[BlindMath] Seeking Resources to Self-Study Math for Programming

[Brandon Keith Biggs]

Hello Bill,
Where did you take your calculus class? Was it online? How much of the
materials were you able to get in LaTeX?
Thanks,


Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>

On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 1:17 PM, Bill Dengler via BlindMath <
blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> I just completed a course in calculus along with the International
> Baccalaureate mathematics standard level course. Like you, I hope to study
> computer science, and I was self-taught (for my programming and CS theory
> but not math). I’m still in high school, but I hope to study computing at
> university. I also don’t use Braille (my experiences in the past with
> Braille math led me to find it slow and inefficient) but as a thread I
> started on this list a year or so ago points out, learning some of that
> code might be a good idea.
>
> Right now, I use LaTeX extensively for writing math. It is plain text,
> making it readable with screen readers. It can also be compiled into a
> format for display to teachers or other sighted people reviewing your work.
> If you’re doing anything beyond Algebra II, I would argue that LaTeX is
> essential. Additionally, if you need to communicate/send your work to
> sighted people, LaTeX is essential. Yes, before Pre-Calc I used a sort of
> “calculator notation” for writing my work (typing it as it would appear on
> a scientific calculator), but this system is both hard to read for sighted
> people and potentially leads to ambiguities (does sqrt(3)x/3 mean the
> entire quantity is divided by 3 or just the x?)
>
> For self-study of mathematics, Wikipedia’s articles are accessible. While
> Wikipedia itself doesn’t exactly provide a math course, it is a useful
> reference. The site can be set to present math content in either MathML
> (readable by many screen readers) or LaTeX source. To change your
> preference, you’ll need to create an account (there’s a CAPTCHA, but I know
> a blind Wikipedia admin so if you need help creating an account let me know
> off list). Then go to http://enwp.org/special:preferences and on the
> appearance tab, you can change your display preference. While there, you
> might also want to change your skin to monobook for better accessibility.
>
> For self-study of computer science, a good starting point is
> http://greenteapress.com which provides books in accessible HTML and
> LaTeX. If you go through Think Python, note that the turtle world chapter
> generates inaccessible output, and the appendix on GUI programming uses
> tkinter which is inaccessible to screen readers.
>
> Feel free too contact me if you have any questions.
>
> Bill
> > On Jun 15, 2017, at 7:23 PM, Santiago Velasquez via BlindMath <
> blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi William, below are some recommendations, but they are just what has
> worked for myself.
> >
> > Learning Latex is great, not only for mathematics, but for other writing
> tasks as well. The beauty behind Latex is that you can manipulate a lot of
> aspects of a document/file, but they are done using code instead of using a
> mouse pointer.
> >
> > Regarding Braille, it is very useful when working with large systems of
> information, so I definitely suggest brushing up
> >
> > I am afraid that finding a fully accessible corse, or resources for
> studying mathematics at the higher level, is not as easy as it should be. A
> lot of people who do study mathematics at a university level find that for
> the majority of the materials, they will have to work how to adjust the
> material in some way. I wish I could tell you which way that is, but it
> differs from person to person. I personally find that the best way is to
> write things in ascii notation, or as if you were writing code. However, no
> resources that I have seen come that way.
> >
> > I am sure that I have missed other things, but I hope other people can
> also help me fill in the gaps.
> >
> > hope this helps
> > Regards
> > Santi
> >
> >
> >> On 16 Jun 2017, at 2:20 AM, Louis Maher via BlindMath <
> blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hello Dennis,
> >>
> >> It has not yet been decided how this material will be archived.  I hope
> for
> >> written notes from the presentations.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >> Louis Maher
> >> Phone: 713-444-7838
> >> E-mail: ljmaher at swbell.net <mailto:ljmaher at swbell.net>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: BlindMath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:
> blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org>] On Behalf Of Dennis
> >> Clark via BlindMath
> >> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 10:44 AM
> >> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> >> <blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>>
> >> Cc: Dennis Clark <dennis at dgclark.net <mailto:dennis at dgclark.net>>
> >> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] Seeking Resources to Self-Study Math for
> >> Programming
> >>
> >> Hello Louis,
> >> Do you know if this seminar is going to be recorded so that it can be
> >> accessed later by those unable to attend? It appears to be a very
> valuable
> >> seminar with a lot of work being put in by those organizing it, so it
> would
> >> be a shame to have all this information lost.
> >> All the best,
> >> Dennis
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Louis Maher via BlindMath" <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> >> To: "'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'"
> >> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> >> Cc: "Louis Maher" <ljmaher at swbell.net>
> >> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 7:42 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] Seeking Resources to Self-Study Math for
> >> Programming
> >>
> >>
> >>> William,
> >>>
> >>> I do not know if it is possible for you to go the National Federation
> >>> of the Blind (nfb.org) convention, but there will be an all-day
> >>> seminar on accessing Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics
> >>> (STEM) on July 10, 2017.  Here is the announcement:
> >>> ----
> >>> STEM Tutorials for Blind Students to be Offered at the 2017 NFB
> >>> National
> >>> Convention:
> >>>
> >>> Are you a blind student interested in studying science, technology,
> >>> engineering, or math? Do you feel daunted by the prospect of doing lab
> >>> work in a chemistry class or producing visually readable results in a
> >>> math class? Perhaps you're a professional in a technical field who
> >>> finds it challenging to produce graphs and charts for sighted
> >>> colleagues? If so, then come to the convention of the National
> >>> Federation of the Blind and plan to arrive in time for Seminar Day on
> >>> Monday, July 10. The NFB in Computer Science, the NFB Science &
> >>> Engineering Division, and the NFB National Association of Blind
> >>> Students Division will host the STEM tutorial workshop. STEM educators
> >>> and technologists will come from around the world to help blind
> >>> students and professionals learn to use a variety of tools to assist
> >>> them in excelling in their chosen technical field. Best of all,
> >>> individual tutoring sessions will be offered throughout the week for
> >>> those folks who want one-on-one training from experts who are familiar
> >>> with the access technology they're teaching, as well as the technical
> >>> field it's being used for. The topics to be discussed and for which
> >>> tutoring will be available include: access math in electronic
> >>> materials directly or to convert it to Braille; write math in formats
> >>> directly accessible to sighted people; read STEM graphs, charts, and
> >>> diagrams, and create simple graphics; and participate in chemistry,
> >>> biology, physics, and engineering labs.
> >>>
> >>> There is no charge to attend either the seminar on Monday or the
> >>> tutoring sessions throughout the week. The seminar on Monday will give
> >>> an overview of the technologies to be taught, as well as an
> >>> introduction to the tutors themselves. It is strongly recommended that
> >>> folks who are interested in being a part of this invaluable
> >>> opportunity plan to arrive at the convention in time to begin
> >>> participating in events on the morning of July 10.
> >>>
> >>> For more information, contact: John Gardner, STEM tutorial
> >>> coordinator, at john.gardner at oregonstate.edu.
> >>> ---
> >>>
> >>> 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
> >>> William Nutt via BlindMath
> >>> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 10:40 PM
> >>> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
> >>> Cc: William Nutt <williamdnutt at gmail.com>
> >>> Subject: [BlindMath] Seeking Resources to Self-Study Math for
> >>> Programming
> >>>
> >>> I am planning to change careers to programming and eventually hope to
> >>> return to grad school for a MS in Computer Science. It has been a long
> >>> time since I did any math. In high school I went through Algebra II
> >>> using braille, and in college I took statistics. I never explored math
> >>> using my computer during this time.
> >>>
> >>> Since I want to study artificial intelligence, I need to brush up on
> >>> pre-calculus and learn calculus, linear algebra, and discrete
> mathematics.
> >>> I
> >>> need to do this through self-study and do not have access to braille
> >>> output.
> >>> My primary computer uses NVDA, and I have access to a Mac with
> >>> Voiceover as well.
> >>>
> >>> I would appreciate answers to the following questions, since I do not
> >>> know how best to proceed.
> >>>
> >>> 1. What do I need to learn so that I can embark on this self-study?
> >>> Should I learn LaTex or any other frameworks?
> >>>
> >>> 2. Where are the best places to learn this information?
> >>>
> >>> 3. Are there any other tools or tutorials I should be aware of? Has
> >>> someone laid out a roadmap for this kind of project before?
> >>>
> >>> 4. What accessible resources do people recommend for learning math for
> >>> computer science? What are the best ways to maximize accessibility
> >>> with NVDA and Voiceover?
> >>>
> >>> Thank You in Advance,
> >>> William Nutt
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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