Graphing the production function F(x)=ln(x) by entering the function into a graphics calculator and copying down the result just seems like cheating.
Well, yeah. But math courses that require a graphing calculator don't ask, "write down the graph for f(x) = ln(x)".
The problem here is two-way. This professor does not understand what the graphing calculators are capable of (which he admits), nor does he understand what the previous math courses were like that relied on them.
I've been in a few math courses that have not required a graphing calculator, we were required to memorize basic functions to help us solve problems more quickly, and to understand more of the intuition behind the math, and what the graph is actually telling us.
My intro to calculus class forced us to memorize the standard values for sin and cos for the quarter-values of pi for the same reason. For those quizzes, we could not use a calculator, of course. But for the rest of the class we used a calculator.
Well, yeah. But math courses that require a graphing calculator don't ask, "write down the graph for f(x) = ln(x)".
The problem here is two-way. This professor does not understand what the graphing calculators are capable of (which he admits), nor does he understand what the previous math courses were like that relied on them.