[Blindmath] audio graphing calculator

Tue Mar 4 16:02:18 UTC 2014

My daughter's TVI got one from APH with the state quota. If you have a TVI they can help with the order, or your special education department from your school district could do that as well, you have to get through APH and it should be free. The only one available is the Orion TI-84 Plus. 
Here is a review from an 8th grader

Student Review of the Orion TI-84Plus Talking Graphing Calculator By Jordan
Hello. My name is Jordan. I am amiddle-school student and am in the 8th grade. I am in a Math 1class, which means that it’s time to pull out the graphing calculators.Luckily, when this time came for me, I was already prepared with my Orion TI-84Plus talking graphing calculator which my VI teacher, Nita, had given me.

The device is made by Orion and Texas Instruments,who made the original graphing calculators. This specific calculator, however,is called the “Orion” calculator because it is able to speak to me and tell mewhat buttons I’m pressing and the points I’ve plotted. What makes thiscalculator unique is that in addition to the regular graphing calculator keys,there is a special set of 10 keys on the top of it called the Orion keys. Thesekeys help you perform certain functions on the calculator such as going to thePreferences menu and repeating the playback of certain equations. 

The way that the Orion TI-84 Plus calculatorgraphs is unique and very convenient. Basically, it uses tones to describe theline or the point I’ve plotted on a graph. Although this is helpful, it can bea bit confusing when you’re trying to find a specific point on a line or theintersection of a linear equation. In this case, you’d switch to “speech” mode,which will then tell you each point on the line as you navigate along it usingthe arrow keys. It will also tell you the intersection of a linear equationwhen you do the usual “Graph”, “Second”, and “Trace” process. Also, thanks to aspecial tool that is not limited to the Orion TI-84 Plus calculator, I can havemy graphs show up on my computer screen and am able to send them using email. 

Besides graphing, whether on an Orion or anormal calculator, you can set programs, use applications, and do various otherthings. 
Overall, I think this calculator is veryuseful. I’m able to easily plot lines and linear equations, as well as dosimple things like add and subtract. The speech is helpful, of course, and thetones are accommodating when wondering what a line looks like on the screen. Idon’t think that there should be anything changed, except for the fact that itmay occasionally freeze. To solve this problem, the user has to reset thecalculator by holding the “Control” and “Function” keys which are particular tothe Orion device. Besides this, I don’t see any flaws and don’t see why a blindstudent who is either in high school or 8th grade should not haveone of these to use in their classroom and at home. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Amber Kraft <amber.r.kraft at gmail.com>
To: blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tue, Mar 4, 2014 10:26 am
Subject: [Blindmath] audio graphing calculator

Good morning,
    At this time I am a senior in High school and I am getting ready
for college. I know one thing I will be needing in college for math is
an audio graphing calculator. as of right now I have only had to use
one very little and the one I  used was on the computer with JAWS, so
I was wondering what audio graphing calculators would be the best? I
was hoping to get a handheld one.

Thank you

-- 
Thanks
Amber Kraft
"You tell me I can't, I will show you I can."

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