational layer.

 

Due to all the features Desmos has, I believe that it is one of the most powerful and useful pieces of technology for math educators to use. It has the ability to do so many things that relate to almost any math class you could think of. I think that every math educator should be using Desmos in their classroom.