Twelve Tools of December: Desmos

During the weekdays of December, we're sharing one tool per day as part of our Twelve Tools of December series.  Some of these tools are designed to be used instructionally, some can help you be more productive, and some are just fun.

Today, we're sharing about Desmos. 




What is it?

Desmos a fabulous FREE graphing calculator that can instantly plot any equation entered. It's considered the next generation graphing calculator. You can find it in the Chrome App Store and in the iTunes store for use on iPhones and iPads.  Once you get there, you can explore and then create an account or link it to your google account.  

Why would I use it?  What does it do?
Do you or your students graph functions, plot tables of data, evaluate equations, or explore transformations?  If you answered yes, then this is the tool to use.  The website has a wealth of math examples as well as creative arts applications.  Need some inspiration and lesson ideas?  Click here for an entire site dedicated to hand crafted classroom activities made by teachers.  

Here are some sweet examples from the site.  Click on the name of the graph to see Desmos in action.  

Sun to Moon

Normal Sine Integration

Snowman

And if this was not enough, this tool has been reviewed on Graphite too.  

Where can I learn more?
Desmos has YouTube channel where you can learn from their experts and view how-to videos. Additionally, there is a handy blog where you can keep up on the latest.  Do you tweet?  Consider following them @Desmos

Whether you consider yourself a math wiz or a novice you likely will be enthralled with what Desmos can do!