[blindkid] Excel-labeling everything in a graph with talking software

Wed Oct 4 12:15:53 UTC 2017

Good questions Traci--

Your question on excel is actually several steps from what actually occurs.
Excel graph is one of the last things that is done

Teachers emails the math work to student.
Student opens it up and yes, student has to change Jaws setting to speak
all the math correctly and this is a must. Example:  5 to the power of 2
will read 52 without the setting change. With setting change, jaws reads it
as 5 superscript 2. Jaws has all the special math symbols to insert also
and Word and jaws together are incredibly powerful. Students can do all
their math in word with Jaws.

So the student completes the math, then copies the math off and inserts it
into excel then creates the graph. Copies the graph and pastes it right
under all the work they just showed to solve the problem. The graph is the
pictorial version that the teacher requires of the work they showed. Then
they email back to teacher.

To get to this point takes a lot of learning and steps and years of
instruction on all the other math the student is doing. Just like in
school--all concepts build on each other. The point is--our kids MUST
output for a sighted world. Braille is for them but they must output ALL
work in print and learn how to output ALL work on that computer to send to
a sighted world. Equals, jobs, opportunities, collaboration==off this is
google share with other students and everything else the other kids are
doing in class.

My students are just students who just HAPPEN to use blind skills to access
the world. Their peers do not look at them as "poor blind kid." They see
them as the cool kid with a computer that can help THEM do those cool
things too on their computers. Because yes--even completely blind--they are
learning the most fancy of visual effects. My totally blind students can
pick out the best pictures just based on the perfect google search
terms--whole other skills.

I have many advanced people asking me the "how do you do this in excel" so
thought I would send to the blind listserves also to show them--yes--all
your kids can do this too.

So once again--long answer for--the excel is the last step--so many steps
before that part of learning takes place

*Dr Denise M Robinson*

Denise M Robinson, TVI, PhD

Specialist-Technology/Blind Skills | Teacher of the Blind and Visually
Impaired
425-220-6935 | www.yourtechvision.com

“Helping the visually impaired see their world changed through technology”

On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 8:24 PM, Traci W <traci.mwd at gmail.com> wrote:

> Okay, I'm watching the video, questions come to mind:
> 1. You say the student got the problems from Word. Will Word by read
> properly by NVDA or Jaws for math equations or does this have to be entered
> in a certain way?
> 2.  Do your students perform all their math on a computer then, via Word
> and Excel?
>
> Thanks again - this is all so helpful!
> Traci
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 2:36 PM, Traci W <traci.mwd at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Great - thanks for that info!  My daughter and I are excited to watch
>> your video together.  I know school systems are getting better at allowing
>> computers during testing - but how do you get around that if the student
>> prefers to perform their math on the computers and a system still doesn't
>> allow them during testing?  I do think this will change rapidly though, as
>> sighted peers are more and more often tested on computers...
>>
>> Thanks again,
>> Traci
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 2:28 PM, Denise M Robinson via blindkid <
>> blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Traci
>>> Marianne raises a really good point. Mathxl is a Pearson product.
>>> Pearson has just begun the journey of making their products
>>> accessible....so be careful with anyone beginning the journey on
>>> accessibility
>>>
>>> Saying that, excel from elementary is an easy program to learn. I say
>>> easy with this in mind--all programs are easy to learn if you have someone
>>> who can teach you the commands to do it. They are terrible and impossible
>>> if you get someone who does not know all the commands to teach IT ALL and
>>> your child will HATE that computer and all programs because they will start
>>> to believe the false statements of "blind people just can’t do that" --that
>>> is a lie.
>>>
>>> My students go from basic math in lower elementary to advanced
>>> math--statistic, trig and beyond using excel. At its simplest, students do
>>> all their graphing in excel, line up problems to divide and multiple,
>>> etc--just like the sighted--I do not teach them formulas until they are in
>>> advanced math in HS--it is all their work.
>>>
>>> One tiny example I have heard too many times: I picked up a new student
>>> this year who is in 6th grade who only knew how to read braille--with one
>>> hand because her past TVI told her never to use her left hand, and she did
>>> most work verbally, so over summer heavy instruction on her apex and the
>>> computer and the programs with the computer. Now that school has started,
>>> she is doing graphing in 6th grade so I show her how to do graphing in
>>> excel and she said "I thought I would never be able to do graphing" and she
>>> has pretty much said this all along the last few months each time she
>>> learns a new concept. She is learning she CAN do all this --Because every
>>> adult in her background has told her  (minus her parents) "blind people
>>> can't do this" now my team and I are telling her the same thing as her
>>> parents--"yes, you can!"
>>>
>>> One by one, the myths are dispelled.
>>>
>>> One thing I so want all parents to know--your child CAN DO ANYTHING and
>>> EVERYTHING at the same speed and efficiency as any other child with the
>>> right tools and make it even look better and greater using that computer
>>> with a braille display and talking software (braille graphics and nemeth
>>> under their fingers for science and math with work on computer--so they get
>>> the "visual" of what is going on as they output work on their computer with
>>> talking software and brl display).
>>>
>>> They just have to dream it, and have someone to teach them the commands
>>> on that computer and they CAN do it.
>>>
>>> That was a long answer for--excel--hands down
>>>
>>> Hope this helps
>>>
>>> Denise M Robinson TVI, PhD
>>>
>>> TechVision Team
>>> TechVision Team
>>> Specialists in Technology and Training for the blind & visually impaired
>>>
>>>
>>> 425-220-6935
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>> Marianne Denning via blindkid
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 3, 2017 2:02 PM
>>> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children) <
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Marianne Denning <marianne at denningweb.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Excel-labeling everything in a graph with
>>> talking software
>>>
>>> I am not Denise but I have a question. Is Math ML accessible with a
>>> screen reader? If not, then it really isn't an option. It would be the way
>>> I could get the math information in Braille but then I would need to find a
>>> way to solve the problems and get my work to the teacher without a middle
>>> person.
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 12:52 PM, Traci W via blindkid <
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> > Denise,
>>> >
>>> > I'm curious if you see Excel or MathML as the most effective way for a
>>> > blind student to progress through her math studies.  My daughter is in
>>> > 7th and still on the perkins brailler, which has its merits, but I'm
>>> > wondering how you decide which path to take..
>>> >
>>> > Thank you!
>>> > Traci Wilkerson
>>> >
>>> > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&
>>> > utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
>>> > Virus-free.
>>> > www.avg.com
>>> > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&
>>> > utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
>>> > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>>> >
>>> > On Mon, Sep 18, 2017 at 9:38 AM, Dr. Denise M Robinson via blindkid <
>>> > blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > > Here are the answers to how our low vision and blind students can do
>>> > > all math in excel and make beautiful graphs. Truly a braille display
>>> > > needs to be attached to reconfirm anything they hear and also the
>>> > > items they do
>>> > not
>>> > > hear. Many more Youtube videos on this at the TechVision channel:
>>> > > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YW7Ves0phCwCOtaZ3wWFw
>>> > >
>>> > > Here is the excel video: https://youtu.be/Gnm_WMrNaZ8
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > *Dr Denise M Robinson*
>>> > >
>>> > > Denise M Robinson, TVI, PhD
>>> > >
>>> > > Specialist-Technology/Blind Skills | Teacher of the Blind and
>>> > > Visually Impaired
>>> > > 425-220-6935 | www.yourtechvision.com
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > “Helping the visually impaired see their world changed through
>>> > technology”
>>> > >
>>> > > _______________________________________________
>>> > > blindkid mailing list
>>> > > blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> > > for
>>> > > blindkid:
>>> > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/
>>> > > traci.mwd%40gmail.com
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Traci Wilkerson
>>> > Cell – 919-971-6526
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > blindkid mailing list
>>> > blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> > blindkid:
>>> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/
>>> > marianne%40denningweb.com
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
>>> Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
>>> (513) 607-6053
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindkid mailing list
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blindkid:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/denise
>>> rob%40gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindkid mailing list
>>> blindkid at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blindkid:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/traci.
>>> mwd%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Traci Wilkerson
>> Cell – 919-971-6526 <(919)%20971-6526>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Traci Wilkerson
> Cell – 919-971-6526 <(919)%20971-6526>
>
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4362 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindkid_nfbnet.org/attachments/20171004/d3fe03fa/attachment.jpg>