[Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?

Tue Mar 8 01:42:23 UTC 2016

Hi all, a few words about LEAN Math

It has been some time since I released the last beta of LEAN, because I was finding the original architecture to be nearly impossible to repair and maintain. I have totally rewritten LEAN, making it much more robust. I am not a very competent software developer, and unfortunately it was pretty evident in LEAN I. The new version has been working well for months in audio, but I have some problems making the right information show on braille displays. I am hindered because I am not a good braille reader myself and don't usually use a braille display. However if there are people who would like to use it in audio, I would be happy to put it up for download.

For those of you who don't know LEAN, it is an efficient way for blind people to write math, and it includes a number of nice little functions that help you when you are solving algebraic equations. LEAN presently works only with the MathType application in MS Word, so you would need MS Word and MathType (available from dessci.com). LEAN creates standard MathType equations, so its output is completely mainstream. It can be used to read math in MS Word, but there are lots of ways now to read math in MS Word, so please regard LEAN as a way to write math. There are not very many ways to write math as you know. LEAN will be a free application for blind end users. ViewPlus will eventually put LEAN on the market and sell it and support packages at modest cost to institutions.

John Gardner

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Allan Mesoga via Blindmath
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2016 12:14 PM
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Allan Mesoga <allan.mesoga at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?

You can use LEANMath accessible math editor of ViewPlus to write and create accessible math documents with MSWord and MathType.  You can contact Sir John Gardner about LEANMath.

On 3/2/16, Ken Perry via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Yes on AP exams it is one test where CAS is allowed.  Of course you 
> might be sorry you have It the way they want you to show both how you 
> set the problem up and sometimes they will ask you why you did what 
> you did and if you are relying on your calculator too much you will even have more problems.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> Sean Tikkun via Blindmath
> Sent: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 6:30 PM
> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics 
> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Sean Tikkun <jaquis at mac.com>
> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?
>
> But again, returning tot he quote I posted. It’s allowed on AP exams.
>
> Sean
>
>> On Feb 29, 2016, at 11:05 PM, Ken Perry via Blindmath 
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> No not all TI calculators are CAS devices. There are actually cas 
>> versions of TI-84 and Nspire but not all of them are CAS based.  For 
>> example if you do an derivative or integral or even square roots on 
>> TI-84 without a special program on the TI-84 you get a number not a 
>> text answer.  The cas system would give you the reduced text answer 
>> not a number.  See this
>> page:
>>
>> https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-CAS-graphing-c
>> a lculator-and-a-non-CAS-graphing-calculator
>> <https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-CAS-graphing-
>> c
>> alculator-and-a-non-CAS-graphing-calculator>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> <mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Sean Tikkun via 
>> Blindmath
>> Sent: Monday, February 29, 2016 1:44 PM
>> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics 
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>>
>> Cc: Sean Tikkun <jaquis at mac.com <mailto:jaquis at mac.com>>
>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?
>>
>> Just to clarify, I’m suggesting that a student who is blind write 
>> their work using CAS markup. Regarding standard tests… It is true a 
>> student can not use a programable or graphing calculator on ACT, SAT, 
>> and GRE. The mathematics level of the GRE is actually lower than the 
>> ACT and SAT. My understanding is that it is far less reliable that a 
>> student has taken a math class within the last 3 years and as such 
>> the work does not go beyond College Algebra/Algebra 2.
>>
>> However, I think a TI-80 or higher calculator would be considered a 
>> CAS device, which is allowed on AP exams these days. They weren’t 
>> when I took my Calculus AP, and I was rather indignant when I found 
>> out they are! I’d draw your attention to the below quote found at:
>> https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-calculus-ab/calculator
>> -
>> policy
>>
>> "Calculator memories will not be cleared. Students are allowed to 
>> bring to the exam calculators containing whatever programs they want. 
>> Students must not use calculator memories to take test materials out of the room.
>> Students that attempt to remove test materials from the room by any 
>> method will have their exam grades invalidated."
>>
>> -Sean
>>
>>
>>> On Feb 29, 2016, at 11:37 AM, Ken Perry <kperry at blinksoft.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> CAS can't be used on standard tests and neither can programming 
>>> languages that do your work for you.
>>>
>>> Ken
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> <mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Sean Tikkun via 
>>> Blindmath
>>> Sent: Monday, February 29, 2016 12:30 PM
>>> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics 
>>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>>
>>> Cc: Sean Tikkun <jaquis at mac.com <mailto:jaquis at mac.com>>
>>> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?
>>>
>>> Doing Math with a programing language, from my point of view is 
>>> doable, always has been. The modules are just sub-programs that 
>>> execute certain functions and algorithms. I believe some of my early 
>>> programs in Basic on an Apple II did my homework for me. Later 
>>> Mathematica did the same service when I was in College. When working 
>>> as a TVI I taught a High School student who read braille the 
>>> language and he completed his work using the Wolfram-Alpha langauge 
>>> (almost identical markup as Mathematica) to make graphs and check his work.
>>>
>>> There are very strong Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) that are used 
>>> by mathematicians and present all output on a single line (as we 
>>> want it to in
>>> braille!) Not sure why the braille community has never moved towards 
>>> CAS markup since all math teachers and mathematicians already 
>>> recognize it. Also would be little to no backwards translation issues.
>>>
>>> Sean
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Feb 26, 2016, at 2:02 PM, Jamal Mazrui via Blindmath
>>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I recently read a couple of books that lead me to believe that 
>>>> algebra, calculus, and statistics may all be done with the Python 
>>>> programming language and science-related modules.  The titles, 
>>>> which a web search will find, are "Doing Math with Python" and "Think Stats."
>>>> Rather than the default Python shell, a more sophisticated one 
>>>> called IPython is recommended, available at www.ipython.org 
>>>> <http://www.ipython.org/>
>>>>
>>>> Jamal
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>> <mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Brandon Keith 
>>>> Biggs via Blindmath
>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2016 11:43 PM
>>>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Cc: Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com 
>>>> <mailto:brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com>>
>>>> Subject: [Blindmath] Techniques for taking Algebra through Calculus?
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I am looking for some ways my student can use to take Algebra 
>>>> through calculus that does not require a significant investment of 
>>>> time to get up and running.
>>>> I know about Latex, but from what I have seen, it takes quite a bit 
>>>> of time to learn.
>>>>
>>>> Nemeth does not work because my student does not know Braille.
>>>>
>>>> The only other option I can think of is having a tutor there, 
>>>> writing out in huge letters, or using manipulatives to explain the 
>>>> concepts.
>>>> I did this going through Statistics, but it was not fun and 
>>>> currently the student has not had much success with this method.
>>>>
>>>> The accessibility person has suggested something using math ML may work.
>>>> Has anyone worked with math ML before?
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/> 
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>>>> 4
>>>> 0
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>>>> 4 0fcc.gov> BlindMath Gems can be found at 
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>>>>
>>>>
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--
Allan R. Mesoga
Copyreader
Learning Resources Production Division
Bureau of Learning Resources
Department of Education
Mobile number:  09198861145
Personal website:  http://www.armesoga.xtreemhost.com/

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