Education Technology

6 Sensational TI Resources to Jump-Start Your School Year

Posted 08/11/2023 by Cara Kugler, Instructional Content Manager, TI

Are you new to teaching with TI technology? Or looking for new ways to engage your students with the technology they already have? Or maybe just finding yourself a little rusty after summer break? Have no fear, TI is here!

Another school year has begun and the slow summer mornings with no alarm clocks, well, are now just a memory! Sigh. TI can help ease the beginning of the year transition with many resources to get you and your students up to speed, no matter what calculator they are using or what course they are taking.

Let’s take a look at six sensational TI resources to help you jump-start the new school year.

  1. Did you know we have calculator scavenger hunts? These can be a fun, great way to get your students to explore the functionality of their calculators, and refresh their minds on menu locations and how to do basic things on their calculators. Download versions for the TI-84 Plus and TI-Nspire™ CX families of graphing calculators.


  2. Video-based product tutorials. TI offers on-demand learning that’s great for teachers and students alike. These video tutorials can be found at education.ti.com/tutorials in a step-by-step, easy-to-follow format! Be sure to check out the brand new Quick Tutorials for the TI-84 Plus CE calculator.



  3. Free classroom activities for math and STEM! TI offers free classroom-ready activities that are just a download away. Find lessons that are organized by subject and topic and can be aligned to both state and national standards, as well as some of the most popular textbook programs, making integration even more seamless. Be sure to check out the following sites: Math Nspired and 84 Activity Central. Looking to learn more about coding with Python or TI-Basic? Check out TI Codes and STEM Projects which have lots of great ideas to get your students to the next step in their coding learning.

  4. We do science too! For all you science teachers out there, we are showing you the love too! Have you visited Science Nspired lately? We have added a new resource: Using Activities with an LMS to show you just how easy it is to incorporate TI activities into an LMS in your classroom! (YES Math Teachers, this is true for you as well! Check it out in Math Nspired LMS how-to. Go ahead: Pick your subject and topic, and see what’s available to jazz up your lessons with simulations, data collection activities, and assessment questions too! (Note: For TI-84 Plus graphing family users, science activities can be found in 84 Activity Central.)

  5. Professional development offerings. Our Teachers Teaching with Technology™ (T³™) professional development offerings are flexible, diverse and come in a variety of flavors to meet your needs. Want an instructor to come to you? We can do that too! On-site workshops and coaching offer a face-to-face chance to learn from instructors that know how to best integrate TI technology into your classroom. Prefer online? Attend a live webinar or watch a recording at your convenience from our on-demand library — either option is a great way to earn continuing education (CE) credits.

  6. Need a lifeline? Contact TI-Cares™ customer support. Talk on the phone, chat live or email with a product specialist who can help troubleshoot issues and answer your questions. You can also access a searchable Knowledge Base that provides answers to most questions regarding TI products. Visit education.ti.com/support for more details.

And this is just the beginning! Download this great, printable reference tool that provides a listing of TI curriculum resources, educator support programs and professional development offerings. Don’t forget to check out our newly designed @TICalculators YouTube channel as well. The blog: A New School Year — A New You(Tube) will give you a guided tour of the changes.

I hope this has been a helpful overview and I encourage you to visit and browse education.ti.com to discover even more resources. From all of us at TI: Have a great year!


About the author: Cara Kugler currently works as the Instructional Content Manager at Texas Instruments. She has been with TI for over 16 years and works with educators to create content and resources to help both teachers and students get the most of TI technology in the classroom and at home. Prior to joining TI, she worked in educational publishing and actually started her career in education as a biology teacher. She enjoys the unique combination of getting to put her love for teaching and learning, technology and publishing as she manages the many activity websites TI offers. In her spare time, she spends her weekends on the soccer, baseball and lacrosse fields cheering on her two sons. She loves to travel with her family, and her happy place is the beach.