Give the Gift of Learning this Holiday Season

DALLAS, Dec. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- No gift continues giving more than education. Students writing holiday wish lists might be reluctant to request a tool for math and science class, but involved parents understand the importance of equipping their children with the means to advance their educational careers and still be cool about it.

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The right tool could make the difference between fully understanding key concepts and just scraping by in math and science classes. And to foster student achievement, the right educational product should top parents' holiday shopping lists. Texas Instruments offers a wide range of handhelds, software and calculators designed to fit every student's needs.

The TI-Nspire™ Graphing Handheld leads the array of educational tools available from Texas Instruments. The TI-Nspire graphing handheld, with it's computer-like interface, presents equations in graphical, textual, numerical, and spreadsheet formats providing a dynamic view of math concepts. It aids the understanding of geometric, algebraic and statistical analysis, lists and spreadsheets, and probability. The TI-Nspire handheld makes it easier for students to explore math problems, see patterns, and understand underlying concepts.

With the accompanying TI-Nspire™ Student Software for the home computer included in the TI-Nspire handheld package, students can do their homework where they want, when they want. TI-Nspire Student Software enables students to view their work in more detail on their computer screen. The computer software also supports color to foster deeper connections between equations, graphs and charts.

The TI-Nspire handheld is permitted for use on the SAT*, AP*, ACT®, IB®, and PSAT/NSMQT* college entrance exams, as well as many state tests. At TI's Student Zone, students can download free test prep questions from The Princeton Review. Plus, with a TI-Nspire purchase, students also receive 25 minutes of free online homework help from tutor.com.

The TI-84 Plus Silver Edition graphing calculator can help students graph equations in pre-algebra through calculus, as well as plot data in biology, chemistry and physics. Research(1) shows students do better in math when they combine use of a graphing calculator at home and in class. With the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition graphing calculator's personalization options and color faceplates, students can do their homework in style. Like the TI-Nspire handheld, the TI-84 Plus graphing calculator is permitted for use during SAT*, AP*, ACT, IB, and PSAT/NSMQT*, as well as many state tests.

TI also offers a range of scientific calculators geared for math, science and engineering courses. Scientific calculators present data in two-line displays for fast calculations of large numbers, scientific notation, trigonometric functions such as sine and cosine, and exponential functions, including square roots, constants and logarithmic functions.

About Texas Instruments

Education Technology, a business unit of Texas Instruments, provides a wide range of tools connecting the classroom experience with real-world applications, helping students and teachers to explore math and science interactively. TI's products and services are tested vigorously against recognized third-party research, which shows that the use of graphing calculators helps improve the mathematical skills of students and their attitudes toward mathematics. For more information, visit education.ti.com.

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through manufacturing, design and sales operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, visit ti.com.

(1) www.education.ti.com/research

* SAT & AP are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this product. Policies are subject to change. Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/ for more information. IB is a registered trademark of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

SOURCE Texas Instruments