[blindkid] Math technology

[Susan Harper]

I have to say I agree with you.  I work very hard to accommodate different
learning styles and present information.  I use a curriculum that doesn't
always do the job in the way my children need it, so I have to use a variety
of mediums.  Much depends on the child's learning style and comprehension.
You also need to know what the child knows and teach from the known to the
unknown by linking information.  Sometimes this can be quite frustrating for
all, but different perspectives given can lead to a greater understanding
and ability to for the learner to formulate their own ideas and solutions.
Blessings,
Sue H.

On Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 7:24 AM, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:

> Graphs are only crutches?  That is the sort of thinking that puts blind
> people at a disadvantage.  You show me higher level science and math where
> you might have two hundred pieces of data to look at to determine whether
> the effects of an experement are strongly corilated to the manipulated
> variable, and someone who can look at a list of data points and come up with
> sound observations that you would trust to produce the information that your
> blood transfusion or the plain that you are flying in depends on.  Without
> graphs there would be no cancer research, no advances in technology that
> helps blind people.  Not to mention that some blind children are visual
> learners, and need to see it in front of them in a raised line format, for
> others a verbal or auditory depiction works well.  To discount one
> particular learning style out of hand is a very short sighted way of
> thinking.  While I do agree with you that I personally, being a very visual
> learner, don't see how a technology that produces auditory feedback for
> describing a graph would really work, I do think that for some children this
> would work.  And, for others the math concept would be incomprehensable with
> out a tactal graphic.  To imply that a math teacher is not good if she can't
> convey completely in words to a blind student what a cubed root graph
> rereflected through the origin, expanded by a degree of 2 and transfered
> five units to the lefft and eight units up, is unfounded and insulting to
> teachers who work very hard to accomidate all children with all special
> needs and to be masters of their specialty.  I know some people are going to
> disagree with me, someone always does, because I'm just not all PC like that
> and I always seem to have something to say.  lol
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" <
> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 11:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Math technology
>
>
> Pat:
>
> I'm sure many will disagree with me here but I could never fathom how audio
> could accurately convey graphics to the blind. In my book, graphs are only
> crutches to illustrate abstract concepts and math teachers are only as good
> as they can deal with the abstractions without needing to "picture"
> everything.
>
> Mike Freman, B.A. and M.S. in physics
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Renfranz" <dblair2525 at msn.com>
> To: "blindkid" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 2:36 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] Math technology
>
>
> My daughter will be taking Algebra II next year in 9th grade. She uses
> Braille/Nemeth texts with tactile graphics. She's gotten by just fine with
> relatively low-tech math tools.
>
> We are wondering if it would be useful for her to start using an accessible
> graphing calculator. Does anyone have any practical advice on using one of
> these programs? I am looking into the Audio Graphing Calculator from
> ViewPlus and Math Trax from NASA. They both produce an audio signal
> representing the shape of the function, while the AGC has the advantage of
> being able to produce tactile graphs on a Tiger embosser. Maybe there are
> other products available? Our school district has no experience with any of
> them. Does anyone¹s teenager think this software is worth learning?
>
> We are a little nervous about this, because our experience has been that,
> math is great because you can pretty much always count on a Brailler,
> paper,
> and sticky dots from the hardware store to NOT fail and to NOT require
> specialized training that gets in the way of actually learning the
> material...
>
> Thanks in advance for any help.
> Pat
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