Computational exercises and demonstrations appear frequently in the classes that I teach at Lafayette College. The software that I use for in-class demonstrations is usually Mathematica 4 or J 3. I focus on one language or the other throughout the course when I expect the students to develop the ability to make substantial explorations and do independent experimentation. There is an ongoing expectation at Lafayette that Mathematica be used in Calculus Classes 2; I also use Mathematica for my Numerical Analysis and Techniques of Math Modeling classes. I use J for teaching Number Theory and Linear Algebra and it is central to my mathematical visualization course that follows the text 6. However, I always have interest in how the explorations that I do in one language would be done in the other.
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