Adult Numeracy Network

To get started, read this Review of DESMOS Classroom Activities written by ANN Past President, Eric Appleton from the Adult Literacy Education Journal, published in Summer 2022.

From the Desmos website

Desmos wants to build a world where every student learns math and loves learning math, where a student’s access to the power and beauty of math doesn't depend on their place of birth, race, ethnicity, gender, or any other aspect of their identity.

Our free suite of math software tools, including the renowned Desmos Graphing Calculator and Scientific Calculator, are used annually by over 40 million teachers and students around the world.

Our cutting-edge technology also powers our free digital classroom activities, thoughtfully designed by teachers for teachers to support and celebrate the different ways students come to know mathematics. These activities are guided by our pedagogical philosophy and open up a world of possibilities for students to explore concepts more deeply, collaborate with their peers on problem-solving, and apply knowledge creatively as mathematicians.

The three parts of Desmos that we want to highlight are (1) Classroom activities on Teacher.Desmos, (2) the Desmos graphing calculator, and (3) Learn Desmos.

Teacher.Desmos.com

Teacher.Desmos.com is the place to go if you want:

ready-made, online interactive mathematical activities with a focus on conceptual understanding

to create your own interactive math activities

to use the teacher dashboard to see what your students are doing as they work though the activity - the dashboard allows you to see where students are, respond to them in real-time, select and sequence student responses, and more.

activities that can easily be embedded in Learning Management Systems

To help you get started, here are a few collections of Desmos activities either created for, or well-suited for adult students.

Desmos Activities for ABE Students: A Desmos collection created by Heather Yee
Adult Numeracy Network Desmos Activities: A growing collection of Desmos activities created by members of the Adult Numeracy Network
Desmos Collection on CollectEdNY: A growing collection of Desmos activities curated for adult education students.

Desmos Graphing Calculator

The Desmos Graphing Calculator is the place to go if you want:

to graph functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, etc)
to plot data
to evaluate equations
to explore transformations
other investigations on an interactive coordinate grid.

Learn.Desmos.com

Desmos wants to be understood. Learn Desmos is a user-friendly collection of tutorials, inviting teachers into all the different tools available on Desmos. The descriptions are visual, often interactive, and use both text and video to answer FAQ and help teachers find activities and incorporate them into their classes.

Learn Desmos is the place to go if you want:

help getting started with any of the Desmos Activities
help getting started with the Desmos graphing calculator
to learn how to use any of the features and functions of any Desmos tool