Data-Driven Activities: Instacalc

Math teachers can use the Instacalc tool to create shared online calculators. Each calculator can include figures, formulas and/or notes that outline problems for students to solve (e.g., "If two children borrowed $50 from their parents to start a lemonade stand, and the parents charged 8% annual interest on the loan, how much interest would the children pay per month on a $50 balance?"). After saving a calculator with base numbers and/or text, the program can generate a unique URL to share with students and/or embed on teacher Web pages. After students solve calculator problems, they can save their work as another unique URL and turn-in a link to the instructor for scoring. Math teachers can use Instacalc to create homework problems, or students can create problems to share with their peers like virtual flashcards.