[Blindmath] constructions in Geometry

[Lewicki, Maureen]

Thanks, Allen. Indeed I do not require my students to do constructions on a test, but I do require that they learn how to do it, to the best of their ability.

In terms of doing then for a grade, if they can show they know how to do them, I explain that to his math teacher, and we are done. But I do think it is important enough that they learn how.

Maureen Murphy Lewicki
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Bethlehem Central Schools
700 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, NY 12054
http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/


On Nov 23, 2015, at 1:02 PM, ALLEN PURVIN via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

I receive the digest version so sometimes replying is a bit off.

I guess my question would be, what is point of doing the constructions? Because that is what the other students are doing? I usually ask what, "what is the purpose of the activity? Is it that the student can actually  physically do the construction, meaning is it essentially a fine motor and visual perceptual task, or is it that he understands how to create a construction, and how that relates to geometric proofs, at which point it is more a cognitive and mathematical objective. If the former, than he needs to know how to do constructions. If the later, than he needs to articulate how to do a construction, and why and how this answers the given question.

With my student, we decided that he would initially go through the construction once or twice physically, but than he could give a detailed description of how to create the construction, by referencing specific line segments, etc. He was told he needed to give an explanation that a math teacher would understand.

A related issue is time.  My student received double time for exams. The reality is that, relative to his peers, creating an individual construction would take far more than double time, and an exam could have multiple constructions.  It would create an un-equal playing field.  Allowing him to describe it, leveled it.

Oh, my student also had a reader and scribe. Reader was just used for graphics, so that he could feel the graphic and locate information without having to go back to the text everytime and then relocate his graphic position. Scribe was used for scantron, and for me to create graphics based on his directions.

Anyway, this is just what we did.  May not work for you,or you may feel I gave him too much help. All good.
Be well,
- allen
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