Transforming the Way We Teach Function Transformations.

NUMERICAL functions; MATHEMATICAL transformations; MATHEMATICS education; NATIONAL Council of Teachers of Mathematics; PRINCIPLES & Standards for School Mathematics (Book); MATHEMATICAL formulas; TRANSPARENCIES in education; MEMORIZATION; COMPREHENSION strategies

The article focuses on the use of transparencies to help students learn transformations of functions not through memorization but through understanding. It discusses the ideas of National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000). It states that through the ideas, students are taught why procedures work, rather than letting them memorize mathematical procedures and formulas. It explains that function transformations are depicted by their roles on inputs or outputs. It notes that by using the function's output-input definition, the function transformations can be examined. It says that employing transformations to output and input values and investigating the ensuing graph helps students have a better knowledge of functions.