[Blindmath] Math in your head

Tue Dec 15 13:28:01 UTC 2015

Nobody said you have to do math in your head.

On 12/14/2015 05:01 PM, Sabra Ewing via Blindmath wrote:
> Wait, I haven't read this entire thread, but how can we jump from being blind to you have to do math in your head? I don't do math in my head. When I was younger, I used an abacus, and now, I will use a calculator for large calculations. Cited people prefer graphs, but I prefer tables of data in an XL spreadsheet. I can get the same thing they would in a way that better suits me.
>
> Sabra Ewing
>
>> On Dec 14, 2015, at 4:41 PM, Grzegorz Zlotowicz via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Excuse me, but in the same way, we can say, that people who can play chess without using chessboard, computer and using only their memory, are myth.
>> But, from the other side, such people exist.
>> Being myself blind, I use notepad for algebra editing.
>> Braille typed on a paper is so slow, you must each time rewrite every long expression, and if you do some mistake, there is no way of correcting it other than rewriting everything again.
>> Braille notetakers are so limited in their functionality (e.g. no Undo operation in Braille sense editor), and are showing you only one line of text.
>> When you want to jump few lines up, and then return to the end, cursor doesn't preserve position in line... And so on.
>>
>> Maybe using braille display and computer would be a solution, but also in this scenario, you need to take hands away from the keyboard, and return to keyboard after reading, which lowers effectivity.
>>
>> But, editing math in notepad is also slow, so I'm dreaming about fully functional equation editor, which would simplify the mechanics of algebraic operations...
>>
>> Greetings, Greg.
>>
>> W dniu 14.12.2015 18:41, Louis Maher via Blindmath napisał/a:
>>> Laura,
>>>
>>> Doing math in your head is a policy guaranteeing failure.  It simply does
>>> not work for any problem having any complexity.  Sometimes you might hear
>>> this from people who do not know how to do mathematics, or who do not have
>>> the resources for providing the blind with accessible material.
>>>
>>> You must learn the Braille Nemeth code to be able to perform college-level
>>> mathematics.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards
>>> Louis Maher
>>> Phone 713-444-7838
>>> E-mail ljmaher at swbell.net
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Laura
>>> Etori via Blindmath
>>> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2015 11:26 AM
>>> To: jheim at math.wisc.edu; Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
>>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Laura Etori <letori.etori6 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Math in your head (was: alternative methods of
>>> learning college algebra)
>>>
>>> well I am the student asking for the input
>>>
>>> but I get that' its good to apply technology and probably in the long run it
>>> would do me good to learn math code coz honestly I sometimes find it tedious
>>> to do math in my head all the time but, it would be a good practice to
>>> cultivate
>>>
>>> thanks a lot for the input I will be sure to use it and if anyone else has
>>> more input I am open minded to workable suggestions
>>>
>>> thanks. <div id="DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><table
>>> style="border-top: 1px solid #aaabb6; margin-top: 10px;">
>>>     <tr>
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>>>             <a
>>> href="https://www.avast.com/lp-safe-emailing?utm_medium=email&utm_source=lin
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>>> 90px; height:33px;"/></a>
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>>>         <td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 20px; color: #41424e;
>>> font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
>>> line-height: 18px;">This email has been sent from a virus-free computer
>>> protected by Avast. <br /><a
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>>> height="1"></a></div>
>>>
>>>> On 12/14/15, John G Heim via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> Maybe I'm getting my responders mixed up but weren't you the one
>>>> originally advocating doing everything in your head?
>>>>
>>>> You're totally wrong about what you say below though. Arithmetic is
>>>> only a very small part of mathematics and you can do the vast majority
>>>> of the arithmetic in your head faster than you can with a calculator.
>>>> No exam is going to ask a student to calculate the cosign of a 45
>>>> degree angle by whipping out their calculator.
>>>>
>>>> But I'm not even talking about doing arithmetic. I'm saying that most
>>>> math students, if asked to calculate the cosign of a 45 degree angle
>>>> would have to take out a paper and pencil, draw the unit circle, write
>>>> down the Pythagorean theorum, and  work it out on paper. If you can
>>>> develop an ability to do all that in your head, you're way better off.
>>>>
>>>> I pretty regularly come across students who have told me that they
>>>> have been told they can't be mathematicians because math is
>>>> essentially a visual thing. Quite honestly, I think not only is that
>>>> wrong, it's backward. Relying on vision to do mathematics is a drawback.
>>>>
>>>>> On 12/14/2015 09:14 AM, Jeremy wrote:
>>>>> Though I can understand your perspective as a blind person, just
>>>>> about every human being in the modern world carries a cell phone, and
>>>>> all cell phones have calculators. Why trust or tax your memory when a
>>>>> device which can compute far, far more than your brain will ever be
>>>>> able to calculate is right in your pocket. Why walk across the
>>>>> country when a technological advancement such as an airplane will
>>>>> take you to your destination in hours with no effort on your part.
>>>>>
>>>>> Those who know math well such as professors and opt to make
>>>>> calculations using paper and pencil are probably doing so because
>>>>> they have long become aware of the human brain's computational
>>>>> weaknesses and simply solve problems in this way to eliminate the
>>>>> possibility of error.
>>>>>
>>>>> The reason we as humans have seen an incredible jump in our
>>>>> technological advancements is due to computers. If we didn't invent
>>>>> computing machines we would be stuck using slide rulers and taking
>>>>> all day to compute relatively simple calculations which would overall
>>>>> hinder technological advancements.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can imagine making calculations in your head gets some "wows" from
>>>>> others, but it is not reliable if your goal is accuracy. One will
>>>>> have to weigh the pros and cons of learning and practicing mental
>>>>> math over the amount of time necessary to learn such a skill.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you want to see some amazing stuff, look up videos with Asians
>>>>> competing against one another using the abacus. These guys are
>>>>> multiplying and dividing 6-digit numbers in seconds, which would not
>>>>> normally be possible without such an instrument.
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>> John G Heim via Blindmath
>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2015 6:25 AM
>>>>> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
>>>>> Cc: John G Heim
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] alternative methods of learning college
>>>>> algebra
>>>>>
>>>>> I would hesitate to say that you absolutely have to learn braille math.
>>>>> But I'd be even more hesitant to say you don't need it either and I
>>>>> would put a different spin on doing everything in your head. Being
>>>>> able to do math in your head is an extremely valuable skill to have
>>>>> -- if you can develop it. That's actually true for any math student.
>>>>> Personally, it amazes me how some really good mathematicians have to
>>>>> write everything down. It strikes me as primitive. But I'm sure
>>>>> humans vary greatly on their ability to do math in their head and
>>>>> some people are going to have a greater need to write things down
>>>>> than others. It strikes me as bad advice to tell someone to forget
>>>>> about writing stuff down.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do like the advice someone gave to learn latex. A knowledge of
>>>>> latex is considered so basic here at the Department of Mathematics at
>>>>> the University of Wisconsin that we don't even teach a mini-course in
>>>>> it any more.  We don't teach the alphabet either. If you are going to
>>>>> major in math, you're expected to know latex.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 12/14/2015 01:51 AM, Jeremy via Blindmath wrote:
>>>>>> Post the faculty website listing you as "college mathematics
>>>>>> professor at a community college." If this is not the case, I think
>>>>>> it may not be legal for someone to walk around playing pretend in
>>>>>> regards to professional academic credentials.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Though you think you may have excelled at mathematics using your
>>>>>> technique, it is probably very likely that an objective comparison
>>>>>> of methods and outcomes may not be as generous to your
>>>>>> self-assessment of your mathematic ability.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you have truly worked with as many individuals as you claim, it
>>>>>> is likely you would know by now that people learn in very different
>>>>>> ways, and not everyone will be as fluent with mathematics as
>>>>>> another, so claiming no one needs braille and alike to complete math
>>>>>> assignments is the type of comment coming from an amateur and not a
>>> professional.
>>>>>> Surely you've heard of the normal distribution, if so, why would you
>>>>>> dare
>>>>> make such a comment?
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>> David Moore via Blindmath
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2015 10:36 PM
>>>>>> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
>>>>>> Cc: David Moore
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] alternative methods of learning college
>>>>>> algebra
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Laura,
>>>>>> I had sight until I was 15. By the way, my name is David Moore.
>>>>>> After I lost my sight, I learned how to do all the math I had done
>>>>>> up through high school algebra in my head the way that I had seen it
>>>>>> with my eyes. You can learn how to concentrate so well, that you
>>>>>> could be able to see the algebra in your head just how you would see
>>>>>> it written and do all of the steps in your head and obtain the
>>>>>> answer by seeing every step just like it is in front of your eyes. I
>>>>>> Majored in math by using this method. If someone reads you a
>>>>>> problem, you can learn how to keep every step straight in your head.
>>>>>> If you need some braille to write down, just make up any code you
>>>>>> want. No one else reads the Braille anyway, so as long as you know
>>>>>> what it means, you can just make up your code. Please email me,
>>>>>> Laura. Braille is not needed to do math and do not let these Braille
>>>>>> crazy people tell you that. If I do write math down in Braille, I
>>>>>> use some made up code, because I am the only one who reads Braille.
>>>>>> I will share my experience with you and teach you tricks of doing
>>>>>> all math in your head. Have a great one, can't wait to talk to you.
>>>>>> I will help you get an A in that class. I have tutored sighted and
>>>>>> blind alike just for fun. You will be fine and you can do it. I am a
>>>>>> college mathematics professor at a community
>>>>> college. I am also totally blind. You can do it, I am proof. Take care.
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Louis Maher via Blindmath
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2015 10:11 PM
>>>>>> To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
>>>>>> Cc: Louis Maher
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] alternative methods of learning college
>>>>>> algebra
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You must learn Braille and Nemeth Code which is the Braille
>>>>>> mathematics code.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards
>>>>>> Louis Maher
>>>>>> Phone 713-444-7838
>>>>>> E-mail ljmaher at swbell.net
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>>> Laura Etori via Blindmath
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2015 7:34 PM
>>>>>> To: Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> Cc: Laura Etori <letori.etori6 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> Subject: [Blindmath] alternative methods of learning college algebra
>>>>>>
>>>>>> greetings everyone
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am a college student and i am not proficient in braille. that is
>>>>>> because i lost my sight recently.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> for my core curricular courses i am expected to take college algebra
>>>>>> and since i do not know math braille i would love to get suggestions
>>>>>> from all of you on how i can be able to go through my course using
>>>>> alternative methods.
>>>>>> i am totally blind and eager to take up any suggestions.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> your input is highly appreciated and thanks a lot.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> for it is Him who works in us, and works through us, and makes
>>>>>> everything beautiful and marvelous in His time and splendour.
>>>>>> Kind regards
>>>>>> Laura Etori
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
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>>> --
>>> for it is Him who works in us, and works through us, and makes everything
>>> beautiful and marvelous in His time and splendour.
>>> Kind regards
>>> Laura Etori
>>>
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