[Blindmath] Texas Instruments Graphing Calculator TI84 Plus

[Benjamin Davison]

Rosanne,

From my experience at five US and three Kenyan schools for the blind, many visually impaired students do not have sufficient tools for graphing, either with graph paper or with a calculator. I'm not sure what sighted students use, but blind and many low vision students use tools like the embossed graph paper, wikki stix, sticky dots, or the Graphic Aid for Mathematics.

The five US schools for the blind only used the Accessible Graphing Calculator and MathTrax AFTER the core content was taught, as a short supplement to the core material. Kenyan schools for the blind do not use calculators.

At this point, an accessible graphing calculator is more of a research question than an engineering question. And of course an accessible graphing calculator is only a substitute for a graphing calculator; it does not substitute for graph paper (real or virtual).

- Ben



On May 21, 2012, at 11:55 AM, Stephen Guerra wrote:

> Actually, the Software graphing calculator does not allow you to download a
> free trial.  So, if the TI84 was made accessible, the nightmare of a
> hardware solution would go away.
> 
> 
> Stephen Guerra
> Assistive Technology and Technical Operations Specialist
> Independent living aids, LLC 
> 200 Robbins Lane
> Jericho, New York 11753-2341
> Phone: 800.537.2118
> Direct: 516.450.3817
> Fax: 516.450.3842
> E-mail: stephen at independentliving.com
> Web sites: www.independentliving.com
> www.soundbytes.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bente Casile
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 10:39 AM
> To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Texas Instruments Graphing Calculator TI84 Plus
> 
> Oh Rosanne,
> 
> Where to begin.  Yes, as a math instructor who is now in community college
> and taught in K-12 you have hit on one of the biggest struggles for our
> blind students.  The current accessible graphing calculator (please don't
> take offense View Plus) just doesn't cut it.  Here are the topics that
> students need to be able to do that are currently either not able to be done
> or extremely difficult:
> *Graph systems of equations by entering the equations *Do regressions based
> on data (linear, exponential, especially quadratics, power functions)
> *finding intersection points of two lines or functions *finding maxima and
> minima for higher order functions The TI84 plus is a GREAT calculator and if
> there was an accessible version of that it would take our blind students
> from Algebra through Calculus.  The only calculators out there that graph
> are the View Plus Audio Graphing Calculator approx $250( I believe you can
> download a trial version and test for yourself it's functionality) and a
> free graphing calculator developed by NASA called MathTrax.
> 
> Bente J. Casile
> Math Learning Specialist
> Disability Support Services
> Wake Technical Community College
> Raleigh NC
> bjcasile at waketech.edu
> bente at casilenc.com 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Rosanne Hoffmann
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 10:13 AM
> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Blindmath] Texas Instruments Graphing Calculator TI84 Plus
> 
> Hello All,
> Please comment on the Texas Instruments graphing calculator, model TI84
> Plus. Is it the primary scientific graphing calculator in US school
> districts for sighted students? Is there a demand or need for this
> calculator to be accessible to students who are visually impaired/blind? Are
> there math textbooks that contain problems to be solved with the TI84 Plus?
> Are there calculators made by other companies that compete with Texas
> Instruments? Thanks for any information.
> 
> Rosanne Hoffmann, Ph.D.
> STEM Project Leader
> Educational Research
> American Printing House for the Blind
> 1839 Frankfort ave.
> Louisville, KY 40206
> 502-899-2292
> rhoffmann at aph.org
> 
> 
> 
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