[Blindmath] High School Graphing Accessible Standards and Options

[Mary Woodyard]

I am a parent who began reading this posting because of the need for
accessible Scientific and Graphing calculators or software for middle and
high school parents.  I have a rising 10th grader who used the scientific
calculator this year.  His school standard was the TI SX30.  We were able to
find an accessible scientific calculator (the TI Orion 36x that met all of
his math requirements this year except simplifying radicals) which I posted
about last week.  Simplifying radicals is a large part of his curriculum
though so that is a pretty big hole to have for VI or Blind High School
Students.  The Orion was approved for use on his EOCTs and College Board
PSAT and SATs, as well as any AP classes he may take.

 

I have been researching accessible graphing calculators all year because my
son will need it next year and here is what I have found.  His school has
standardized on either the TI 84+ silver edition or the TI Inspire.  With
the Inspire, they are not allowed to get the CAS version because it is too
helpful and not allowed on some tests.  What I learned is what everyone else
has stated before.   There is no good accessible physical graphing
calculator available today.  That leaves my son with software as his option.
The TI 84 does have emulation software that can be purchased if the school
does not already have a license for it.  However, with the 84+ you have to
buy the calculator and then purchase the emulation software and it is not
cheap - it is over $100.

 

The TI Inspire - the software comes in the package so you purchase the
calculator and the software is in the container.  It's all one price.  This
is available at Best Buy or wherever you purchase the Inspire.  However,
neither of these emulation packages are accessible.  Depending on the
student's level of vision - they may or may not be helpful.  The ACG
software that is out now is accessible.  I tried downloading a free version
of it after seeing it a ATIA in Orlando and found it hard to use.  I called
the company last week and asked if there was any training available at any
blind schools or STEM camps for Blind high school students and they said no
- the schools would need to do that.  My plan is to have my son start with
the Inspire software because it is what the rest of his public high school
class will be using and see if it works for him.  If not, then purchase the
ACG and try that.  This is a harder option in public school though because
the commands are different than the rest of the class and it takes longer
for my son to figure out how to do the different standards.

 

I also purchased the hand held inspire which he can look at under a CCTV
although this is a very cumbersome way to do Math - particularly with the
volume of Math that they do.  For testing purposes - no graphing calculators
are allowed on EOCTs in our state so there is no need to worry about EOCT
approval.  For the school, he is approved to use the TI emulation software
in class, if it works for him in class - they will add it to classroom
testing and then we will apply to College Board for PSAT, SAT and AP use.

 

I have hired a tutor to work with him this summer on the graphing software
as the school teachers do not know either the TI or ACG version.  What I
would love as a parent is a resource that could cross reference the new
Common Core standards that 49 states are adopting so that if my son was
going into 8th grade and was going to have to do the Distance and Midpoint
Formulas - there would be a list of tools that might help him figure out the
best way to accomplish this task.  Now that my son did this in 9th grade I
know he will need the graphs enlarged with good contrast and need a way to
simplify radicals as the distance formula starts under a square root sign.
Not being a Math person myself - I don't know these things until he learns
them.

 

This skill is pushing down from 9th grade where he did it this year to 8th
grade next year in those common core standards so now all vi and blind
middle school students  will need an accessible scientific calculator which
is testing approved to use in middle school.  I have been very lucky getting
some excellent help from CVI, the Texas Commission for the Blind and the AFB
(Ike Pressley and his AT Book have helped a lot!) to try and piece this
together for my child.  However I am a stay at home mom who can research
these issues.  What about the parents who are working 2 jobs and can't?  If
we could come up with a way to make this easier for students to get the
resources they need to be successful in school - it would be great!

 

One other comment about the TI emulation software that needs to be fixed is
that you are allowed only 2 downloads with the purchase of the software. I
called TI and talked to their education department and explained that my son
had a school provided computer which was reimaged every year and that he
would need more licenses as he will be in high school and college for many
years.  They said that because of his vision impairment - they will allow
him more licenses - but I will need to call every year and have them
unlocked for him.  This is another issue that AFB or NBF might be able to
work with them on and see what a reasonable way to accomplish the
reinstallation of the software if a computer crashes or is reimaged would
be.

 

Since I am telling you what I have found to be helpful - I will mention one
other thing.  I recently learned of a standard Math Talk language visually
impaired students.  In all the years my child has been in school no one had
ever taught him this.  I personally think it should be offered with Braille
as standard instruction for all VI and Blind students so that have a common
vocabulary for parentheses and Math Symbols.  As my son delves deeper into
Algebra I think how much easier it would be if he had a standard vocab
already for all the terms and parentheses that he sees now.  Thanks for any
help you can give our students!