[Blindmath] I'm Dying Here

Fri May 16 01:00:25 UTC 2014

I have to say, i agree that no matter how explicit your teacher is, it will never be completely clear.  Natural language is ambiguous and math is not.  I definitely can empathize.  And i agree try looking online.  I would be interested if anyone has suggestion on good/accessible online examples.  I am compiling a list…

On the other hand, i want to be encouraging.  So from my own experience…. From years of struggling to read boards and keep up in math classes eventually i succeeded and surpassed others.  Not because i am smarter than them but because the visual method of learning math frequently lacks deeper understanding and ability to conceptualize.  I could think math something only a handful of student could do coming out of calculus.  It was a skill learned out of necessity. 

Jon Yaggie
EYH Volunteer Coordinator
UIC Mathematics

> On May 15, 2014, at 19:23, sabra1023 via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Unfortunately, I have had the same problem you do and every single math class I've ever attended. I haven't found that getting a person to explain what is being said to be a very effective strategy. Especially in the higher level math courses, the person might not know, they might not be able to explain things non-spatially when required, and they might not know how to reformat spatial information see you can more easily access it. Unfortunately, I don't know how much people go over this in training programs for teachers of the blind, but in my experience, a lot of them only know how to do this to a certain extent and not at all and the higher-level maths. I'm pointing all of this out because even if your teacher verbalizes what is on the board, he still might be presenting the information spatially. That means he's making it difficult to understand by moving numbers all over the board and probably using lines and arrows and other unnecessary garbage. Especially if you have b
> een blind from birth, it would be good if you could find someone else who is totally blind and who's really good at math so that person could do the things I have previously described. What I have done is to have individual time with a teacher or tutor, or I also look for examples on the Internet. Places like forums or Yahoo answers are good because the examples are to the point and the equations are often accessible. And textbooks, the examples are ;-), spatial,, ;-), difficult to find, and difficult to understand.
> 
>> On May 15, 2014, at 5:56 PM, Jose Tamayo via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> You are in a situation which I found myself in a few years ago.  The
>> instructor is doing just what he / she has been doing for years.  I would
>> recommend the following :
>> 
>> 1.  Be patient and understanding because it will take time for your
>> instructor to change from doing what has been the norm for years 
>> 2. Record the class sessions and sit with your instructor. Give the
>> instructor an opportunity to listen in on his own lecture.  You will  find
>> that they finally can understand what you are going through.
>> 3.  Explain your situation to the instructor because they don't know that
>> you have that need.  
>> 4. having your fascilitation center record the 
>> Classes for later review might work if they have someone explain what is
>> being said.
>> 
>> Your best bet in my opinion is to have the discussion with your instructor;
>> not after class but in his office when she has time.
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Jose Tamayo 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elise
>> Berkley via Blindmath
>> Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 5:33 PM
>> To: BlindMath 
>> Subject: [Blindmath] I'm Dying Here
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I need a shoulder to cry on, everyone.  I am in my algebra class and I am
>> drowning.  We are finding the lcd of rational expressions and then making
>> the lcd equal between two expressions.  My instructor is talking so fast and
>> using "this guy" instead of calling out the numerals.  I want to give this
>> stuff up right now.  Thanks for listening.  Elise
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Elise Berkley
>> 
>> "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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