Two weeks after the preservice teachers designed and presented their modelactivities
during the sixth week of classes in the fall
semester, one student (to be named «Trent» hereafter) inquired about a set of TI - 83s to use withhis onsite, small group teaching lesson, a requirement of the practicum course.Trent had been
searching for ways to improve the test scores of these studentswhen he heard
during class that using the TI - 83s and StudyCards was one wayin which a teacher had reached her social studies students with special needs.These special needs students had grown - up with GameBoys and other handheldvideo games and were motivated to learn using the TI - 83 since it was a similartype of device.