The new ClassWiz one year on - what do teachers think? - Casio Calculators

The new ClassWiz one year on – what do teachers think?

Oct 2024 Medium Read: 5 Min

The new ClassWiz range has now been in classrooms for a full school year. It offers a big redesign for the fx-83GT CW, fx-85GT CW and fx-991CW, with significant upgrades to the looks and navigation of the models, as well as some new and improved features to make teachers’ and students’ lives easier.

We know change always brings challenges, especially if you’re moving from a device you’re comfortable and familiar with. So we wanted to find out just how the transition has gone and what users really think of the upgraded range, having had a chance to get to grips with it over the last year.

Here’s what attendees at the annual MEI Conference for maths teachers had to say.

A streamlined, simplified tool

Ease of use was a common theme in the feedback we received, thanks to a simplified, streamlined design that’s both intuitive and great to look at. One teacher, Emma, said she’d been “charmed” by the new range, despite some initial reservations over the changes to the calculators’ appearance.

The colours and design won praise from maths teacher Jo, who added all incoming year 7 students at her school have been told to make sure they get the latest models. Meanwhile,  another teacher, Annie, said she would definitely recommend the new ClassWiz, saying: “It’s a great calculator. It’s easy to use and does so much.”

More intuitive navigation and improvements in physical design for ease of operation were major focuses for the new ClassWiz range, so it’s great to hear from real users that they’ve been well-received.

While mathematical functionality remains similar to previous models, the new easy-touch rounded buttons are cleaner and more responsive than the old square layout. These enhancements simplify access and usability for a complex calculator.

We also got positive feedback on the new Math Box app, which can be found using the home key. Emma said tools such as coin flipping were “very sweet”. These functions help open up new routes into learning for students by helping visualise probabilities and can make it easier to get them engaged with the material. Math Box can also simulate dice rolls and help learners understand relationships between trigonometric ratios.

Getting to grips with the new capabilities

One potential barrier to upgrading for some teachers is having to learn new or different functionality. But while it does take some getting used to, Jo noted that once teachers get it in their hands and learn some of the key tips and tricks for their calculator, it quickly becomes fast and easy to use.

For instance, she said her staff were initially concerned about how to quickly show a decimal answer. At first, teachers thought this would take too many key presses. However, once they discovered they could get a decimal answer just by pressing shift then execute, this all changed.

“Our initial reaction was we thought it was going to take longer to do everything. We were wrong, we just didn’t know how to use it,” Jo said. “Now we’ve got our heads around the various functions, I think it’s going to be absolutely fine.”

The benefits of upgrading

With the enhanced functionality and new design of the ClassWiz range, teachers also emphasised the importance of every pupil having access to the most up-to-date handset in their lessons and ensuring all pupils entering in year 7 have the latest models..

Jo explained that it’s essential when teaching calculator skills that everyone is on the same page. If all students and their teacher are using the same model, with the same keys, teachers can have confidence in passing on their own training to students.

This also ensures schools are able to make the most of ClassPad, our web-based teaching and learning platform, which includes a ClassWiz emulator. ClassPad offers tools to help students understand maths visually in the classroom.

If teachers know whole classes are using the latest models, it also helps save valuable time and engage students without having to worry that some may not be able to access important features on their own calculators.

“We like to have consistency, so we’ve told all of our new students they have to have the new model,” Jo said.

Giving all students – and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – access to the latest calculators can be a challenge for schools. We have a range of options to help with this, such as discounts for direct purchases of the fx-83GT CW, fx-85GT CW and fx-991CW.

It was great to get feedback at the annual MEI Conference. With the new ClassWiz models gaining popularity with teachers and students for both form and function, now is the perfect time to consider upgrading if you haven’t already. We’ve created a wide range of resources to help you learn about what the new ClassWiz range can do and make the transition as easy as possible.