Classroom practice and craft knowledge in teaching mathematics using Desmos: challenges and strategies

While traditional graphing calculators have become commonplace in high school mathematics classrooms, newer and more powerful connected graphing packages (CGP) are less pervasive. This study observes how four teachers integrate a CGP into their high school mathematics classrooms, with a focus on the challenges the teachers faced and the corresponding strategies they put into practice to deal with those challenges. Ruthven’s Structuring Features of Classroom Practice framework is used to frame reported data and to identify craft knowledge. Overall, it is concluded that the relevant craft knowledge was developed by these teachers over time based on practice, rather than formal training, and is unique to classroom context. It is argued that the types of challenges faced by each of the teachers were dependent on their particular expertize. Those with more experience with integration of the CGP in action displayed a more fluent and problem-free practice. The strategies reported in this study are also thought to be helpful to teachers and researchers, and potentially supportive of future integration of CGPs.