[Blindmath] Blindmath Digest, Vol 64, Issue 20
Amanda Lacy
lacy925 at gmail.com
Sun Nov 20 02:50:03 UTC 2011
Gina,
What is an audio labeling Penfriend? How exactly does it know where you
placed the audio labels on the drawing? Does it require a touch screen, and
how much does it cost?
Thanks,
Amanda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gina Marie Ceylan" <ginacofc at hotmail.com>
To: <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 4:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Blindmath Digest, Vol 64, Issue 20
> Ben, I just wanted to say thanks... this is really helpful. I have
> struggled with many of these same problems (on the Mac side) and think I
> will search for some similar solutions. Also, go for the physics.
>
> All- I have been using a combination of a tactile sketchpad (sensational
> blackboard) and audio-labelling (penfirend) to work with simple diagrams
> and graphs. You can use a normal pen and paper with the sketchpad to make
> a tactile drawing, and label, re-label, and move the audio stickers as
> needed. I'm using it in geochemistry, but I think it would be useful for
> math courses as well.
>
> -Gina
>
> On Nov 19, 2011, at 12:00 PM, blindmath-request at nfbnet.org wrote:
>
>> Send Blindmath mailing list submissions to
>> blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>
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>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than "Re: Contents of Blindmath digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Working math homework and exams (Ben Humphreys)
>> 2. Re: Working math homework and exams (Louis Maher)
>> 3. Re: Working math homework and exams (Ben Humphreys)
>> 4. Re: Working math homework and exams (John Gardner)
>> 5. Re: Working math homework and exams (Tami Kinney)
>> 6. Re: Working math homework and exams (Amanda Lacy)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:59:37 -0500
>> From: Ben Humphreys <brh at opticinspiration.org>
>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Doris Pichardo <pichardo.doris at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <4ec7c464.e426340a.230e.ffffd962 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>
>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of
>> a text editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the
>> discussion focused on how to represent math constructs like
>> exponents, division, special symbols etc.
>>
>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first
>> math class as a totally blind student.
>>
>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I
>> would be much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times
>> longer to do than other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable
>> for visualizing graphs but a lot of extra prep work necessary to get
>> math material and graphss in a form suitable for embossing or reading
>> and doing homework.
>>
>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she
>> creates material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the
>> Microsoft Word file from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's
>> convert to Latex feature, then heavily process with a Perl script to
>> remove all the extraneous junk and put it in a straightforward format
>> that I can read in Notepad. Before I wrote the Perl script, I
>> required a human to remove all the extraneous Latex and the human
>> found it faster to type from scratch than to fixup the Latex.
>>
>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out
>> of other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can
>> read them in a text editor.
>>
>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and
>> places the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the
>> students. The format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my
>> homework with the correct solutions.
>>
>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>> (Learning Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but
>> the readers are aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record
>> these textbooks, it's an exceedingly hard thing to render a math
>> textbook in audio format. I get stressed out just listening to those
>> poor people trying to describe a crazy equation or graph in words.
>>
>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be
>> provided back in secondary school.
>>
>>
>> Back to the original story...
>>
>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose
>> this approach for several reasons:
>>
>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>
>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>
>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>> would be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b,
>> apostrophe, and ^ characters on a Braille display, you can easily see
>> how a beginner would completely blow an equation like
>> y'=2b^2 because 5 of the characters are all two vertical dots in
>> various configurations. Recipe for disaster...
>>
>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins
>> brailler. This had the advantage that you could type your work in
>> braille, and refer back to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>
>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical solution
>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how
>> one makes corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>
>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>
>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>> editor.
>>
>> So x-squared became x^2
>> a/b is a simple fraction
>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>
>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be
>> "squared", y' to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read
>> cosine x.
>>
>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>
>> Now for the complications:
>>
>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy"
>> reading through them with a text editor. Example:
>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>
>>
>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>> really easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>
>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>> could easily become
>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>
>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and
>> if you look at that equation, there are about 9 individual
>> coefficients, exponents, and signs to remember. It's enough to drive
>> you mad. So you use copy and paste as you work the problem and then
>> change little pieces on each iteration.
>>
>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form
>> of an area off to the side of the page or on the back where
>> "temporary" calculations can be performed. Then the result can be
>> brought back into the original problem.
>>
>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from
>> the original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>> calculations to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make
>> you dizzy and confused just moving through all the math with a screen
>> reader in your ear.
>>
>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>> programming language. Example:
>>
>> # Original equation
>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>
>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>> 4x^2= 400x
>>
>> # Divide both sides by 4
>> x^2 = 100
>>
>> # Solve for x
>> x=10
>>
>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you
>> get a problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you
>> have to write down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then
>> substitute everything back in. Example:
>>
>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of
>> the box is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>
>> So you write down
>>
>> l=10
>> w=5
>> h=2
>>
>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>
>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to
>> move your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then
>> bring your cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type
>> the value, delete the original variable, and repeat without blowing
>> anything.
>>
>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly
>> by referring to them visually.
>>
>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>> tendency to blow it goes way up.
>>
>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going
>> back and forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to
>> be a better way.
>>
>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>
>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these
>> problems for me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for
>> x without using that horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never
>> blow an exponent or +/- sign, produce graphs suitable for a tactile
>> embosser, and give me the ability to double check my answers, to say
>> nothing of being a very capable talking "calculator."
>>
>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other
>> Java-based user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>
>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was
>> much more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command
>> to force the exponents into the same line as the equation instead of
>> Maple printing them above the equation. And at that point, I had a
>> pretty good solution.
>>
>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use
>> by a blind student problematic:
>>
>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>> best results.
>>
>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100
>> and requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>
>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance
>> and many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>
>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license
>> when you purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and
>> your school workstation is going to be a problem.
>>
>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>
>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I
>> was hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source
>> programs simlar to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or
>> installation issues.
>>
>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>
>> Next steps:
>>
>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text
>> editor so I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable
>> of placemarkers, cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>
>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice
>> since Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the
>> glue between Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>
>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>
>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing
>> the real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by
>> noticing you haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the
>> hardest work in math is the problem setup and interpretation and the
>> CAS can't do that for you. Still, there may be some reluctance on
>> the part of instructors to allow you such a powerful calculator /
>> programming language.
>>
>> Next semester...
>>
>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>> 2. Calculus II
>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>
>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions
>> useful. I'm pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:25:23 -0600
>> From: "Louis Maher" <ljmaher at swbell.net>
>> To: "'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'"
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: 'Doris Pichardo' <pichardo.doris at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <004a01cca6cf$75622870$60267950$@swbell.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hello Ben,
>>
>> Three comments.
>>
>> 1. A Braille display would greatly lesson the memory issue.
>> 2. You could open a second file for scratch purposes. Alt-tabbing
>> between
>> two files is faster than going up and down a single file.
>> 3. Nemeth code is invaluable.
>>
>> Braille will greatly simplify your scientific efforts.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>> Louis Maher
>> 713-444-7838
>> ljmaher at swbell.net
>> http://www.nfbtx.org/localchapters/houston
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On
>> Behalf Of Ben Humphreys
>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 9:00 AM
>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Doris Pichardo
>> Subject: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>>
>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>
>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of a
>> text
>> editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the discussion
>> focused on how to represent math constructs like exponents, division,
>> special symbols etc.
>>
>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first math
>> class
>> as a totally blind student.
>>
>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I would
>> be
>> much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times longer to do than
>> other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable for visualizing graphs
>> but
>> a lot of extra prep work necessary to get math material and graphss in a
>> form suitable for embossing or reading and doing homework.
>>
>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she creates
>> material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the Microsoft Word
>> file
>> from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's convert to Latex feature,
>> then
>> heavily process with a Perl script to remove all the extraneous junk and
>> put
>> it in a straightforward format that I can read in Notepad. Before I
>> wrote
>> the Perl script, I required a human to remove all the extraneous Latex
>> and
>> the human found it faster to type from scratch than to fixup the Latex.
>>
>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out of
>> other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can read them
>> in
>> a text editor.
>>
>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and places
>> the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the students.
>> The
>> format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my homework with the
>> correct solutions.
>>
>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>> (Learning
>> Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but the readers
>> are
>> aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record these textbooks,
>> it's
>> an exceedingly hard thing to render a math textbook in audio format. I
>> get
>> stressed out just listening to those poor people trying to describe a
>> crazy
>> equation or graph in words.
>>
>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be provided
>> back in secondary school.
>>
>>
>> Back to the original story...
>>
>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose this
>> approach for several reasons:
>>
>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>
>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>
>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>> would
>> be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b, apostrophe, and
>> ^
>> characters on a Braille display, you can easily see how a beginner would
>> completely blow an equation like
>> y'=2b^2 because 5 of the characters are all two vertical dots in
>> various configurations. Recipe for disaster...
>>
>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins brailler.
>> This
>> had the advantage that you could type your work in braille, and refer
>> back
>> to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>
>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical solution
>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how one
>> makes
>> corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>
>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>
>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>> editor.
>>
>> So x-squared became x^2
>> a/b is a simple fraction
>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>
>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be "squared",
>> y'
>> to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read cosine x.
>>
>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>
>> Now for the complications:
>>
>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy"
>> reading through them with a text editor. Example:
>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>
>>
>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>> really easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>
>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>> could easily become
>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>
>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and if
>> you
>> look at that equation, there are about 9 individual coefficients,
>> exponents,
>> and signs to remember. It's enough to drive you mad. So you use copy
>> and
>> paste as you work the problem and then change little pieces on each
>> iteration.
>>
>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form of
>> an
>> area off to the side of the page or on the back where "temporary"
>> calculations can be performed. Then the result can be brought back into
>> the
>> original problem.
>>
>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from the
>> original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>> calculations
>> to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make you dizzy and
>> confused
>> just moving through all the math with a screen reader in your ear.
>>
>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>> programming language. Example:
>>
>> # Original equation
>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>
>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>> 4x^2= 400x
>>
>> # Divide both sides by 4
>> x^2 = 100
>>
>> # Solve for x
>> x=10
>>
>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you get a
>> problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you have to write
>> down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then substitute
>> everything back in. Example:
>>
>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of the
>> box
>> is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>
>> So you write down
>>
>> l=10
>> w=5
>> h=2
>>
>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>
>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to move
>> your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then bring your
>> cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type the value,
>> delete
>> the original variable, and repeat without blowing anything.
>>
>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly by
>> referring to them visually.
>>
>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>> tendency
>> to blow it goes way up.
>>
>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going back
>> and
>> forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to be a better
>> way.
>>
>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>
>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these problems
>> for
>> me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for x without using
>> that
>> horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never blow an exponent or +/-
>> sign,
>> produce graphs suitable for a tactile embosser, and give me the ability
>> to
>> double check my answers, to say nothing of being a very capable talking
>> "calculator."
>>
>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other Java-based
>> user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>
>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was much
>> more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command to force
>> the
>> exponents into the same line as the equation instead of Maple printing
>> them
>> above the equation. And at that point, I had a pretty good solution.
>>
>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use by
>> a
>> blind student problematic:
>>
>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>> best
>> results.
>>
>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100 and
>> requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>
>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance and
>> many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>
>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license when
>> you
>> purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and your school
>> workstation is going to be a problem.
>>
>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>
>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I was
>> hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source programs
>> simlar
>> to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or installation issues.
>>
>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>
>> Next steps:
>>
>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text editor
>> so
>> I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable of
>> placemarkers,
>> cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>
>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice since
>> Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the glue
>> between
>> Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>
>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>
>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing the
>> real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by noticing you
>> haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the hardest work in
>> math
>> is the problem setup and interpretation and the CAS can't do that for
>> you.
>> Still, there may be some reluctance on the part of instructors to allow
>> you
>> such a powerful calculator / programming language.
>>
>> Next semester...
>>
>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>> 2. Calculus II
>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>
>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions useful.
>> I'm
>> pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blindmath mailing list
>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Blindmath:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/ljmaher%40swbell.net
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:37:15 -0500
>> From: Ben Humphreys <brh at opticinspiration.org>
>> To: ljmaher at swbell.net, Blind Math list for those interested in
>> mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <4ec7db50.0361340a.43ee.ffffe2d6 at mx.google.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>> Louis,
>>
>> Thanks for the recommendations but I have several questions:
>>
>> 1. When using a Braille display,you're going to have to necessarily
>> separate the braille cursor line from the active cursor line you're
>> working on so as to refer to previous work while typing new
>> work. The whiz wheels on the FS displays seem good for this but I've
>> found the braille cursor has a nasty habit of jumping back to the
>> active cursor line without being asked to.
>>
>> 2. Having lost my eyesight at 40, learning Braille sufficient to
>> read efficiently, let alone accurately enough to do math is no easy
>> endeavor. While I really appreciate that I enjoyed eyesight for the
>> first half of my life, I envey students who learned braille as a kid
>> when their brains were spongy and getting proficient was relatively
>> effortless.
>>
>> 3. How does one differentiate 2 from b from ' from ^ accurately? On
>> my display, at least, they are all 2 vertical dots. in various
>> permutations.
>>
>> 4. As for Nemeth, I'm not sure what the benefit is here, other than
>> yet another step to get from Mathtype to a format capable of
>> reading. I could see if the original content was in Nemeth but how
>> much original university-level math is in Nemeth format?
>>
>> Aren't you going to need a human to perform that extra conversion
>> step for you? Is there a Mathtype to Nemeth converter?
>>
>> One of these days, if I ever experience a Mathplayer that actually
>> works, I may develop a whole new appreciation for Math
>> ml. Unfortunately, the issues necessary to get this working for the
>> uninitiated such as myself have been too numerous to overcome.
>>
>> Great discusion though!
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Ben
>>
>> At 10:25 AM 11/19/2011, you wrote:
>>> Hello Ben,
>>>
>>> Three comments.
>>>
>>> 1. A Braille display would greatly lesson the memory issue.
>>> 2. You could open a second file for scratch purposes. Alt-tabbing
>>> between
>>> two files is faster than going up and down a single file.
>>> 3. Nemeth code is invaluable.
>>>
>>> Braille will greatly simplify your scientific efforts.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Louis Maher
>>> 713-444-7838
>>> ljmaher at swbell.net
>>> http://www.nfbtx.org/localchapters/houston
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On
>>> Behalf Of Ben Humphreys
>>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 9:00 AM
>>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Doris Pichardo
>>> Subject: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>>>
>>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>>
>>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of a
>>> text
>>> editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the discussion
>>> focused on how to represent math constructs like exponents, division,
>>> special symbols etc.
>>>
>>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first math
>>> class
>>> as a totally blind student.
>>>
>>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I would
>>> be
>>> much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times longer to do than
>>> other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable for visualizing graphs
>>> but
>>> a lot of extra prep work necessary to get math material and graphss in a
>>> form suitable for embossing or reading and doing homework.
>>>
>>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she
>>> creates
>>> material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the Microsoft Word
>>> file
>>> from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's convert to Latex feature,
>>> then
>>> heavily process with a Perl script to remove all the extraneous junk and
>>> put
>>> it in a straightforward format that I can read in Notepad. Before I
>>> wrote
>>> the Perl script, I required a human to remove all the extraneous Latex
>>> and
>>> the human found it faster to type from scratch than to fixup the Latex.
>>>
>>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out of
>>> other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can read
>>> them in
>>> a text editor.
>>>
>>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and
>>> places
>>> the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the students.
>>> The
>>> format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my homework with the
>>> correct solutions.
>>>
>>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>>> (Learning
>>> Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but the readers
>>> are
>>> aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record these textbooks,
>>> it's
>>> an exceedingly hard thing to render a math textbook in audio format. I
>>> get
>>> stressed out just listening to those poor people trying to describe a
>>> crazy
>>> equation or graph in words.
>>>
>>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be
>>> provided
>>> back in secondary school.
>>>
>>>
>>> Back to the original story...
>>>
>>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose this
>>> approach for several reasons:
>>>
>>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>>
>>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>>
>>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>>> would
>>> be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b, apostrophe,
>>> and ^
>>> characters on a Braille display, you can easily see how a beginner would
>>> completely blow an equation like
>>> y'=2b^2 because 5 of the characters are all two vertical dots in
>>> various configurations. Recipe for disaster...
>>>
>>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins brailler.
>>> This
>>> had the advantage that you could type your work in braille, and refer
>>> back
>>> to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical
>>> solution
>>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how one
>>> makes
>>> corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>>
>>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>>
>>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>>> editor.
>>>
>>> So x-squared became x^2
>>> a/b is a simple fraction
>>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>>
>>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be
>>> "squared", y'
>>> to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read cosine x.
>>>
>>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>>
>>> Now for the complications:
>>>
>>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy"
>>> reading through them with a text editor. Example:
>>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>>
>>>
>>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>>> really easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>>
>>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>>> could easily become
>>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>>
>>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and if
>>> you
>>> look at that equation, there are about 9 individual coefficients,
>>> exponents,
>>> and signs to remember. It's enough to drive you mad. So you use copy
>>> and
>>> paste as you work the problem and then change little pieces on each
>>> iteration.
>>>
>>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form of
>>> an
>>> area off to the side of the page or on the back where "temporary"
>>> calculations can be performed. Then the result can be brought back into
>>> the
>>> original problem.
>>>
>>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from the
>>> original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>>> calculations
>>> to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make you dizzy and
>>> confused
>>> just moving through all the math with a screen reader in your ear.
>>>
>>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>>> programming language. Example:
>>>
>>> # Original equation
>>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>>
>>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>>> 4x^2= 400x
>>>
>>> # Divide both sides by 4
>>> x^2 = 100
>>>
>>> # Solve for x
>>> x=10
>>>
>>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you get a
>>> problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you have to
>>> write
>>> down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then substitute
>>> everything back in. Example:
>>>
>>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of the
>>> box
>>> is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>>
>>> So you write down
>>>
>>> l=10
>>> w=5
>>> h=2
>>>
>>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>>
>>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to move
>>> your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then bring your
>>> cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type the value,
>>> delete
>>> the original variable, and repeat without blowing anything.
>>>
>>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly by
>>> referring to them visually.
>>>
>>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>>> tendency
>>> to blow it goes way up.
>>>
>>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going back
>>> and
>>> forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to be a better
>>> way.
>>>
>>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>>
>>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these problems
>>> for
>>> me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for x without using
>>> that
>>> horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never blow an exponent or +/-
>>> sign,
>>> produce graphs suitable for a tactile embosser, and give me the ability
>>> to
>>> double check my answers, to say nothing of being a very capable talking
>>> "calculator."
>>>
>>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other Java-based
>>> user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>>
>>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was much
>>> more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command to force
>>> the
>>> exponents into the same line as the equation instead of Maple printing
>>> them
>>> above the equation. And at that point, I had a pretty good solution.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use by
>>> a
>>> blind student problematic:
>>>
>>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>>> best
>>> results.
>>>
>>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100 and
>>> requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>>
>>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance
>>> and
>>> many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>>
>>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license when
>>> you
>>> purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and your school
>>> workstation is going to be a problem.
>>>
>>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>>
>>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I
>>> was
>>> hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source programs
>>> simlar
>>> to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or installation issues.
>>>
>>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>>
>>> Next steps:
>>>
>>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text
>>> editor so
>>> I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable of
>>> placemarkers,
>>> cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>>
>>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice since
>>> Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the glue
>>> between
>>> Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>>
>>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>>
>>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing
>>> the
>>> real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by noticing
>>> you
>>> haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the hardest work in
>>> math
>>> is the problem setup and interpretation and the CAS can't do that for
>>> you.
>>> Still, there may be some reluctance on the part of instructors to allow
>>> you
>>> such a powerful calculator / programming language.
>>>
>>> Next semester...
>>>
>>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>>> 2. Calculus II
>>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>>
>>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions useful.
>>> I'm
>>> pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/ljmaher%40swbell.net
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> for Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/brh%40opticinspiration.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:53:52 -0800
>> From: "John Gardner" <john.gardner at orst.edu>
>> To: "'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'"
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <004701cca6db$d2ec9370$78c5ba50$@gardner at orst.edu>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hi Ben, sounds like you are taking care of things pretty well. Good
>> work.
>> You are a survivor. I have a suggestion. You can greatly reduce the
>> prep
>> time for graph printout by two possible routes. In Maxima, maybe you can
>> ask it to use certain fonts on graphs? If so, use Tiger or Braille29,
>> and
>> you'll get DotsPlus or braille respectively. For things where you can't
>> change fonts, import using IVEO Creator and read labels in IVEO. At
>> present, it does not interpret equations but does a great job on text.
>> So x
>> squared will have an x and a raised 2. It probably won't understand
>> Greek
>> letters though, but this will get you a long way quickly.
>>
>> Congratulations on finding what sounds like a pretty good path!
>>
>> John G
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On
>> Behalf Of Ben Humphreys
>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 7:00 AM
>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Doris Pichardo
>> Subject: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>>
>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>
>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of
>> a text editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the
>> discussion focused on how to represent math constructs like
>> exponents, division, special symbols etc.
>>
>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first
>> math class as a totally blind student.
>>
>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I
>> would be much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times
>> longer to do than other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable
>> for visualizing graphs but a lot of extra prep work necessary to get
>> math material and graphss in a form suitable for embossing or reading
>> and doing homework.
>>
>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she
>> creates material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the
>> Microsoft Word file from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's
>> convert to Latex feature, then heavily process with a Perl script to
>> remove all the extraneous junk and put it in a straightforward format
>> that I can read in Notepad. Before I wrote the Perl script, I
>> required a human to remove all the extraneous Latex and the human
>> found it faster to type from scratch than to fixup the Latex.
>>
>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out
>> of other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can
>> read them in a text editor.
>>
>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and
>> places the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the
>> students. The format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my
>> homework with the correct solutions.
>>
>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>> (Learning Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but
>> the readers are aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record
>> these textbooks, it's an exceedingly hard thing to render a math
>> textbook in audio format. I get stressed out just listening to those
>> poor people trying to describe a crazy equation or graph in words.
>>
>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be
>> provided back in secondary school.
>>
>>
>> Back to the original story...
>>
>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose
>> this approach for several reasons:
>>
>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>
>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>
>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>> would be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b,
>> apostrophe, and ^ characters on a Braille display, you can easily see
>> how a beginner would completely blow an equation like
>> y'=2b^2 because 5 of the characters are all two vertical dots in
>> various configurations. Recipe for disaster...
>>
>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins
>> brailler. This had the advantage that you could type your work in
>> braille, and refer back to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>
>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical solution
>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how
>> one makes corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>
>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>
>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>> editor.
>>
>> So x-squared became x^2
>> a/b is a simple fraction
>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>
>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be
>> "squared", y' to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read
>> cosine
>> x.
>>
>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>
>> Now for the complications:
>>
>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy"
>> reading through them with a text editor. Example:
>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>
>>
>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>> really easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>
>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>> could easily become
>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>
>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and
>> if you look at that equation, there are about 9 individual
>> coefficients, exponents, and signs to remember. It's enough to drive
>> you mad. So you use copy and paste as you work the problem and then
>> change little pieces on each iteration.
>>
>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form
>> of an area off to the side of the page or on the back where
>> "temporary" calculations can be performed. Then the result can be
>> brought back into the original problem.
>>
>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from
>> the original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>> calculations to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make
>> you dizzy and confused just moving through all the math with a screen
>> reader in your ear.
>>
>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>> programming language. Example:
>>
>> # Original equation
>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>
>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>> 4x^2= 400x
>>
>> # Divide both sides by 4
>> x^2 = 100
>>
>> # Solve for x
>> x=10
>>
>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you
>> get a problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you
>> have to write down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then
>> substitute everything back in. Example:
>>
>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of
>> the box is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>
>> So you write down
>>
>> l=10
>> w=5
>> h=2
>>
>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>
>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to
>> move your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then
>> bring your cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type
>> the value, delete the original variable, and repeat without blowing
>> anything.
>>
>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly
>> by referring to them visually.
>>
>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>> tendency to blow it goes way up.
>>
>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going
>> back and forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to
>> be a better way.
>>
>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>
>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these
>> problems for me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for
>> x without using that horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never
>> blow an exponent or +/- sign, produce graphs suitable for a tactile
>> embosser, and give me the ability to double check my answers, to say
>> nothing of being a very capable talking "calculator."
>>
>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other
>> Java-based user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>
>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was
>> much more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command
>> to force the exponents into the same line as the equation instead of
>> Maple printing them above the equation. And at that point, I had a
>> pretty good solution.
>>
>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use
>> by a blind student problematic:
>>
>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>> best results.
>>
>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100
>> and requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>
>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance
>> and many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>
>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license
>> when you purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and
>> your school workstation is going to be a problem.
>>
>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>
>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I
>> was hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source
>> programs simlar to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or
>> installation issues.
>>
>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>
>> Next steps:
>>
>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text
>> editor so I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable
>> of placemarkers, cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>
>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice
>> since Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the
>> glue between Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>
>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>
>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing
>> the real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by
>> noticing you haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the
>> hardest work in math is the problem setup and interpretation and the
>> CAS can't do that for you. Still, there may be some reluctance on
>> the part of instructors to allow you such a powerful calculator /
>> programming language.
>>
>> Next semester...
>>
>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>> 2. Calculus II
>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>
>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions
>> useful. I'm pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blindmath mailing list
>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Blindmath:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/john.gardner%40orst.e
>> du
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 5
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 09:00:52 -0800
>> From: Tami Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <4EC7E0C4.60102 at comcast.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> Ben,
>>
>> Thank you for this. In 2005/2006, I did look into taking the career
>> advancement option through my VR agency to finish up my math degree...
>> Since in the 7.5 years previously that I had been losing the sight to
>> read print they had not gotten around to performing an on site work
>> place assessment... When they failed to do their steps to go forward
>> with the school plan or even answer questions, it occurred to me that I
>> had best find better things to do. I have since learned that they do
>> that to all of their consumers, and those who start school while waiting
>> for the tools and texts they need end up pretty broken. Sigh.
>>
>> Anyway, I would have been retaking calculus, which was fine because I
>> needed to learn to conceptualize math non visually. Trying to figure out
>> how to do that and still have time to eat and sleep made me hungry and
>> tired. /smile/
>>
>> For now, my plan is to rebuild the other foundations of my life and get
>> back to work somehow in information management systems, then study math
>> on my own until I get a tool kit built up and can just start taking math
>> classes again without having to put up with a lot of hassle with VR or
>> disability services...
>>
>> So your explanations of the tool kit you use and your solutions to the
>> problems of reading and homework production give me a lot of insight!
>>
>> Best wishes for winter break and your next term.
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 11/19/2011 06:59 AM, Ben Humphreys wrote:
>>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>>
>>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of a
>>> text editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the
>>> discussion focused on how to represent math constructs like exponents,
>>> division, special symbols etc.
>>>
>>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first math
>>> class as a totally blind student.
>>>
>>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I would
>>> be much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times longer to do
>>> than other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable for visualizing
>>> graphs but a lot of extra prep work necessary to get math material and
>>> graphss in a form suitable for embossing or reading and doing homework.
>>>
>>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she creates
>>> material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the Microsoft Word
>>> file from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's convert to Latex
>>> feature, then heavily process with a Perl script to remove all the
>>> extraneous junk and put it in a straightforward format that I can read
>>> in Notepad. Before I wrote the Perl script, I required a human to remove
>>> all the extraneous Latex and the human found it faster to type from
>>> scratch than to fixup the Latex.
>>>
>>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out of
>>> other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can read them
>>> in a text editor.
>>>
>>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and
>>> places the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the
>>> students. The format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my
>>> homework with the correct solutions.
>>>
>>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>>> (Learning Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but
>>> the readers are aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record
>>> these textbooks, it's an exceedingly hard thing to render a math
>>> textbook in audio format. I get stressed out just listening to those
>>> poor people trying to describe a crazy equation or graph in words.
>>>
>>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be
>>> provided back in secondary school.
>>>
>>>
>>> Back to the original story...
>>>
>>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose this
>>> approach for several reasons:
>>>
>>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>>
>>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>>
>>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>>> would be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b,
>>> apostrophe, and ^ characters on a Braille display, you can easily see
>>> how a beginner would completely blow an equation like y'=2b^2 because 5
>>> of the characters are all two vertical dots in various configurations.
>>> Recipe for disaster...
>>>
>>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins brailler.
>>> This had the advantage that you could type your work in braille, and
>>> refer back to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical
>>> solution
>>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how one
>>> makes corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>>
>>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>>
>>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>>> editor.
>>>
>>> So x-squared became x^2
>>> a/b is a simple fraction
>>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>>
>>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be
>>> "squared", y' to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read
>>> cosine x.
>>>
>>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>>
>>> Now for the complications:
>>>
>>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy" reading
>>> through them with a text editor. Example:
>>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>>
>>>
>>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>>> really easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>>
>>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>>> could easily become
>>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>>
>>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and if
>>> you look at that equation, there are about 9 individual coefficients,
>>> exponents, and signs to remember. It's enough to drive you mad. So you
>>> use copy and paste as you work the problem and then change little pieces
>>> on each iteration.
>>>
>>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form of
>>> an area off to the side of the page or on the back where "temporary"
>>> calculations can be performed. Then the result can be brought back into
>>> the original problem.
>>>
>>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from the
>>> original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>>> calculations to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make you
>>> dizzy and confused just moving through all the math with a screen reader
>>> in your ear.
>>>
>>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>>> programming language. Example:
>>>
>>> # Original equation
>>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>>
>>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>>> 4x^2= 400x
>>>
>>> # Divide both sides by 4
>>> x^2 = 100
>>>
>>> # Solve for x
>>> x=10
>>>
>>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you get a
>>> problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you have to
>>> write down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then substitute
>>> everything back in. Example:
>>>
>>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of the
>>> box is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>>
>>> So you write down
>>>
>>> l=10
>>> w=5
>>> h=2
>>>
>>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>>
>>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to move
>>> your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then bring your
>>> cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type the value,
>>> delete the original variable, and repeat without blowing anything.
>>>
>>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly by
>>> referring to them visually.
>>>
>>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>>> tendency to blow it goes way up.
>>>
>>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going back
>>> and forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to be a
>>> better way.
>>>
>>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>>
>>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these problems
>>> for me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for x without
>>> using that horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never blow an
>>> exponent or +/- sign, produce graphs suitable for a tactile embosser,
>>> and give me the ability to double check my answers, to say nothing of
>>> being a very capable talking "calculator."
>>>
>>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other Java-based
>>> user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>>
>>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was much
>>> more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command to force
>>> the exponents into the same line as the equation instead of Maple
>>> printing them above the equation. And at that point, I had a pretty good
>>> solution.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use by
>>> a blind student problematic:
>>>
>>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>>> best results.
>>>
>>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100 and
>>> requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>>
>>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance and
>>> many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>>
>>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license when
>>> you purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and your
>>> school workstation is going to be a problem.
>>>
>>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>>
>>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I
>>> was hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source programs
>>> simlar to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or installation issues.
>>>
>>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>>
>>> Next steps:
>>>
>>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text
>>> editor so I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable of
>>> placemarkers, cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>>
>>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice since
>>> Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the glue
>>> between Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>>
>>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>>
>>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing
>>> the real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by noticing
>>> you haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the hardest work in
>>> math is the problem setup and interpretation and the CAS can't do that
>>> for you. Still, there may be some reluctance on the part of instructors
>>> to allow you such a powerful calculator / programming language.
>>>
>>> Next semester...
>>>
>>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>>> 2. Calculus II
>>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>>
>>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions useful.
>>> I'm pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast.net
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 6
>> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:16:47 -0600
>> From: "Amanda Lacy" <lacy925 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics"
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>> Message-ID: <DFCF9CF157B5442291CD234447C38DEE at DD4DJCK1>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=response
>>
>> Indeed I will appreciate this.
>>
>> Amanda
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Ben Humphreys" <brh at opticinspiration.org>
>> To: <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: "Doris Pichardo" <pichardo.doris at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 8:59 AM
>> Subject: [Blindmath] Working math homework and exams
>>
>>
>>> Hi everyone on the Blind Math mailing list
>>>
>>> Earlier in this term, we had a brief discussion on how to make use of a
>>> text editor to take notes and do math homework. At the time, the
>>> discussion focused on how to represent math constructs like exponents,
>>> division, special symbols etc.
>>>
>>> I am now towards the end of my first calculus class, and my first math
>>> class as a totally blind student.
>>>
>>> Brief results: So far, have a B- in the class whereas I believe I would
>>> be
>>> much closer to an A, homework and exams take 2-3 times longer to do than
>>> other students. Use of Tiger embosser invaluable for visualizing graphs
>>> but a lot of extra prep work necessary to get math material and graphss
>>> in
>>> a form suitable for embossing or reading and doing homework.
>>>
>>> My instructor uses several formats for material. Most often, she
>>> creates
>>> material in Microsoft Word using Mathtype. I obtain the Microsoft Word
>>> file from her in electronic format, use Mathtype's convert to Latex
>>> feature, then heavily process with a Perl script to remove all the
>>> extraneous junk and put it in a straightforward format that I can read
>>> in
>>> Notepad. Before I wrote the Perl script, I required a human to remove
>>> all
>>> the extraneous Latex and the human found it faster to type from scratch
>>> than to fixup the Latex.
>>>
>>> Other times, my instructor scans in problems found on the web or out of
>>> other textbooks. These have to be typed in by a human so I can read
>>> them
>>> in a text editor.
>>>
>>> Finally, she solves class material and homework in handwriting and
>>> places
>>> the scanned images of that online for the benefit of all the students.
>>> The format is scanned PDF. So I need a tutor to compare my homework with
>>> the correct solutions.
>>>
>>> Our "official" textbook is available from Recording for the Blind
>>> (Learning Ally) but it's not only cryptic as most math texts are, but
>>> the
>>> readers are aweful. While I appreciate the volunteers who record these
>>> textbooks, it's an exceedingly hard thing to render a math textbook in
>>> audio format. I get stressed out just listening to those poor people
>>> trying to describe a crazy equation or graph in words.
>>>
>>> So that's the logistics of being a first-time blind calc student in a
>>> university setting with no "inline" instruction such as might be
>>> provided
>>> back in secondary school.
>>>
>>>
>>> Back to the original story...
>>>
>>> I planned to do my hhomework and exams in a text editor. I choose this
>>> approach for several reasons:
>>>
>>> 1. I'm a good typist and excellent JAWS screen reader user
>>>
>>> 2. Handwriting is out of the question
>>>
>>> 3. I am just learning Braille and so I figured a text editor + JAWS
>>> would
>>> be much more reliable. If you've ever compared the 2, b, apostrophe,
>>> and
>>> ^ characters on a Braille display, you can easily see how a beginner
>>> would
>>> completely blow an equation like y'=2b^2 because 5 of the characters
>>> are
>>> all two vertical dots in various configurations. Recipe for disaster...
>>>
>>> 4. I've heard in the past that folks used to use a Perkins brailler.
>>> This had the advantage that you could type your work in braille, and
>>> refer
>>> back to previous work on the page relatively easily.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, this sounded like a heavy, noisy, and impractical
>>> solution
>>> for me since I don't know braille that well. And I was unsure how one
>>> makes corrections (erasures or cross-outs) using such a method.
>>>
>>> So I choose Notepad + JAWS as my solution.
>>>
>>> I choose early on to use my own simplified expressions in lieu of
>>> complicating my life with Nemeth or for heaven's sake Latexin a text
>>> editor.
>>>
>>> So x-squared became x^2
>>> a/b is a simple fraction
>>> a+1//b was a shorthand to (a+1)/b and easier to understand
>>> lim x->infinity-symbol (sideways 8) became simply lim x~infinity
>>>
>>> Then I used JAWS dictionary to redefine things like "^2" to be
>>> "squared",
>>> y' to read "y prime", ~ for "goes to", and cos x to read cosine x.
>>>
>>> My simple hybrid representations worked relatively well.
>>>
>>> Now for the complications:
>>>
>>> 1. When equations got long, it was really easy to get "dizzy" reading
>>> through them with a text editor. Example:
>>> 4x^5 - (2x^2)(3x) + 45 = 16x^(4/3)
>>>
>>>
>>> 2. As you work an equation with more than one or two terms, it was
>>> really
>>> easy to make a mistake: Example:
>>>
>>> 2x^3 - 3x^2 = -5
>>> could easily become
>>> 3x^3 + 2x^2 = 5
>>>
>>> Because the human brain can only remember about 7 things at once, and if
>>> you look at that equation, there are about 9 individual coefficients,
>>> exponents, and signs to remember. It's enough to drive you mad. So you
>>> use copy and paste as you work the problem and then change little pieces
>>> on each iteration.
>>>
>>> 3. The sighted students have the benefit of a scratchpad in the form of
>>> an area off to the side of the page or on the back where "temporary"
>>> calculations can be performed. Then the result can be brought back into
>>> the original problem.
>>>
>>> I found I had to do my scratch work inline, which distracted me from the
>>> original problem and forced me to scroll through long lists of
>>> calculations to get to previous steps. this too was enough to make you
>>> dizzy and confused just moving through all the math with a screen reader
>>> in your ear.
>>>
>>> So I started labeling my steps with comments like you might do in a
>>> programming language. Example:
>>>
>>> # Original equation
>>> 4x^2- 400x = 0
>>>
>>> # add 100x to both sides and cancel
>>> 4x^2= 400x
>>>
>>> # Divide both sides by 4
>>> x^2 = 100
>>>
>>> # Solve for x
>>> x=10
>>>
>>> 4. The substitution problem - and this was the big one. When you get a
>>> problem with lots of variables, like in a word problem, you have to
>>> write
>>> down all your variables, do some manipulation, and then substitute
>>> everything back in. Example:
>>>
>>> A box has a base whose length is 10 and width is 5. The height of the
>>> box
>>> is 2. Calculate the surface area of the box.
>>>
>>> So you write down
>>>
>>> l=10
>>> w=5
>>> h=2
>>>
>>> s = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
>>>
>>> Now you have to ssubstitute in the values, which means you havfe to move
>>> your cursor back up, memorize one or more variables, and then bring your
>>> cursor down, place on the variable to be substituted, type the value,
>>> delete the original variable, and repeat without blowing anything.
>>>
>>> A sighted student does this completely intuitively because he or she
>>> rewrites the surface area formula, substituting variables on the fly by
>>> referring to them visually.
>>>
>>> When you Add more fariables, fractions, exponents, and signs, the
>>> tendency
>>> to blow it goes way up.
>>>
>>> After taking a 2 hour exam that actually took me 7 hours, of going back
>>> and forth dizzily within long problems, I figured there had to be a
>>> better
>>> way.
>>>
>>> Enter the the Computer Algebra System.
>>>
>>> I figured a Computer Algebra System could solve many of these problems
>>> for
>>> me. It could store and substitute variables, solve for x without using
>>> that horribly error-prone quadradic equation, never blow an exponent or
>>> +/- sign, produce graphs suitable for a tactile embosser, and give me
>>> the
>>> ability to double check my answers, to say nothing of being a very
>>> capable
>>> talking "calculator."
>>>
>>> I started off with Maple and found the workbook and the other Java-based
>>> user interface marginally to completely inaccessible.
>>>
>>> Then I discovered the command-line version called cmaple. that was much
>>> more accessible. I used the "interface(prettyprint=0)" command to force
>>> the exponents into the same line as the equation instead of Maple
>>> printing
>>> them above the equation. And at that point, I had a pretty good
>>> solution.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, Maple suffers from several problems which make its use by
>>> a
>>> blind student problematic:
>>>
>>> 1. The two standard user-interfaces, workbook and Java-based, , are
>>> marginally to totally inaccessible. Use the command-line version for
>>> best
>>> results.
>>>
>>> 2. The program is costly even at the student price of around $100 and
>>> requires a fair bit of fussing around to procure as a student.
>>>
>>> 3. The installation program is a pig and requires sighted assistance
>>> and
>>> many non-keyboard mouse clicks in certain places to complete.
>>>
>>> 4. And here's the worst part -- you are granted a single license when
>>> you
>>> purchase so operating on your home desktop, your laptop, and your school
>>> workstation is going to be a problem.
>>>
>>> Out with Maple, in with Maxima:
>>>
>>> Once I discovered the potential of a Computer Algebra System (CAS), I
>>> was
>>> hooked. I then discovered Maxima and Axiom, two open-source programs
>>> simlar to Maple but without the cost, licensing, or installation issues.
>>>
>>> I've been using Maxima ever since.
>>>
>>> Next steps:
>>>
>>> I envision integrating the input and output of Maxima with my text
>>> editor
>>> so I can do my homework in one seamless environment, capable of
>>> placemarkers, cut and paste, variable substitution, calulations, etc
>>>
>>> I will be switching from Notepad to Edsharp as my editor of choice since
>>> Edsharp is so much more capable and extensible. Creating the glue
>>> between
>>> Edsharp and Maxima will be my project for the winter break.
>>>
>>> A Potential Downside for CAS Use by Students:
>>>
>>> A CAS is so capable, it introduces not only the time-saving features
>>> described above, but the ability to solve some problems without doing
>>> the
>>> real math. Fortunately, most instructors would spot this by noticing
>>> you
>>> haven't shown your work. In addition, I've found the hardest work in
>>> math
>>> is the problem setup and interpretation and the CAS can't do that for
>>> you.
>>> Still, there may be some reluctance on the part of instructors to allow
>>> you such a powerful calculator / programming language.
>>>
>>> Next semester...
>>>
>>> 1. An integrated editor / CAS
>>> 2. Calculus II
>>> 3. And in the future, maybe even Physics :~
>>>
>>> I hope you all might find my experiments and hybrid solutions useful.
>>> I'm
>>> pretty sure Amanda and Dr. Baldwin will for sure.
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/lacy925%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blindmath mailing list
>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>> End of Blindmath Digest, Vol 64, Issue 20
>> *****************************************
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Blindmath mailing list
> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Blindmath:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/lacy925%40gmail.com
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